Padres Minor League Report: Chihuahuas, Storm Notch Walk-Off Wins

Nick Schnell's two-run walk-off homer in the 10th lifted Triple-A El Paso past Reno 13-11. Victor Lizarraga's six-strikeout, four-inning start backed Double-A San Antonio's 3-2 doubleheader-opening win on Tirso Ornelas' homer, but the Missions dropped the nightcap 2-1. High-A Fort Wayne fell 9-3 to Wisconsin. Jose Verdugo drove in two runs to cap a three-run ninth inning in Low-A Lake Elsinore's walk-off win, beating Visalia 8-7.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Antonio Missions placed LHP Luis Gutierrez on the 7-day injured list.
• San Diego Padres optioned RHP Lucas Giolito to Lake Elsinore Storm.

Schnell's 10th-Inning Walk-Off Caps Wild Chihuahuas Win

Nick Schnell hit a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning as the El Paso Chihuahuas survived a furious eighth-inning rally to beat the Reno Aces 13-11. It was Schnell's second homer of the game, finishing 3-for-6.

Clay Dungan went 4-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored, and Carlos Rodríguez added three hits and two RBIs from the two-hole. Nate Mondou hit a two-run home run in the sixth that pushed an El Paso lead to 11-4. Leadoff hitter Samad Taylor opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first.

The Chihuahuas led 11-4 after the sixth, but the Aces scored once in the seventh and six times in the eighth.

Starter Griffin Canning, making his four rehab appearance, lasted 1⅔ innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and no strikeouts. Alek Jacob earned the win after 2⅓ innings of one-run ball with two strikeouts.  

Missions Split Doubleheader In Pair Of Tight Games

Tirso Ornelas hit a two-run homer and also robbed a homer as the San Antonio Missions opened a doubleheader with a 3-2 win over the Amarillo Sod Poodles. The Missions dropped the nightcap 2-1.

Kai Roberts and Ethan Salas had back-to-back doubles in the third to tie the game 1-1 and Ornelas homered in the fourth to put El Paso up 3-1. Braedon Karpathios drew two walks and stole a base.

Starter Victor Lizarraga turned in a strong outing, working four innings while allowing one run on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Harry Gustin worked the fifth and earned the win despite allowing a run that cut the lead to 3-2. Johan Moreno went the final two innings, allowing no hits while walking one and striking out one to lock down his first save.

In the second game, the Missions managed only six hits and lost despite limiting the Sod Poodles to three hits. 

Starter Eric Yost took the loss after working four innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Amarillo scored runs in the second and fifth innings.

Leandro Cedeño led the offense with a 2-for-2 day plus a walk, and Karpathios went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Carson Tucker drove in San Antonio's only run with a single to right in the bottom of the seventh that scored Karpathios.  

FIRST GAME

SECOND GAME

Rodriguez Homers But TinCaps Fall To Wisconsin

The Fort Wayne TinCaps were beaten 9-3 by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The game ended with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning due to a medical emergency in the Timber Rattlers' dugout.

Alex McCoy plated Zach Evans with an infield single in the first to give Fort Wayne an early 1-0 lead. That extended his Midwest League-leading hitting streak to 13 games, tying the club record held by Jonny Homza (2021) and Nerwilian Cedeno (2024) since Fort Wayne moved to High-A.

Fort Wayne's Carlos Rodriguez delivered a solo homer, his first of the year, in the bottom of the second to cut the early deficit to 4-2. Wisconsin scored twice in the third and twice more in the fifth for an 8-2 lead. Dylan Grego knocked in Kavares Tears with a single in the seventh.

Starter Isaiah Lowe took the loss after working three innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.  

Verdugo, Storm Walk Off Visalia With 3-Run Ninth

The Lake Elsinore Storm walked off the Visalia Rawhide 8-7, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Jose Verdugo delivered the walk-off two-run single, scoring Justin DeCriscio and Truitt Madonna.

Trailing 7-5, The ninth-inning rally began with a Ryan Wideman walk and a DeCriscio single. Madonna singled to center to score Wideman, then pinch-hitter Bradley Frye dropped a bunt single to load the bases before Verdugo lined his walk-off knock to left.

Madonna led the Storm at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI. Leadoff hitter Wideman finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs, a walk, a run scored. He had a sixth-inning two-run double that pulled Lake Elsinore within 7-5. DeCriscio added two hits, including a solo home run in the first, and reached base three times. Verdugo finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Starter Jesus A. Castro turned in four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Will Koger picked up the win after a scoreless ninth in which he allowed one hit and a walk. Nick Falter was sharp in middle relief across three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.  

Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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