Padres minor league affiliates went 1-1 on Wednesday night.

Let’s jump right into the night’s events. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 4-2 vs Tacoma) (57-83 on the season)

Nick Pratto – 1-for-4, Home Run, RBI

Mason McCoy – 5-for-6, Double, RBI

Ian Koenig – 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (67 pitches – 49 strikes)

Right-hander Ian Koenig’s third Triple-A start was a gem, as the right-hander struck out four in six scoreless innings. Koenig generated ground ball outs on six of 18 outs recorded, throwing the sinker 62.7% of the time. The sinker usage was his highest as a Chihuahua, but opponents did not do much damage on the pitch, posting a 0.299 xwOBA Contact on the pitch. The sinker-heavy approach set up his secondary pitches effectively, which showed on the slider’s 50% whiff rate and changeup’s 40% chase rate. Logan Gillaspie pitched another scoreless outing, throwing two innings of relief. Though Gillaspie fanned just one of six batters faced, he used a double play to stymie a potential rally. Hunter Stratton pitched the ninth inning, allowing a two-run home run to former Padre (and former Chihuahua) Connor Joe. 

The Chihuahuas offense posted one run through eight innings before breaking through for three more late in the game. Mason McCoy led off the game with a single, and Miguel Andujar reached base on a fielder’s choice error. With two on and one out, Nick Solak doubled to score McCoy from first, scoring the team’s first run. Braedon Karpathios picked up his first career Triple-A hit in the second inning, a 100.9 mph grounder into right center field. Nick Pratto led off the ninth inning with a home run, his seventh with El Paso. Pratto’s homer kickstarted a three-run rally, as Gage Workman & Karpathios reached base with two outs. Mason McCoy’s fifth hit of the game scored Workman from second, and a 102.3 mph single off the bat of Marcos Castanon scored El Paso’s fourth and final run. 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 6-2 vs Amarillo) (58-76 on the season)

Oswaldo Linares – 1-for-3, Home Run, RBI

Alex McCoy – 1-for-3, Single, Two Walks

Abraham Parra – 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K (76 pitches – 42 strikes)

San Antonio took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning, but a five-run eighth for Amarillo saw them snatch victory from the Missions’ hands. San Antonio posted a 7-7-7 in the box score: seven hits, walks, and strikeouts. Despite this, the Missions lacked slugging in this game. Oswaldo Linares’ seventh-inning home run was their only extra-base hit of the game. Linares went 1-for-3 with the home run and a walk in the loss. Alex McCoy reached base three times against the Sod Poodles, drawing two walks. Tirso Ornelas scored the team’s only other run, crossing home plate on a 5-4-3 double play ball off the bat of Luis Verdugo. Kerrington Cross hit a single in his first game as a member of the Missions, checking off his first hit with San Antonio. Alex McCoy and Kai Roberts had successful stolen bases, with Roberts swiping his 40th of the season. 

Abraham Parra had his best start at the Double-A level on Wednesday. The right-hander threw five innings, striking out five batters. Parra’s outing saw him allow just three hits and no runs, his first scoreless start since April 19 at Lake County. In what is likely his final start of the season, the right-hander from Caracas, Venezuela closed out his season on a high note. Igor Gil threw two innings, allowing a solo home run to Angel Ortiz. The home run was the first that Gil allowed to a left-handed batter all season (and it was just the second time in three seasons that a left-handed hitter took Gil deep). Johan Moreno entered in the eighth inning with the Missions up 2-1, but did not have his usual command. Moreno loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter before giving up a go-ahead single to Angel Ortiz. A throwing error by Oswaldo Linares allowed the runner from third to score on a stolen base, and Ben McLaughlin crushed a two-run home run to chase Moreno from the game. Will Varmette made his Double-A debut in relief of Moreno, striking out his first batter faced and retiring all three batters faced. 

Lake Elsinore Storm – Off Day

The Storm continue their chase for the California League title in their Division Championship Round match with the Ontario Tower Buzzers. The Storm will send Kruz Schoolcraft to the mound for Game 2, while Ontario has yet to announce their starter. 

Thursday’s Probable Pitchers

El Paso – LHP Luis Gutierrez (Season Debut at Triple-A)

San Antonio – LHP Fernando Sanchez (2-3, 5.08 ERA)

Lake Elsinore – LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (3-7, 5.90 ERA in Regular Season)

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.