Padres affiliates went 1-2 on Thursday night.

Let’s dive into the night’s events, which include a playoff win and a season debut. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 5-4 in 11 innings vs Tacoma) (57-84 on the season)

Bryce Johnson – 3-for-4, Two Doubles, RBI

Marcos Castanon – 2-for-4, Double, RBI, Two Runs

Luis Gutierrez – 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K (56 pitches – 32 strikes)

Left-hander Luis Gutierrez pitched four innings in his season debut with the Chihuahuas, striking out four batters. Gutierrez, who made one start in El Paso last season, allowed just one run on three hits, throwing 32 of 56 pitches for strikes. Gutierrez showed off a strong four-pitch mix, and while his fastball traits are those of a dead-zone fastball, his stuff is the kind that produces harder sequences to predict for opposing hitters. His changeup, slider, and curveball graded out fairly well considering the moderate altitude of Tacoma, Jagger Haynes pitched three innings in relief, allowing two runs. Haynes went four-seam heavy against Tacoma, but only got two whiffs on the pitch. The left-hander threw three innings, striking out one batter. Garrett Hawkins threw two scoreless innings. In a much-less high-altitude setting, his high-iVB fastball was back to its usual self, as he averaged 19.8 inches of rise on the pitch. Alek Jacob threw one-plus innings of relief, allowing the ghost runner to score in both innings, taking the loss. 

Bryce Johnson hit two of El Paso’s four doubles in the Chihuahuas’ loss to Tacoma. Johnson’s ninth-inning double tied the contest at three runs apiece. Anthony Vilar plated the team’s first run in the fifth inning, as with two runners in scoring position, Vilar lined a single to center field to score Marcos Castanon. Castanon plated El Paso’s second run in his next at-bat, scoring Carlos Rodriguez on a single to left field. Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a tenth-inning RBI single, also drawing a walk. Miguel Andujar went 1-for-4 with a double in the game as El Paso’s designated hitter. 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 5-3 vs Amarillo) (58-77 on the season)

Alex McCoy – 3-for-4, Three Singles

Ryan Jackson – 1-for-4, Home Run, RBI

Fernando Sanchez – 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 6 K (79 pitches – 53 strikes)

San Antonio launched three home runs in a loss to Amarillo. Brendan Durfee put the Missions on the board with a solo home run in the third inning. It was just his fourth of the season in 36 games with the Missions this season. Kai Roberts went back-to-back with Brendan Durfee, launching a solo home run of his own to left field. After Amarillo went ahead 3-2 in the third, Ryan Jackson tied the game with his fourth home run of the season. Shortstop Justin DeCriscio went 1-for-4 with a double, and Albert Fabian hit his third triple of the season in the first inning. Alex McCoy hit three singles in the game, and Jack Costello hit two singles in four at-bats. 

Starter Fernando Sanchez pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs. Sanchez threw 53 of 79 pitches for strikes, striking out six batters in his outing. The left-hander got 12 swings and misses from Amarillo batters to lead all arms in the contest. Despite this, a two-out two-run triple from Amarillo’s Jean Walters saw the Sod Poodles get two off the southpaw. Sanchez allowed an unearned run in the third inning, and Amarillo took the lead off him when Alberto Barriga golfed a 78.6 mph slider into the left-field seats. Francis Pena took over in the sixth, giving up a leadoff home run to Danny Serretti. Pena threw two innings, allowing just the one run. Josh Mallitz struck out one in a scoreless eighth. 

The Calf Fries strike first ?

Soddies on the Board!#FinishThis | #PackHODGETOWN pic.twitter.com/r2YKwmGIpz

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) September 11, 2026

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 6-1 vs Ontario) (2-0 in California League Division Series)

Nu’u Contrades – 2-for-3, Double, Two RBI

Alex Conover – 1-for-3, RBI Ground-Rule Double

Kruz Schoolcraft – 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (78 pitches – 45 strikes)

Coleman Borthwick – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K (36 pitches – 22 strikes)

For the first time since 2024, the Lake Elsinore Storm are heading back to the California League Championship Series. Lake Elsinore rode a dominant outing from three starting pitchers en route to a series-clinching win over the second-half champion Ontario Tower Buzzers. Left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft made his first career playoff start, and the southpaw was comically dominant. Schoolcraft struck out eight batters in five innings of work, not issuing a walk until the fifth inning. The left-hander generated 13 whiffs on 29 swings for a whiff rate of 44.8%, one of his highest marks of the season. Schoolcraft finished one strikeout shy of his single-game high (9 vs Inland Empire on May 29). The left-hander sat comfortable at 91-94 mph with the fastball and his changeup was just devastating. Despite sitting at 79-82, there are times when the cambio resembled a slider out of the hand, making a swing-happy Ontario lineup’s job even harder.

