Steve Drumwright

The San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates went 0-4 Friday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were drubbed by Round Rock 15-7, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were stopped by Northwest Arkansas 8-1, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost to Great Lakes 13-8 in 10 innings and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm got crushed by San Jose 21-2. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Evan Fitterer from the 7-day injured list. Chihuahuas Get Roughed Up By Express It was a rough night on the mound for the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, who were down 8-0 in the fourth inning en route to a 15-7 loss to the Round Rock Express. Rehabbing Padres left fielder Samad Taylor went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two strikeouts while playing all nine innings in center field. He is 3-for-12 with a homer in three rehab games. Blake Hunt came off the bench and hit his 12th Triple-A homer, while starting catcher Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, went 2-for-3 and has reached base in 16 of the 17 Triple-A games he has played. Leadoff hitter Dustin Harris went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Marcos Castanon had two hits and an RBI and Mason McCoy two hits, a walk and a run scored. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Evan Fitterer came off the seven-day injured list and went two innings, allowing two runs on three hits, including a homer, and a walk with two strikeouts. Right-hander Andrew Thurman came on and gave up six runs on eight walks and four hits over 1⅓ innings, then right-hander Ethan Routzahn surrendered four runs over 2⅔ innings. The only Chihuahuas pitcher not to allow a run was right-hander J.P. France, who allowed two hits over two innings, with right-hander Jose Leclerc pitching the ninth and allowing three runs. EP_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 5 2 3 2 0 1 Samad Taylor 5 0 2 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 5 1 1 1 0 1 Nick Solak 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ethan Salas 3 0 2 0 0 0 Blake Hunt 2 1 1 2 0 0 Marcos Castañon 5 0 2 1 0 1 Will Wagner 5 0 1 0 0 2 Rodolfo Durán 3 1 0 0 1 0 Mason McCoy 3 1 2 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 4 6 6 8 1 0 Ethan Routzahn 2 2/3 3 4 4 2 1 1 J.P. France 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 José Leclerc 1 3 3 3 1 0 2 Missions Can't Handle Early Push By Naturals Right-handed starter Victor Lizarraga's return to Triple-A San Antonio was a rude one, giving up five runs, as the host Missions were dropped by the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 8-1. Jack Costello had two of the five hits for the Missions and stole a base, while Ryan Jackson was on base twice via walks and also had a steal. Lizarraga, who went down to the Arizona Complex League following a July 8 start for the Missions, had one start at Low-A Lake Elsinore last week (three runs in three innings) before rejoining San Antonio. He allowed those five runs over 3⅓ innings. The Naturals scored two in the first and four in the fourth. The Missions were kept off the board until the ninth, when Tirso Ornelas had a leadoff double and scored on Costello's two-out single to left. SA_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Braedon Karpathios 4 0 0 0 0 2 Alex McCoy 4 0 1 0 0 2 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 0 0 0 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ryan Jackson 2 0 0 0 2 1 Jack Costello 4 0 2 1 0 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Anthony Vilar 2 0 0 0 1 1 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Lizarraga 3 1/3 5 5 5 1 2 0 Harry Gustin 1 2/3 2 1 1 2 4 0 Francis Peña 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Edmondson 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Johan Moreno 2/3 2 2 2 0 2 0 Wyatt Hoffman 1/3 2 0 0 0 0 0 TinCaps, Once Down 5-0, Tie It In Ninth, But Surrender 5 In 10th Bradley Frye hit a three-run homer and Rosman Verdugo added a solo shot, but the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps gave up a five-run top of the 10th inning that was too much to overcome in a 13-8 loss to the Great Lakes Loons. Fourth-round draft Robbie Lavey had a big moment, driving in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with his first professional double. Frye had two hits and scored twice, Verdugo two hits (including a double), two RBIs and a run scored, Kasen Wells two hits and an RBI and Dylan Grego went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Lavey also drew two walks to reach base three times, stole a base and scored once. TinCaps right-handed starter Matthew Watson allowed five hits in 3⅔ innings, including four walks. Right-handers Will Varmette (2⅓ innings) and Bernard Jose (two innings) turned in strong relief outings as neither allowed a hit or a run. Right-hander Sean Barnett nearly had the save despite walking a pair, but a two-out throwing error by Frye after a tremendous diving stop to his left allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Right-hander Isaiah Lowe allowed five runs (four earned) in the top of the 10th on three hits and two walks. The TinCaps were down 5-0 after the top of the fourth, but erased that deficit in the bottom half. Lavey had a leadoff walk, Luke Cantwell a one-out free pass then Frye launched his second High-A homer and fifth of the season to make it 5-3. Yimy Tovar, Grego and Wells had consecutive singles to pull the TinCaps within 5-4. Following a pitching change, Ryan Wideman hit a grounder that resulted in Wells being forced out at second, then Verdugo doubled home Wideman, who was thrown out at the plate. Verdugo hit his 14th homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh to put the TinCaps up 7-6. FW_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 5 1 2 1 0 0 Ryan Wideman 5 0 0 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 5 1 2 2 0 1 Robbie Lavey 3 1 1 1 2 2 Kerrington Cross 5 0 0 0 0 4 Luke Cantwell 3 1 0 0 2 0 Bradley Frye 5 2 2 3 0 0 Yimy Tovar 5 1 1 0 0 1 Dylan Grego 3 1 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 3 2/3 4 5 5 4 4 0 Javier Chacon 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Will Varmette 2 1/3 0 1 0 0 3 0 Bernard Jose 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Sean Barnett 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 Isaiah Lowe 1 3 5 4 2 0 0 Storm Get Obliterated By Giants Left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft couldn't make it out of the first inning, setting the tone for the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm's 21-2 loss to the San Jose Giants. The Giants put up three four-run innings and an eight-run inning. Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, only got one out while allowing four runs on three hits and three walks with no strikeouts. It was the second time this season Schoolcraft, the Padres' 2025 first-round draft choice, failed to make it out of the first inning. He also only got one out in his second start of the season April 10. The Storm were held without a hit until Jose Verdugo singled with two outs in the fifth and they didn't score until pushing across two runs in the eighth inning to make it a 13-2 game. The Giants then poured it on with an eight-run ninth inning. Jorge Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect, had two of the Storm's four hits. LE_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Qrey Lott 4 1 0 0 0 2 Nu'u Contrades 4 1 1 0 0 1 Chris McHugh 2 0 0 1 1 0 Ty Harvey 1 0 0 0 3 1 Jorge Quintana 4 0 2 1 0 0 Joe Tiroly 4 0 0 0 0 2 Truitt Madonna 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jose Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 0 Dawson Willis 2 0 0 0 2 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 1/3 3 4 4 3 0 0 Rordy Mejia 3 2/3 8 5 5 0 2 3 Adler Cecil 3 2 4 1 3 6 0 Brandon Langley 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Jake Bold 2/3 2 7 7 5 0 1 Augie Lopez 1/3 3 1 1 0 0 1 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-3 Ryan Wideman: 0-for-5, 1 K Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: ⅓ IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K Ty Harvey: 0-for-1, 3 BB, 1 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: 2-for-4, RBI Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, 2 K Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-4, 2 K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Elliot Lascelles: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-4, 2 K Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 1 K View full article

It is no secret that the San Diego Padres are a bit fortunate to be in the position they are. They entered their weekend series against the Minnesota Twins in the No. 3 position in the NL wild-card chase after many had left the Friars for dead following an eight-game losing streak before the All-Star break. A combination of starting rotation woes and poor offense were to blame for much of that malaise, issues that have been fixed one way or the other to have the Padres contending once again. Of course, injuries have also played a noteworthy role in where the Padres are and fans can dream about where the Friars would be if right-handers Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta had not been relegated to a combined four starts so far this season, all by Pivetta. According to a recent article on FanGraphs, the Padres have lost a potential 7.7 fWAR through injuries this year, the 13th-most in MLB ("potential" being a key word there). That is a rather middle-of-the-pack number, which also feels right when you consider which players the Padres have had go on the injured list this season and for how long. Aside from Pivetta (2.3 projected fWAR) and Musgrove (2.0), left fielder Ramon Laureano’s likely season-ending shoulder surgery from early June and second baseman Jake Cronenworth’s seven-week absence due to a concussion are the other most significant ailments. Laureano and Cronenworth had a 2.5 projected fWAR. Another right-handed starter, Lucas Giolito (0.9 fWAR), has missed a significant chunk of time, while right-handed reliever Jason Adam (0.4) has been sidelined since July 2. Three other position players are worth mentioning as well. Catcher Freddy Fermin (1.9) was sidelined twice by injuries, fellow backstop Luis Campusano (0.9) was out for nearly a month, while left fielder Miguel Andujar (0.2) remains out since July 20. (Note that right-handed reliever Bryan Hoeing was not included on the preseason projection as he was ruled out for the season during spring training.) The FanGraphs article noted that the fWAR used to determine the fWAR lost was rerun for this exercise, so the numbers listed here doesn’t necessarily match up, but does give you an idea of their perceived preseason importance. Of the teams that have lost more fWAR than the Friars, yes, the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are there at 10.1, tied with the Houston Astros for fifth-most. The Boston Red Sox have lost the most potential fWAR at 12.8, while the St. Louis Cardinals have lost the least at 1.9. For the remainder of the season, the Padres are projected to lose 1.9 fWAR. A good piece of this would be Pivetta, followed by Laureano, Andujar and Adam. That total is tied for 15th with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers, conversely, are projected to lose 1.6 fWAR. Musgrove is likely to be back next week, while Pivetta could soon start a new rehab assignment. Musgrove took four rehab assignments (across 17 days) to get to a good spot and return. Adam, the primary right-handed setup man, remains about a month away from coming back, which could make his availability for the postseason, at least the first series, a bit murky. Andujar is the other key injured player and he just started swinging a bat again. View full article

