Padres Minor League Report: Affiliates Take An 0-Fer, All Falling Behind Early In Losses

[Steve Drumwright]

 

The San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates failed to win a game in similar fashion as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost to Oklahoma City 6-3, the Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to Midland 5-2, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost to West Michigan 8-5 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm dropped a 6-2 decision to Rancho Cucamonga.

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Chihuahuas Can't Dig Way Out Of 6-Run Hole Against Comets

Despite digging an early 6-0 hole, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas clawed back to have the tying run on base or at the plate in two innings but lost to the host Oklahoma City Comets 6-3.

Padres catcher Freddy Fermin, in the second game of his rehab assignment following a head contusion, went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI while again serving as the Chihuahuas' designated hitter.

After having just seven singles the night before, the Chihuahuas had only six hits (five singles, one double), while drawing four walks. In addition to Fermin, leadoff hitter Mason McCoy and No. 9 hitter Anthony Vilar each had a single and a walk. McCoy picked up his 20th stolen base, the third time in four seasons he has swiped at least 20. He stole 25 in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the minors. He had 19 between El Paso and the Padres last year.

Down 6-0, the Chihuahuas put up three runs in the top of the fifth. It started with a pair of strikeouts, then Clay Dungan was hit by a pitch, Vilar singled, then McCoy and Fermin each had RBI singles and Carlos Rodriguez a run-scoring double. Rodriguez has reached base in 41 of his last 42 games. After a pitching change, Nick Solak, with two runners on, grounded out. The Chihuahuas also started the top of the sixth with a pair of strikeouts, then loaded the bases on Bryce Johnson's single and stolen base and walks to Dungan and Vilar, but McCoy flew out to end the threat.

Chihuahuas right-handed starter Evan Fitterer allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks with two walks in five innings. Right-hander Matt Flynn pitched two scoreless innings and right-hander Ethan Routzahn a scoreless eighth.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Mason McCoy	4	1	1	1	1	0
Freddy Fermin	4	0	1	1	1	0
Carlos Rodriguez	4	0	1	1	0	1
Nick Solak	4	0	0	0	0	2
Marcos Castanon	4	0	1	0	0	2
Nick Pratto	4	0	0	0	0	4
Bryce Johnson	4	0	1	0	0	3
Clay Dungan	2	1	0	0	1	0
Anthony Vilar	3	1	1	0	1	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Evan Fitterer	5	5	6	4	3	2	0
Michael Flynn	2	1	0	0	0	2	0
Ethan Routzahn	1	1	0	0	0	1	0

Early Homers Subdue Missions In Loss To RockHounds

A three-run second inning that featured a pair of homers was enough to upend the Double-A San Antonio Missions, who dropped a 5-2 decision to the Midland RockHounds.

Missions right-handed starter Andrew Thurman, back in affiliated ball after stepping away from the game entirely following the 2017 season, went a season-high five innings, but gave up four runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. The 34-year-old gave up an RBI double in the first inning, then back-to-back homers to begin a three-run second inning after the Missions had tied it. Thurman did finish by retiring 12 of the final 15 batters he faced.

Jake Cunningham had two of the Missions' eight hits. Albert Fabian tripled in Cunningham in the second inning and Tirso Ornelas scored on a wild pitch in the fourth as Ryan Jackson walked. The Missions did put up a threat in the ninth as, with two outs, Wyatt Hoffman and Luis Verdugo singled, but Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, grounded to shortstop Leo De Vries to end it.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Luis Verdugo	4	0	1	0	1	1
Francisco Acuna	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ethan Salas	5	0	1	0	0	1
Tirso Ornelas	4	1	1	0	0	2
Jake Cunningham	4	1	2	0	0	1
Braedon Karpathios	3	0	1	0	1	2
Ryan Jackson	3	0	0	0	1	1
Albert Fabian	4	0	1	1	0	1
Kai Roberts	3	0	0	0	1	1
Wyatt Hoffman	4	0	1	0	0	2

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Andrew Thurman	5	7	4	4	2	2	2
Francis Pena	2	3	1	1	1	1	0
Clay Edmondson	1	1	0	0	0	1	0

Late Rally Too Little Too Late For TinCaps

Seven runs over the first three innings, including five in the second, spelled doom for the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps in an 8-5 setback to the host West Michigan Whitecaps.

Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect and the minors' stolen-base leader with 50, went 2-for-5, including a double, with an RBI and a run scored. Wideman has a hit in 11 of 13 games since being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore. This was his third multihit game with the TinCaps. Eight of the nine TinCaps batters had at least one hit and five had RBIs.

TinCaps right-handed starter Carson Montgomery was lit up for seven runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Left-hander Braian Salazar struck out three and allowed a run in two innings, while right-hander Will Varmette pitched two scoreless innings.

The TinCaps were held to a fifth-inning Wideman RBI double before the offense really came to life late. The scored twice with two outs in the eighth on Rosman Verdugo's RBI triple and Jack Costello singling home Verdugo. In the ninth, Kasen Wells was hit by a pitch with one out and Wideman singled, with both runners moving up on a wild pitch. Justin DeCriscio hit a sacrifice fly to left and Kerrington Cross singled home Wideman. But that threat ended as Kavares Tears struck out to end the game.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Ryan Wideman	5	1	2	1	0	1
Justin DeCriscio	4	1	1	1	1	2
Kerrington Cross	5	0	1	1	0	2
Kavares Tears	5	0	1	0	0	1
Rosman Verdugo	3	1	1	1	1	2
Jack Costello	4	0	1	1	0	1
Carlos Rodriguez	4	0	1	0	0	1
Oswaldo Linares	4	1	0	0	0	0
Kasen Wells	3	1	1	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Carson Montgomery	4	7	7	7	3	4	1
Braian Salazar	2	1	1	1	0	3	1
Will Varmette	2	2	0	0	0	0	0

Storm Unable To Overcome Early Quakes Surge

Dawson Willis had two hits and scored a run, while Bradley Frye drove in a pair, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were beaten by the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-2.

Storm right-hander Lan-Hong Su had a third straight rocky start since being promoted from the Arizona Complex League. Su, a 19-year-old key international signing last year, gave up four runs on five hits and one walk with no strikeouts in two-plus innings. He has given up four runs in each of his three Storm starts over 7⅔ innings for a 14.09 ERA.

Frye singled home Willis in the top of the first, then the Quakes scored three in the second and one in the third, then added another in the fifth for a 5-1 lead. In the sixth, the Storm pulled within 5-2 as Qrey Lott had an infield single, Yimy Tovar walked and both runners advanced on Jose Verdugo's sacrifice bunt. After a pitching change, Willis walked to load the bases and Frye drew a free pass to force in a run. But the next two batters were retired to end the inning.

The Storm got two runners on in each of the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to chip into the Quakes' advantage.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Yimy Tovar	4	0	1	0	1	1
Jose Verdugo	3	0	0	0	0	1
Dawson Willis	2	1	2	0	1	0
Bradley Frye	2	0	1	2	1	1
Truitt Madonna	3	0	0	0	1	3
Dylan Grego	4	0	0	0	0	3
Conner Westenburg	4	0	0	0	0	1
Alcides Hernandez	3	0	1	0	1	2
Qrey Lott	3	1	1	0	1	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Lan-Hong Su	2	5	4	4	1	0	1
Daichi Moriki	1	0	0	0	2	1	0
Zack Qin	3	1	1	1	1	2	1
Isaiah Lowe	2	2	1	1	0	2	1

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

1. Ethan Salas: 1-for-5, 1 K
2. Kash Mayfield: DNP
3. Miguel Mendez: DNP
4. Ryan Wideman: 2-for-5, 2B, 1 K
5. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
6. Jorge Quintana: DNP
7. Ty Harvey: On injured list
8. Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season
9. Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-3, 2 K
10. Jagger Haynes: DNP
11. Lamar King Jr.: DNP
12. Tucker Musgrove: DNP
13. Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 3 K
14. Alex McCoy: DNP
15. Jesus Castro: DNP
16. Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-3, 3B, 2 K
17. Garrett Hawkins: DNP
18. Eric Yost: DNP
19. Michael Salina: DNP
20. Winyer Chourio: DNP

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