Padres Minor League Report: Maikel Miralles Shoves, Jonathan Vastine Slams

[Brock Beauchamp]

Maikel Miralles fired 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Jonathan Vastine’s grand slam and Luke Cantwell’s homer powered Fort Wayne. Victor Lizarraga allowed one run over five, then José Geraldo, Cole Paplham, Kevin Kopps, and Harry Gustin closed San Antonio’s 7–1 win. El Paso’s early outburst from Marcos Castañon, Tim Locastro, and Ripken Reyes wasn’t enough in a one-run loss. Ryan Wideman’s three hits led Lake Elsinore, while Winyer Chourio and Ryan Reed provided steady innings.

Padres Transactions

• Placed LHP Nestor Cortes on the 15-day injured list (retro to Sept. 4, left biceps tendinitis). 
• Recalled RHP Ron Marinaccio from El Paso (AAA).

Castañon Homers, Locastro Drives In Two As El Paso Loses Big Lead
Box Score

El Paso built a fast start in Salt Lake. After a pitch hit Clay Dungan in the first, Luis Campusano ripped an RBI double to left. Rodolfo Durán doubled to begin the second, and Marcos Castañon followed with a two-run homer to left center. The Chihuahuas broke it open in the fourth when Ripken Reyes lined an RBI single, then Tim Locastro drilled a double to center that brought in two, and he came around to score on a Salt Lake misplay. Durán finished 2-for-4 and scored twice, Campusano went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Castañon scored twice with two RBIs. Locastro went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Nate Mondou doubled in the eighth, then stole third.

Starter JP Sears set the tone, working 3 2/3 innings with one run allowed on two hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. Bryan Hoeing covered 1 1/3 innings, allowing one run with one strikeout. Misael Tamarez followed with two innings, giving up four runs with two strikeouts and no walks. Francis Peña pitched the eighth, giving up two runs with two strikeouts and a wild pitch.

Salt Lake chipped away with a solo homer in the fifth, surged with a three-run sixth, then rallied late. The Bees tied the game with a two-out single in the eighth and took the lead on a triple to center, edging El Paso 8-7.

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Acuna’s Bunt Sparks Seventh, Lizarraga Steady As Missions Roll Past Hooks
Box Score

San Antonio used speed and contact to pull away from Corpus Christi, 7-1, at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Oswaldo Linares put the Missions on the board in the second, ripping a double to score Ryan Jackson after his single. An inning later, Devin Ortiz reached on an infield single and moved up on a throwing error, Francisco Acuna bunted for a hit, and Kai Murphy lifted a sacrifice fly to give San Antonio a 2-1 edge.

The Missions broke it open in the seventh when Romeo Sanabria cracked a double to center, Ortiz legged out another infield single and swiped second, then Acuna deadened a bunt for an RBI single to bring home Sanabria, with Ortiz scoring on a throwing error on the play. Acuna kept the pressure on, stealing second and then third, and scored when the Hooks’ catcher threw the ball away on the steal attempt.

San Antonio added insurance in the eighth. Braedon Karpathios, who finished 2-for-5, bounced a ground-rule double to right-center, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on Sanabria’s sacrifice fly. Later in the frame, Ortiz crossed on a fielder’s choice with an error.

Starter Victor Lizarraga set the tone, working five with one run on two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. José Geraldo and Cole Paplham followed with one scoreless inning apiece, Kevin Kopps kept the eighth quiet with one walk, and Harry Gustin closed with one inning, allowing one hit and striking out two. Sanabria went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Ortiz went 2-for-4 with three runs and a steal, and Acuna reached four times with two hits, two walks, two steals, and an RBI.

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Vastine’s Grand Slam, Cantwell’s Homer Lift TinCaps Over West Michigan
Box Score

Fort Wayne seized control in the third at West Michigan. After Eguy Rosario walked and stole second, Kasen Wells punched an RBI single to center. Luke Cantwell and Sean Barnett followed with a single and a walk, then Jonathan Vastine unloaded a two-out grand slam to right for a five-run frame. Cantwell added insurance in the fifth, launching a solo shot to begin the inning as the TinCaps pushed the lead over the Whitecaps.

Starter Maikel Miralles set the tone on the mound. The righty worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, walking none, and striking out six. Ruben Galindo handled 1 1/3 innings with one run, one walk, and three strikeouts. Nick Wissman finished the ninth with one inning, no runs, no walks, and no strikeouts.

Wells paced the offense from the top with a 2-for-4 night, an RBI, and a run scored. Cantwell went 2-for-3 with the homer, a walk, and two runs. Vastine drove in four on his grand slam and reached with a walk. Kai Roberts chipped in a single and later stole second, while Rosario sparked the third-inning rally with a walk, a steal, and a run. Fort Wayne collected seven hits and six walks, and kept the Whitecaps’ late push to a lone eighth-inning sacrifice fly.

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Wideman’s Three Hits, Two-Run Knock Not Enough As Storm Drop Game In San Bernardino
Box Score

Lake Elsinore jumped to a lead in the first. After Alex McCoy doubled, Ryan Wideman singled, a wild pitch pushed home the game’s first run, and Truitt Madonna lashed an RBI double to center for a 2-0 lead.

The Storm briefly reclaimed the edge in the fifth. Grego singled, McCoy and Kavares Tears drew walks to load the bases, then Wideman lined a two-run single to center for a 4-3 advantage. Inland Empire answered in the bottom half to move in front, and the 66ers led the rest of the way.

Wideman paced the Lake Elsinore offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a steal. McCoy finished 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Madonna went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Grego added a hit and a run. Quintana drew two walks, stole second in the eighth, and was caught stealing earlier.

Starter Winyer Chourio worked four innings, allowing three runs on four hits, with one walk and two strikeouts. Kleiber Olmedo followed with three innings, giving up three runs on three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. Ryan Reed delivered a scoreless eighth with one strikeout.

In the eighth, Wideman singled, Madonna walked, and a pickoff at first erased a runner. Wideman swiped third, Quintana took second, but the potential rally ended with back-to-back strikeouts. George Bilecki walked in the ninth, yet the Storm could not close the gap.

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