Thursday saw the San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates go 2-2. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas upended Round Rock 6-5, the Double-A San Antonio Missions walked off Northwest Arkansas 6-5 in 11 innings, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost to Great Lakes 7-2 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm faltered late vs. San Jose 9-5. Padres Minor-League Transactions None. Clay Dungan, Dustin Harris HRs In Seventh Lift Chihuahuas Clay Dungan hit a go-ahead two-run shot in the seventh inning and Dustin Harris added a two-run homer of his own as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Round Rock Express, snapping a five-game losing streak. Carlos Rodriguez homered and Will Wagner went 3-for-4, while Harris finished with a pair of hits as the Chihuahuas were outhit by the Express 13-10. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Jhony Brito went four innings and gave up two runs on six hits and no walks, striking out one. After right-hander Hunter Stratton struck out three in two scoreless innings, right-hander Hans Crouse gave up a run in one inning and right-hander David Morgan went two innings and picked up his fourth Triple-A save of the year despite allowing two runs in the ninth, including a homer. The Chihuahuas were down 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh when Nick Pratto had leadoff single and Dungan blasted his two-run homer, his ninth, out to right-center on a 3-2 pitch. After Bryce Johnson walked and a pitching change, Harris went deep to center for his 12 of the year and sixth in 27 games since signing with the Padres, including second game in a row. EP1A_0820.mp4 EP2_0820.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 4 1 2 2 0 0 Gage Workman 4 0 0 0 0 1 Carlos Rodríguez 3 1 1 1 1 0 Ethan Salas 4 1 1 0 0 0 Will Wagner 4 0 3 1 0 1 Mason McCoy 2 0 0 0 2 1 Nick Pratto 4 1 1 0 0 1 Clay Dungan 4 1 1 2 0 0 Bryce Johnson 2 1 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jhony Brito 4 6 2 2 0 1 1 Hunter Stratton 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Hans Crouse 1 2 1 1 2 2 0 David Morgan 2 4 2 2 0 2 1 Alex McCoy Walks It Off As Missions Win In 11 Alex McCoy had his first Double-A walk-off, delivering a bases-loaded single with one out in the 11th to score Jack Costello as the host San Antonio Missions pulled out a 6-5 victory over the Northwest Arkansas Travelers. McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect, and Ryan Jackson each had two hits, with Jackson, who had a double, driving in three. One of Jackson's RBIs came on a squeeze bunt that scored Tirso Ornelas in the bottom of the 10th that tied the game 5-5. After holding the Travelers scoreless in the top of the 11th, Costello started as the zombie runner. Justin DeCriscio bunted him to third before intentional walks to Anthony Vilar and Braedon Karpathios (Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect) loaded the bases for McCoy. McCoy then lined a 2-2 pitch over the drawn-in shortstop to left to bring in Costello with the winning run. Missions left-handed starter Jamie Hitt allowed two runs over five innings on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts. Right-hander Josh Mallitz turned in two shutout innings, while right-hander Garrett Hawkins went the final 1⅓ innings striking out three. SA_0820.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Braedon Karpathios 5 1 1 1 1 2 Alex McCoy 6 1 2 1 0 0 Tirso Ornelas 5 1 0 0 0 2 Romeo Sanabria 1 1 0 0 3 0 Kai Roberts 1 0 1 0 0 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 2 3 0 1 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 1 1 Jack Costello 5 1 1 1 0 1 Justin DeCriscio 3 1 1 0 1 2 Brendan Durfee 2 0 0 0 1 2 Luis Verdugo 1 0 0 0 0 0 Anthony Vilar 0 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 5 4 2 2 0 4 0 Sadrac Franco 2 2 2 2 0 3 1 Josh Mallitz 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 Igor Gil 2/3 0 1 0 0 0 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 TinCaps Can't Get Going In Loss To Loons A slow start and an inability to capitalize on four errors led to the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps to drop a 7-2 decision to the Great Lakes Loons. Rosman Verdugo went 2-for-4 as the TinCaps produced seven hits. Loons shortstop Emil Morales, one of the Los Angeles Dodgers' top prospects, drove in a pair of runs to give him a minors-leading 108 RBIs. TinCaps right-handed starter Carson Montgomery went 5⅓ innings, allowing five runs on five hits with a walk and three punchouts. Right-hander Will Koger gave up a pair of runs in 1⅔ innings, striking out two. Left-hander Braian Salazar went two-thirds without giving up a run and right-hander Nick Falter the final 1⅓ scoreless innings with two strikeouts. The Loons got three runs off Montgomery in the first two innings, then TinCaps pulled within 3-1 in the fifth on Verdugo's fielder's choice grounder that was booted by the third base and brought in Conner Westenburg, who had a leadoff walk. But the Loons broke this one open with a four-run top of the sixth. In the eighth, Bradley Frye doubled home Kasen Wells, who walked to begin the frame, for the TinCaps. FW_0820.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 4 0 1 0 1 3 Ryan Wideman 5 0 1 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 2 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell 4 0 1 0 1 2 Kerrington Cross 4 1 0 0 1 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 1 0 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez 2 0 0 0 2 1 Bradley Frye 4 0 1 1 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 1 0 0 1 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 5 1/3 5 5 5 1 3 1 Will Koger 1 2/3 2 2 2 0 2 1 Braian Salazar 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Nick Falter 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 2 0 Jorge Quintana Homers, Elliot Lascelles Reaches 4 Times In Storm Loss Jorge Quintana hit an early three-run homer and second-round draft pick Elliot Lascelles went 2-for-3 with two walks, but a ninth-inning bullpen meltdown led to seven runs as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm fell to the San Jose Giants 9-5. Storm right-handed starter Lan-Hong Su struck out five, matching his season high, over four innings, the longest of his 15 games in his debut season. He allowed two runs on four hits with no walks. Su has struck out 13 over his last 9⅔ innings. Right-hander Zack Qin followed with an impressive four hitless innings, walking two and striking out three. They handed a 5-2 lead to right-hander Jordan Valenzuela, who allowed three hits and walked two while giving up six runs and a balk, getting just one out in the ninth. Left-hander Andrew Wright, an undrafted free agent who made his pro debut Tuesday, came on to get the final two outs, giving up a run on two hits and notching a strikeout. Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect, cranked his seventh homer of the season in the bottom of the third to put the Storm up 3-2. Lascelles, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect, continued his hot start to his pro career. He is now 6-for-10 in three games and got his first RBI when he lashed an opposite field single to down the line in left in the fourth. Jesmaylin Arias doubled home a run in the fifth to make it 5-2. LE_0820.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Elliot Lascelles 3 1 2 1 2 0 Jorge Quintana 5 1 1 3 0 2 Chris McHugh 4 0 1 0 1 0 Ty Harvey 5 0 0 0 0 1 Nu'u Contrades 3 1 2 0 1 0 Jesmaylin Arias 4 0 1 1 0 0 Dawson Willis 4 0 0 0 0 1 Augie Lopez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Qrey Lott 1 2 0 0 3 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Lan-Hong Su 4 4 2 2 0 5 0 Zack Qin 4 0 0 0 2 3 0 Jordan Valenzuela 1/3 3 6 6 2 0 0 Andrew Wright 2/3 2 1 1 0 1 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-4 Ryan Wideman: 1-for-5 Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ty Harvey: 0-for-5, K Kale Fountain: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K Alex McCoy: 2-for-6, RBI Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4 Elliot Lascelles: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 BB Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 2-for-4, K View full article

Wednesday saw the four full-season affiliates of the San Diego Padres go 2-2 with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas thrashed by Round Rock 14-2, the Double-A San Antonio Missions prevailing over Northwest Arkansas 3-2, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps hanging on to beat Great Lakes 6-5 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm getting drubbed 11-1. Padres Minor-League Transactions Lake Elsinore Storm activated RHP Michael Salina from the 7-day injured list. Game-Opening HRs Thrown Away As Chihuahuas Pounded Rehabbing Padres left fielder Samad Taylor and Bryce Johnson each homered to lead off the bottom of the first inning, but the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas didn't score again and gave four three-run innings in a 14-2 loss to the Round Rock Express. Johnson, the leadoff hitter, went deep on the first pitch he saw, his first homer in 41 Triple-A games going out to left-center. Taylor, in his second game on a rehab assignment, drilled a 1-1 pitch out to right-center for his eighth homer for the Chihuahuas. Taylor was the designated hitter after playing nine innings in left Tuesday. Marcos Castanon and Will Wagner each had two hits for the Chihuahuas, who had seven for the game. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Sean Boyle surrendered six runs on eight hits, including two homers, and two walks with four strikeouts. Right-handers Logan Gillaspie and Jose Leclerc, just promoted to Triple-A as he comes back from shoulder surgery last year, gave up three runs each, with right-hander J.P. France a pair of runs. EP_0819.mp4 EP2_0819.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Bryce Johnson 4 1 1 1 0 0 Samad Taylor 4 1 1 1 0 1 Carlos Rodríguez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon 4 0 2 0 0 0 Gage Workman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Mason McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 2 Will Wagner 3 0 2 0 0 0 Rodolfo Durán 4 0 0 0 0 1 Blake Hunt 2 0 0 0 1 1 Totals 33 2 7 2 1 7 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Sean Boyle 4 2/3 8 6 6 2 4 2 Logan Gillaspie 2 1/3 4 3 3 0 2 1 José Leclerc 1 5 3 3 0 1 0 J.P. France 1 3 2 2 1 0 0 Totals 9 20 14 14 3 7 3 Eric Yost's Big Relief Outing, Albert Fabian's 3 Hits Lift Missions Albert Fabian went 3-for-5, including driving in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, and right-hander Eric Yost threw 6⅓ scoreless innings of relief as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions came away with a 3-2 victory over the Northwest Arkansas Travelers. Fabian doubled and scored a run, while Romeo Sanabria went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Missions left-handed starter Luis Gutierrez gave up two runs on four hits and a walk with three punchouts over 2⅔ innings. Yost, Padres Mission's No. 16 prospect who has five six-inning starts, finished with a season-high 6⅓ innings. He allowed four hits and struck out six. Trailing 1-0, Anthony Vilar squeezed home Justin DeCriscio, who was in his second Double-A game after a promotion before the series. The Travelers regained the lead in the top of the third, then Sanabria singled home Fabian with one out in the fifth to tie the game. Kai Roberts drew a one-out walk and stole second, his 35th, in the sixth. Fabian lined a 1-2 pitch to left and Robert scampered home to put the Missions up 3-2. SA1_0819.