Padres Minor League Report: More Affiliate Losses

[Brock Beauchamp]

Will Wagner’s first Triple-A homer and two RBIs led El Paso, while Marcos Castañon and Moisés Gómez drove in San Antonio’s runs. Fort Wayne’s Kasen Wells reached three times and scored on Ryan Jackson’s RBI; Braedon Karpathios added a steal and an outfield assist. On the mound, Will Varmette fanned five, Jared Kollar worked five innings, and Lake Elsinore’s Bryan Balzer and Johan Moreno combined for six frames before miscues decided the Storm’s 4–1 setback.

Padres Transactions

• San Diego Padres activated RHP Michael King from the 60-day injured list.
• San Diego Padres optioned RHP Sean Reynolds to El Paso Chihuahuas.

Chihuahuas Fall 11–3 as OKC Jumps Early; Wagner Goes Deep
Box Score

El Paso couldn’t overcome an early blitz as Oklahoma City scored four in the first and five more in the fourth on the way to an 11–3 final at Southwest University Park. Two first-inning passed balls helped OKC push across the opener, and Ryan Ward’s bases-clearing double highlighted the fourth.

Will Wagner provided the Chihuahuas’ loudest swing, crushing a solo homer to right-center in the seventh, his first at Triple-A. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Clay Dungan added a 2-for-3 night with a walk, while Mason McCoy and Trenton Brooks each doubled; McCoy and Tyler Wade also swiped a base. El Paso tallied 10 hits but went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on.

Starter Matt Waldron (L, 6–4) was tagged for four runs in one inning. Miguel Cienfuegos followed and was hurt by six walks in two frames (4 R). Jake Higginbotham covered three innings (7 H, 3 R). The bullpen steadied late: Ronan Kopp worked 1 1/3 scoreless, Manuel Castro tossed two scoreless with two strikeouts, and Ron Marinaccio fanned two in a clean ninth.

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Castañon Gives Missions Early Lead, But It Doesn’t Hold In 6-2 Loss
Box Score

San Antonio grabbed an early lead when Marcos Castañon lined an RBI single to left in the fourth, scoring Francisco Acuna. The Missions added again in the seventh as Moisés Gómez drilled a double to left to bring home Albert Fabian. Six different Missions recorded a hit, with Castañon driving in one, Gómez collecting an RBI and his 20th double, and Fabian scoring once. San Antonio finished 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and left seven on base.

Jared Kollar started and worked five, allowing four runs on eight hits, with no walks and two strikeouts. Ryan Och followed with 1 2/3, giving up two runs, both unearned, with no walks. Michael Watson provided 1 2/3 scoreless frames with three strikeouts, and Garrett Hawkins closed with one scoreless inning, one walk, and one strikeout.

San Antonio’s defense turned two double plays. Fabian notched an outfield assist, throwing out a runner at first, and Och picked a runner off at first base. Behind the plate, Eli Wilson cut down three attempted steals.

Ripken Reyes drew a walk, and Anthony Vilar singled in the ninth as the Missions tried to mount a final push. Romeo Sanabria and Acuna added singles, rounding out San Antonio’s six-hit night.

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Wells Reaches Three Times, Karpathios Nabs Runner At Plate in 4–1 Road Loss
Box Score

Fort Wayne created traffic early when Ryan Jackson worked a first-inning walk, but he was picked off. The Cubs answered in the third with a two-run homer, then added an RBI double in the fourth and a run in the fifth to build a cushion. The TinCaps answered in the fifth, sparked by Kasen Wells’ single, a Victor Duarte knock, and Jackson’s RBI groundout that brought Wells home.

Wells paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run. Braedon Karpathios added a single, was hit by a pitch, and stole his seventh base, then flashed the leather in the fourth with a throw home to cut down a run. Jackson finished 1-for-3 with a walk and the club’s lone RBI, later reaching on an error in the eighth and advancing to third on a misplay and a wild pitch before Fort Wayne was turned away.

Starter Will Varmette worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, with three walks and five strikeouts. C.J. Widger followed for 1 1/3 innings and was charged with one run, then picked off a runner at first. Eiker Huizi delivered two scoreless innings with one strikeout and no walks. Luis Germán handled the eighth with three strikeouts.

Duarte and Kai Roberts each added a hit, while Jack Costello reached twice on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Despite five hits and four walks, Fort Wayne could not cash in enough opportunities in a tight, defense-heavy night.

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Fountain’s First-Inning RBI, Moreno’s Five Strikeouts Highlight Storm in 4–1 Setback
Box Score

Lake Elsinore jumped ahead immediately. Dylan Grego started the game with a single, Alex McCoy was hit by a pitch, and Carlos Rodriguez walked to load the bases. With two outs, Kale Fountain chopped a run-scoring single to third, bringing Grego home for a 1–0 lead. The Storm could not add on, finishing with two hits and three walks, and they struck out 10 times.

Starter Bryan Balzer gave Lake Elsinore a chance. The righty worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts, and he picked a runner off second base. A two-out solo homer in the fourth inning evened the score.

Johan Moreno followed and was sharp. The right-hander logged 2 1/3 scoreless innings with one walk and five strikeouts. The game turned in the seventh, when a leadoff single and two walks preceded a pair of Lake Elsinore miscues. Errors by Cardell Thibodeaux and Kale Fountain helped three runs score, two of them unearned.

Igor Gil was charged with the loss. He recorded two outs in the seventh, allowing three runs, one earned, with three walks. Vicarte Domingo closed it out for the Storm, working 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

At the plate, Grego finished 1-for-4 with a run, Fountain went 1-for-4 with the lone RBI, and Rodriguez drew three walks in four plate appearances.

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