Padres Minor League Report: Storm Capture Cal League Championship

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CAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Storm Win 5th Cal League Title Behind Strong Pitching, Big Offense

For the fifth time, the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm are California League champions.

Behind tremendous pitching and their trademark pressure offense, the Storm beat the host San Jose Giants 13-2 Wednesday in the decisive Game 3 of the California League Championship Series. The Storm have won the Cal League in two of the last five years (2022). They also won in 1996, 2001 and 2011. The 2001 title was shared with the Giants when the Championship Series was canceled due to the Sept. 11 attacks. The Giants, who won both halves of the North Division, were the defending Cal League champs.

The Storm, who won the first half in the South and finished last in the second, had been swept by the Giants, who went 20-2 to close the regular season, in a six-game series at The Diamond just five weeks prior, being outscored 61-13, including a 21-2 loss. The Storm, who lost 11 straight as part of that Giants sweep, scored 26 runs in these three games. But this series was much different thanks to that offense and the Storm's pitching. The Giants had the Cal League's top offense, but scored just one run in the ninth inning of Game 1 and then two in Game 3.

That was thanks to right-handers Coleman Borthwick and Lan-Hong Su. The 18-year-old Borthwick, the Padres' first-round draft pick this summer and Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, started and struck out two over two shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks in his second pro game. The 19-year-old Su struck out eight of the 15 hitters he faced, allowing a run on four hits with a walk. The eight strikeouts were the second-most of Su's debut season, having fanned nine in his last regular-season start over 4⅔ innings.

A night after being no-hit in Game 2, the offense was also up to the big moment. Sixth-round draft choice Nu'u Contrades led off the second inning with a first-pitch homer and drove in three runs, while Qrey Lott had two doubles, a triple and a hit by pitch in four trips with two RBIs and three runs scored. Lott created a run in the third as he doubled and stole third and scored when shortstop Josuar Gonzalez threw wild to third. Second-round pick Elliot Lascelles (Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect) singled and scored on seventh-rounder Joe Tiroly's double to the left-center gap for a 3-0 lead. After Ty Harvey (Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect) reached on a one-out error in the third, Lott hit a flyball to left that got lost in the lights, winding up as an RBI triple. Lott scored on Tiroly's sacrifice fly to center.

After the Giants got their first run in the bottom of the fourth, the Storm broke it open with a four-run sixth. Dawson Willis drew a leadoff walk and went to second on Harvey's groundout. Lott followed with his second double of the game, driving in Willis. Lott was caught off second, but a throwing error by the pitcher allowed him to score. Tiroly walked, stole second and fourth-rounder Alex Conover walked. Contrades followed with a two-run double and a 9-1 lead.

Storm right-hander Jack Pineau, an undrafted free agent, allowed a run in one-plus inning, which could have been worse and left-hander Andrew Wright not induced the first batter he faced in the seven into a double play. After the RBI single, another single and a walk loaded the bases, but Wright got out of it with a popup to short. The Storm added a run in the eighth as Conover fouled out to left, with Lascelles, who had singled and took third on a throwing error, scoring to make it 10-2. In the ninth, the Storm added more cushion when Jorge Quintana (Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect) and Jose Verdugo singled, then Willis hit a single to center that was misplayed, leading to a Little League homer and a 13-2 advantage.

Left-hander Rob Fitzpatrick, the Padres' eighth-round draft pick, closed out the ninth, allowing a one-out walk and seeing another runner reach on an error. But a flyout to right and a strikeout looking set off a Storm celebration.

The Giants committed five errors, matching a season high. The Storm also drew seven walks. The Storm join Padres Gold, who won the Dominican Summer League, as Padres affiliates to win championships this season.

Miguel Andujar Notches Only 2 Hits, Jason Adam Rocked For El Paso

Rehabbing Padres designated hitter Miguel Andujar had the only two hits for the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, who got a strong starting pitching performance of their own in a 12-0 loss to the Oklahoma City Comets. The Comets clinched a spot in next week's Pacific Coast League Championship Series vs. the Las Vegas Aviators.

Another Padre on a rehab assignment, right-handed reliever Jason Adam, gave up five runs on four hits without recording an out. He walked one and threw 20 pitches, 12 strikes in his second rehab outing.

After grounding out in his first two at-bats, Andujar broke up the perfect game by Comets left-hander Jackson Ferris as he hit a slow chopper toward third that Ferris fielded, whirled and threw late to first. Andujar then added his fifth double of his rehab assignment with two outs in the ninth. Andujar, coming back from a fractured right wrist, is 9-for-30 (.300/.300/.467) in seven rehab games. Ferris struck out 13 in 7⅔ innings and only allowed that one hit as well as a walk.

Chihuahuas left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 13 prospect, allowed a run on five hits and a walk while striking out three in his final start of the season. He finished with a 5.80 ERA.
https://padresmission.com/san-diego-padres-top-prospect-rankings/jagger-haynes-r129/

The Chihuahuas turned the first triple play in club history covering 1,760 games. It came after Haynes allowed two singles to open the top of the fourth inning. With the runners going on the pitch, Hyesong Kim then hit a liner right at first baseman Marcos Castanon, who stepped on first for the second out and threw to shortstop Gage Workman at second base to easily complete the triple play.

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

1. Ethan Salas: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
2. Ryan Wideman: On injured list
3. Coleman Borthwick: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
4. Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP
5. Ty Harvey: 0-for-4, R, BB, K
6. Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season
7. Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
8. Alex McCoy: DNP
9. Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-3, K
10. Lamar King Jr.: DNP
11. Elliot Lascelles: 2-for-5, 2 R, BB, 2 K
12. Tucker Musgrove: On injured list
13. Jagger Haynes: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, L
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-2, BB, K

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