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Albert Fabian 5 1 3 1 0 0 Alex McCoy 4 0 1 0 1 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 3 Romeo Sanabria 3 0 2 1 1 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Justin DeCriscio 3 1 1 0 1 0 Wyatt Hoffman 2 0 1 0 2 1 Anthony Vilar 3 0 0 1 0 1 Kai Roberts 3 1 0 0 1 2 Totals 31 3 8 3 6 9 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luis Gutierrez 2 2/3 4 2 2 1 3 0 Eric Yost 6 1/3 4 0 0 0 6 0 Totals 9 8 2 2 1 9 0 Kerrington Cross' 4-Hit Day Lifts TinCaps To Victory After trading five-run innings, the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps came out on top as Kerrington Cross capped a 4-for-4 day with a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 victory over the Great Lakes Loons. It was the third straight win for the TinCaps following an eight-game losing streak. Cross, who also scored a run and stole a base, had his first career four-hit game, while Conner Westenburg had two hits (including a triple), two RBIs and a run scored. TinCaps right-handed starter Winyer Chourio pitched three shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Right-hander Carlos Medina gave up all five runs in the first of his three innings, while right-hander Jeferson Villabona earned his first High-A victory with three shutout innings himself. Cross started the five-run second with a single, then stole second and went to third on an errant pickoff attempt by the pitch. Lamar King Jr., Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect, walked and stole second, his 16th theft of the year, before Yoiber Ocopio singled home Cross. Yimy Tovar, just promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore the day before and playing in his first game, grounded an RBI single to left that brought in King. After a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Grego, Westenberg tripled in Ocopio and Tovar, then scored on Kasen Wells' groundout to complete the five-run outburst. In the seventh, Bradley Frye had a leadoff walk and went to third on fourth-round draft pick Robbie Lavey's single to right. Cross then laced an 0-2 pitch to right field, easily scoring Frye with the decisive run. All the runs were driven in by players who started the season at Lake Elsinore. FW_0819.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 4 0 1 1 0 1 Bradley Frye 3 1 0 0 1 0 Robbie Lavey 4 0 1 0 0 2 Kerrington Cross 4 1 4 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 2 1 0 0 1 1 Yoiber Ocopio 3 1 1 1 0 0 Yimy Tovar 4 1 1 1 0 0 Dylan Grego 3 0 0 0 0 2 Conner Westenburg 4 1 2 2 0 0 Totals 31 6 10 6 2 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Winyer Chourio 3 3 0 0 3 3 0 Carlos Medina 3 3 5 5 2 0 1 Jeferson Villabona 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9 8 5 5 5 3 1 Storm Held To 2 Hits, Get Thumped By Giants The host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm managed just two hits while giving up a couple of big innings early en route to an 11-1 loss to the San Jose Giants. Second-round draft pick Elliot Lascelles, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect who went 3-for-4 in his pro debut Tuesday, had one of the two Storm hits. Jesmaylin Arias broke up the Giants' perfect game with a two-out double that deflected off the pitcher. Lascelles had the other hit, a double leading off the seventh. He has a double and a triple among his first four pro hits. Storm right-handed starter Cameron Nohos was tagged for eight runs on nine hits, including three homers, and two walks while striking out six in 3⅓ innings. Right-hander Michael Salina, Padres Mission's No. 19 prospect who was activated off the seven-day injured list before the game after having his elbow checked out following his Aug. 6 appearance, allowed two runs in one inning on two hits and a walk with a strikeout. Salina, the Padres' 2025 fourth-round draft choice, had Tommy John surgery last year and has had a start-and-stop recovery. Player AB R H RBI BB K Dawson Willis 3 0 0 0 1 3 Elliot Lascelles 3 0 1 0 1 1 Nu'u Contrades 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jorge Quintana 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jose Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jake Bold 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jesmaylin Arias 3 1 1 0 1 1 Truitt Madonna 3 0 0 0 1 2 Augie Lopez 3 0 0 0 0 2 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 29 1 2 0 5 14 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cameron Nohos 3 1/3 9 8 8 2 6 3 Florangel Vasquez 2 2/3 3 1 1 0 0 0 Michael Salina 1 2 2 2 1 1 0 Ryan Reed 2 1 0 0 2 3 0 Totals 9 15 11 11 5 10 3 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas, C: DNP Ryan Wideman, CF: DNP Coleman Borthwick, RHP: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP: DNP Ty Harvey, C: DNP Kale Fountain, OF: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana, SS: 0-for-4, 2 K Alex McCoy, LF: 1-for-4, BB, K Braedon Karpathios, RF: DNP Lamar King Jr., C: 0-for-2, BB, R, K Elliot Lascelles, SS: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, K Tucker Musgrove, RHP: DNP Jagger Haynes, LHP: DNP Jake Cunningham, OF: DNP Truitt Madonna, C: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Eric Yost, RHP: 6⅓ IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K Winyer Chourio, RHP: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K Jesus Castro, RHP: DNP Michael Salina, RHP: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K Rosman Verdugo, SS: DNP View full article

There has been a lot of chatter over the last week about the possibility of Ethan Salas being called up by the San Diego Padres to make his MLB debut this season as the team makes a push for the postseason and then hopefully a lengthy run toward a third World Series appearance. But there was a recent article in The Athletic that wasn't particularly clear on how that could happen, which has caused a little extra buzz from Friars fans. As it stands right now, the tandem of Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin are playing well, but both are also right-handed bats, whereas Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, is a left-handed hitter and has been lighting it up in the three weeks since being promoted to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. The Padres realistically have four choices to make regarding the 20-year-old catcher. Let's take a look at those possibilities: Call Ethan Salas Up Before Sept. 1 This is the cleanest path for Salas making an impact down the stretch and into the postseason. He would be added to the 40-man roster before rosters expand in September, so no special permission would be needed. The Padres were recently carrying three catchers until infielder Gage Workman, acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline along with right-handed starter Casey Mize, was added to the major-league roster. Workman has since been replaced by outfielder Austin Hays. Salas could be added to the 26-man roster in place of outfielder Jase Bowen, whose role has lessened with Hays' presence, and to the 40-man by transferring right-hander Lucas Giolito to the 60-day injured list in a paperwork move (he has been out almost 60 days already). This would be the same process for any player claimed off waivers or signed and added to the roster before the end of August, like Hays. Call Ethan Salas Up Before The End Of The Regular Season No longer can you call up a slew of prospects when the calendar flips to September. That is now limited to two players, no more than one being a pitcher. So Salas can come up without knocking anyone off the MLB roster and with the same move with Giolito. With the call-up coming in September, the Commissioner's Office would need to sign off on Salas being on the postseason roster, but that is a rubber-stamp process since he was in the organization before Sept. 1. One big example of this is right-handed reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who made his MLB debut for the Anaheim Angels on Sept. 18, 2002, and appeared in five regular-season games, then being a key member of the bullpen as the team won the World Series that year (before being called Los Angeles). This would also allow Salas to complete the regular season with the Chihuahuas, which runs through Sept. 20, a week before the MLB regular season concludes. If the Padres don't need him before then, this could be their best option. Call Ethan Salas Up Before The Postseason Begins There are two instances of this happening in recent years that come to mind. Just last year, Cleveland Guardians center fielder Chase DeLauter made his MLB debut by starting Games 2 and 3 of the AL Wild Card Series. The other came in 2015, when Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi made his MLB debut in the World Series, pinch-hitting in the fifth inning of Game 3 (it would be his only appearance of the series). Both were added to the MLB roster and 40-man roster before those series began. While Salas will not have faced MLB pitching before, this path could also be good, as he will have had regular at-bats at Triple-A, then a week off before being put on the postseason roster (likely being on the taxi squad the final week and around the team). Don't Call Ethan Salas Up Until 2027 I know, this is the least fun option. But this could also be beneficial for Salas. While any postseason experience would be tremendous to get his career off the ground, the downside would have to do with the owners promising to lock out the players on Dec. 1. If added to the Padres' roster, Salas would be just like any other MLB player and not able to use the Padres' facilities during the lockout or have any contact with the team. But if Salas is not added to the major-league roster this season, he would be just like the rest of the minor-league players. The minor-league collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until next year, so for all players not on 40-man rosters, this will be like any other offseason. They'll then report to spring training as usual (albeit strange with no MLB players around). Salas should have a normal offseason after coming off a stress reaction in his lower back wiped out most all of his 2025 and would be able to ramp up for a 2027 season in which he most likely would be the Opening Day catcher, whenever that day actually comes. View full article