Kruz Schoolcraft struck out EIGHT batters in Game 2 of the Cal League Playoffs tonight!!#EmbraceTheStorm?️ pic.twitter.com/oy3lrQMwxB

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) September 11, 2026

Coleman Borthwick made his professional debut out of the bullpen, throwing two innings of one-run baseball. Borthwick’s fastball peaked at 98 mph, sitting at 93-97 with regularity. His slider was a real challenge for Ontario when he located the pitch on the outside corner, coming out of his hand at 85-87 mph with sharp lateral movement. Overall, in this high-pressure environment, Borthwick did quite well for himself, and his presence on the mound is one that Storm fans will get acquainted with in 2027. 

Coleman Borthwick makes his pro debut … in the Single-A playoffs!

The @Padres‘ 2026 first-rounder strikes out four over two frames of one-run ball for @Storm_Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0ikMgQqApi

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 11, 2026

Lake Elsinore chased the Tower Buzzers’ starting pitcher in the first inning. Elliot Lascelles worked a leadoff walk, but was thrown out attempting to steal second base. Joe Tiroly then worked a walk, successfully taking second base. Alex Conover, who came into the game fresh off a four-hit game, inside-outed a fastball to left field, where the ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule RBI double. A flyout and walk later, Ontario starter Luis Gamez was out of the game.

Ty Harvey walked in the second inning, and Qrey Lott took his place at first on a fielder’s choice. Ontario went to left-hander Ian May against Lascelles, who was 2-for-13 against southpaws in the regular season. Lascelles crushed a line-drive double down the left-field line, scoring Lott all the way from first. Joe Tiroly walked again and stole second before Alex Conover took a pitch off the arm to load the bases. Noted clutch hitter Nu’u Contrades stepped up to the plate and sent a 2-0 fastball from May to right field off the Ad Monster. Lascelles and Tiroly scored, and while Conover was thrown out at home, the Storm now led 4-0.

While Ontario relievers Camden Wimbish and Charlie May held the Storm scoreless in the middle innings, the Storm knew they’d require insurance runs after Game 1’s ninth-inning events. With two outs in the eighth inning, Jorge Quintana walked and reached third on a double from Dawson Willis on a chopper over third base. Ty Harvey then hit a towering fly ball to right field that was in play, but was dropped by right fielder Javier Herrera. With two outs, both runners scored from second and third, and the Storm now led 6-1. 

Sometimes all you gotta do is make contact!

Nu’u Contrades delivers a two-out two-run double in the second inning, and the Storm lead Ontario 4-0 after 2 1/2. @EVT_News pic.twitter.com/v45WirjmpH

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) September 11, 2026

Lan-Hong Su entered the game in the top of the eighth inning, striking out Ching-Hsien Ko and Easton Shelton on devastating offspeed pitches. His slider and splitter both came in hot, and his fastball touched 97 mph on multiple pitches. The right-hander stranded a runner in the eighth, and retired all three batters faced in the ninth. Su got Connor O’Neil to fly out to left fielder Alex Conover for the final out, sending the 2,300+ in attendance into cheers and celebrations. 

Lake Elsinore is MOVING ON!

Lan-Hong Su earns a two-inning save as the Storm clinch the South Division Championship.

San Jose. Lake Elsinore. You want a title match, you’ve got one. Game 1 of the Finals, Sunday. pic.twitter.com/6ZoBdjkAyO

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) September 11, 2026

With the series win, Lake Elsinore now faces off against the San Jose Giants for the California League title. Lake Elsinore and San Jose kick off their series on Sunday September 13 at The Diamond. 

Took ’em to school and then some.

Kruz Schoolcraft throws five scoreless with 8 K’s, Nu’u Contrades drives in two, and the Storm are moving on to the California League Championship Series! #EmbraceTheStorm?️@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/pXoUMYiWsj

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) September 11, 2026

Friday’s Probable Pitchers

El Paso – RHP Sean Boyle (10-7, 5.86 ERA)

San Antonio – RHP Carson Montgomery (Double-A Debut)

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.