Padres Minor League Report: Bryce Johnson Gives Chihuahuas A Walk-Off Win

The four full-season affiliates for the San Diego Padres went 1-3 Sunday in the series finales. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas pulled out a 4-3 win over Sugar Land, the Double-A San Antonio Missions lost a tight one to Corpus Christi 4-3, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to Lansing 6-2 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm got stomped by Ontario 11-5.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Diego Padres optioned RHP Jhony Brito to El Paso Chihuahuas.

Bryce Johnson Walks It Off For Chihuahuas

Bryce Johnson singled home Clay Dungan with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas overcame a three-run seventh inning to walk off the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 4-3. The Chihuahuas (42-53, 7-13 second half) snapped a six-game losing streak of the abbreviated three-game series due to the All-Star break.

Carlos Rodriguez homered and had two hits along with Johnson and Blake Hunt for the Chihuahuas, who built a 3-0 lead. Right-hander Michael Flynn started the bullpen game and went two scoreless innings. Flynn has not allowed a run in his last six appearances covering nine innings since yielding six in two-thirds of an inning June 25. Six pitchers would follow Flynn, allowing putting up zeroes except for right-hander Daison Acosta, who gave up three runs (one earned) in the seventh inning. After giving up a homer, Acosta committed a fielding error that led to the final two runs of that inning scoring. Right-handers Ethan Routzahn and Alek Jacob pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

The Chihuahuas grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Solak doubled with two outs and scored on Will Wagner's single. Wagner took second on a wild pitch and scored on Nick Pratto's single. It became 3-0 in the sixth on Rodriguez's third homer of the season. After the Hooks tied it in the seventh, Dungan singled with one out in the ninth, Hunt singled him to second and Johnson grounded a single up the middle, with Dungan scoring easily from second.

Ethan Salas Has Pair Of Hits In Missions' Setback

Ethan Salas and Albert Fabian each went 2-for-4, but a rough start from right-hander Andrew Thurman led to the host Double-A San Antonio Missions dropping a 4-3 decision to the Corpus Christi Hooks. The Missions (41-49, 10-11 second half) took two of three in the series.

Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, had his 12th double this year and scored twice, while Fabian drove in a pair of runs. The duo had four of the Missions' seven hits. Fabian singled home Salas in the bottom of the first to tie it, but the Hooks took the lead for good with a run in the third and two in the fourth. Fabian again singled home Salas in the sixth inning to pull within 4-2, then Ryan Jackson drove in Jake Cunningham in the eighth to make it 4-3.

Thurman was touched up for four runs on six hits and three walks while punching out a season-high six in three-plus innings. Right-handers Francis Pena, Garrett Hawkins (Padres Mission's No. 17 prospect) and Sadrac Franco each went two scoreless innings, each allowing just one hit. Franco struck out four. Pena did have an error after coming on with two runners on that led to both scoring for a 4-1 Hooks lead.

Abraham Parra's Solid Start Upended In TinCaps' Loss

Right-handed starter Abraham Parra continued his string of good outings by not allowing an earned run in five innings, while Carlos Rodriguez and Kavares Tears hit solo homers, but the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to the host Lansing Lugnuts 6-2. After the series opener was postponed due to poor air quality, the TinCaps (37-52, 10-13 second half) split the two games.

The 20-year-old Parra has one earned run or fewer in six of his 16 appearances (14 starts). He allowed one run over 7⅔ innings in his last two outings. He did allow two runs Sunday, but both were unearned on a throwing error by first baseman Jack Costello in the fourth inning. Parra allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out three.

Rodriguez hit his fifth homer of the season in the second inning for a 1-0 TinCaps lead, then the Lugnuts scored twice in the fourth to take the lead. Tears tied it up with his 13th of the year, matching his total from his debut season in 2025. Lansing then scored twice off left-hander Braian Salazar in his 1⅓ innings and twice in the eighth off right-hander Luis German.

Storm Buried By Constant Flow Of Runs By Tower Buzzers

A constant stream of pressure led to the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm being outgunned by the host Ontario Tower Buzzers 11-5. The Storm (46-44, 7-17 second half) dropped the final two games of the three-game set.

Ontario scored two runs in the second, third and fourth innings, three in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

The Storm were held to five hits by six Tower Buzzers pitchers. Lake Elsinore was down 6-0 when George Bilecki led off the top of the fifth with his 13th double of the season and took third on a throwing error by the right fielder. One out later, Qrey Lott doubled off the wall in left-center to make it 6-1. The Tower Buzzers put up three more in the bottom of the fifth, with the Storm breaking through with four runs in the top of the seventh. A hit by pitch, two singles and two walks made it 9-4 and a sacrifice fly capped the inning.

The Storm used six pitchers, with the first five giving up at least two runs each. Right-hander Brandon Langley was the only pitcher to go unscathed, going the final 1⅔ innings scoreless.

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

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

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