The San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates began a new set of series Tuesday by going 3-2, which included the conclusion of a suspended game. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were edged by Round Rock 5-3, the Double-A El Paso Chihuahuas walked off Northwest Arkansas 6-5, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps won twice over Great Lakes, 6-5 in the completion of a suspended game and 7-4, then the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm fell 9-2. Padres Minor-League Transactions LHP Andrew Wright assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. SS Elliot Lascelles assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. LHP Joseph Herrera assigned to ACL Padres from Lake Elsinore Storm. RHP Maikel Miralles assigned to ACL Padres from Fort Wayne TinCaps. RHP Johan Moreno assigned to San Antonio Missions from El Paso Chihuahuas. RHP Jose Leclerc assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions. OF Kai Murphy assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions. RHP Bernard Jose assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from San Antonio Missions. SS Justin DeCriscio assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps. RHP Matthew Watson assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from San Antonio Missions. IF Yimy Tovar assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm. RHP Victor Lizarraga assigned to San Antonio Missions from Lake Elsinore Storm. San Antonio Missions transferred C Oswaldo Linares to the Development List. San Antonio Missions activated LHP Luis Gutierrez from the 60-day injured list. Early Blow Too Much For Chihuahuas To Handle Left-handed starter Jagger Haynes gave up an early three-spot but was otherwise solid as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas fell to the Round Rock Express 5-3. Rehabbing Padres outfielder Samad Taylor went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in his first rehab game after two weeks of workouts in Arizona. Taylor, who is coming back from a right oblique strain, played the entire game in left field, possibly indicating a short stay with the Chihuahuas. Dustin Harris went 2-for-3 with a homer, a steal and two RBIs out of the leadoff spot against the team he played the last 2½ seasons for and Marcos Castanon went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Chihuahuas, who were held to five hits. That combo produced the first run of the game as Harris singled and, two outs later, Castanon doubled. Harris then belted his fifth homer since joining the Chihuahuas as a free agent and 11th of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the fifth. Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, went 0-for-4, ending his streak of reaching base in every game since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio at 14 games. Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 13 prospect, went five innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Right-handers Daison Acosta (1⅔ innings), Alek Jacob (1⅓ innings) and Ethan Routzahn (one inning) combined for four scoreless innings. EP_0818.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 3 2 2 2 0 0 Samad Taylor 3 0 0 0 1 2 Nick Solak 4 0 0 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon 4 0 2 1 0 2 Ethan Salas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Mason McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 1 Will Wagner 4 0 0 0 0 2 Rodolfo Durán 3 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Pratto 3 1 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 5 7 5 4 2 2 0 Daison Acosta 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Alek Jacob 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 Romeo Sanabria Caps 4-Run Ninth With Walk-Off For Missions Alex McCoy had a two-run single and scored the winning run on Romeo Sanabria's walk-off single in a four-run bottom of the ninth as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions stunned the Northwest Arkansas Travelers 6-5. Tirso Ornelas had a game-tying single before Sanabria's hit as all four runs in the ninth came with two outs. The Missions were down to their final strike before McCoy and Ornelas got their hits and Sanabria's came on a 2-2 pitch just like the other two previous singles. Albert Fabian went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Ornelas was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, McCoy (Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect) two hits and two runs scored and Sanabria two hits. Missions left-handed starter Fernando Sanchez gave up four runs over five innings with five strikeouts, but right-hander Garrett Hawkins (one inning), left-hander Harry Gustin (one inning), right-hander Johan Moreno (1⅓ innings) and right-hander Francis Pena (two-thirds of an inning) allowed just one run and three hits over the final four frames. The Travelers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second, then the Missions clawed back two in the sixth on an Ornelas RBI double and Fabian run-scoring single before Northwest Arkansas went up 5-2 in the seventh. In the bottom of the ninth, Fabian had a leadoff double and went to third on Luis Verdugo's single. After a pair of strikes, Verdugo took second on defensive indifference. Braedon Karpathios, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, walked to load the bases when McCoy grounded his two-run single to left field to pull the Missions within 5-4. After a pitching change, Ornelas lined a single to right, scoring pinch-runner Kai Roberts from second and beating the throw home, which advanced McCoy to third and Ornelas to second. SA1_0818.mp4 SA2_0818.mp4 SA3_0818.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Braedon Karpathios 4 0 0 0 1 3 Kai Roberts 0 1 0 0 0 0 Alex McCoy 5 2 2 2 0 0 Tirso Ornelas 5 1 3 2 0 1 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 2 1 0 1 Ryan Jackson 4 0 0 0 0 1 Albert Fabian 4 1 4 1 0 0 Luis Verdugo 2 1 1 0 2 0 Justin DeCriscio 4 0 1 0 0 1 Brendan Durfee 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Fernando Sanchez 5 6 4 4 2 5 1 Garrett Hawkins 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Harry Gustin 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Johan Moreno 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 3 0 Francis Peña 2/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Rosman Verdugo Helps TinCaps Finished Delayed Sweep The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps improved their home and road record on the same day in sweeping a doubleheader from the Great Lakes Loons 6-5 and 7-4, snapping a season-worst eight-game losing streak. Thanks to a rainout nearly three weeks ago, the TinCaps were actually the visitor in the first game, the resumption of an Aug. 2 suspended game, to begin what is now a seven-game series in Fort Wayne. In the game that was suspended in the top of the fifth inning, Jack Costello, who was promoted to Double-A San Antonio a few days after this game started, had a two-run double in a three-run third inning as the TinCaps took a 4-1 lead. They added two more in the top of the fourth in a game that was started by right-hander Miguel Mendez, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants the day after this game started. In the regularly scheduled game, Rosman Verdugo had a two-run double in the first inning and finished with three RBIs. Kasen Wells went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot, while Bradley Frye went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored from the No. 2 slot. With Verdugo batting third, the top three in the TinCaps' lineup went 8-for-11 with seven RBIs and four runs scored. Kerrington Cross went 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. It was Frye's first three-hit game in his 10 games with the TinCaps after being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore. TinCaps right-handed starter Kannon Kemp had the best of his 10 appearances since coming back from a left oblique injury in spring training. Kemp went four innings and allowed one run on six hits with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts. After right-hander Sean Barnett gave up three runs in 1⅓ innings while fanning four, right-hander Bernard Jose returned to Fort Wayne for his third stint this season with 1⅔ scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and his first High-A save and third of the season. He has also pitched at Double-A San Antonio and the Arizona Complex League this year. FW_0818.mp4 COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 2 0 0 1 0 1 Bradley Frye 1 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Wideman 3 0 0 0 0 2 Conner Westenburg 1 0 0 0 1 0 Alex McCoy 1 1 0 0 1 0 Dylan Grego 1 0 0 0 0 0 Luke Cantwell 3 1 1 1 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 1 2 0 0 2 Kerrington Cross 1 2 0 0 1 0 Jack Costello 1 1 1 2 1 0 Lamar King Jr. 2 0 0 0 0 1 Oswaldo Linares 1 0 1 1 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 1 1 Kasen Wells 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Mendez 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 Carlos Medina 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Javier Chacon 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 Isaiah Lowe 2 2/3 2 3 3 1 3 1 Will Varmette 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 REGULARLY SCHEDULED GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 3 3 2 2 1 0 Bradley Frye 4 1 3 2 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 2 3 0 2 Luke Cantwell 3 0 0 0 0 3 Robbie Lavey 3 0 0 0 0 2 Lamar King Jr. 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kerrington Cross 2 2 2 0 1 0 Dylan Grego 2 1 0 0 1 2 Conner Westenburg 2 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kannon Kemp 4 6 1 1 0 6 0 Sean Barnett 1 1/3 3 3 3 0 4 1 Bernard Jose 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Second-Rounder Elliot Lascelles Has 3 Hits For Storm In Debut Second-round draft choice Elliot Lascelles went 3-for-4 with a run scored in his pro debut, but that was the biggest highlight as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm dropped a 9-2 decision to the San Jose Giants in a battle of the California League's two first-half division champions. Lascelles, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect who was a high school shortstop out of Toronto and batted fifth, had a leadoff single on a 1-1 pitch against Giants right-hander Trey Seeley for his first pro hit. He then had his first stolen base. Lascelles singled leading off the fourth inning and tripled with one out in the sixth and scored on a wild pitch before grounding out to second to end the eighth inning. Chris McHugh, an 11th-round pick, and Dawson Willis each had two hits for the Storm. Storm right-handed starter Jesus Castro gave up five runs over four innings. Player AB R H RBI BB K Dawson Willis 4 1 2 0 0 0 Alex Conover 4 0 1 1 0 1 Chris McHugh 4 0 2 0 0 1 Ty Harvey 4 0 0 0 0 1 Elliot Lascelles 4 1 3 0 0 0 Jorge Quintana 4 0 1 0 0 1 Joe Tiroly 2 0 0 0 1 0 Truitt Madonna 2 0 0 0 2 2 Qrey Lott 4 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jesus A. Castro 4 4 5 5 3 2 1 Brandon Langley 2 4 2 2 0 4 0 Yoesmerli Beltre 2 3 2 2 0 1 1 Andrew Wright 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 0-for-4, K Ryan Wideman: 0-for-3, 2 K Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ty Harvey: 0-for-4, K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, K Alex McCoy: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R (San Antonio); 0-for-1, BB, R (Fort Wayne, Game 1) Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-4, BB, 3 K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-2, K (Game 1); 0-for-3, K (Game 2) Elliot Lascelles: 3-for-4, 3B, R Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K Michael Salina: On injured list Rosman Verdugo: 2-for-4, R, 2 K (Game 1); 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K (Game 2) View full article

