Padres Minor League Report: Ethan Salas Smashes Career-High 10th HR, Has 4 RBIs In Chihuahuas' Loss

Sunday saw the San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates wrap up their series, going 0-5 on the day, including the completion of a suspended game from Saturday. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were beaten by Salt Lake 13-7, the Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to Frisco 8-5, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost twice to Quad Cities, dropping a suspended game 5-2 in eight innings and then 4-3 in the scheduled game, while the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm lost to Inland Empire 11-7.

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Ethan Salas Bashes Career-High 10th HR In Chihuahuas' Loss

Ethan Salas hit his third Triple-A homer and drove in four, matching his career high, but the host El Paso Chihuahuas gave up nine runs over the sixth and seventh innings in dropping a 13-7 decision to the Salt Lake Bees. The Chihuahuas (49-70, 14-30 second half) won two of the six games in the series, losing the final three.

The 20-year-old Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, extended his hitting streak to 10 games as he had also had a double, a walk and scored twice. The home run was his 10th this season, surpassing his career best set in his debut season of 2023. He has reached base in all 14 games since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio and is slashing .377/.453/.698 at Triple-A, with 15 RBIs in his last eight games. Salas had driven in three runs three times this season and matched his career best of four set July 6, 2023, his debut season.

Nick Pratto hit a two-run homer in the first inning, while Marcos Castanon went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Salas had a two-run double in the bottom of the first that tied the game 2-2, Castanon doubled home Salas and Pratto then hit his 10th homer of the season for a 5-2 lead. Salas' homer came in the bottom of the fifth, an opposite-field shot to left on the first pitch and with two outs for a 7-4 Chihuahuas lead. But the Bees scored six in the sixth and three in the seventh to take control.

Chihuahuas right-handed starter Andrew Thurman gave up three runs in three innings on five hits and three walks, then left-hander JP Sears allowed five runs in 2⅓ innings. Right-hander J.P. France surrendered five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks in 1⅔ innings before right-hander Hunter Stratton settled things down with one hit over two shutout innings. Stratton hasn't allowed a run in his five appearances (six innings) since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Missions Knocked Out By Late RoughRiders Rally

In what felt like a boxing match with each fighter landing big blows, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were unable to survive a late punch, giving up three runs in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-5 loss to the host Frisco RoughRiders. The Missions (51-63, 20-25 second half) went 2-4 in the six-game series after winning two of the first three.

Alex McCoy (Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect) wrapped up his first weekend in Double-A with two more hits and two RBIs, while Jack Costello also had two hits and two RBIs, Romeo Sanabria two hits and two runs scored and Braedon Karpathios (Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect) two hits and an RBI.

Missions right-handed starter Ian Koenig gave up five runs over six innings on six hits and a walk while striking out five. Right-hander Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless seventh, then left-hander Igor Gil allowed three runs while only getting one out on four hits and a walk.

Unproductive Week Ends With Two More TinCaps Losses

A long week filled with rain and other delays came to a disappointing finish as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game to the host Quad Cities River Bandits 5-2 on a walk-off three-run homer in eight innings, then fell in the regularly scheduled game 4-3. The TinCaps (46-65, 19-26 second half) were swept in the five games played, with another being canceled due to unplayable conditions. The TinCaps have lost a season-worst eight games.

In the completion of Saturday's suspended game, the game resumed with the game tied 2-2 entering extra innings after the River Bandits tied it with a two-out two-run homer in the seventh. But like the bottom of the seventh, the bottom of the eighth did not go well for the TinCaps, who didn't push across a run in the top half. With the zombie runner at second, right-hander Nick Falter walked the first batter he faced and then gave up a three-run homer to Derlin Figueroa, his 25th of the season.

It put a damper on a terrific outing in the Saturday portion of the game in which TinCaps right-handed starter Bryan Balzer, who struck out a career-high 10 in five innings (94 pitches, also a career high). Balzer didn't allow a hit until Figueroa led off the fourth with his 22nd double, although he had walked three and hit another. That would be the lone hit for the River Bandits until the bottom of the seventh. The TinCaps had five hits and the River Bandits four.

In the regularly scheduled game, Justin DeCriscio was on base twice and drove in a pair of runs, but the River Bandits scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. Trailing 2-0 after two innings, Kasen Wells and DeCriscio had RBI singles in the top of the third inning to tie the game, then the River Bandits went back on top in the bottom of the third. The TinCaps tied it in the fifth when DeCriscio put down a bunt on a 2-0 pitch with no outs that the pitcher fielded and his only play was at first, but he threw wide as Dylan Grego scored from third.

TinCaps right-handed starter Abraham Parra gave up four runs (two earned) in a career-best 6⅓ innings, allowing four hits and five walks while striking out two. Parra had gone six innings once this year (June 20), four times in 2025 and once in 2023.

SUSPENDED GAME

SECOND GAME

Luis Maracara Fans 8, Draft Picks Shine, But Storm Stumble

A pair of three-hit games by draft picks and a four-run first inning were not enough as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm saw the host Inland Empire 66ers use a five-run seventh inning for an 11-7 victory. The Storm (61-53, 22-25 second half) split the six-game series.

Storm right-handed starter Luis Maracara struck out eight in four innings, giving up a pair of runs on five hits and no walks. The eight strikeouts matches the 18-year-old's career high set in his fifth professional game in the Dominican Summer League in 2024. He struck out seven twice last year in the Arizona Complex League.

Sixth-rounder Nu'u Contrades went 3-for-5, including his second pro homer, with two RBIs and a run scored, while seventh-rounder Joe Tiroly also went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Tiroly's two RBIs on a single to right capped the four-run first inning. The Storm were up 5-2 before the 66ers came back with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and then the five-run seventh with one more in the eighth after Lake Elsinore scored twice in the top of the eighth.

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

1. Ethan Salas: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB
2. Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, K (Game 1); 0-for-4 (Game 2)
3. Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona
4. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
5. Ty Harvey: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K
6. Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season
7. Jorge Quintana: DNP
8. Alex McCoy: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K
9. Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 K
10. Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, 3 K
11. Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona
12. Tucker Musgrove: DNP
13. Jagger Haynes: DNP
14. Jake Cunningham: DNP
15. Truitt Madonna: DNP
16. Eric Yost: DNP
17. Winyer Chourio: DNP
18. Jesus Castro: DNP
19. Michael Salina: On injured list
20. Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-4, 3 K

Interested in learning more about the San Diego Padres' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!