Padres Minor-League Report: System Flashes Power, Falters on the Mound

El Paso, Fort Wayne, and Lake Elsinore each homered multiple times, with Rosman Verdugo, Victor Figueroa, and Zach Evans among those showcasing pop. San Antonio stood out on the mound behind Henry Baez’s 10-strikeout gem. However, across the system, pitching depth faltered — El Paso surrendered 17 runs and Lake Elsinore allowed 10. While offensive talent is emerging at all levels, inconsistency on the mound continues to shape outcomes in the Padres’ minor-league pipeline.

Reno Offense Overwhelms El Paso in Lopsided Contest
Box Score

The El Paso Chihuahuas were outpaced early and never recovered in a 17-4 loss to Reno at Southwest University Park on Thursday night. The Aces piled up 21 hits and scored in five separate innings, including an eight-run explosion in the ninth inning.

Padres prospect Matt Waldron was tagged for five earned runs on seven hits over just 2 2/3 innings. The knuckleballer struck out two and walked none before handing off to the bullpen, which allowed 12 more runs over the remaining 6 1/3 frames. Right-hander Raul Brito surrendered two earned runs in 2 2/3 innings, while Alek Jacob allowed five more, who did not record an out.

Offensively, Mason McCoy and Clay Dungan were the lone bright spots. McCoy hit his fifth home run and reached base three times, while Dungan launched two homers and drove in three of El Paso’s four runs. Forrest Wall added his eighth double and a walk.

Catcher Luis Campusano, in a rehab assignment, went 0-for-3 with a walk and played all nine innings at first base. The loss was El Paso’s third in a row, during which they’ve allowed 36 runs.

Valenzuela, Baez Lead Missions in Tight Win
Box Score

Behind a dominant start from Henry Baez and a clutch performance by Brandon Valenzuela, the San Antonio Missions edged Frisco 2-1 at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Valenzuela provided all the offense the Missions would need, homering in the first and adding a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Valenzuela, who has established himself as San Antonio’s primary backstop, reached base and drove in both Missions runs. He also threw out a baserunner and was integral in handling a pitching staff that struck out 16 and walked only one.

Baez fired 5 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out 10 while allowing just two hits. The right-hander, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, worked around two walks and continued to show developing command with a fastball-slider mix. Tyson Neighbors recorded his first Double-A hold with a three-strikeout eighth, and Manuel Castro secured the save.

Romeo Sanabria walked twice, while Kai Murphy and Francisco Acuna contributed singles.

TinCaps Use Power Surge to Edge Dayton
Box Score

A pair of fifth-inning home runs propelled Fort Wayne to a 3-2 road victory over the Dayton Dragons at Day Air Ballpark. The TinCaps’ bullpen held the lead with three shutout innings, helping Isaiah Lowe earn his second win.

Rosman Verdugo launched his 10th homer of the season in the second inning. After Jacob Campbell tied the game in the fifth with a solo shot, Kai Roberts followed with his first professional home run, a go-ahead blast to right.

Lowe struck out three over six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and a walk. He was aided by right-hander Harry Gustin, who recorded four punchouts in two scoreless frames, and Garrett Hawkins, who closed the door in the ninth for his third save.

Verdugo reached base four times and added a stolen base. Campbell collected two hits, including a double. Despite striking out 13 times, the TinCaps cashed in on just enough offense to overcome Dayton’s eight hits and two stolen bases by Carlos Jorge.

The win marked a tightly contested result in a game that featured three home runs and an ejection of Dragons shortstop Leo Balcazar.

Early Offense Not Enough as Storm Fall in High-Scoring Loss
Box Score

Lake Elsinore struck early with a three-run first inning but couldn’t hold the lead, falling 10-7 to Rancho Cucamonga at LoanMart Field. The Storm totaled 11 hits, including home runs by Zach Evans and Victor Figueroa, but allowed five unanswered runs between the third and fourth innings.

Evans opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first — his second of the season — and Figueroa added a solo shot in the fifth. Yimy Tovar, continuing to contribute after joining the Storm a few days ago, doubled twice, singled, and drove in a run. Kavares Tears reached base three times and was ejected in the eighth inning after striking out.

Catcher Lamar King Jr. doubled twice, driving in two runs and raising his OPS at the Single-A level to .779. He also allowed a passed ball defensively.

Starter Kleiber Olmedo recorded only two outs before being pulled, charged with two earned runs. Ruben Salinas surrendered six more runs on five hits in just two innings. Johan Moreno and Bernard Jose stabilized the game, combining for 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, but the damage was done.

The Storm finished 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

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