Padres Minor League Report: Storm Steal Victory With 6 Late Runs

The top four affiliates for the San Diego Padres wrapped up their series Sunday with a a 2-2 showing. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were edged 2-1 by Sugar Land, the Double-A San Antonio Missions prevailed over Arkansas 5-3, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were shut out by Lake County 6-0 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore TinCaps rallied for a 6-4 win.

Padres Minor-League Transactions

• San Diego Padres signed free-agent 1B Nick Solak signed a minor-league contract and assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas.
• RHP Bernard Jose assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps.
• San Antonio Missions transferred OF Kai Murphy to the Development List.
• RHP Luis Maracara assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres.
• RHP Yoesmerli Beltre assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres.

Chihuahuas Held To 2 Hits In Loss; Jake Cronenworth Goes 0-For-4

The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were held to just two hits, with the host Sugar Land Space Cowboys scoring twice in the sixth inning for a 2-1 victory. The Chihuahuas (36-45) only won once in the six game series, the first of the second half.

Padres right-handed starter Esteban German was the listed starter for the Chihuahuas, but did not pitch. The Padres have not named a starter for Monday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. It is right-hander Griffin Canning's turn in the rotation.

Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, playing in the field for the first time in his third game of his rehab assignment as he makes his way back from an April concussion. Cronenworth grounded out to third in the first inning, grounded out to second in the fourth, struck out swinging in the fifth and grounded out to first in the ninth. Cronenworth started at second base and shifted to first base in the eighth. His only defensive plays were a popout at second base and a throw to complete a strikeout while at first.

The Space Cowboys scored twice in the sixth and Marcos Castanon homered for the Chihuahuas in the ninth, his 12th long ball of the season and just El Paso's second hit of the game. Bryce Johnson had a one-out double in the sixth to break up the no-hit bid. Chihuahuas outfielder Carlos Rodriguez drew a seventh-inning walk to keep his on-base streak alive at 35 games.

Chihuahuas right-handed starter Miguel Cienfuegos went a season-high three hitless innings, striking out five and walking one, with right-hander Michael Flynn following with two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one. Right-hander Ty Adcock gave up the two sixth-inning runs, but right-hander Andrew Moore went 1⅔ scoreless innings, allowing one hit but walking three and striking out four. Right-hander Ethan Routzahn had to come in to get the final out of the eighth.

Jake Cunningham Hits First Missions Homer To Fuel Victory

Jake Cunningham hit his first Double-A home run and drove in a pair, while right-hander Eric Yost turned in a solid start as the San Antonio Missions dropped the host Arkansas Travelers 5-3. The Missions (33-42) dropped four of the six games in their first series of the second half and went 6-6 on their two-week road trip.

Padres right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez made his first appearance since being sent to the minors June 19 to get a break. Rodriguez pitched a perfect eighth inning, striking out one while throwing just 10 pitches, including eight strikes. Rodgiuez's outing came after Yost went five innings, giving up three runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts. It was the third outing in a row where Yost went at least five innings. Right-hander Bernard Jose then went the next two, allowing just a hit and punching out two. Right-hander Johan Moreno earned his fifth save with a pair of strikeouts in a perfect ninth.

The Missions jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Albert Fabian's second-inning two-out RBI double that scored Luis Verdugo. The Travelers tied it in the bottom of the third, then Cunningham put the Missions on top for good with a solo blast to left-center leading off the fourth. Cunningham, in his first week with the Missions, had a team-high 15 homers for High-A Fort Wayne before his promotion. The Missions made it 4-1 in the fifth as a run scored on Kai Roberts' double-play grounder and Tirso Ornelas plated Carson Tucker with his 18th double of the season. The Travelers trimmed it to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but Cunningham restored a two-run lead on a single to center that brought in Brendan Durfee.

Verdugo joined Cunningham in having two hits for the Missions.

TinCaps Shut Out Again By Captains, Settle For Series Split

Yet another slow start and a lack of offense led to the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps being blanked by the host Lake County Captains 6-0. The TinCaps (32-43, 5-4 second half) were blanked for the second time in this six-game series, which the teams split.

Alex McCoy (Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect), Carlos Rodriguez and Oswaldo Linares each had two of the TinCaps' seven hits, with Linares doubling. Rodriguez also walked once, while Luke Cantwell had a pair of walks. Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, singled and had his fourth steal of the week since being promoted to the TinCaps, boosting his minors-leading total to 47.

TinCaps left-handed starter Jamie Hitt needed 56 pitches to get through two innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk with one strikeout, but he did give up a pair of homers. Both of those homers came in a three-run first inning, with the Captains scoring one each in the second, third and fourth innings.

Late Storm Surge, Strong Bullpen Produce Victory

Held to one hit and shut out for seven innings, the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rallied for six runs in the seventh and eighth innings, taking the lead on Dylan Grego's opposite-field single for a 6-4 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies. The win was just the second in the six-game series for the Storm, who are 41-34 overall and 2-7 in the second half after winning the first-half South Division title in the California League.

Bradley Frye went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, Grego two hits and two RBIs, Yimy Tovar drove in a pair and Yoiber Ocopio reached base three times with a pair of walks and scored twice.

The Grizzlies scored all four of their runs in the top of the first inning. It stayed 4-0 until the bottom of the seventh. Facing the first Grizzlies reliever of the game, Frye led off the seventh with the Storm's second hit, Ocopio walked and Grego doubled home Frye to make it 4-1. After two strikeouts, Tovar singled to left to bring in Ocopio and Grego and trim the deficit to 4-3. In the eighth, following another pitching change, Dawson Willis had a bunt single with one out and went to third on a throwing error by the third baseman, then Frye singled again to bring in Willis and tie the game. Ocopio singled and Grego broke the tie with his opposite-field single to left to score Frye from second. Pinch-hitter George Bilecki singled to load the bases and, after yet another pitching change, Qrey Lott was hit by a pitch to plate the final run.

While Storm right-handed starter Isaiah Lowe gave up the four first-inning runs in his three-inning outing is his second appearance for Lake Elsinore this season, the bullpen of left-hander Cal Riehel (three innings, one hit), right-hander Daichi Moriki, right-hander Luis Maracara (two strikeouts) and right-hander Yoesmerli Beltre held the Grizzlies scoreless and to just one hit the rest of the way. Maracara got the win and Beltre earned the save, both in their Storm debut after being promoted from the Arizona Complex League before the game.

Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance

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