While there are some holdovers retaining a piece of the San Diego Padres under new owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, there are some new faces, too. Among those staying on are Alfredo Harp Helu, whose previous stake in the Padres was around 20% but according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, he is increasing that investment. Harp Helu's name is on the Mexico City stadium where the Padres and MLB have played. Members of the Seidler family, who sold the team to Feliciano and Jones for a record $3.9 billion with that transaction approved by MLB owners Monday, will also be sticking around, not an unusual move. However, joining the ownership group are Behdad Eghbali, Feliciano's co-founder of private-equity firm Clearlake Capital, as well as Joey and Jesse Buss, the youngest children of the late Jerry Buss. Joey and Jesse Buss, perhaps coincidental, perhaps not, on Monday announced they were selling the family stake in the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, which is being contested by sister Jeanie Buss. Feliciano and Jones are expected to have about a 45% interest in the Padres. With the sale expected to close in the next few days following MLB's approval, the couple will be introduced Monday at 1 p.m. at Petco Park. View full rumor

We are back after a two-week absence, one for the trade deadline and the other because I had jury duty. Anyways, let's check in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week (check out Padres Mission's latest Top 20 rankings as well!). Alex McCoy, OF, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: .277/.356/.491, 100 games, 63 R, 29 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 61 RBI, 41 BB, 115 K, 22 SB, 6 CS Talk about having a week. Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect, after going 2-for-4 Tuesday for High-A Fort Wayne, was promoted to Double-A San Antonio, a big enough event in itself. In his debut Friday, the big right-handed hitter crushed a pair of homers and had four RBIs in a 14-12 loss to the Frisco RoughRiders. That was the highlight of a .500/.474/1.000 (9-for-18) slash line with three doubles, eight RBIs, eight runs scored and the two homers. He also stole three bases. He is now up to 17 homers for the season. After starting out the season sizzling with a slash line of .354/.386/.683 in April as the corner outfielder was named Midwest League Player of the Month, he wasn't as productive in the next few months before picking it up in July and being named Midwest League Player of the Week (July 28-Aug. 7). He ranked second in doubles with 27, fourth in hits with 99, third in extra-base hits with 43 and fifth in total bases with 173. That was enough for the Padres to promote him when outfielder Jake Cunningham went on the seven-day injured list with a groin strain. McCoy went 7-for-14 in his first three games with the Missions, including a two-steal game Sunday and a stint in center field. Ethan Salas, C, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas Season stats: .301/.377/.465, 86 games, 51 R, 19 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 42 BB, 55 K, 15 SB, 8 CS Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect continues to sizzle since his promotion to Triple-A El Paso. In his third week with the Chihuahuas, the left-handed-hitting catcher put up a slash line of .471/.524/.765 (8-for-17) in five games with two doubles, his career-high 10th homer and eight RBIs. The 20-year-old, the youngest player in Triple-A, had three walks and did not strike out. That pulled his season batting average above .300 for the first time since June 3. Yes, the hype is strong, although he has had a few defensive missteps since coming up from Double-A San Antonio. Salas has a 10-game hitting streak and reached base in all 14 games at Triple-A, putting up a tremendous slash line of .377/.453/.698 with six doubles, a triple and three home runs. His home run Sunday was an opposite-field shot down the left-field line, while he also doubled off the base of the wall in center field. The power comes easy with his swing, which is more of a line-drive tilt with gap power. More power will come as his body matures, but his hit tool has taken a major step forward this season. Bryan Balzer, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 7-4, 4.47 ERA, 20 games (18 starts), 88⅔ IP, 75 H, 48 R, 44 ER, 39 BB, 92 K, .230 opponent average In what was perhaps his second- or third-best game of the season, the right-handed starter struck out 10 and allowed just one hit over five innings in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday. He did walk four and hit another, which kept this from being his best game of 2026. His strikeouts and 94 pitches were career highs as he continues to build his prospect profile. He didn't allow a hit until a leadoff double in the fourth, although the walks and the hit batter prevented him from having a clean inning. He did strike out three in the first and third innings and nine of the first 10 outs he recorded were punchouts. Balzer was signed as an international free agent out of Japan in 2023, coming off Tommy John surgery, which delayed his pro debut until 2024. He has appeared in 20 games (18 starts) this year, including eight games (seven starts) with High-A Fort Wayne following a promotion from Low-A Lake Elsinore. Balzer's strikeout rate is up from Lake Elsinore (22.6% to 26.9%), but his walk rate is worse (8.3% to 13.8%). He has mitigated those walks with a .202 opponent batting average with the TinCaps. His ERA sits at 4.47 for the season, including 4.45 at Fort Wayne. His innings are likely to be monitored over the final three weeks as he is at 88⅔ after covering 50 last year. Tyler Schmitt, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: 8-6, 4.76 ERA, 20 games (17 starts), 87 IP, 80 H, 46 R, 46 ER, 46 BB, 94 K, .246 opponent average Check out the game logs for the right-handed starter and you will be in for a bit of a roller-coaster ride. But there have been more ups than downs for the 2025 17th-round draft choice out of Illinois. When on, Schmitt has been pretty good. That was certainly the case when he piggybacked left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, on Saturday with five shutout innings and eight strikeouts. He walked two and allowed three hits. Schmitt's eight punchouts were the most since he had nine and 11 in a three-start span May 30-June 13. In half of his 20 games, he has allowed one or zero runs. He also has four outings where he gave up at least five runs. Walks are his Kryptonite. He had back-to-back starts July 11-18 with no walks, but otherwise has had at least one in every game. This is his first full season in pro ball, so the walks are something that can be ironed out by the 22-year-old. Luis Maracara, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: 2-3, 6.92 ERA, 15 games (13 starts), 40⅓ IP, 40 H, 35 R, 31 ER, 21 BB, 51 K, .255 opponent average The 18-year-old right-handed starter, signed as an international free agent in 2024 out of Venezuela, has had a mixed bag of results since coming to the U.S. last year. He spent all of 2025 in the Arizona Complex League with a 9.19 ERA in 12 games (four starts) and 32⅓ innings. This year, he began in the ACL and had a 5.94 ERA in seven starts with 23 strikeouts in 16⅔ innings. That earned him a ticket to Low-A Lake Elsinore, where he has appeared in eight games (six starts) with a 7.61 ERA. But he has had some nice outings between the rocky ones. That was evident Sunday. In an 11-7 loss to the Inland Empire 66ers, when Maracara struck out eight over four innings, matching his career high from 2024 in the Dominican Summer League. He allowed a pair of runs on five hits and no walks. With three weeks left plus the California League playoffs still to come, it is certainly something for him to build off. View full article

Oswaldo Pirela, the San Diego Padres' minor-league catching coordinator, was taken into custody Sunday in El Paso, Texas, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The San Diego Union-Tribune and The Athletic each confirmed Piera's plight with members of his family. Pirela has a hearing scheduled for next week, the Union-Tribune said. Pirela is Venezuelan with an ongoing asylum case. He has been in the U.S. since 2014 and family members said he has an active work permit. Pirela's brother told The Athletic that Pirela was not carrying his work permit card at the time. The Padres issued a statement Monday: “We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas. We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.” The Athletic received a statement from Homeland Security on Tuesday: “On August 16, 2026, Border Patrol arrested Oswaldo Jose Pirela Dominguez, an illegal alien from Venezuela, at the El Paso International Airport. He entered the country legally on September 10, 2014, and was granted permission by the Obama administration to remain in the country until February 10, 2018. In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome. When approached by law enforcement officers, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process. To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.” Pirela was visiting the Padres' Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas affiliate during their home series against the Salt Lake Bees. He was detained at the El Paso airport around 4 a.m. as he was traveling back to the Phoenix area, where he family lives and the Padres have their minor-league headquarters and spring training site in Peoria, Ariz. With ICE ramping up immigration checks at airports, Pirela and his family came up with a system of checking in during his travel. The family did not hear from him Sunday morning, raising concern. Pirela was the bench coach with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm in 2024. He was a minor-league catcher for the Texas Rangers from 2009-11. View full rumor

Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones are officially the new owners of the San Diego Padres. In the final step toward taking over the Padres, the other 29 MLB owners voted 29-0 to put Feliciano and Jones in charge of San Diego's biggest sports franchise. They needed a 75% vote (22 owners) for approval. Feliciano and Jones agreed in May to purchase the Padres for a record $3.9 billion from the Seidler family. The couple is expected to own between 40% and 45% of the franchise, with some of the minority owners remaining with the new ownership group and new investors joining. The sale price eclipsed the $2.42 billion Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020. Sportico's latest valuation of the Padres was $2.31 billion, a 21.5% increase from the $1.9 billion figure in 2025. The last MLB team before the Padres to be sold was the Baltimore Orioles, who went for $1.725 billion to David Rubenstein in March 2024. Feliciano will serve as the franchise's control person, although the couple plans to make decisions about the team together. The $3.9 billion sale price also accounts for $300 million in debt the Padres are carrying. The Seidler family announced in November that it was putting the team up for sale, two years following the death of 63-year-old Peter Seidler, who was a two-time non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor who had undergone another medical procedure two months prior. John Seidler, the eldest of three brothers, had been the team chairman since February 2025. Seidler and Ron Fowler purchased the Padres for $800 million in 2012. The 53-year-old Feliciano, born in Bayaman, Puerto Rico, is a co-founder of Clearlake Capital, a Santa Monica-based investment firm. Clearlake has been the majority owner of the English Premier League soccer club Chelsea since 2022. Clearlake is the 12th-largest private-equity firm in the world. According to Forbes, Feliciano's net worth is $3.9 billion. He graduated from Princeton in 1994 with degrees in mechanical and biospace engineering, then got a master's in business administration from Stanford. Jones becomes the first black woman to be a majority owner of an MLB team. She was born in Los Angeles and is best-known for her