Padres Minor League Report: Ethan Salas Hits 6th HR In Missions' First-Inning Barrage

[Steve Drumwright]

 

Ethan Salas' two-run homer fueled San Antonio's first-inning explosion in an 8-3 rout of Wichita, where Miguel Mendez tossed two scoreless innings. Winyer Chourio struck out 10 in five innings as Lake Elsinore edged Rancho Cucamonga 4-3, with Will Koger earning the save. Fort Wayne had only three hits as it lost 3-2. El Paso fell 11-4 despite homers by Nick Solak and Jose Miranda.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• LHP Fernando Sanchez assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions.
• 2B Victor Duarte assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from Lake Elsinore Storm.
• El Paso Chihuahuas transferred RHP Triston McKenzie to the Development List.
• El Paso Chihuahuas transferred C Colton Vincent to the Development List.
• San Antonio Missions activated RHP Andrew Dalquist from the Development List.
• San Antonio Missions activated RHP Miguel Mendez from the 7-day injured list.
• San Antonio Missions placed RHP Eric Yost on 7-day injured list.
• SS Justin DeCriscio assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm.
• SS Dylan Grego assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from Fort Wayne TinCaps.
• Lake Elsinore Storm activated C Ty Harvey from the 7-day injured list.

Marco Gonzales Pounded As Chihuahuas Routed By Bees

Nick Solak and Jose Miranda homered, but it was another rough outing by former MLB left-hander Marco Gonzales that spelled the difference in the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas' 11-4 loss to the host Salt Lake Bees.

Gonzales lasted just 1⅓ innings, surrendering seven runs on five hits with four walks and no strikeouts. In his last three starts, Gonzales has allowed 17 runs (14 earned) in 6⅓ innings, which leaves his season ERA at 10.64. Right-handed reliever Misael Tamarez came in and gave up four runs in 2⅓ innings on five hits, including two homers, and three walks with a pair of strikeouts. The final three relievers of the day, right-hander Justin Yeager, left-hander Kyle Hart and right-hander Garrett Hawkins, combined for 4⅔ shutout innings, striking out five.

El Paso grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Will Wagner sacrifice fly, but the Bees tied it in the bottom half, then scored six in the second and four more in the third for an early 11-1 cushion.

Mason McCoy had an RBI double to score Solak in the fourth, then Solak smacked his second homer of the season in the sixth and Miranda his fifth of the year in the seventh. Solak, McCoy and Carlos Rodriguez each had two of the Chihuahuas' seven hits. Pablo Reyes walked in his final plate appearance in the eighth inning to keep his on-base streak going at 28 games.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Jase Bowen	3	1	0	0	1	1
Samad Taylor	3	0	0	0	0	1
Will Wagner	3	0	0	1	0	0
Nick Solak	3	2	2	1	0	0
Pablo Reyes	3	0	0	0	1	0
Mason McCoy	4	0	2	1	0	0
Jose Miranda	4	1	1	1	0	2
Carlos Rodríguez	4	0	2	0	0	2
Anthony Vilar	4	0	0	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Marco Gonzales (L)	1 1/3	5	7	7	4	0	1
Misael Tamarez	2 1/3	5	4	4	3	2	2
Justin Yeager	2 1/3	2	0	0	1	3	0
Kyle Hart	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
Garrett Hawkins	1	0	0	0	1	1	0

Ethan Salas Hits 1 of 3 First-Inning Homers As Missions Cruise

Ethan Salas, Braedon Karpathios and Luis Verdugo homered in a six-run first inning and five pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions rolled to an 8-3 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Romeo Sanabria also homered for the Missions.

Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, got the Missions off to a good start with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, his sixth of the season that ignited a six-run rally. With one out, Tirso Ornelas and Sanabria had back-to-back doubles to make it 3-0 and Karpathios and Verdugo then hit back-to-back homers for a 6-0 advantage. The homers by Karpathios and Verdugo were the second of the season for both. Salas was playing against older brother Jose, a shortstop for the Wind Surge.

The Missions added two more runs in the second inning as Leandro Cedeno had a one-out single, extending his on-base streak to 23 games, and the 6-foot-2, 264-pounder stole second with two outs. That was just his ninth stolen base in 484 career minor-league games. Perhaps inspired by the big man's steal, Sanabria launched his third homer of the season to make it an 8-0 game.

