Padres Minor League Report: Matt Waldron Solid In Rehab Start As Chihuahuas Crush

San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-2 Friday with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas cruising to a 14-1 win over Reno, the Double-A San Antonio Missions winning late over Corpus Christi 8-6, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps falling to South Bend 7-6 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm being edged by San Jose 6-5.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Antonio Missions placed C Ethan Salas on 7-day injured list.
• Lake Elsinore Storm placed RHP Ethan Long on the full-season injured list.

Chihuahuas' Offensive Explosion Backs Matt Waldron In Rehab Start

Mason McCoy went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Carlos Rodriguez had a pair of hits, including a homer, and drove in four runs as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas stomped the Reno Aces 14-1. The Chihuahuas put this one away with a seven-run eighth inning.

Padres right-handed starter Matt Waldron, in his second rehab outing, went three innings, allowing a run on three hits, including a homer, with one walk and two strikeouts. Waldron faced 11 batters, throwing 44 pitches, including 27 strikes. The only run he gave up was on the first pitch of the game on a home run by Ryan Waldschmidt, who was recently demoted by the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was the first run he has given up on two rehab assignments this season after 14⅓ scoreless innings over four previous starts.

Rodriguez, who had a career-best 22-game snapped the day before, started a new one when he lined a single to right field in the first inning. Rodriguez got the Chihuahuas on the board when he cranked his second homer of the season, a two-run blast, in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Pratto had an RBI double and Clay Dungan a two-run single to make it 5-1 in the sixth. Rodriguez kept it going with a two-run single in the seventh.

The seven-run eighth inning was highlighted by McCoy's two-run single and Nick Schnell's two-run double.

The Chihuahuas' bullpen was outstanding after Waldron, allowing just three hits in six innings. Right-hander Sean Boyle struck out three and allowed a hit in three innings, while left-hander Miguel Cienfuegos, right-hander Michael Flynn and right-hander Ethan Routzahn each pitched a scoreless inning.

Luis Verdugo's Second HR Gives Missions Dramatic Win

Luis Verdugo hit a pair of homers, including a tiebreaking two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning, while right-hander Ian Koenig tossed six strong innings as the Double-A San Antonio Missions edged the host Corpus Christi Hooks 8-6.

Brendan Durfee, starting in place of Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect who went on the seven-day injured list, homered. Ryan Jackson had two hits and two RBIs, while Romeo Sanabria and Braedon Karpathios each had two hits. Sanabria scored once and drove in a run and Karpathios scored a run. In addition to his two homers, Verdugo walked twice.

Koenig struck out seven and allowed two runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Right-hander Andrew Moore struck out a pair in a scoreless seventh inning and now has 45 strikeouts in 24⅓ innings.

The Missions jumped out to a 5-0 as Verdugo hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, Durfee hit a solo shot, his second of the season, and Sanabria had an RBI single in the fifth and Jackson drove home a pair on a sixth-inning single. The Hooks made it 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, with the Missions getting one back in the top of the seventh on Albert Fabian's sacrifice fly. But the Hooks would tie it with four runs in the eighth off right-hander Sadrac Franco.

Karpathios, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, had a one-out single in the top of the ninth, then Verdugo untied it with his sixth homer of the year, a no-doubt two-run shot to left. Right-hander Francis Pena pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season and sixth of his career.

Kasen Wells Hits Inside-The-Park HR, But TinCaps Fall In 11

The second half of the Midwest League season opened with a bang as the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps scored five runs in the first inning, but it ended in disappointment as the South Bend Cubs pulled out a 7-6 victory in 11 innings.

TinCaps left-handed starter Kash Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, went just two innings and didn't allow a run, striking out four and giving up two hits. Mayfield did not pitch last week.

Kasen Wells had two hits, including an inside-the-park home run that triggered the five-run first inning, and scored twice, while Carlos Rodriguez had a triple among his two hits, driving in one and scoring one. Kavares Tears had a double and two RBIs. Rodriguez and Alex McCoy also walked twice.

Wells' inside-the-parker—the first for the TinCaps since Jackson Merrill's on May 30, 2023—came with one out as he pulled a line drive into the right-field corner that kicked away from the right fielder. It was his first homer of the season. Rodriguez followed that with a walk and McCoy reached on an error by the third baseman. Jake Cunningham's grounder forced McCoy at second and moved Rodriguez to third before Tears doubled home both runners for a 3-0 lead. Zach Evans singled home Tears and Jack Costellos doubled home Evans.

South Bend chipped into the lead with two runs in the third and two in the fifth, with the TinCaps going up 6-4 on Rodriguez's triple that scored Wells, who had walked, stolen second and went to third on an error. The Cubs tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth and scored on an RBI single in the top of the 11th.

Storm 5-Game Win Streak Ends As Second-Half Quest Begins

A rocky start by left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft led to the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm dropping the first game of the second half, a 6-5 decision to the host San Jose Giants. The Storm, who had their five-game winning streak snapped, won the first-half championship for the California League's South Division.

Dawson Willis homered and drove in a pair. He was one of three Storm players to have two hits, joined by Kerrington Cross and Qrey Lott. Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, was on base twice with a single and a walk, while stealing his minors-leading 43rd base and scoring twice.

Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, gave up two runs each in the first, second and fourth innings. He surrendered six hits and three walks while punching out four.

Willis hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run fifth inning that pulled the Storm within the final margin of 6-5.

Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Performance

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