Padres Minor League Report: El Paso Crushes, Lake Elsinore Rallies

Lake Elsinore erupted for seven runs in the fifth inning to take down Visalia 10–4. Zach Evans’ three-run double and Ryan Wilson’s two-run single keyed the comeback after falling behind early. Wilson reached base three times and drove in three, while Cobb Hightower added two doubles and scored twice. Four Storm pitchers combined to hold Visalia to five hits. Tanner Smith earned the win in relief as Lake Elsinore improved to 38–45.

Transactions (July 8):

• RHP Tanner Smith transferred to Lake Elsinore from ACL Padres
• RHP Adam Conrad transferred to Lake Elsinore from Fort Wayne
• RHP Austin Krob placed on the Development List (retroactive to July 7)

Campusano, Chihuahuas Crush Early to Down Aviators
Box Score

El Paso put together back-to-back three-run frames in the second and third innings to take command early and never looked back in a 7–3 win at home. After a quiet first inning, the Chihuahuas struck in the second when Yonathan Perlaza walked and moved up on a single by Nate Mondou. Perlaza scored on a sacrifice from Forrest Wall, and Rodolfo Durán followed with an RBI knock of his own.

The next inning featured more power. Luis Campusano launched his 14th home run of the season and later doubled and scored again in the seventh. Wall added two more RBIs to bring his total to three on the night, and Mondou reached base four times on three hits and two walks.

Starter Jackson Wolf tossed 6 innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out six. The bullpen allowed two late runs, but the game was well in hand after the early offensive surge. Raul Brito recorded the final out after the Aviators loaded the bases in the ninth.

El Paso finished with 11 hits, including three from Mondou and two each from Campusano and Tim Locastro.

Valenzuela’s Late Hit Lifts Missions Over Wind Surge
Box Score

Brandon Valenzuela delivered the decisive blow in the top of the ninth as the San Antonio Missions surged past the Wind Surge, 6–4, on Tuesday night at Equity Bank Ballpark. The win capped a back-and-forth contest in which the Missions capitalized on Wichita’s miscues and clutch two-out hits.

San Antonio struck first in the opening frame. Moisés Gómez tripled and scored on Valenzuela’s infield single that was aided by a throwing error. After trading runs early, San Antonio reclaimed the lead in the second when Ripken Reyes scored on Francisco Acuna’s flyout into a double play.

The Missions responded to Wichita’s home run in the sixth. Marcos Castañon singled home Devin Ortiz, then Reyes reached on an error that allowed Kai Murphy to score, giving San Antonio a 4–2 advantage. However, the Wind Surge clawed back to tie it again with two runs in the bottom half.

In the top of the ninth, with two outs and runners on second and third, Valenzuela grounded a two-run single into right field to break the tie and seal the win. Andrew Moore pitched a clean ninth for the save.

Valenzuela went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a walk. Starter Jagger Haynes allowed four runs over 5 1/3 innings, and Moore earned the win with two scoreless frames.

TinCaps Silenced in Shutout Loss at Parkview Field
Box Score

Fort Wayne couldn’t crack the scoreboard Wednesday afternoon, falling 5–0 to the visiting River Bandits in a game where they managed just four hits and committed two costly errors.

The TinCaps fell behind early after allowing back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning. Starter Sam Whiting allowed two runs and was lifted with two outs in the third. Reliever Nick Wissman limited further damage until the sixth, when Quad Cities tacked on three more runs after a hit batter, a wild pitch, and a pair of productive outs.

Offensively, Fort Wayne couldn’t sustain momentum. Leo De Vries grounded out twice and flied out sharply before roping a double in the ninth, the lone extra-base hit for the home team. Brendan Durfee was the only TinCap to collect multiple hits, singling twice and reaching third base in the fifth before being out on a fielder’s choice. The team’s other hit came from Rosman Verdugo.

The team didn’t draw a walk until the eighth inning and struck out nine times overall.

Storm Erupt for Seven in Seventh, Roll Past Rawhide
Box Score

The Lake Elsinore Storm exploded for seven runs in the fifth inning to overcome an early deficit and defeat the Visalia Rawhide, 10–4, on Monday night at Valley Strong Ballpark.

Down 2–0 entering the fifth, the Storm broke through with a seven-run rally highlighted by Zach Evans’ three-run double and Ryan Wilson’s two-run single. Lake Elsinore batted around in the frame.

Wilson finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk, and a double. Cobb Hightower also doubled twice and scored once out of the leadoff spot. Evans added a walk and a run in addition to his key bases-clearing double. In all, Lake Elsinore racked up 10 hits and drew nine walks.

Starter Kash Mayfield allowed two runs over three innings, but the bullpen picked him up. Tanner Smith earned the win with two frames of no-run ball. Adam Conrad closed it out with a perfect ninth.

For the Rawhide, Yassel Soler homered in the fifth as part of a two-RBI night. Visalia managed just five hits and stranded six runners.

With the win, the Storm improved to 38–45 on the year.

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