Padres Minor League Report: Mendez Deals, Hightower Delivers, Missions Slip

[Brock Beauchamp]

Forrest Wall doubled, Yonathan Perlaza drove in a run, and Clay Dungan swiped two bags, but El Paso fell 7-2. Romeo Sanabria’s solo blast backed Enmanuel Pinales’ five scoreless innings before San Antonio slipped 2-1. In High-A, Miguel Mendez fanned six and Kai Roberts manufactured both runs as Fort Wayne edged Cedar Rapids 2-1. Cobb Hightower’s three-hit night, Zach Evans’ two knocks, and Yendry Rojas’ two RBI fueled Lake Elsinore’s late surge to top Stockton 6-4.

Padres Transactions

• Signed free agent OF Conner Westenburg to a minor league contract
• Signed OF Ryan Wideman
• Signed C Truitt Madonna
• Signed C Ty Harvey
• Signed RHP Tyler Schmitt
• Signed RHP Landry Jurecka
• Signed free agent SS Dawson Willis to a minor league contract
• Signed free agent OF Qrey Lott to a minor league contract
• Signed free agent RHP Cameron Nohos to a minor league contract
• Signed RHP Michael Salina
• Signed SS Jonathan Vastine
• Signed free agent RHP Tyler Dietz to a minor league contract
• Signed free agent LHP Cal Riehl to a minor league contract

Dungan’s busy night on the bases not enough for El Paso
Box Score

El Paso scored in the first inning, but an early six-run deficit proved insurmountable in a 7-2 loss at Southwest University Park. Forrest Wall jump-started the offense by lashing a leadoff double—his 13th of the year—and scoring on Yonathan Perlaza’s sacrifice fly. Perlaza reached base three times, adding a single and two walks.

Center fielder Clay Dungan set the table all night, finishing 2-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases, pushing his season total to 22. Mike Brosseau matched him with three trips aboard on two singles and a walk, while Rodolfo Durán delivered both of El Paso’s two-out RBI, lining a sharp single to left in the sixth that plated Mason McCoy.

Left-hander Wes Benjamin (3-7) absorbed the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits over four innings. Southpaw Jason Blanchard steadied the game with two scoreless frames, and Manuel Castro closed out the final 1 ⅔ innings without a hit.

Despite collecting 10 hits and five walks, the Chihuahuas left 12 runners aboard, only going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. El Paso also flashed the leather: Blanchard picked off a runner in the sixth, and the infield turned a crisp 5-4-3 double play behind Benjamin to end the fourth.

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Sanabria’s solo shot can’t hold late as Missions edged, 2–1
Box Score

Romeo Sanabria put San Antonio on the board early, launching his ninth home run of the year to right-center leading off the second inning. The first baseman finished 1-for-4, raising his Double-A line to a .286 average and .753 OPS.

Right-hander Enmanuel Pinales made the one‐run cushion stand for five scoreless frames, scattering two hits, issuing no walks, and striking out four to lower his ERA to 6.62. Catcher Anthony Vilar helped him out of trouble in the fourth by picking off a runner at first.

The advantage slipped away in the sixth. Andrew Moore (2-1) allowed two runs on two hits, two walks, and a wild pitch over 2⁄3 of an inning, and a bases-loaded free pass put San Antonio behind for good. Jake Higginbotham steadied the game with 2 1⁄3 scoreless innings, fanning four, and Ethan Routzahn tossed a clean ninth to keep it close.

Offensively, the Missions collected only three hits. Moisés Gómez ripped his 17th double and Albert Fabian added his third two-bagger at this level, but San Antonio went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and stranded six. Brandon Valenzuela reached base twice, drawing a walk and taking a hit-by-pitch, while Ripken Reyes, Devin Ortiz, and Gómez each added a free pass or hit.

Despite the loss, the bullpen trio of Higginbotham and Routzahn combined to retire nine of 11 hitters, giving San Antonio a chance that ultimately fell a run short.

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Roberts’ bat, Mendez’s arm carry TinCaps to tight win
Box Score

Fort Wayne made the most of three hits, striking early and leaning on a stingy pitching staff to edge Cedar Rapids, 2-1.

The TinCaps broke through in the third inning. Ryan Jackson grounded a single into center and moved to second on a wild pitch. Kai Roberts then lasered a liner to center, plating Jackson for the tying run. Moments later, Roberts swiped his 19th base, raced to third on an errant throw, and trotted home when Leo De Vries bounced a run-scoring groundout to first, giving Fort Wayne the lead it never relinquished.

Roberts finished 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while De Vries reached via a walk and logged his 45th run driven in on a groundout. Brandon Butterworth and Jackson supplied the club’s other knocks, and De Vries added his seventh steal of the season.

Right-hander Miguel Mendez continued his dominant campaign, scattering two hits and a walk over five shutout innings. The 21-year-old fanned six to collect his seventh victory and trim his ERA to 1.46. Luis Germán and Bodi Rascon each worked a scoreless frame before Garrett Hawkins slammed the door, striking out one in a clean ninth for his eighth save. The quartet limited the Kernels to five hits while punching out 10.

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Hightower, Rojas ignite seventh-inning outburst as Storm edge Ports
Box Score

Lake Elsinore rode a three-run jolt in the seventh to a 6–4 victory at Banner Island Ballpark on Thursday night.

The Storm scratched out single runs in each of the first three frames. Zach Evans pushed Victor Figueroa home with a two-out grounder through the infield in the first, Yendry Rojas poked an RBI single in the second, and Kavares Tears trotted in on a wild pitch an inning later.

After Stockton drew even in the sixth, manager Felipe Blanco turned to his bench and the fireworks returned. Pinch-hitter Colton Vincent coaxed a leadoff walk, Kasen Wells ripped his seventh double, and an intentional pass to Carlos Rodriguez loaded the bases. Rojas forced in the go-ahead run with a walk, then Cobb Hightower’s sharp infield single caromed off two defenders, plating Wells and Rodriguez for a 6–3 cushion.

Hightower finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Rojas reached three times as well, collecting two hits and a pair of RBI, while Evans added a two-hit, one-walk night. Wells scored twice and logged his third three-reach game this month.

Right-hander Boston Bateman limited the Ports to one run over four innings. Kleiber Olmedo (3-4) struck out five across three frames to earn the win despite yielding a two-run shot in the sixth. Igor Gil fanned five over the final two innings, stranding the tying run at the plate to secure his third save.

The victory moves Lake Elsinore to 43–50 on the season.

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