Padres Minor League Report: El Paso Madness, San Antonio Suspended, Miguel Mendez Shines

[Brock Beauchamp]

It was a mixed night for the Padres’ affiliates. El Paso’s offense clicked behind Brandon Lockridge and Luis Campusano in a 7–4 win. Fort Wayne rode a brilliant six-inning outing from Miguel Mendez to a shutout victory. San Antonio’s game was suspended while trailing 2–0 despite a strong outing from Jagger Haynes. Lake Elsinore fell 7–1, struggling at the plate and on the mound as Boston Bateman took the loss. Jorge Ruiz burned them for three RBIs.

Padres Transactions

• San Diego Padres optioned RHP Ron Marinaccio to El Paso Chihuahuas

Chihuahuas Capitalize on Chaos to Outlast Isotopes
Box Score

The El Paso Chihuahuas used opportunistic baserunning and late-inning execution to secure a 7–4 win over Albuquerque on Wednesday night. Brandon Lockridge sparked the offense early with a solo homer in the third, and Forrest Wall added a triple.

The fifth inning turned wild. After Mason McCoy and Lockridge reached, a pickoff attempt gone wrong allowed both to score, swinging momentum in El Paso’s favor. In the seventh, the Chihuahuas piled on. RBI singles from Yonathan Perlaza and Nate Mondou extended the lead, and aggressive baserunning — including a double steal and a throwing error — padded the margin to 7–4.

Luis Campusano went 2-for-4 with one walk and one run scored, while Perlaza and Mondou combined for three hits and three RBIs. Lockridge reached base twice, homered, and scored twice. Francis Pena earned the win in relief with two innings and one earned run, while Sean Reynolds closed the door with a clean ninth to notch the save.

El Paso pitchers tallied 17 strikeouts and held Albuquerque to just five hits, neutralizing two Isotope homers with steady bullpen work.

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Guillemette’s Blast Spoiled by Rain as Missions Game Suspended
Box Score

San Antonio’s game against Corpus Christi was cut short by rain just after the fifth inning began, with the Missions trailing 2–0.

Jagger Haynes struck out six in 4 2/3 innings but allowed two runs while walking five. After a leadoff single by Luis Baez, Garret Guillemette crushed a two-run homer to left — his second of the season — giving the Hooks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish before the skies opened up.

The Missions struggled to generate run support despite putting multiple runners on early. Romeo Sanabria, Devin Ortiz, and Wyatt Hoffman all collected singles, but San Antonio finished 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and stranded four.

Reliever Jared Kollar replaced Haynes just before the suspension, facing one batter. 

This suspended contest will be completed on Friday, July 4th.

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Mendez Fires Gem as TinCaps Shut Out Lugnuts
Box Score

Miguel Mendez delivered a masterful performance Wednesday night, leading the Fort Wayne TinCaps to a 2–0 shutout win over the Lansing Lugnuts at Parkview Field. Mendez worked six scoreless innings, striking out nine while allowing just two hits and two walks. He earned his fifth win of the season.

The TinCaps gave Mendez a lead in the first inning. Kai Roberts walked, stole second, and scored on a Leo De Vries RBI double. In the fifth, Brandon Butterworth doubled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on Ryan Jackson’s two-out single.

Jack Costello led the offense with a 3-for-4 night, including his 14th double of the season. Butterworth and De Vries each had extra-base hits, and Rosman Verdugo reached base three times with a single and two walks.

The TinCaps' defense turned two double plays to help preserve the shutout. After Mendez exited, Bodi Rascon and Cole Paplham handled the final three innings. Paplham walked two but struck out none in the ninth to record his first save.

Fort Wayne totaled nine hits and four walks while stranding eight runners. Despite missed opportunities, the early runs and dominant pitching sealed the win.

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Storm Falter In Middle Innings On Way To 7–1 Loss
Box Score

The Lake Elsinore Storm couldn’t overcome a steady Inland Empire attack and a tough night at the plate, falling 7–1 on Wednesday at The Diamond. Zach Evans provided the lone offensive spark for the Storm, going 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the sixth.

Starter Boston Bateman pitched into the fifth but allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks. His outing unraveled in the fifth when Inland Empire plated three runs, aided by a fielding error and a pair of RBI singles from Jorge Ruiz and Harold Coll. Adam Conrad entered with two on and two out but couldn’t stop the damage, surrendering two run-scoring singles that put the Storm behind 4–0.

Victor Figueroa doubled and scored Lake Elsinore’s only run, coming home on Evans’ single. The Storm stranded eight runners and finished just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Kavares Tears and Kaden Hollow combined for five strikeouts in the top third of the lineup.

Storm pitchers allowed 13 hits and walked five, while their own offense managed just seven hits while drawing two walks.

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