Padres Minor-League Report: El Paso Cruises, Lake Elsinore's Defensive Miscues Costly

San Antonio, Fort Wayne, and Lake Elsinore all showcased late-inning rallies, with big hits from Valenzuela, Roberts, and Tears. Bullpen volatility remains a theme, but emerging bats like De Vries and Gómez impressed. Defensive lapses hurt Lake Elsinore, while Fort Wayne flashed improved pitching depth behind Gutierrez and Hawkins.

Early Blasts and Steady Arms Lead El Paso Past Round Rock, 7–1
Box Score

El Paso’s offense erupted early and the pitching staff held firm in a 7–1 win over Round Rock on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. The Chihuahuas totaled nine hits—including three doubles and a home run—to back 5 2/3 strong innings from Matt Waldron.

Clay Dungan opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first, his fourth of the season, and Mason McCoy followed with one of his two doubles on the night. McCoy went 3-for-5 with two doubles, improving his OPS to .912 on the year. Yonathan Perlaza and Nate Mondou kept the inning alive with single, and a passed ball later allowed Perlaza to score the third run of the inning.

Waldron (3–1) allowed just one run on three hits and struck out five. The right-hander now sports a 3.66 ERA across four appearances in El Paso. He was supported by four relievers—Eduarniel Núñez, Bryan Hoeing, Harold Chirino, and Ron Marinaccio—who combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

Jason Heyward added his first extra-base hit in Triple-A with a double in the ninth. Nate Mondou finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and has a .727 OPS on the season.

The Chihuahuas went just 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position but capitalized on five walks.

Valenzuela, Murphy Fuel Missions’ 8–5 Win in Back-and-Forth Battle
Box Score

The San Antonio Missions edged Amarillo 8–5 behind a late offensive surge and a timely homer from Brandon Valenzuela. Valenzuela, serving as the designated hitter, launched a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning—his ninth of the season—giving the Missions a 5-4 lead and lifting San Antonio to its fourth win in five games.

Outfielder Kai Murphy delivered the key blow in the ninth, driving in three runs with a single to left that was misplayed, allowing the Missions to break the game open. Murphy finished 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and now has six hits in his last 16 at-bats. Moisés Gómez added a pair of doubles and a single to the effort.

Lefty Jagger Haynes allowed three earned runs over 4 1/3 innings with four strikeouts but a pair of walks as well.

Tyson Neighbors surrendered a game-tying homer but struck out two in two innings. Manuel Castro earned the win with two perfect frames and five strikeouts.

Roberts’ Plate Discipline and Speed Spark TinCaps’ 5–4 Win
Box Score

The Fort Wayne TinCaps edged South Bend 5–4 in a tightly contested matchup, thanks to a combination of patience at the plate, aggressive baserunning, and clutch situational hitting. Outfielder Kai Roberts set the tone with two RBIs and his 12th stolen base of the year, bringing home the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Brandon Butterworth added a hit and two RBI.

Leo De Vries continued impressing, reaching base four times with a hit and three walks. Luis Gutierrez delivered another effective start, working six innings and allowing just two earned runs on five hits while striking out three. The 19-year-old lefty fared well in his first High-A start.

Ruben Galindo escaped Sean Barnett's jam in the seventh with two strikeouts and earned his first win of the season. Garrett Hawkins sealed the victory with a dominant ninth inning, striking out two on just 13 pitches.

Storm Let Lead Slip in Extras as Defensive Woes Doom Elsinore in 10–6 Loss
Box Score

Lake Elsinore unraveled in extra innings, allowing four runs to score as they fell 10–6 to Visalia. Despite erasing a four-run deficit and holding a late lead, the Storm couldn’t contain the Rawhide in the final frame.

Kavares Tears led the offense with a three-run homer and a double, raising his OPS to .753. He’s now slugging .650 over his last five games and remains one of the system’s most productive bats, posting a .983 OPS over that span. Ryan Jackson continued his steady production, adding a two-RBI single in the fifth to give Elsinore a 6–5 lead.

Starter Will Varmette struggled with control, issuing a walk and allowing three unearned runs, four runs total, over 2 2/3 innings. Johan Moreno stabilized things but Bernard Jose struggled, allowing four runs and two walks over two innings.

Chase Valentine reached base twice and notched his seventh stolen base, while catcher Lamar King Jr. walked twice and threw out a runner. However, first baseman Victor Figueroa committed two costly errors, and the Storm’s defense as a whole contributed to four unearned runs.

Lake Elsinore left 12 runners on base.

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