musical career, first hitting. the Billboard charts in 2011 with "Think Again," which reached No. 21. She also attended Princeton, graduating in 1993. She studied public and international affairs at the Ivy League university. She also received a doctor of law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a master of dispute resolution from Pepperdine law. The couple, who met at Princeton, founded the Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano Initiative in 2014. The foundation, which focuses on education, entrepreneurship, equity, and empowerment, committing more than $250 million to these issues. Feliciano and Jones take over at an awkward time, as MLB owners have promised to lock out the players on Dec. 1 as the two sides negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. The sale price of the Padres could be a negotiating point as to the growing value of MLB franchises, while the owners want to further increase that value by imposing a salary cap similar to those in the NFL, NBA and NHL. Aside from the $300 million in debt, the Padres are otherwise a fairly healthy franchise. The team is currently 67-58 and tied for the final two NL wild-card positions with six weeks left in the regular season. A trip to the postseason this year would mark the third year in a row they have been in the playoffs, a first for the franchise in its 58-year history. The Friars have made the postseason in four of the previous six seasons. Fans have also flocked to Petco Park. The Padres currently rank second in MLB in average attendance at 41,293 and will hit 3 million fans for the fourth consecutive year, including a club-record 3,437,201 in 2025. View full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 5-1 (62-57) Runs scored last week: 31 Runs allowed last week: 18 (season run differential: plus-10) Scores Game 120 (Monday): Padres 3, Brewers 2 Game 121 (Tuesday): Padres 11, Brewers 2 Game 122 (Wednesday): Padres 4, Brewers 3 (11 innings) Thursday: Off Game 123 (Friday): Padres 7, Guardians 5 Game 124 (Saturday): Guardians 6, Padres 1 Game 125 (Sunday): Padres 5, Guardians 0 Week in Review and Highlights Brewers series Game 1: With the team possessing the best record in MLB coming to Petco Park, this was always going to be a huge test for the Padres. But the Padres stood toe-to-toe with the Milwaukee Brewers and delivered a knockout punch in the first of three rounds. Jackson Merrill homered for the third straight game, hitting a go-ahead two-run shot off right-handed starter Logan Henderson with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 3-2 win over the Brewers. The victory kept the Padres one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies for the final two NL wild-card spots, while extending their advantage over the Miami Marlins, the next team in the wild-card standings, to 2½ games. Having been held to three hits and one run by Henderson, Ty France, who had homered leading off the second inning, had a one-out single and Merrill followed with his 19th homer, a 431-foot blast to center field. That set up the Friars' dynamic duo in the bullpen. Left-hander Adrian Morejon allowed a single in the eighth, then All-Star closer Mason Miller overcame a walk to notch his career-high 30th save in 31 chances as catcher Freddy Fermin threw out a runner attempting to steal second to end the game. They were in position to win thanks to the start by right-hander Casey Mize, who was acquired just seven days prior and was making his second Padres start. Mize was much better (it would have been hard to be worse) than his eight-run debut. This time, Mize went six innings, allowed a two-run homer to Christian Yelich, five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Game 2: While it will go down as the Luis Rengifo revenge game, it was also the day that you could truly believe in the Padres as a postseason team. Just seven weeks after being released by the Brewers, Rengifo hit his first career grand slam as the Padres crushed Milwaukee 11-2. With the win and losses by the D'backs and Phillies, the three teams were tied for the last two NL wild-card spots. Tatis and Luis Campusano also homered as the Padres pounded out 17 hits, two shy of their season high, reaching double digits in hits for the sixth time in their last 12 games. The double-figure runs were the most since putting up 19 in the July 19 Kansas City massacre. The win also secured the series for the Padres, important from not only a standings point of view, but because it came against the MLB-leading Brewers and their No. 2 starter in left-hander Kyle Harrison. And they got to him early, which is key against any pitcher, but especially with the good ones. Merrill remained hot, opening the second inning along with newcomer Austin Hays with singles. After two outs, Jake Cronenworth doubled home Merrill. Tatis was rung up on a 3-2 pitch that would have ended the inning, but successfully challenged the call (just his fourth challenge of the year) to load the bases. Rengifo took a 93.4 mph four-seamer for ball one, then smashed a 94 mph one to left field for his third homer since joining the Padres after hitting none for the Brewers, a grand slam for a 5-0 lead. That opened the floodgates as the Padres added another in the fourth on Tatis' 12th homer and two more in the fifth on Campusano's fifth this season. That made it eight runs in 4⅔ off Harrison. Tatis' homer was the 163rd of his career, snapping a tie with Nate Colbert and taking sole possession of second place in Padres history. Manny Machado holds the franchise record with 217 and counting. Just as important was the outing for Friars right-handed starter Walker Buehler was really good. How much of that was due to getting a big lead early, who knows? But Buehler went six innings, allowing just one run and three hits with two walks and five strikeouts, showing a bit of vintage form. After an inning from left-hander Wandy Peralta, right-hander Griffin Canning went the final two Game 3: Of all the scenarios that you were thinking about a month ago, this was the most unimaginable. With a 4-3 walk-off win over the Brewers, who had the best record in MLB, the Padres completed a three-game sweep and moved into the No. 2 NL wild-card position. Remember, this was a team that entered the All-Star break needing two wins over the Toronto Blue Jays to reach 48-48. Before those two wins, there were four teams the Friars needed to climb over just to be in the first spot outside of the wild-card standings. Now, they are two spots higher. That is the big picture, a place the Padres arrived at sooner than even they expected. The smaller picture was a tremendous series sweep capped an exhilarating extra-innings victory. The winner came off the bat of Campusano, who lined a single to right field that Luis Lara, just off an extraordinary catch, threw home but just a bit high as Song slid in safely. Song, a pinch-runner for France (hit by a pitch), stole second following Merrill's deep sac fly that Lara snagged, allowing zombie runner Cronenworth to score from third. That rally came three innings after tying it in the eighth. That run scored as the Padres took advantage of a rare defensive miscue by the Brewers as the pitcher didn't get over to cover the bag on a two-out grounder to the first baseman, with Tatis speeding home from second base. Tatis was supposed to have the day off, but pinch-hit for Fermin and drew two walks. New Padres left-handed starter Robbie Ray made it only through four innings because he was forced to throw a lot of pitches. He kept the Brewers from getting out to a bigger lead, but it took him 84 pitches to get it done, one more than his opposite number, Brewers right-hander Dustin May, used to get through seven innings. Coming off six-inning starts, the bullpen was in good shape, even having to cover the two extra innings. Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez went two innings (one hit), while right-hander Jeremiah Estrada, left-hander Hart and Miller each going a hitless inning. Morejon covered the 10th and 11th. Guardians series Game 1: There already was plenty to talk about before manager Craig Stammen made it clear Miller was not pitching and Rodriguez, a closer-in-waiting, was going to be responsible for the bottom of the ninth inning, protecting a 7-5 Padres lead over the Cleveland Guardians. It worked out perfectly for the Padres, as it has recently, as Rodriguez overcame a leadoff double to retire the next three batters for his first career save in the 7-5 win. As the Padres won their sixth straight to retain their No. 2 NL wild-card position, Miller (as well as Morejon) was just getting a day off after pitching in four of the previous seven games before Thursday's travel day. The Padres' quick-strike offense erased an early 3-0 deficit as Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer in the fourth, his 11th this year, and Tatis ignited a three-run fifth with a screaming solo shot to left, his 13th of the season. Both came off Guardians ace Gavin Williams. Campusano then knocked in a pair with a double to put the Padres on top for good at 5-3. After the Guardians got one back on a sixth-inning sacrifice fly, the Friars put two more on the board in the seventh as Campusano continued to show his value by doubling home France and Bogaerts had a sac fly for a 7-4 advantage. Padres right-handed starter Michael King was sharp, but did get through six innings, allowing four runs (three earned), including two homers, and eight hits. Left-hander Yuki Matsui had a clean seventh and Estrada allowed a run on a wild pitch in the eight before Rodriguez came on to close things out. Rodriguez's trust level has surged this year and will give Stammen another late-inning option down the stretch once Jason Adam returns from the injured list. Game 2: The problem with trading away players is sometimes they come back to bite you. Take Guardians left-handed starter Joey Cantillo, for instance. One of six players the Padres shipped to Cleveland at the 2020 trade deadline in the Mike Clevinger deal, the 16th-round draft choice in 2017 has rounded into a very nice piece of the Guardians' staff. He showed the Padres what they are missing by allowing just one hit over six innings in the Friars' 6-1 loss. With the Phillies and D'backs both winning, the Padres slipped into a three-way tie for the final two NL wild-card berths. You can expect those three teams to be jockeying for position the rest of the season. The only hit the Padres got off Cantillo , who had seven strikeouts, and three relievers was a first-inning single by Cronenworth, the second batter of the game. The only run came a batter later when Machado grounded into a double play that scored Tatis, who had a leadoff walk and went to third on Cronenworth's hit. Otherwise, virtual silence from the Padres, who did have three walks. While it is tough to win when you don't score, the Friars' pitching plan wasn't up to snuff. Stammen chose the double-opener route with Peralta and Hart each going an inning, but they both gave up a run. That led to right-hander Randy Vasquez in a bulk role and he allowed four runs in five innings on seven hits and a walk. Game 3: A little rain, a rare sight for the Padres, couldn't slow down the Friars. Thanks to four home runs and Mize turning in exactly the type of outing they sought when he was acquired at the deadline, the Padres cruised to their seventh win in eight games, a 5-0 decision over the Guardians. With the Phillies winning and D'backs losing, the Padres (67-58) are tied for the final two NL wild-card spots, one game ahead of Arizona. After a 3-hour, 11-minute rain delay before the game began, the offense got things off to a rousing start. Rengifo and Gavin Sheets hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the second inning, then Bogaerts singled home Merrill in the fourth. They finished with two more solo homers, Jase Bowen in the eighth and Cronenworth in the ninth. That left it up to Mize, who tossed six shutout innings for his first win as Padre, allowing three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. After getting tagged for eight runs in his San Diego debut, Mize has gone six innings in each of his next two starts, which is a perfect distance for the Friars' bullpen. Estrada, Morejon and Matsui finished this one off, with the ninth-inning run keeping Miller from having to come in. Taking two of three on the road from another contending team (albeit below .500) just continues the terrific play that has the Padres in a postseason position. Now they continue the road trip against the woeful New York Mets, a three-game set where the Padres will need to continue to step on the gas. