Padres Minor League Report: Pitching Shines Across System As Chihuahuas Walk Off In Ninth

Miguel Mendez struck out six over four scoreless innings, and Eric Yost added five strikeouts in four shutout frames, but San Antonio fell 2-1 to Corpus Christi. Kash Mayfield threw four hitless innings in Fort Wayne's 3-0 loss to Lansing. Rordy Mejia tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Lake Elsinore in a 5-4 loss to Rancho Cucamonga. Marcos Castañon's pinch-hit, three-run homer in the ninth lifted El Paso to a 10-8 comeback win over Albuquerque.

Padres Transactions

• San Diego Padres placed RHP Jeremiah Estrada on the 15-day injured list. Right elbow tendenitis.

• San Diego Padres activated RHP Jason Adam from the 15-day injured list.

Castañon's Pinch-Hit Three-Run Homer Caps El Paso Comeback In 10-8 Win

El Paso trailed 5-0 after the top of the fifth inning before a seven-run bottom half turned the game around. Jase Bowen, Pablo Reyes, and Sung-Mun Song each delivered RBI singles to cut the deficit to 5-3. Mason McCoy then cleared the bases with a three-run double to give El Paso a 6-5 lead, and Rodolfo Durán added an RBI single to extend it to 7-5.

Albuquerque tied the game 7-7 in the seventh on back-to-back solo home runs, then took an 8-7 lead in the eighth when a run scored on a double play.

In the bottom of the ninth, Sung-Mun Song led off with a double to left. Nick Solak reached on a bunt error, and Nick Schnell entered as a pinch runner. Marcos Castañon then came off the bench and hit a three-run homer to left field, giving El Paso the 10-8 win.

Starter Griffin Canning led El Paso's pitching staff with 3 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Garrett Hawkins earned the win in relief, throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing one hit with one strikeout.

Clay Dungan led the offense by going 3-for-4. Song finished with two hits, including a double, and Durán added two hits and an RBI.

Mendez And Yost Combine For Eight Scoreless Innings But Missions Fall 2-1

San Antonio's pitching staff held Corpus Christi scoreless through eight innings, but a two-run homer in the top of the ninth handed the Missions a 2-1 loss.

Starter Miguel Mendez set the tone with four scoreless innings, allowing three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Eric Yost was equally effective in relief, matching Mendez with four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits with no walks and five strikeouts. The two combined for 11 strikeouts over eight shutout innings.

San Antonio broke through in the bottom of the eighth. Braedon Karpathios led off with a single to left, moved to second on a groundout by Ethan Salas, and scored on a Romeo Sanabria line-drive single to right field, giving the Missions a 1-0 lead.

Sadrac Franco entered for the ninth inning. After recording two outs, he issued a walk and then surrendered a two-run homer to center field, giving Corpus Christi a 2-1 lead. Franco took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in one inning.

The Missions collected seven hits but left 14 runners on base. Ethan Salas reached base twice with a single and a walk. Tirso Ornelas, Kai Murphy, Chris Sargent, and Carson Tucker each added a hit.

Mayfield Throws Four Hitless Innings, But TinCaps Shut Out By Lansing

Fort Wayne was shut out 3-0 by Lansing despite collecting seven hits and receiving a strong overall pitching performance.

Starter Kash Mayfield did not allow a hit over four innings, striking out four batters. He walked three but stranded all baserunners to keep the game scoreless through his outing. Braian Salazar relieved Mayfield and threw two innings, allowing one run on one hit with four strikeouts. The run against Salazar scored in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, and Salazar took the loss. Jeferson Villabona allowed two runs in the eighth inning on consecutive doubles, finishing with two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts over two innings of work. Clay Edmondson closed the game with a scoreless ninth, striking out two while walking one.

Fort Wayne's pitching staff combined to allow just three hits across nine innings while striking out 12, but the offense could not convert opportunities into runs. The TinCaps left 14 runners on base and grounded into three double plays.

Alex McCoy and Jake Cunningham each had two-hit games to lead the lineup. Cunningham doubled in the third inning and stole a base. Kasen Wells, Rosman Verdugo, and Oswaldo Linares each added a single, and Verdugo drew a walk.

Westenburg Goes 4-For-4 But Storm Fall Short In 5-4 Loss

Lake Elsinore rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game but fell 5-4 to Rancho Cucamonga.

Starter Kruz Schoolcraft struggled in the first inning, recording just one out while allowing four runs on two hits with two walks. Rordy Mejia took over and was dominant, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit while striking out five. Brandon Langley followed with two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Langley took the loss after the go-ahead run scored on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. Will Koger threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Ethan Long added one scoreless inning with one walk.

The Storm answered Rancho Cucamonga's four-run first inning immediately. Truitt Madonna drove in Ryan Wideman with an RBI single in the bottom of the first to make it 4-1. In the second, Victor Duarte singled in Bradley Frye, and Conner Westenburg doubled in Duarte to cut it to 4-3. Bradley Frye tied the game 4-4 in the third with a sacrifice fly that scored Kale Fountain.

Conner Westenburg led the offense by going 4-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases. Ryan Wideman singled, walked, and stole two bases. Frye went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kash Mayfield: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
2. Ethan Salas: 1-for-3, BB, K
3. Kruz Schoolcraft: 1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 0 K
4. Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP
5. Humberto Cruz: DNP
6. Miguel Mendez: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
7. Ty Harvey: DNP
8. Jorge Quintana: 0-for-4, 2 K
9. Kale Fountain: 0-for-4, R, 3 K
10. Ryan Wideman: 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 SB
11. Jagger Haynes: DNP
12. Lamar King Jr: DNP
13. Romeo Sanabria: 1-for-4, RBI, K
14. Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
15. Michael Salina: DNP
16. Garrett Hawkins: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K (W)
17. Kavares Tears: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
18. Deivid Coronil: DNP
19. Francis Pena: DNP
20. Bryan Balzer: DNP

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