Padres Down on the Farm: September 6 (Liberato 4 hits, HR in EP/Oña HR in SA/Rascon pitches well in FW/Zavala homers in LE)
CRedit: MiLB
The San Diego Padres affiliates went 3-1 on Tuesday.
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 14-3 vs. Albuquerque) (70-59 on the season)
Jay Groome: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 6 K (103 pitches, 63 strikes)
Luis Liberato: (4-for-4), HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R
Brandon Dixon: (2-for-4), HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB
Kyle Martin: (3-for-5), HR, RBI, R
El Paso’s offense exploded for 14 runs on 17 hits in a comfortable rout of Albuquerque. The Chihuahuas blasted four home runs, including Luis Liberato’s 19th of the season. Liberato had four hits, coming a triple short of the cycle in a stellar game. Brandon Dixon also homered and drove in four runs, while Kyle Martin’s 14th homer of the season was one of three hits for the first baseman. Thomas Milone also homered in the win. El Paso recorded eight extra-base hits, and six different players had multiple base hits in the game. Jay Groome scuffled his way through five innings, allowing two runs. Groome picked up his first win for El Paso in the process. Craig Stammen pitched two innings, allowing a run, and striking out three in his first appearance for the Chihuahuas.
San Antonio Missions (Won 8-4 vs. Springfield) (65-60 on the season)
Nolan Watson: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K (95 pitches, 65 strikes)
Jorge Oña: (3-for-5), HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
Connor Hollis: (2-for-5), HR, 3 RBI, R, 2 K
Tirso Ornelas: (3-for-4), BB
Connor Hollis’ eighth-inning home run broke open a tied game, putting the Missions out for good. Jorge Oña had a massive game for San Antonio. He homered in the sixth, which briefly put San Antonio ahead. He added a double in the ninth, which proved to be some crucial insurance runs. Oña finished with three hits and five RBIs in the win. Tirso Ornelas also had three hits, as three of the nine San Antonio starters had eight of the 11 hits. Nolan Watson battled his way through five difficult innings, keeping San Antonio in the game through the early frames.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 6-5 vs. Lake County) (49-77 on the season)
Bodi Rascon: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K (80 pitches, 48 strikes)
Brandon Valenzuela: (2-for-4), HR, RBI, R, K
Josttin Diaz: (1-for-3), HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, 2 K
Albert Fabian: (1-for-4), HR, 3 RBI, R, K
Fort Wayne scored four times in the seventh inning, with Albert Fabian’s three-run home run proving to be absolutely crucial. Bodi Rascon pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run. Rascon surrendered just two hits, striking out six and walking none in the game. Fort Wayne homered three times, with Brandon Valenzuela’s home run in the fourth putting the TinCaps ahead. Albert Fabian’s aforementioned home run gave Fort Wayne a four-run lead in the seventh. Josttin Diaz’s ninth-inning home run was some necessary insurance, as Lake County scored twice in the bottom of the ninth.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 10-6 to Rancho Cucamonga) (72-55 on the season)
Duncan Snider: 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K (74 pitches, 50 strikes)
Samuel Zavala: (2-for-4), HR, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Nathan Martorella: (2-for-5), HR, 2 RBI, R, 2 K
Jackson Merrill: (2-for-4), 3B
The Storm’s pitching let them down, with the Quakes scoring five runs in four innings off starter Duncan Snider. Rancho Cucamonga then scored four times off Dylan Nedved, which proved to be the difference in the game. Samuel Zavala and Nathan Martorella each recorded two hits and homered in the game, while Jackson Merrill added a pair of hits and a triple. Merrill continues to rake, hitting .335 since his promotion to Lake Elsinore.
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Wednesday’s Probables
El Paso: Pedro Avila (5-2, 4.80 ERA)
San Antonio: Henry Henry (3-1, 5.40 ERA)
Fort Wayne: Efrain Contreras (0-5, 6.46 ERA)
Lake Elsinore: TBD
Sam is a Senior in High School. He has been writing for three years, and started at EVT in June of 2021. He’s headed to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications in the fall of 2023.