Padres Minor-League Report: Close Games (Plural), Big Blowout (Singular)

El Paso was edged by Reno despite Mason McCoy’s homer and strong pitching. San Antonio walked off Frisco on Brandon Valenzuela’s single after Cameron Cauley went deep. Fort Wayne blasted Dayton as Kai Roberts, Brandon Butterworth, and Eric Yost shined. Lake Elsinore held off Rancho Cucamonga with B.Y. Choi’s clutch double and solid relief.

McCoy Homers, El Paso Drops Close Contest
Box Score

Mason McCoy’s two-run home run led the way as the El Paso Chihuahuas edged the Reno Aces, four to three, on Saturday at Southwest University Park. McCoy went three-for-four at the plate, driving in three runs, and was involved in both of El Paso’s scoring rallies.

Clay Dungan drew a walk in the third inning before McCoy connected on a two-run shot to center to put the Chihuahuas on the board. In the eighth, Nate Mondou singled to right and advanced on a walk before McCoy drove him in with a single to stretch El Paso’s lead.

Wes Benjamin set the tone on the mound with five and one-third innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five. Kevin Kopps and Jason Gillaspie combined for two and two-thirds innings of relief, with Kopps allowing two runs and earning the loss. 

Missions Rally Late to Edge RoughRiders
Box Score

The San Antonio Missions scored a walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Frisco RoughRiders, three to two, on a rainy Saturday night at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Francisco Acuna provided a spark at the top of the order, going two-for-three with two walks, an RBI double, and a key stolen base that led to the game-winning run.

Missions starter Jagger Haynes held Frisco to one run across six innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five. Ethan Routzahn and Jason Higginbotham kept the game tied into the eighth.

After Cameron Cauley’s second home run of the night tied the game at two for the RoughRiders, Brandon Valenzuela and Moisés Gómez kept the offense going for the Missions. Gómez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh to push home the go-ahead run, then Valenzuela delivered a walk-off single in the ninth after Acuna reached on a walk and advanced on a sacrifice bunt.

Keyber Rodriguez and Luis Mieses managed hits for Frisco, but San Antonio’s timely pitching proved decisive as they earned the one-run win.

TinCaps Dominate Dragons in Shutout Win
Box Score

The Fort Wayne TinCaps rode a powerful offensive performance and dominant pitching to a 10–0 victory over the Dayton Dragons on Saturday night at Day Air Ballpark. Kai Roberts opened the game with a leadoff home run, setting the tone for Fort Wayne’s 17-hit onslaught.

Brandon Butterworth led the way with three hits, including a double, two RBI, three runs, and a stolen base. Jack Costello and Braedon Karpathios also reached base multiple times and scored twice, while Jacob Campbell, Oswaldo Linares, and Sean Barnett each contributed run-scoring hits as part of the TinCaps’ relentless attack.

Leo De Vries singled twice and scored once to help sustain Fort Wayne’s offense. On the mound, right-hander Eric Yost was masterful, allowing only one hit with one walk and nine strikeouts across seven innings to earn the win. Luis Germán and Nick Wissman closed the game with two scoreless innings of relief.

The Dragons went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position as the TinCaps’ pitching staff combined to record 12 strikeouts. Fort Wayne went 7-for-17 with runners in scoring position in a game they controlled from the first pitch.

Storm Hold Off Rancho Cucamonga in One-Run Thriller
Box Score

The Lake Elsinore Storm survived a tense ninth inning to defeat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, six to five, on Saturday night at LoanMart Field. Kavares Tears’ hit his eighth home run of the season, as B.Y. Choi drove in three runs with a bases-clearing double.

Cobb Hightower also played a key role, reaching on a double and scoring once. Lake Elsinore capitalized on eight walks and timely hitting to build an early lead.

Abraham Parra started for the Storm and gave up five runs, four earned, over 4 1/3 innings. Adam Conrad followed with 2 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win, though he walked three. Luis Ruiz closed out the final two innings to pick up the save.

Rancho Cucamonga rallied in the fifth with a two-run single from Victor Rodrigues and a stolen base that allowed José Meza to score on a throwing error, but the Storm bullpen kept them off the board the rest of the way to seal the one-run victory.

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