Padres Minor League Report: Storm No-Hit, Forced To Decisive Game 3 In Cal League Finals

[Steve Drumwright]

 

The California League Championship Series will come down to a decisive Game 3 after the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were no-hit in a 9-1 loss to San Jose. Meanwhile, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas began their final series of the season with an 11-5 victory over Oklahoma City

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Diego Padres optioned 2B Mason McCoy to El Paso Chihuahuas.
• El Paso Chihuahuas placed C Rodolfo Durán on the 7-day injured list.
• C Oswaldo Linares assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions.

CAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Storm Are No-Hit In Game 2, Go For Title In Decisive Game 3

It will come down to a final game to determine whether the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm win their second title in five years and finish runner-up for the second time in three years. The Storm were no-hit by three pitchers in losing to the host San Jose Giants 9-1 in Game 2 of the California League Championship Series. Game 3 in the best-of-three series is Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. back in San Jose. The Giants, who won both halves of the North Division, are looking to win back-to-back titles.

Right-hander Argenis Cayama went the first five hitless innings, right-hander Ian Korn, the Giants' 10th-round draft choice, the next two and right-hander Eric Nachtsheim, the Giants' sixth-rounder, went the final two. Cayama struck out seven.

Left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft (Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect) is a strong possibility to start for the Storm, who are looking for their fifth championship in their 11th trip to the Cal League finals. They shared the 2001 title with the Giants due to the finals being canceled following the Sept. 11 attacks. The Storm also won in 1996, 2011 and 2022. Right-hander Coleman Borthwick, the Padres' first-round draft pick and Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, would likely be in a relief role after making his debut in the clinching Game 2 of the South Division Series with two innings.

After the Storm held the Cal League's best offense off the scoreboard until the ninth inning of Sunday's Game 1, they didn't have the same fortune in Game 2. Storm right-handed starter Jesus Castro, Padres Mission's No. 18 prospect, started with four shutout innings before things started to turn in the fifth. He allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

The Storm took a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a hit in the third inning. Dawson Willis walked and went to second on a balk. After two strikeouts, a passed ball moved Willis to third. Second-round draft choice Elliot Lascelles (Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect) walked and then started a double steal, stopping short of second as Willis swiped home and Lascelles took second. The Giants tied it in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI single to short that Jose Verdugo nearly got the inning-ending out at first. Castro nearly made it through five innings, getting the first two outs before hitting a batter and giving up a flare double that Willis made a diving effort in center only to deflect away, with the run scoring for a 2-1 Giants lead. Right-hander Tyler Pitzer came in and got the final out.

But Pitzer gave up three straight singles to load the bases in the sixth, left-hander Rob Evans, the Padres' 12th-round draft choice, was asked to put out the fire. Evans walked the first batter he faced to make it 3-1, then struck out the next two before a passed ball by Ty Harvey (Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect) and an ensuing throwing error allowed two runs to score for a 5-1 Storm deficit before getting out of the inning with a fly to center. The Giants added four more in the seventh.

 

 

 

 

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Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Elliot Lascelles	2	0	0	0	1	0
Augie Lopez	1	0	0	0	0	1
Joe Tiroly	4	0	0	0	0	1
Alex Conover	2	0	0	0	0	0
Nu'u Contrades	3	0	0	0	0	2
Jorge Quintana	3	0	0	0	0	1
Jose Verdugo	2	0	0	0	0	1
Jesmaylin Arias	1	0	0	0	0	0
Dawson Willis	2	1	0	0	1	1
Ty Harvey	2	0	0	0	0	2
Truitt Madonna	1	0	0	0	0	1
Qrey Lott	2	0	0	0	0	1
Chris McHugh	1	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	26	1	0	0	2	11

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jesus A. Castro (L, 1-1)	4 2/3	5	2	2	1	3	0
Tyler Pitzer	1/3	3	3	1	0	1	0
Rob Evans	1 1/3	2	2	1	1	2	0
Yoesmerli Beltre	1/3	1	2	0	2	0	0
Rordy Mejia	1 1/3	0	0	0	1	0	0
Totals	8	11	9	4	5	6	0

Mason McCoy Drives In 4 As Chihuahuas Win Opener

Mason McCoy returned from a weekend with the Padres by driving in four runs, including a bases-loaded double, and right-hander Ian Koenig turned in six strong innings to lead the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas to an 11-5 victory over the Oklahoma City Comets to begin their final series of the season. The Chihuahuas prevented the Comets from clinching the Pacific Coast League's East Division second-half title.

Miguel Andujar, in his second week of a rehab assignment following a fractured right wrist, went 1-for-5 with two RBIs and a strikeout while playing a full game on defense in left field. This was his second game in left, having played seven innings Thursday. Gage Workman went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Nick Solak had two hits and a run scored. Marcos Castanon scored three runs without a hit, walking once and being hit by a pitch.

Koenig allowed one run on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. The run came on a fifth-inning solo homer. He is scheduled to start the season finale Sunday. Right-hander Ty Adcock came on for two perfect innings, striking out three. Right-hander Trevor Gott, in his second appearance with the Chihuahuas after being released by the Washington Nationals, couldn't get an out in the ninth, giving up three runs. Right-hander Alek Jacob came in to get out of the mess, giving up a run on a solo homer.

Already up 1-0 in the second inning, McCoy lined his 22nd double of the season to right-center, scoring all three runners on base for a 4-0 lead. The teams traded fifth-inning runs, then the Chihuahuas took control with a five-run sixth inning. Bryce Johnson had an RBI single, McCoy a bases-loaded walk, a wild pitch scored another run and Andujar capped the rally by chopping a two-run single up the middle for a 10-1 advantage.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Mason McCoy	4	1	1	4	1	1
Miguel Andujar	5	0	1	2	0	1
Carlos Rodríguez	5	0	1	1	0	1
Nick Solak	4	1	2	0	0	1
Nick Pratto	4	1	1	0	0	1
Marcos Castañon	2	3	0	1	1	0
Gage Workman	4	1	2	1	0	0
Bryce Johnson	4	1	1	1	0	1
Anthony Vilar	2	3	1	0	2	0
Totals	34	11	10	10	4	6

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Ian Koenig (W, 3-0)	6	3	1	1	1	4	1
Ty Adcock	2	0	0	0	0	3	0
Trevor Gott	0	1	3	3	1	0	0
Alek Jacob	1	1	1	1	0	1	1
Totals	9	5	5	5	2	8	2

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

1. Ethan Salas: DNP
2. Ryan Wideman: On injured list
3. Coleman Borthwick: DNP
4. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
5. Ty Harvey: 0-for-2, 2 K
6. Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season
7. Jorge Quintana: 0-for-3, K
8. Alex McCoy: DNP
9. Braedon Karpathios: DNP
10. Lamar King Jr.: DNP
11. Elliot Lascelles: 0-for-2, BB
12. Tucker Musgrove: On injured list
13. Jagger Haynes: DNP
14. Jake Cunningham: DNP
15. Truitt Madonna: 0-for-1, K
16. Eric Yost: DNP
17. Winyer Chourio: DNP
18. Jesus Castro: 4⅔ IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 3 K, L
19. Michael Salina: On injured list
20. Rosman Verdugo: DNP

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