Padres Minor League Report: Wolf’s Gem Headlines Mixed Night

Jackson Wolf fanned eight over six dominant frames, and Forrest Wall’s two-run double keyed El Paso’s 5–1 win. Francisco Acuña’s 10th-inning homer highlighted San Antonio’s late charge before the Missions fell, despite Jagger Haynes’ five strong innings. Brandon Butterworth collected two singles as Fort Wayne was blanked, while Sean Barnett swiped his first High-A bag. Nate Mondou reached four times, and Tim Locastro pilfered two bags. Cobb Hightower drove home two early, yet Lake Elsinore couldn’t overcome a late rally despite Zach Evans’ ninth-inning double in defeat.

Padres Transactions

• No Roster Moves

Wolf fans eight, Wall’s two-run double propels Chihuahuas past Space Cowboys
Box Score

Jackson Wolf carved through the Sugar Land lineup, striking out eight over six innings as El Paso secured a 5–1 victory at Southwest University Park. The lone run against the left-hander was unearned, and he limited damage to five hits and two walks before turning a two-run edge over to the bullpen.

The Chihuahuas broke through in the third. Rodolfo Durán coaxed a leadoff walk, and Clay Dungan lashed a double into right to move him to third. Brandon Lockridge lifted a sacrifice fly that plated Durán, and, with two outs, Nate Mondou dragged a perfect bunt single to score Dungan for a 2–0 lead.

Wolf’s night carried into the seventh, when El Paso’s bats supplied breathing room. Dungan bounced a one-out single, Lockridge was hit by a pitch, and Forrest Wall ripped his 15th double off the left-field line to bring both runners home. Yonathan Perlaza followed with an infield single that chased in Wall, capping the scoring.

Mondou finished 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, reaching in all four trips. Wall went 2-for-4, drove in two, doubled, and swiped his 21st base, while Dungan scored twice on a two-hit night. Lockridge and Perlaza each added an RBI, and Tim Locastro drew two walks before stealing his 17th and 18th bags.

Bryan Hoeing bridged the seventh and eighth with two shutout frames, and Francis Pena needed just 11 pitches for a spotless ninth, sealing Wolf’s fourth Triple-A win.

Acuña’s two-run blast sparks late rally, but Missions drop extra-inning thriller
Box Score

The Missions staged a furious comeback in the 10th, but an eight-run effort from Midland proved too much in an 8–6 defeat Saturday night at Nelson Wolff Stadium.

Starter Jagger Haynes set the tone early, striking out six across five innings while allowing two runs. Right-hander Stephen Jones followed with 1 1/3 scoreless frames, and Tyson Neighbors stranded a runner in a scoreless seventh.

San Antonio’s bats awakened in the sixth. Anthony Vilar worked a leadoff walk, advanced on a groundout, and dashed home on a wild pitch to put the Missions on the board. After Romeo Sanabria singled and stole second, Albert Fabian rifled a game-tying RBI single to right. Devin Ortiz immediately added another knock to score Fabian, capping a three-run inning.

The extra innings turned turbulent. Ethan Routzahn (0-2) was tagged for five runs—four earned—in the top half of the 10th.

Down 8–3, the Missions refused to fold. Placed runner Kai Murphy scooted to third on a wild pitch, and Marcos Castañon ripped his 20th double to left to drive him in. Midland recorded two quick outs, yet Francisco Acuña launched his eighth homer deep to left-center, a two-run shot that sliced the deficit to two. The rally stalled there, but the late surge showcased the lineup’s resilience.

Ortiz reached base three times, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Acuña’s lone hit produced two runs, while Vilar went 1-for-3 with a double and scored twice.

Butterworth’s two hits not enough as TinCaps fall in Cedar Rapids
Box Score

The TinCaps mustered six singles but could not unlock the scoreboard in Saturday’s 7–0 loss at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Brandon Butterworth continued his steady stretch at the plate, going 2-for-4 with liners to left in the fourth and eighth innings. Ryan Jackson matched him with a pair of knocks, while Sean Barnett singled to open the fifth, promptly swiped second for his first High-A steal, and later walked. Kai Roberts also reached on a free pass, yet Fort Wayne finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight.

Eric Yost skirted trouble in a scoreless first despite his own pickoff throw sailing wide of first. The right-hander was charged with three runs in 3 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits but issuing three walks and striking out three. Nick Wissman needed only five pitches to end the fourth, and Will Varmette followed with 3 1/3 frames, surrendering two earned runs while fanning five. Josh Mallitz recorded the final out of the eighth.

Fort Wayne’s defense kept the scoring down in the sixth when first baseman Brendan Durfee squeezed a pop-up in foul territory and, after Andy Lugo broke for third, fired to shortstop Leo De Vries to complete a slick double play.

Cedar Rapids tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth and added two insurance tallies in the eighth, spoiling Butterworth’s multi-hit night and a solid seven-reach performance by the TinCaps’ top third of the order.

Hightower’s two-run single gives Storm early spark, but late offense fades
Box Score

Lake Elsinore jumped in front at Banner Island Ballpark, but the lead didn’t last. In the second, Kale Fountain punched a ground-ball single, Ryan Wilson coaxed a walk, and Chase Valentine followed with another free pass to load the bases. Cobb Hightower then shot a single into center, plating Fountain and Wilson for a 2–0 lead.

Right-hander Bryan Balzer retired the side in order in the first, yet a pair of wild pitches and a run-scoring groundout allowed the home club to pull even in the second. An on-field delay and a two-run double in the third ended Balzer’s night, and the Storm never regained momentum.

Fountain reached in the sixth on a throwing error and scampered all the way to third on the play. Kasen Wells’ RBI groundout trimmed the deficit to 7–3. The Storm threatened again in the eighth, loading the bases on a Tears walk, a Wells walk, and Wilson’s second pass of the night, but a strikeout and a flyout ended the inning.

Zach Evans provided a late highlight by scorching a two-out double to the gap in the ninth, his second hit, but it was the final baserunner of the evening.

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!