Padres Affiliates Combine for 2–2 Day Behind Strong Starts and Late Offense

[Brock Beauchamp]

San Diego’s minor league affiliates split their four contests Wednesday, with San Antonio and Lake Elsinore notching key wins while El Paso and Fort Wayne came up short.

Durán Stays Hot, but Chihuahuas Fall to Round Rock 6–3
The El Paso Chihuahuas dropped a 6–3 decision to the Round Rock Express on Wednesday night despite a strong multi-hit showing from catcher Rodolfo Durán. Durán went 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the ninth, extending a steady run of performance that has seen him collect seven hits over his last four games.

El Paso struck first when Clay Dungan—who walked three times and stole two more bases (now 15 on the year)—scored on a Yonathan Perlaza sac fly in the opening frame. But the Express roared back with four runs in the second, capped by a three-run homer from Justin Foscue off starter Kyle Hart.

The Chihuahuas trimmed the deficit in the fifth when Bryce Johnson doubled in Forrest Wall, but the bats went quiet again until Durán’s late knock. Despite a clean outing from Alek Jacob (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R), reliever Ron Marinaccio gave up a solo homer and an RBI single in the eighth, sealing the loss.

El Paso’s timely hitting remains elusive—they went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Cedeno’s Blast, Reyes’ Triple Power Missions Past Amarillo 8–2
The San Antonio Missions used a combination of patience and power to beat Amarillo 8–2 on Wednesday night. The turning point came early, when Nerwilian Cedeno crushed a three-run homer in the second—his second of the season and first in Double A—to erase an early 1–0 deficit.

Ripken Reyes broke the game open in the eighth with a bases-loaded triple, giving San Antonio a commanding 7–1 lead. Reyes has posted an OPS of 1.038 in June, flashing both contact ability and power.

Luis Patiño, the Missions’ starter, worked 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball, striking out three. San Antonio’s bullpen—highlighted by scoreless appearances from Ryan Och and Enmanuel Pinales—kept Amarillo off balance for most of the night.

Francisco Acuna had a multi-hit performance and drove in a run in the eighth, while Brandon Valenzuela added an RBI double in the fifth.

TinCaps Fall Behind Early, Offense Silenced in 5–0 Loss
The Fort Wayne TinCaps were shut out 5–0 by the South Bend Cubs Wednesday night at Parkview Field, as early command issues and an opportunistic Cubs offense proved costly.

Starting pitcher Clark Candiotti didn’t make it past the first inning, issuing three walks and allowing two runs on a pair of sacrifice flies. Fernando Sánchez replaced him in the second but allowed three more runs in the third, including RBI hits from Edgar Alvarez, Ivan Brethowr, and Brian Kalmer.

The TinCaps’ offense struggled to convert base runners into runs. Their best chance came in the second when Jack Costello and Kai Roberts singled to put runners on the corners with one out, but Ethan Long grounded into an inning-ending double play. Fort Wayne hit into two twin killings and struck out 12 times on the night.

Rosman Verdugo was a bright spot, tripling in the first and drawing two walks. Though he’s batting just .232 on the year, Verdugo has reached base safely in six of his last seven games.

The TinCaps have now dropped three straight, managing just four runs during the skid.

Storm Hold On for 4–3 Win as Hollow, Jackson Spark Offense
Kaden Hollow collected two hits, drove in a run in the sixth, and scored in the first inning rally that gave the Storm an early 3–0 lead. Ryan Jackson contributed with two hits, a walk, and two stolen bases—boosting his season total to 15.

After Storm starter Kash Mayfield worked three scoreless innings, Kemp bridged the middle frames and earned the win despite surrendering a game-tying two-run sixth. Domingo came on for the ninth and secured the save after working around a leadoff double.

Offensively, the Storm struck early: Hollow scored on a double from Zach Evans, followed by an RBI triple from Lamar King Jr. and an RBI single from Kavares Tears. Though the bats cooled after the first, Lake Elsinore responded when it mattered—Hollow’s RBI single in the sixth proved the difference. Yendry Rojas showed patience at the plate with a walk and a run scored.