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 4-1, 0.88, 49 games, 30 saves (31 chances) 51⅓ IP, 24 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 19 BB, 93 K, .138 opponent average Leads all MLB relievers with 356 pitches this year at 100 mph or better. Entering Sunday, that total would have been tied for second among all teams with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres had 535 entering Sunday. Has not allowed a run in 43 of his 49 appearances this year. Since being acquired last year, the Padres are 59-12 when he pitches. Random Stats The Padres have won six of their last seven series vs. the Brewers. The sweep was their sixth of the season and third since the All-Star break. With his second plate appearance Friday, Jackson Merrill triggered an extra $1 million per season in his remaining contract, which runs through the 2034 season with a club option for 2035. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 115.5 mph exit velocity on his homer Friday was his highest of the season and fifth-best of his career. Friday's win was the Padres' ninth this season when trailing by at least three runs. That tied them with the Minnesota Twins for the most in MLB. Saturday's game was the third time this season the Friars have been held to one hit. Both previous times came vs. the St. Louis Cardinals (May 8 at home and June 15 on the road). Sunday's win improved the Padres' record in day games to an MLB-best 29-17 (.630 winning percentage). Transactions Wednesday: Activated RHP David Morgan from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. Friday: Signed free-agent RHP AJ Rogers to a minor-league contract. Website Highlights Salas survived the trade deadline. Can we officially call him the Padres' catcher of the future? — Randy Holt Understanding the math behind Merrill's adjustment that saved his season — Yirsandy Rodriguez Mize assuaged Padres' concerns in impressive bounce-back start — Randy Holt Hays covers a weakness Padres failed to address at the trade deadline — Randy Holt Morejon's pure dominance being overshadowed by Miller — Cade Lalim Padres Mission Top 20 prospect list update: Draft and deadline make for big changes — Steve Drumwright Looking Ahead Monday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Mets (Nolan McLean), 4:10 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (Robbie Ray) at Mets (Zac Thornton), 4:10 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Michael King) at Mets (Robert Stock), 10:10 p.m. Thursday: Off Friday: Twins at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Twins at Padres (Casey Mize), 5:40 p.m. Sunday: Twins at Padres (Walker Buehler), 1:10 p.m. View full article

Sunday saw the San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates wrap up their series, going 0-5 on the day, including the completion of a suspended game from Saturday. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were beaten by Salt Lake 13-7, the Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to Frisco 8-5, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost twice to Quad Cities, dropping a suspended game 5-2 in eight innings and then 4-3 in the scheduled game, while the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm lost to Inland Empire 11-7. Padres Minor-League Transactions None. Ethan Salas Bashes Career-High 10th HR In Chihuahuas' Loss Ethan Salas hit his third Triple-A homer and drove in four, matching his career high, but the host El Paso Chihuahuas gave up nine runs over the sixth and seventh innings in dropping a 13-7 decision to the Salt Lake Bees. The Chihuahuas (49-70, 14-30 second half) won two of the six games in the series, losing the final three. The 20-year-old Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, extended his hitting streak to 10 games as he had also had a double, a walk and scored twice. The home run was his 10th this season, surpassing his career best set in his debut season of 2023. He has reached base in all 14 games since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio and is slashing .377/.453/.698 at Triple-A, with 15 RBIs in his last eight games. Salas had driven in three runs three times this season and matched his career best of four set July 6, 2023, his debut season. Nick Pratto hit a two-run homer in the first inning, while Marcos Castanon went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Salas had a two-run double in the bottom of the first that tied the game 2-2, Castanon doubled home Salas and Pratto then hit his 10th homer of the season for a 5-2 lead. Salas' homer came in the bottom of the fifth, an opposite-field shot to left on the first pitch and with two outs for a 7-4 Chihuahuas lead. But the Bees scored six in the sixth and three in the seventh to take control. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Andrew Thurman gave up three runs in three innings on five hits and three walks, then left-hander JP Sears allowed five runs in 2⅓ innings. Right-hander J.P. France surrendered five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks in 1⅔ innings before right-hander Hunter Stratton settled things down with one hit over two shutout innings. Stratton hasn't allowed a run in his five appearances (six innings) since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates. EP_0816.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris, CF 4 1 0 0 1 0 Gage Workman, SS 3 1 1 0 1 1 Carlos Rodríguez, DH 5 0 1 0 0 1 Nick Solak, RF 4 1 0 0 0 0 Ethan Salas, C 3 2 2 4 1 0 Blake Hunt, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon, 2B 4 1 2 1 0 2 Nick Pratto, 1B 3 1 1 2 1 0 Clay Dungan, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Bryce Johnson, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Andrew Thurman 3 5 3 3 3 2 1 JP Sears 2 1/3 4 5 5 3 3 0 J.P. France 1 2/3 4 5 3 2 0 1 Hunter Stratton 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 Missions Knocked Out By Late RoughRiders Rally In what felt like a boxing match with each fighter landing big blows, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were unable to survive a late punch, giving up three runs in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-5 loss to the host Frisco RoughRiders. The Missions (51-63, 20-25 second half) went 2-4 in the six-game series after winning two of the first three. Alex McCoy (Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect) wrapped up his first weekend in Double-A with two more hits and two RBIs, while Jack Costello also had two hits and two RBIs, Romeo Sanabria two hits and two runs scored and Braedon Karpathios (Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect) two hits and an RBI. Missions right-handed starter Ian Koenig gave up five runs over six innings on six hits and a walk while striking out five. Right-hander Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless seventh, then left-hander Igor Gil allowed three runs while only getting one out on four hits and a walk. SA_0816.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson, 2B 2 2 0 0 2 2 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 2 2 2 0 1 0 Alex McCoy, CF 4 1 2 2 0 1 Braedon Karpathios, DH 4 0 2 1 0 2 Jack Costello, LF 4 0 2 2 0 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Kai Roberts, CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 Tirso Ornelas, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wyatt Hoffman, SS 4 0 0 0 0 2 Brendan Durfee, C 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 6 6 5 5 1 5 1 José Leclerc 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Igor Gil 0 1/3 4 3 3 1 1 0 Bernard Jose 0 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Unproductive Week Ends With Two More TinCaps Losses A long week filled with rain and other delays came to a disappointing finish as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game to the host Quad Cities River Bandits 5-2 on a walk-off three-run homer in eight innings, then fell in the regularly scheduled game 4-3. The TinCaps (46-65, 19-26 second half) were swept in the five games played, with another being canceled due to unplayable conditions. The TinCaps have lost a season-worst eight games. In the completion of Saturday's suspended game, the game resumed with the game tied 2-2 entering extra innings after the River Bandits tied it with a two-out two-run homer in the seventh. But like the bottom of the seventh, the bottom of the eighth did not go well for the TinCaps, who didn't push across a run in the top half. With the zombie runner at second, right-hander Nick Falter walked the first batter he faced and then gave up a three-run homer to Derlin Figueroa, his 25th of the season. It put a damper on a terrific outing in the Saturday portion of the game in which TinCaps right-handed starter Bryan Balzer, who struck out a career-high 10 in five innings (94 pitches, also a career high). Balzer didn't allow a hit until Figueroa led off the fourth with his 22nd double, although he had walked three and hit another. That would be the lone hit for the River Bandits until the bottom of the seventh. The TinCaps had five hits and the River Bandits four. In the regularly scheduled game, Justin DeCriscio was on base twice and drove in a pair of runs, but the River Bandits scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. Trailing 2-0 after two innings, Kasen Wells and DeCriscio had RBI singles in the top of the third inning to tie the game, then the River Bandits went back on top in the bottom of the third. The TinCaps tied it in the fifth when DeCriscio put down a bunt on a 2-0 pitch with no outs that the pitcher fielded and his only play was at first, but he threw wide as Dylan Grego scored from third. TinCaps right-handed starter Abraham Parra gave up four runs (two earned) in a career-best 6⅓ innings, allowing four hits and five walks while striking out two. Parra had gone six innings once this year (June 20), four times in 2025 and once in 2023. FW1_0816.mp4 FW2_0816.mp4 SUSPENDED GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells, LF 3 0 0 1 0 2 Justin DeCriscio, SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Wideman, CF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell, 1B 3 0 1 0 0 2 Lamar King Jr., C 3 0 0 0 0 3 Carlos Rodriguez, DH 3 1 1 0 0 1 Bradley Frye, 3B 2 1 0 0 0 0 Dylan Grego, 2B 3 0 1 1 0 1 Conner Westenburg, RF 2 0 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer 5 1 0 0 4 10 0 Will Koger 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 Nick Falter 0 1 3 2 1 0 1 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio, SS 2 0 1 2 1 0 Ryan Wideman, CF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 3 Luke Cantwell, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Robbie Lavey, DH 3 0 0 0 1 1 Kerrington Cross, 3B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Carlos Rodriguez, C 4 1 2 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg, PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dylan Grego, LF 2 2 1 0 1 1 Kasen Wells, RF 3 0 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 6 1/3 4 4 2 5 2 0 Jeferson Villabona 0 2/3 0 0 0 3 1 0 Isaiah Lowe 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luis Maracara Fans 8, Draft Picks Shine, But Storm Stumble A pair of three-hit games by draft picks and a four-run first inning were not enough as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm saw the host Inland Empire 66ers use a five-run seventh inning for an 11-7 victory. The Storm (61-53, 22-25 second half) split the six-game series. Storm right-handed starter Luis Maracara struck out eight in four innings, giving up a pair of runs on five hits and no walks. The eight strikeouts matches the 18-year-old's career high set in his fifth professional game in the Dominican Summer League in 2024. He struck out seven twice last year in the Arizona Complex League. Sixth-rounder Nu'u Contrades went 3-for-5, including his second pro homer, with two RBIs and a run scored, while seventh-rounder Joe Tiroly also went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Tiroly's two RBIs on a single to right capped the four-run first inning. The Storm were up 5-2 before the 66ers came back with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and then the five-run seventh with one more in the eighth after Lake Elsinore scored twice in the top of the eighth. LE_0816.