Padres Minor League Report: El Paso Mounts Late Rally, Bullpen Gives It Back

Marcos Castañon doubled and homered in El Paso’s late charge, while Jake Higginbotham fanned four in two scoreless and Omar Cruz struck out seven over four. San Antonio’s Fernando Sanchez punched out six in relief, with Josh Mallitz adding 1⅔ scoreless. Fort Wayne got two hits from Jack Costello, but Luis Gutierrez whiffed seven across five and Eiker Huizi struck out three. For Lake Elsinore, Alex McCoy reached twice and Ryan Wideman drove in two.

Padres Transactions

• Recalled RHP Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso. 
• Optioned RHP Sean Reynolds to Triple-A El Paso. 

Castañon Homers In Ninth, El Paso’s Bullpen Gives Back Lead
Box Score

Marcos Castañon jump-started a ninth-inning push, but the Chihuahuas fell 6-5 in Salt Lake. The third baseman doubled in two during the fourth to give El Paso a brief lead, then opened the ninth with a solo shot to left center. Yonathan Perlaza followed with a pinch-hit single, Tim Locastro added a knock, and Clay Dungan walked to load the bases. Tirso Ornelas brought in a run with a groundout, and Luis Campusano’s sacrifice fly scored Locastro to tie it 5-5.

Earlier, El Paso struck in the fourth when Campusano singled, Nate Mondou singled, and Castañon ripped a two-run double to center. Locastro swiped second in the fifth for his 28th steal. Campusano finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, Mondou collected two hits, and Castañon went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, and three RBIs.

Stephen Jones started for El Paso and worked two innings, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Omar Cruz followed with four innings, yielding four runs, three earned, on four hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts. Jake Higginbotham tossed two scoreless frames with four strikeouts to keep the game within reach.

The Bees answered in the ninth against Raul Brito. Salt Lake opened with a double, advanced the runner on a sacrifice, and a pinch-hit single ended it. Despite 12 hits and the ninth-inning comeback, El Paso came up just short.

Sanchez Fans Six, Gómez Doubles As Missions Fall To Hooks
Box Score

SAN ANTONIO — The Missions were held to three hits in a 4-0 loss to Corpus Christi. Miguel Mendez started for San Antonio and worked four innings, allowing three runs on three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

Corpus Christi opened the scoring with a three-run second, using a two-run triple to right, then a run that crossed on a wild pitch. The Hooks added one more in the fifth on a pair of extra-base hits.

San Antonio’s best chance came in the second when Gómez ripped a double to right, moved to third on a passed ball, and was left there on a groundout. In the third, Kai Murphy punched a single to center, and in the seventh, Francisco Acuna beat out a comebacker for an infield hit. The Missions mounted a late push in the eighth as Ryan Jackson and Albert Fabian drew walks to put two aboard, but a groundout ended the inning.

Fernando Sanchez steadied things out of the bullpen, striking out six in 2 1/3 innings while allowing one run on two hits and no walks. Josh Mallitz followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, then Garrett Hawkins finished the ninth with one strikeout. Offensively, Gómez’s double, Murphy’s single, and Acuna’s infield knock accounted for San Antonio’s hits against the Hooks.

Barnett Drives In Early Run, Costello Tallies Two Hits As TinCaps Fall In West Michigan
Box Score

Fort Wayne grabbed the lead in the second. Jack Costello lined a single to center, Kai Roberts walked, and Jonathan Vastine drew a free pass to load the bases. Sean Barnett followed with an infield single to short, scoring Costello for a 1-0 edge. The Whitecaps answered with two in their half of the inning, then added three more in the sixth on a homer to right, pushing the deficit to 5-1. West Michigan tacked on another in the eighth.

Costello led the TinCaps’ offense, going 2-for-4. Barnett finished 1-for-3 with the club’s lone RBI, and Roberts reached twice on a single and a walk, though he was caught stealing in the fourth. Fort Wayne totaled five hits and went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

Starter Luis Gutierrez worked five, allowing four runs on seven hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. Eiker Huizi followed with two innings, yielding one run on two hits, no walks, and three strikeouts. Luis Germán pitched the eighth and was charged with one run.

McCoy Reaches Twice, Wideman Plates Two, Madonna Triples As Storm Fall To Inland Empire
Box Score

Lake Elsinore jumped ahead immediately in San Bernardino. After Alex McCoy singled and Carlos Rodriguez walked, a pickoff miscue moved the runners, and Ryan Wideman lined a single to right to bring in McCoy. The 66ers answered with two in the bottom half, then surged with a five-run third to take control. The Storm got one back in the third when McCoy singled, advanced on an error, and scored on Wideman’s sacrifice fly to right.

Lake Elsinore kept pushing in the sixth. Bradley Frye and Ty Harvey rolled consecutive singles, Justin DeCriscio forced in a run on a fielder’s choice, and George Bilecki coaxed a bases-loaded walk to make it a three-run game. In the seventh, Truitt Madonna ripped a triple and scored on a passed ball, but Inland Empire tacked on insurance to close it out, 10-5.

McCoy finished 2-for-2 with two runs. Harvey went 2-for-4. Wideman drove in two, Bilecki chipped in an RBI and a walk, Madonna went 1-for-4 with a triple and a run, and Frye added a hit and a run.

Starter Kruz Schoolcraft worked 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on one hit, three walks, and four strikeouts. Adam Conrad followed with two, giving up one run on two hits with one walk. Clay Edmondson also handled two, allowing two runs with one walk and two strikeouts.

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