Padres Minor League Report: Luis Verdugo's Late Flex Gives Missions A Victory

Thanks to a rainout for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, the four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-1 Saturday. The Double-A San Antonio Missions won 10-9 over Midland, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost 4-2 to West Michigan and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm cruised to an 8-2 win over Rancho Cucamonga.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Diego Padres optioned RHP Jhony Brito to El Paso Chihuahuas.
• El Paso Chihuahuas activated 2B Victor Duarte from the Development List.
• El Paso Chihuahuas transferred 2B Nate Mondou to the Development List.
• San Antonio Missions placed C Ethan Salas on the temporarily inactive list (Futures Game).
• San Antonio Missions activated OF Kai Murphy from the Development List.

Chihuahuas-Comets Rained Out

The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were rained out in their game against the host Oklahoma City Comets. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Aug. 26.

Luis Verdugo's 3-Run Blast In Eighth Lifts Missions

Luis Verdugo hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning as the Double-A San Antonio Missions rallied past the host Midland RockHounds 10-9.

Ryan Jackson had three hits and scored three times, Braedon Karpathios (Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect) was on base four times with two hits and two walks and Francisco Acuna had a pair doubles and a walk. Karpathios and Verdugo also scored twice.

While the bullpen, led by right-handers Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's 12 prospect, and Garrett Hawkins, Padres Mission's No. 17 prospect, pitched four innings without allowing an earned run, left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect, and right-handed reliever Bernard Jose gave up eight runs on 10 hits with four walks, with Jose giving up a homer. Hawkins, in his fourth Missions appearance after starting the season in El Paso, picked up his first save of the season after notching 10 in as many chances last year.

The Missions were down 6-2 after three innings, then traded punches with the RockHounds, who were up 8-5 after five, before El Paso got two more in the sixth on a Jake Cunningham run-scoring grounder and Karpathios' RBI single. Jackson opened the eighth with his third single of the game, prompting a pitching change. After a flyout and a strikeout, Karpathios walked and Verdugo smashed his no-doubt, three-run blast down the left-field line to put the Missions up 10-8.

Bryan Balzer Strikes Out 8, But TinCaps Outdone By Whitecaps

Right-hander Bryan Balzer struck out a career-high eight and turned in the best of his three starts since being promoted to High-A Fort Wayne, but the TinCaps couldn't generate enough offense to get him a win in falling to the host West Michigan Whitecaps 4-2. The TinCaps were held hitless through five innings.

Leadoff hitter Justin DeCriscio, last year's 10th-round draft choice, went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, but was the only TinCap to reach base multiple times as they were outhit by the Whitecaps 10-5. This was DeCriscio's 16th multihit game this season and put his hitting streak at eight games.

Balzer, an international free agent, went five innings, allowing just a run on five hits and a walk with those eight punchouts. He struck out seven in his season debut April 2 vs. Ontario. Balzer had a combined eight strikeouts in 7⅓ innings in his first two TinCaps starts, but gave up nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and six walks, including five in his debut June 27. He was much better in his start before the All-Star break.

Unfortunately, right-hander Nick Falter, given a 2-1 lead, couldn't hold the advantage, giving up a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh in his two innings. Right-hander Will Koger pitched a perfect eighth, striking out two.

The TinCaps finally got their first hit of the game when Jack Costello's single led off the sixth, the first of three consecutive hits. That was followed by Kasen Wells' RBI double, DeCriscio's single and a run-scoring wild pitch that brought in Wells to put the TinCaps up 2-1. But the rally ended there as Ryan Wideman, Alex McCoy and Luke Cantwell were retired. The only other hits the TinCaps would get would be DeCriscio's eighth-inning double and McCoy's ninth-inning single.

Dylan Grego's 4-Hit Night, Tyler Schmitt's Pitching Propel Storm

Dylan Grego went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, while right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt had five strong innings as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled to an 8-2 triumph over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Yimy Tovar, Yoiber Ocopio, Alcides Hernandez and Qrey Lott each had two hits, with Hernandez driving in a pair, while Grego and Conner Westenburg scored twice.

Schmitt and Storm pitching were on point, with the starter yielding just a run on four hits and no walks while fanning five over five innings. Right-handers Jordan Valenzuela and Jeferson Villabona each went two innings, with Valenzuela allowing just a hit and a walk with two strikeouts and Villabona four punchouts while giving up a run on two hits.

Grego singled home Tovar in the top of the first, then Hernandez drove home a pair in the top of the third with a single to make it 3-0. The Quakes scored once in the bottom of the third, but the Storm added two in the fifth on Grego's solo homer, his third with the Storm and fourth of the year, and a wild pitch. Three more runs came in the eighth on Grego's RBI single, Lott's bases-loaded walk and Tovan's run-scoring infield chopper.

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

1. Ethan Salas: DNP
2. Kash Mayfield: DNP
3. Miguel Mendez: DNP
4. Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K
5. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
6. Jorge Quintana: 1-for-6, 2 K
7. Ty Harvey: On injured list
8. Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season
9. Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-3, 1 K
10. Jagger Haynes: 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
11. Lamar King Jr.: DNP
12. Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
13. Truitt Madonna: DNP
14. Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, 2 K
15. Jesus Castro: DNP
16. Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-3, 2 K
17. Garrett Hawkins: 1⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, S
18. Eric Yost: DNP
19. Michael Salina: DNP
20. Winyer Chourio: DNP

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!