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Nu'u Contrades, 3B 5 1 3 2 0 0 Alex Conover, CF 3 1 0 0 2 1 Chris McHugh, LF 5 1 1 0 0 0 Ty Harvey, 1B 5 1 1 1 0 2 Jesmaylin Arias, RF 4 2 2 1 0 1 Joe Tiroly, 2B 5 0 3 2 0 0 Jose Verdugo, SS 5 0 2 0 0 1 Jake Bold, DH 3 0 1 0 1 0 Augie Lopez, C 4 1 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luis Maracara 4 5 2 2 0 8 0 Ryan Reed 1 3 2 2 0 1 1 Florangel Vasquez 1 1/3 4 5 3 0 2 0 Jordan Valenzuela 0 2/3 1 1 1 1 1 0 Rordy Mejia 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, K (Game 1); 0-for-4 (Game 2) Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ty Harvey: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: DNP Alex McCoy: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, K Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, 3 K Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: On injured list Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-4, 3 K View full article

On a rather rough Saturday, the San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates went 1-3 with another game suspended. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up the lead in ninth of an 8-7 loss to Salt Lake, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were handcuffed by Frisco 7-1, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost the opener of a doubleheader with Quad Cities 4-2, then had the second game suspended heading into extra innings and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm blanked Inland Empire 6-0. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Antonio Missions placed SS Carson Tucker on 7-day injured list San Antonio Missions activated 2B-C Oswaldo Linares from developmental list. Four Walks In Ninth Cost Chihuahuas A Victory After the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas built a 7-4 lead entering the top of the ninth, four walks led to a four-run rally as the Salt Lake Bees pulled out an 8-7 victory. Marcos Castanon homered as part of a two-hit, two-run day, while leadoff hitter Dustin Harris went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs and Mason McCoy went 3-for-3 with a walk, three steals and three runs scored for the Chihuahuas, who led 6-2 after four innings. Castanon's homer was a solo shot to center in the second inning, his team-leading 15th of the year, while McCoy now has 30 steals, which is tied for the Pacific Coast League lead. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Jhony Brito went three innings and allowed two runs on five hits with no walks or strikeouts. Right-hander Logan Gillaspie gave up a run over three innings, right-hander Alek Jacob a run in one inning and right-hander David Morgan a clean eighth inning. Right-hander Hans Crouse, who had allowed just three hits and no runs in four one-inning outings since joining the Chihuahuas struggled for the first time, giving up three hits and three walks, leading to four runs while only getting one out. The go-ahead run scored when right-hander Ethan Routzahn came on and struck out the first batter but walked the next one. EP_0815.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 5 1 3 3 0 1 Bryce Johnson 5 0 1 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 5 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Solak 4 0 0 1 0 2 Gage Workman 5 0 0 0 0 1 Will Wagner 5 0 0 0 0 2 Marcos Castañon 3 2 2 1 1 0 Mason McCoy 3 3 3 0 1 0 Rodolfo Durán 4 1 2 2 0 1 Totals 39 7 12 7 2 9 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jhony Brito 3 5 2 2 0 0 0 Logan Gillaspie 3 2 1 1 0 1 1 Alek Jacob 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 David Morgan 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Hans Crouse 1/3 3 4 4 3 0 0 Ethan Routzahn 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Totals 9 13 8 8 4 4 1 Missions' Offense Stuck In Neutral In Loss To RoughRiders Four pitchers held the Double-A San Antonio Missions to six hits and a first-inning run as the host Frisco RoughRiders came away with a 7-1 victory. The Missions' lone run came on Tirso Ornelas' 13th homer of the season with one out in the first inning. The Missions did draw eight walks, including two each by Romeo Sanabria and Wyatt Hoffman, but could create any offense. Missions right-handed starter Matthew Watson allowed four runs in 4⅓ innings, giving up six hits and two walks, striking out six. He was touched for a pair of homers. Right-hander Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 12 prospect, followed Watson and gave up an RBI double to the first batter he faced, closing the book on Watson, and then getting two outs. Right-hander Clay Edmondson allowed three runs in two innings and right-hander Sadrac Franco a scoreless eighth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson 4 0 0 0 1 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 1 1 1 Alex McCoy 5 0 1 0 0 2 Braedon Karpathios 4 0 0 0 1 4 Jack Costello 5 0 1 0 0 2 Romeo Sanabria 3 0 1 0 2 1 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 0 0 Wyatt Hoffman 1 0 0 0 2 0 Anthony Vilar 3 0 1 0 1 2 Totals 33 1 6 1 8 13 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 4 1/3 6 4 4 2 6 2 Tucker Musgrove 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Edmondson 2 3 3 3 0 2 1 Sadrac Franco 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 8 10 7 7 3 8 3 Robbie Lavey Homers Again In TinCaps' Loss; Nightcap Suspended What was supposed to be a doubleheader for the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps ended up being one completed game and another that was on the verge of being finished when a rally and then rain caused the second game to be suspended. The result was a 4-2 loss by the TinCaps, who then took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh (and final) inning when the host Quad Cities River Bandits got a two-out two-run homer to send it to extras. Only problem was Mother Nature unleashed a torrent of rain, pushing the conclusion of the game to Sunday to be followed by a seven-inning game. In the opener, a makeup of Wednesday's postponement due to a power outage, the TinCaps were stifled to two hits through the first six innings before finally scoring in the seventh. Robbie Lavey, the Padres' fourth-round pick, homered for the second game in a row to break up the shutout, then Dylan Grego singled home Bradley Frye, who had also singled. Lavey went 2-for-4 and now has three hits in his first three games, two of which are long balls that have come in the last two nights. TinCaps right-handed starter Carlos Medina gave up a run in two innings, left-hander Braian Salar had a scoreless third, then right-hander Maikel Miralles gave up three runs (two earned) in 2⅓ innings on four hits and three walks. FW_0815.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 3 0 1 0 0 1 Ryan Wideman 3 0 0 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 2 0 0 0 1 2 Robbie Lavey 3 1 2 1 0 0 Kerrington Cross 3 0 0 0 0 1 Bradley Frye 3 1 1 0 0 0 Yoiber Ocopio 2 0 0 0 1 1 Dylan Grego 3 0 1 1 0 2 Conner Westenburg 2 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 25 2 5 2 2 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 2 2 1 1 2 2 0 Braian Salazar 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Maikel Miralles 2 1/3 4 3 2 3 3 1 Javier Chacon 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Totals 6 6 4 3 7 7 1 Kruz Schoolcraft, Tyler Schmitt Fan 12, Fuel Storm Shutout Left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft and right-handers Tyler Schmitt and Brett Langley combined on an eight-hit shutout, while Ty Harvey and Alex Conover homered as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled to a 6-0 victory over the host Inland Empire 66ers. Harvey, who scored twice, and seventh-round pick Joe Tiroly each had three hits, while Yimy Tovar and Jose Verdugo had two. Sixth-rounder Nu'u Contrades and Dawson Willis scored twice. Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, had his start pushed back a day after twisting an ankle at Tuesday's bullpen sessions and went the first three innings, striking out four and allowing four hits. Schmitt, the usual Saturday starter, followed with five tremendous innings, punching out eight while allowing three hits and two walks. Langley took care of the ninth inning, but it wasn't pretty as he loaded the bases on a single and two walks before striking out the final two batters. For Schmitt, it was continued dominance against the 66ers. In three appearances, he has not allowed a run in 17 innings with 22 strikeouts. Harvey got the Storm going when he crushed a 1-0 pitch down the left-field line for a no-doubt solo blast, his second of the season. In the fourth, Contrades singled home Truitt Madonna, who had a leadoff double, and Willis, who reached on an error, to make it 3-0. Verdugo tripled home Harvey in the fifth, Conover led off the seventh with his second pro homer and Qrey Lott tripled home Willis in the eighth. LE_0815.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Nu'u Contrades 5 0 1 2 0 2 Alex Conover 5 1 1 1 0 1 Ty Harvey 5 2 3 1 0 2 Joe Tiroly 5 0 3 0 0 0 Yimy Tovar 5 0 2 0 0 1 Jose Verdugo 5 0 2 1 0 2 Truitt Madonna 4 1 1 0 0 2 Dawson Willis 4 2 1 0 0 1 Qrey Lott 4 0 1 1 0 2 Totals 42 6 15 6 0 13 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 3 4 0 0 0 4 0 Tyler Schmitt 5 3 0 0 2 8 0 Brandon Langley 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 Totals 9 8 0 0 4 14 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-3 Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Ty Harvey: 3-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 K Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-4, BB, 4 K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Tucker Musgrove: ⅔ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4, 2B, R, 2 K Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: On injured list Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K View full article