Padres Minor League Report: Figueroa Leads the Way in Mixed Bag for System

[Brock Beauchamp]

Victor Figueroa collected three hits and an RBI to pace Lake Elsinore, but the Storm dropped a tight 4–3 decision to Inland Empire. El Paso provided the lone affiliate win, exploding for nine runs in the eighth inning behind Rodolfo Durán’s five-RBI performance to rout Albuquerque 12–3. At Double-A, San Antonio was buried early and managed just three hits despite home runs from Ripken Reyes and Nerwilian Cedeño. Fort Wayne couldn’t overcome a three-run first in a 5–1 loss, though Brandon Butterworth homered and singled in the defeat.

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El Paso Blows It Open Late in Route of Isotopes
Box Score

El Paso exploded for nine runs in the eighth inning to turn a tight contest into a blowout, topping Albuquerque 12–3 at Isotopes Park. Rodolfo Durán delivered the big blow, driving in five on the night and launching his fourth homer of the season.

The Chihuahuas led 2–1 entering the seventh, with early runs coming on a Forrest Wall RBI single in the second and a Mason McCoy double in the fourth. Durán’s solo homer in the seventh extended the lead before the floodgates opened an inning later.

El Paso batted around in the eighth. Nate Mondou and Clay Dungan each contributed extra-base hits, with Dungan capping the rally with a two-run triple. Durán added a two-run single earlier in the frame, while Tim Locastro lifted a sac fly and stole his 15th base.

Omar Cruz started and allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Raul Brito earned the win with two scoreless frames. Jose Espada and Jason Blanchard closed out the final 2 2/3 innings.

El Paso’s offense drew five walks and stole three bases while taking full advantage of five Isotopes errors. Dungan reached base three times and scored one, helping pace the 11-hit, 12-run outburst.

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Reyes, Cedeño Go Deep, But Missions Can’t Match Early Barrage
Box Score

San Antonio was buried by an early six-run surge and couldn’t recover, falling 8–2 to Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field. The Missions managed just three hits in the contest, two of which left the park.

Ripken Reyes launched a solo shot in the fifth to get the Missions on the board, and Nerwilian Cedeño added his own solo blast in the seventh. Both long balls accounted for the entirety of San Antonio’s scoring.

Starter Braden Nett struggled early, allowing four runs in the second and exiting after recording just four outs. J.B. Wendelken and Jared Kollar combined for the next 3 2/3 innings, with Kollar surrendering a pair of runs in the third. Andrew Moore allowed a run during his one-inning relief appearance.

Brandon Valenzuela and Anthony Vilar worked the only two walks for San Antonio, while Vilar also added a stolen base. Reyes reached base twice and recorded an outfield assist.

Despite the two home runs, the Missions failed to cash in with runners on and went hitless in their few scoring chances. Their bats never recovered from the early deficit, and they were retired in order in five separate innings.

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Butterworth Homers, But TinCaps Fall to Early Surge
Box Score

Brandon Butterworth launched his seventh home run of the season, but Fort Wayne’s offense sputtered in a 5–1 loss to Lansing at Jackson Field. The TinCaps were held to just four hits and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

After falling behind 3–0 in the opening frame, Fort Wayne showed signs of life in the third. Butterworth turned on a pitch from Tzu-Chen Sha and sent it out to left to put the TinCaps on the board. Kai Roberts followed with a single, but a double play erased the momentum.

Starter Eric Yost was tagged for three early runs and took the loss after allowing six hits over 5 innings. He walked two and struck out three. Nick Wissman and Luis Germán combined for the final three frames, with Wissman giving up two runs in the sixth.

Ryan Jackson and Roberts each singled, and Jack Costello and Oswaldo Linares drew walks, but the TinCaps couldn’t string together hits. Their only extra-base knock came from Butterworth, who finished 2-for-4 with a homer and a single.

Lansing outhit Fort Wayne 11–4 and capitalized on a shaky first inning to build a lead that the TinCaps never seriously threatened.

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Figueroa Sparks Late Push in Narrow Storm Loss
Box Score

Victor Figueroa collected three hits and drove in a run, but Lake Elsinore’s late rally fell short in a 4–3 loss to Inland Empire at San Manuel Stadium. The Storm closed within a run in the eighth and brought the tying run aboard in the ninth, but couldn’t deliver the equalizer.

Down 1–0 after a John Wimmer solo shot in the second, Lake Elsinore tied it in the sixth on a Kavares Tears RBI double that plated Figueroa, who finished 3-for-4 with a double, RBI, and run scored. The 66ers responded with two in the home half to regain the lead.

Zach Evans singled to lead off the seventh, advanced on two wild pitches, and scored to make it 3–2. Figueroa came through again in the eighth with a run-scoring single after Cobb Hightower walked and advanced on another wild pitch.

Tucker Musgrove allowed just one run across 3 innings with five strikeouts. Carson Swilling followed with two scoreless frames, picking off a runner at first. Vicarte Domingo was tagged for the decisive runs in the sixth and took the loss.

The Storm struck out 12 times and went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding six. Figueroa’s effort accounted for half of Lake Elsinore’s six total hits.

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