Padres Minor League Report: Joe Musgrove Looks Good, Ethan Salas Homers For Chihuahuas

[Steve Drumwright]

 

The four full-season affiliates of the San Diego Padres went 3-1 as they wrapped up their weekly series Sunday. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas toppled Reno 7-4, the Double-A San Antonio Missions beat Springfield by the same 7-4 score, while the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell 8-2 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm walked off Ontario 5-4.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Diego Padres sent RHP Joe Musgrove on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas.
• San Diego Padres optioned 3B Gage Workman to El Paso Chihuahuas.

Joe Musgrove Shines, Ethan Salas Homers In Chihuahuas' Win

Rehabbing Padres right-handed starter had a good 3⅓ innings in his second outing, while top prospect Ethan Salas hit his second Triple-A homer in the last three games as the El Paso Chihuahuas scored six times in the seventh inning for a 7-4 victory over the host Reno Aces. The Chihuahuas (47-66, 12-26 second half) won the final three games of the six-game series after losing nine straight.

Musgrove, who has not pitched for the Padres since Game 2 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series against Atlanta after having Tommy John surgery and then having a major setback after one outing in spring training, threw 53 pitches, including 42 strikes, with his four-seam fastball sitting at 94-95 mph. He topped out at 95.5 mph in the third inning and hit 94.5 mph in the fourth, his final inning. That is the velocity he held before being hurt. Musgrove gave up a leadoff homer to Kristian Robinson in the first inning, but finished by allowing a total of six hits while not issuing a walk and striking out two.

Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, followed his first Triple-A homer Friday by smashing a two-run shot Sunday in his ninth game since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio. Salas hit a 1-1 changeup 440 feet to right-center that put the Chihuahuas up 7-3. That was also Salas' ninth homer this season, which matches the total from his debut season of 2023. The homer came during a six-run seventh, with Carlos Rodriguez's third triple of the series, this one with the bases loaded, put the Chihuahuas up 4-3. After a walk, Rodriguez would score on an errant pickoff attempt by the pitcher to make it 5-3, then Salas went deep to cap the inning. Salas is slashing .333/.419/.667 (12-for-36) in nine Triple-A games.

Right-hander Jhony Brito followed Musgrove and allowed two runs over 2⅔ innings on three hits.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Dustin Harris, RF	3	1	0	0	2	0
Carlos Rodríguez, CF	5	1	2	3	0	1
Nick Solak, LF	3	1	0	0	2	1
Ethan Salas, C	5	1	2	2	0	1
Marcos Castañon, 2B	5	0	2	0	0	1
Will Wagner, 3B	4	0	1	0	0	2
Mason McCoy, SS	3	1	1	0	1	1
Nick Pratto, 1B	2	1	0	0	2	1
Blake Hunt, DH	3	1	1	1	0	2
Totals	33	7	9	6	7	10

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Joe Musgrove	3 1/3	6	1	1	0	2	1
Jhony Brito (W, 2-1)	2 2/3	3	2	2	0	0	0
Johan Moreno	1/3	0	0	0	2	1	0
Ethan Routzahn (H, 4)	1 2/3	3	1	1	0	2	0
J.P. France (S, 1)	1	1	0	0	1	1	0
Totals	9	13	4	4	3	6	1

Big Sixth Inning Propels Missions To Series Win

Carson Tucker and Jake Cunningham each had two-run singles in the sixth inning to put the host Double-A San Antonio Missions on top en route to a 7-4 victory over the Springfield Cardinals. The Missions (49-59, 18-21 second half) won the final three games against the Texas League North Division's first-place team.

Brendan Durfee hit a two-run homer and joined Cunningham as having two of the Missions' seven hits. Durfee homered in the second inning to put the Missions up 2-1, with the Cardinals taking the lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings. The Missions tied it on a run-scoring wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth, then the Cardinals went back on top in the sixth before Tucker and Cunningham came through with the decisive hits.

Missions right-handed starter Matthew Watson went 4⅓ innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, including a homer, and no walks with two strikeouts. Left-hander Igor Gil allowed a run while hitting a batter in one inning with two strikeouts, while right-handers Francis Pena (one inning), Bernard Jose (1⅔ innings) and Tucker Musgrove (one inning) didn't allow a run in 3⅔ innings. Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, earned his first Double-A save and the third of his career.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Carson Tucker, SS	5	1	1	2	0	2
Tirso Ornelas, DH	4	0	0	0	1	2
Jake Cunningham, LF	3	0	2	2	1	1
Braedon Karpathios, RF	3	0	0	0	1	2
Ryan Jackson, 2B	4	1	0	0	0	2
Albert Fabian, 1B	3	2	1	0	1	1
Luis Verdugo, 3B	3	1	0	0	1	1
Kai Roberts, CF	3	1	1	0	1	1
Brendan Durfee, C	4	1	2	2	0	2
Totals	32	7	7	6	6	14

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Matthew Watson	4 1/3	8	3	3	0	2	1
Igor Gil	1	0	1	1	0	2	0
Francis Peña (W, 2-3)	1	2	0	0	2	0	0
Bernard Jose (H, 2)	1 2/3	0	0	0	0	1	0
Tucker Musgrove (S, 1)	1	0	0	0	1	1	0
Totals	9	10	4	4	3	6	1

TinCaps Silenced As Whitecaps Win With Early Push

The host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps managed just four singles for the game while giving up six runs over the first four innings in an 8-2 loss to the West Michigan Whitecaps. The TinCaps (46-60, 19-21 second half) went 1-5 in the six-game series.