Missions right-hander Miguel Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect who was activated off the injured list Tuesday after being out since April 25, went only two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks with two strikeouts. Right-hander Andrew Dalquist pitched a scoreless third, then right-hander Andrew Thurman went the next three and allowed all three runs on two hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Right-hander Josh Mallitz pitched two hitless innings and right-hander Johan Moreno pitched a perfect ninth, striking out the side.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Carson Tucker	3	1	0	0	2	1
Ethan Salas	5	1	1	2	0	0
Leandro Cedeño	3	1	1	0	1	1
Tirso Ornelas	4	1	1	0	0	2
Romeo Sanabria	3	2	2	3	1	0
Braedon Karpathios	3	1	1	2	1	2
Luis Verdugo	4	1	1	1	0	3
Ryan Jackson	3	0	0	0	0	1
Albert Fabian	4	0	1	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Miguel Mendez	2	1	0	0	0	2	0
Andrew Dalquist (W)	1	1	0	0	0	1	0
Andrew Thurman	3	2	3	3	4	4	0
Josh Mallitz	2	0	0	0	1	0	0
Johan Moreno	1	0	0	0	0	3	0

Jonathan Vastine Homers, but TinCaps Kept Quiet By Kernels

The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were limited to a mere three hits and gave up a pair of seventh-inning runs in falling 3-2 to the host Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Jonathan Vastine hit his second homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning. His other homer came April 19. The TinCaps also scored in the top of the second as Carlos E. Rodriguez, celebrating his 23rd birthday, and Jack Costello had back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning. But after Vastine's third career homer, the Kernels retired 16 straight to finish the game.

TinCaps right-handed starter Matt Watson allowed one run on two hits, but walked four and struck out two in 3⅔ innings. Right-hander Clark Candiotti gave up the other two runs in the seventh.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kasen Wells	2	0	0	0	2	1
Rosman Verdugo	4	0	0	0	0	2
Lamar King Jr.	3	0	0	0	1	2
Alex McCoy	3	0	0	0	1	3
Carlos Rodriguez	4	1	1	0	0	0
Jack Costello	4	0	1	1	0	0
Kavares Tears	4	0	0	0	0	1
Justin DeCriscio	2	0	0	0	1	0
Jonathan Vastine	2	1	1	1	1	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Matthew Watson	3 2/3	2	1	1	4	2	0
Luis Germán	1 1/3	1	0	0	1	3	0
Clark Candiotti (L)	1 2/3	4	2	2	0	1	2
Tucker Musgrove	1/3	1	0	0	0	1	0
Braian Salazar	1	0	0	0	1	1	0

Winyer Chourio Strikes Out Career-High 10 In Storm Triumph

Right-handed starter Winyer Chourio struck out a career-high 10 over five innings and Connor Westenburg had an RBI triple and scored as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm turned back the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4-3.

The 22-year-old Chourio didn't walk anyone and gave up two runs on six hits, while matching his season high for innings. His previous career high for strikeouts was eight, accomplished twice, including April 28 vs. the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the only other game this season he went five innings. Chourio lowered his ERA to 2.42 and has not allowed more than two runs in a game this season.

Westenburg got the Storm going in the third inning. Jose Verdugo had a leadoff single and Westenburg pulled a 1-2 pitch just inside the third-base bag and into left field for an RBI triple. One out later, Westenburg scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. The Storm made it 3-0 in the fourth when Luke Cantwell walked, went to second on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Kerrington Cross' single to right.

Chourio gave up a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, but the Storm came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Cantwell led off the inning with a hit by pitch and went to second on Cross' single. Jorge Quintana bunted the runners to second and third and Yoiber Ocopio delivered a run-scoring single to right. The Quakes pulled within 4-2 in the top of the eighth, but couldn't do any more damage.

Storm right-handed reliever Nick Falter struck out two in 2⅓ innings, allow a run on two hits and walk, while right-hander Will Koger went the final 1⅔ innings, striking out a pair, while not allowing a run or a hit with one walk for his third save of the season.

Westenburg and Cross each had two hits for the Storm, who won despite being outhit 8-6.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Bradley Frye	3	0	0	0	0	1
Qrey Lott	3	0	0	0	1	2
Ryan Wideman	4	0	0	0	0	2
Luke Cantwell	0	2	0	0	2	0
Kerrington Cross	3	0	2	1	1	1
Jorge Quintana	3	0	0	0	0	3
Jose Verdugo	2	1	1	0	2	0
Yoiber Ocopio	4	0	1	1	0	1
Conner Westenburg	3	1	2	1	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Winyer Chourio (W)	5	6	2	2	0	10	1
Nick Falter (H)	2 1/3	2	1	1	1	2	0
Will Koger (S)	1 2/3	0	0	0	1	2	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Ethan Salas: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
2. Kash Mayfield: DNP
3. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
4. Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP
5. Miguel Mendez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
6. Humberto Cruz: DNP
7. Jagger Haynes: DNP
8. Ty Harvey: DNP
9. Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K
10. Kale Fountain: DNP
11. Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB
12. Jorge Quintana: 0-for-3, 3 K
13. Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
14. Garrett Hawkins: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
15. Tirso Ornelas: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K
16. Kavares Tears: 0-for-4, K
17. Truitt Madonna: DNP
18. Deivid Coronil: DNP
19. Eric Yost: DNP
20. Francis Pena: DNP

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