Padres Minor League Report: Storm Dominates In Game 1 Of Cal League Championship Series

A second San Diego Padres affiliate moved closer to a league championship as another full-season team had its regular season come to end Sunday. The Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm won Game 1 of the California League Championship Series 10-1 over San Jose, while the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost 1-0 to Tacoma and the Double-A San Antonio Missions won its final game of the season 11-10 over Amarillo.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Diego Padres sent RHP Jason Adam on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas.
• LHP Benjamin Stubbs assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres.
• RHP Jack Pineau assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from Fort Wayne TinCaps.
• RHP Luis Maracara assigned to ACL Padres from Lake Elsinore Storm.
• LHP Zack Qin assigned to ACL Padres from Lake Elsinore Storm.

CAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Tyler Schmitt, Adler Cecil Lead Storm To Game 1 Victory

Right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt and three relievers combined to hold the league's highest-scoring team off the board until the ninth inning, while fourth-round draft choice Alex Conover hit a two-run homer in the first and drove in four runs to fuel the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm to a 12-0 victory over the San Jose Giants in Game 1 of the best-of-three California League Championship Series. The Storm can win their second Cal League title in five years with a win in Game 2, which is Tuesday in San Jose. Game 3, if necessary, is Wednesday.

The Storm have won four Cal League titles overall (1996, 2001, 2011, 2021). The 2001 title was shared with the Giants after the playoffs were canceled in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Schmitt went 4⅓ scoreless innings, striking out three while allowing four hits and three walks. Right-hander Jack Pineau, an undrafted free agent, struck out one in two-thirds of an inning, before giving way to left-hander Adler Cecil, who punched out five and allowed two hits and two walks over final three innings and left-hander Benjamin Stubbs, the Padres' ninth-round draft choice, made his pro debut in the ninth. He allowed a run on a chopper after loading the bases with a single and two walks, but then got a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Conover had two hits and a walk to go along with his four RBIs, the most he has driven in during his 23-game career. Qrey Lott was 3-for-3 with a walk, a triple, two RBIs and a run scored, seventh-round draft choice Joe Tiroly went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and run scored, second-rounder Elliot Lascelles (Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect) was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Jose Verdugo went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Ty Harvey (Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect) walked three times and scored twice.

The Storm did most of their offensive damage early. Lascelles had a leadoff double in the bottom of the first, then Conover launched his homer with one out to stake the Storm to a 2-0 lead. Sixth-round draft pick Nu'u Contrades reached on an error by the shortstop, went to second on a groundout and scored on a Verdugo single to make it 3-0. The Storm added two more in the second as Harvey drew a leadoff walk, Lott singled and Tiroly punched an opposite-field single to right to bring in Harvey. A wild pitch plated Lott for a 5-0 lead. It became 6-0 in the third as Lott tripled home Verdugo.

In the sixth, Conover singled home Tiroly, who had doubled. Three more runs came in the seventh as Lott was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded following three walks, Lascelles had an infield single to bring in another and Conover grounded out to bring in the 10th run. The Storm made it 12-0 in the eighth as Lascelles singled to left, bringing in Jorge Quintana and Harvey.

Miguel Andujar Gets A Hit, Jason Adam Perfect; Chihuahuas Fall 1-0

In a rare Pacific Coast League 1-0 game, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas came up on the short end despite allowing just four hits in the loss to the host Tacoma Rainiers. The Chihuahuas (58-86, 23-46 second half) went 2-4 in the six-game series. The Chihuahuas will wrap up their regular season at home against Oklahoma City.

Miguel Andujar, in perhaps his final rehab outing as he returns from a fractured right wrist, went 1-for-5 and is 6-fo-21 (.286) with four doubles and an RBI in five games. He played designated hitter in four games and left field in the other. Padres right-hander Jason Adam made his first and perhaps only rehab appearance, pitching a perfect sixth inning, striking out one. Adam threw 11 pitches, seven for strikes. Adam got a strikeout looking, a groundout to third with a terrific play at first on an off-target throw and a popup behind third.

Chihuahuas left-handed starter JP Sears allowed two hits over 2⅔ innings, right-hander Logan Gillaspie allowed the only run on a homer in his 2⅓ innings. After Adam, Brent Honeywell allowed a hit in his one inning and right-hander Garrett Hawkins gave up a hit and a walk in one inning. The only run of the game came in the fourth on Connor Joe's 10th homer of the year.

Bryce Johnson had two hits and a walk for the Chihuahuas, while Nick Pratto had a single and two walks.

Missions Have A Blast, Bash 4 HRs In Season Finale

A frustrating season had a happy conclusion as the Double-A San Antonio Missions erupted for four homers and 17 hits, hanging on for an 11-10 victory over the host Amarillo Sod Poodles, snapping a seven-game losing streak. The Missions won just the final game of the series to finish with a 59-79 record, including 28-41 for last place in the five-team Texas League South Division. The Sod Poodles won the second-half title at 41-28.

Romeo Sabria went 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored, Albert Fabian went 3-for-6 and Luis Verdugo also had three hits with a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Missions. Kerrington Cross hit his first Double-A homer as part of a two-hit, three-RBI day and Justin DeCriscio also went deep for the first time at Double-A, finishing 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Missions right-handed starter Victor Lizarraga gave up five runs over four innings on eight hits, including a pair of homers. Right-hander Sadrac Franco, right-hander Johan Moreno and left-hander Igor Gil each pitched a scoreless inning, while right-hander Josh Mallitz gave up three runs and right-hander Carlos Medina two runs as each had an inning. The Missions were up 11-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, with Medina getting the final out after yielding a two-run homer with two outs and then stranding the tying run at second for his first Double-A save.

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

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

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