Kerrington Cross had two hits and an RBI, while Alex McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, singled and scored twice for the TinCaps.

TinCaps right-handed starter Abraham Parra gave up those six early runs (five earned) in three-plus innings, allowing five hits and four walks while striking out one. Right-hander Will Koger and left-hander Braian Salazar combined for five shutout innings, each allowing a hit, before right-hander Carlos Medina gave up a pair of runs while getting only two outs in the ninth before right-hander Will Vamette cleaned up with the final out.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Justin DeCriscio, SS	4	0	1	0	0	1
Ryan Wideman, CF	1	0	0	0	0	1
Kasen Wells, CF	3	0	0	0	0	2
Alex McCoy, RF	3	2	1	0	0	0
Luke Cantwell, DH	2	0	0	0	1	1
Rosman Verdugo, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0
Kerrington Cross, 1B	4	0	2	1	0	0
Bradley Frye, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	1
Yoiber Ocopio, C	3	0	0	0	0	0
Conner Westenburg, LF	3	0	0	0	0	2
Totals	31	2	4	1	1	8

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Abraham Parra (L, 5-6)	3	5	6	5	4	1	0
Will Koger	2 1/3	1	0	0	4	2	0
Braian Salazar	2 2/3	1	0	0	1	2	0
Carlos Medina	2/3	1	2	2	2	0	1
Will Varmette	1/3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	9	8	8	7	11	5	1

Nu'u Contrades Comes Through In Pinch, Delivers Storm Walk-Off Win

Pinch-hitter Nu'u Contrades capped his first week as a pro by singling home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm walked off the Ontario Tower Buzzers 5-4. After losing the first two games in the series, the Storm (58-50, 19-23 second half) won the final four.

The Storm scored twice in the ninth with the only hit being the one by Contrades, the Padres' sixth-round draft choice, with two walks, a steal and an errant throw on a double steal bringing in the first run. Qrey Lott scored that run following his 19th and 20th steals. Dawson Willis hit a two-run homer as part of a two-hit day, while fourth-round pick Alex Conover also had two hits. Contrades' game-winner was a looper over the shortstop that easily scored Yimy Tovar.

Storm right-handed starter Luis Maracara went three innings, allowing three hits on two hits and three walks while striking out five. Left-hander Joseph Herrera gave up one unearned run in two innings, right-hander Yoesmerli Beltre went 2⅓ shutout innings and right-hander Jordan Valenzuela 1⅔ shutout innings.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Dawson Willis, 3B	4	2	2	2	0	1
Alex Conover, CF	3	0	2	0	1	1
Ty Harvey, 1B	3	0	0	1	1	2
Jorge Quintana, SS	4	0	0	0	0	2
Jesmaylin Arias, RF	3	0	0	0	1	0
Qrey Lott, PR	0	1	0	0	0	0
Yimy Tovar, 2B	2	1	0	0	2	0
Truitt Madonna, DH	4	0	0	0	0	1
Jake Bold, C	3	0	0	0	1	2
Dylan Grego, LF	3	1	1	0	0	1
Nu'u Contrades, PH	1	0	1	1	0	0
Totals	30	5	6	4	6	10

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Luis Maracara	3	2	3	3	3	5	1
Joseph Herrera	2	2	1	0	1	2	0
Yoesmerli Beltre	2 1/3	2	0	0	1	1	0
Jordan Valenzuela (W, 2-0)	1 2/3	1	0	0	1	1	0
Totals	9	7	4	3	6	9	1

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performances

1. Ethan Salas: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, K
2. Kash Mayfield: Traded
3. Miguel Mendez: Traded
4. Ryan Wideman: 0-for-1, K
5. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
6. Jorge Quintana: 0-for-4, 2 K
7. Ty Harvey: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K
8. Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season
9. Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K, S
10. Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona
11. Lamar King Jr.: DNP
12. Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
13. Jagger Haynes: DNP
14. Alex McCoy: 1-for-3, HBP, 2 R
15. Truitt Madonna: 0-for-4, K
16. Jesus Castro: DNP
17. Garrett Hawkins: DNP
18. Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona
19. Winyer Chourio: DNP
20. Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-4

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