Padres Down on the Farm: June 9 (Valenzuela heating up for SA)
The Padres’ affiliates went 2-2 on Sunday.
Here is a recap of the day’s action.
El Paso Chuhuahuas (Won 7-4 vs Las Vegas) (27-36 on the season)
Graham Pauley – (1-for-4) 3 RBI
Nate Mondou – (2-for-4) 2 Doubles, RBI
Gabe Mosser – 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 6 K
The Chihuahuas were able to slug their way to a more traditional 7-4 win against the Las Vegas Aviators. Gabe Mosser started for El Paso and delivered yet another strong outing. Mosser allowed five hits across six innings of work, only running into trouble in the fourth after a two-out error. Over his whole outing, Mosser was able to effectively sequence his pitches for plenty of ground balls, keeping the Aviators off balance in most of his innings. It was a third consecutive strong outing for the right-hander, who has dropped his ERA from 9.00 to 6.05 across his last three starts (17.2 IP, 4 ER). Tom Cosgrove pitched a scoreless seventh, his seventh consecutive outing without an earned run.
On the offense, the Chihuahuas kept their mojo after last night’s historic comeback. Graham Pauley, starting at second base again, drove in three runs in the game. He continues to be an on-base machine, reaching base at a .353 clip on the season. Nate Mondou & Tirso Ornelas both recorded two-hit days, each driving in a run. Cal Mitchell & Bryce Johnson each recorded an extra-base hit for an RBI as well, with Mitchell homering for the seventh time this season.
San Antonio Missions (Lost 3-1 vs Midland) (25-31 on the season)
Brandon Valenzuela – (2-for-4)
Marcos Castanon – (1-for-4) Double
Robby Snelling – 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 K (79 pitches, 52 strikes)
In a closely pitched game against the Midland RockHounds, Robby Snelling was able to show some of the upside that could make him an ace. The Padres’ No. 2 prospect delivered a quality start, allowing three runs in six innings, all coming in the fifth inning. Snelling also showed an ability to work out of jams, doing so in the fourth and sixth innings. It was a needed bounceback for the 20-year-old left-hander, as he had allowed 12 runs over his last two starts.
The offense was rendered ineffective in the game, with five hits scattered across the game. Marcos Castanon recorded the team’s lone extra-base hit. Padres’ No. 11 prospect Brandon Valenzuela, playing first base on Sunday, recorded two hits in the game. As an upcoming Rule 5 eligible player, Valenzuela is showing positional versatility and could be an asset to his ascent up the minors and towards Triple-A and the Majors.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 9-2 vs Peoria) (25-32 on the season)
Homer Bush Jr – (1-for-2) Double, 3 Walks
Tyler Robertson – (3-for-5) 2 RBI
Manuel Castro – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The TinCaps brought out the big bats in a bullpen game, scoring nine runs against the Peoria Chiefs. Padres’ No. 8 prospect Homer Bush Jr walked three times and scored two runs. Bush is now reaching base at a .379 clip and recorded his 28th stolen base on the season, showing improvements in his adaptation to the pro game. Tyler Robertson recorded a 3-for-5 day, now hitting .462 in the month of June.
The TinCaps used five pitchers to hold the Chiefs to two runs on two htis. Opener Braden Nett made his second start coming off the injured list and pitched a scoreless first inning. Relievers Tyler Morgan, Will Geerdes, Manuel Castro, and David Morgan each tossed two innings, with the only runs coming on a homer allowed by Geerdes. Castro and Morgan pitched the last four innings, allowing no hits to close out the win.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 9-3 vs Inland Empire) (28-27 in the season)
Rosman Verdugo – (2-for-4) RBI
Ethan Long – (1-for-2) 2 Runs, 2 Walks
Miguel Mendez – 2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K (61 pitches, 37 strikes)
The Storm saw a five-run third inning put them in a deficit they would not come back from. Miguel Mendez started for Lake Elsinore, and he was cruising through two innings before a major rally in the third inning knocked him out of the game. Mendez allowed five hits, balked once, and threw a wild pitch in the frame, allowing the 66ers to take a 5-0 lead. Mendez is still 21, so he has time to continue developing his command in the Padres’ system.
The offense recorded six total hits in the game, going 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Rosman Verdugo recorded two hits and an RBI, with Ethan Long going 1-for-2 with two runs scored out of the DH spot in the lineup. Oswaldo Linares recorded the biggest hit for the Storm, lacing a two-RBI double in the fourth inning to make the game 5-2. The Storm’s offense would be unable to do much else offensively, which would seal the 9-3 loss.
ACL Padres
OFF DAY
DSL Padres Gold
OFF DAY
DSL Padres Brown
OFF DAY
Monday’s Probable Pitchers:
El Paso – OFF DAY
San Antonio – OFF DAY
Fort Wayne – OFF DAY
Lake Elsinore – OFF DAY
ACL – TBD
DSL Gold – TBD
DSL Brown – TBD
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.