Steve Drumwright

Should this have been Griffin Canning instead of Marquez?

The experiment with German Marquez didn't work out for the San Diego Padres. The right-hander was designated for assignment Wednesday by the Padres as left-hander Robbie Ray was officially added to the 26-man roster. Ray was acquired Monday in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. The other pitcher picked up Monday, right-hander Casey Mize, is set to start Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Marquez had a 6.61 FIP (5.26 ERA) in 13 games, including a 10.2% walk rate and 15.7% strikeout rate. He was signed to a $1.75 million contract early in spring training after spending 10 years with the Colorado Rockies. He was expected to fill the back end of the Padres' rotation. His season got off to a roller-coaster start, allowing four runs in three of his first five starts while not allowing a run in the other two. After giving up seven runs and two homers on May 1 in an 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Petco Park, he went on the injured list with right forearm irritation. While a bit better, he still struggled when he returned July 2. His inconsistency knocked him out of the rotation and put him in the pitching chaos plan as a bulk guy. That worked out really well in his outing Friday, when he pitched five shutout innings to finish a 7-0 home victory over the San Francisco Giants. But the decisive blow may have come Tuesday, when he gave up four runs in the seventh inning, including two homers, in a 9-4 road win over the Diamondbacks. Ray is scheduled to start Friday against the Houston Astros to begin a three-game series at Petco Park. View full rumor

A new week began on a sour note as the San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates went winless Tuesday. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were stopped by Reno 6-3, the Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to Springfield 5-2, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were trounced by West Michigan 12-5 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm lost to Ontario 9-6 in 10 innings. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Francisco Giants traded LHP Robbie Ray to San Diego Padres for RHP Miguel Mendez and SS Joniel Hernandez. Detroit Tigers traded RHP Casey Mize and 3B Gage Workman to San Diego Padres for LHP Kash Mayfield and LHP Jackson Wolf. San Diego Padres sent RHP Joe Musgrove on a rehab assignment to Lake Elsinore Storm. San Diego Padres sent RHP Nick Pivetta on a rehab assignment to Lake Elsinore Storm. San Diego Padres acquired RHP Hunter Stratton from Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Andrew Moore. Stratton assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas. RHP Hunter Stratton assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres optioned C Rodolfo Durán to El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres signed free agent RHP J.P. France to a minor league contract and assigned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas Give Up Big Fourth Inning, Fall To Aces Will Wagner matched his season high with three hits, while Marcos Castanon and Bryce Johnson each had two, but the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up a four-run fourth inning en route to a 6-3 loss to the Reno Aces. This was the first game for the Missions since left-handed starter Jackson Wolf was traded to the Detroit Tigers in the Casey Mize deal. The Chihuahuas had 10 hits and drew three walks, but managed just three runs as the Aces turned three double plays. The Chihuahuas had a shot to tie the game in the ninth. Johnson's one-out bases-loaded single trimmed the deficit to 6-3, but Dustin Harris hit a liner to the second base that was turned into a game-ending double play. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Jhony Brito went two shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks with one strikeout. But right-hander Miguel Cienfuegos coughed up five runs (four runs) on three hits, including a homer, and a walk, fanning one. Right-hander Johan Moreno pitched two hitless innings, walking three and striking out three, while right-hader Ty Adcock gave up a solo homer in his lone inning and right-hander Hans Crouse a scoreless eighth in his Chihuahuas debut. Crouse was released from his minor-league contract with the Baltimore Orioles last week. EP_0804.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris, CF 4 0 0 0 1 0 Mason McCoy, SS 5 0 1 1 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez, LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Solak, DH 3 1 1 0 1 2 Ethan Salas, C 4 0 1 0 0 0 Will Wagner, 2B 4 1 3 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon, 3B 4 0 2 1 0 0 Nick Pratto, 1B 3 0 0 0 1 0 Bryce Johnson, RF 4 1 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jhony Brito 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 Miguel Cienfuegos 2 3 5 4 1 1 1 Johan Moreno 2 0 0 0 3 3 0 Ty Adcock 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 Hans Crouse 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Missions Kept In Check By Cardinals The host Double-A San Antonio Missions gave up three early runs and couldn't string together enough hits in falling to the Springfield Cardinals 5-2, their seventh straight loss. This was the Missions' first game since right-handed starter Miguel Mendez, who was Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, was dealt to the San Francisco Giants in the Robbie Ray trade. Seven Missions had hits, including Braedon Karpathios, Padres Mission's No. 12 prospect, who had an RBI double in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals tied it in the second and went up 3-1 in the third. It stayed that way until the eighth, when the Cardinals added two more in the top half and the Missions got one back in the bottom on Carson Tucker's run-scoring single. Missions right-handed starter Matthew Watson, yet to find his footing in three starts at the Double-A level, allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts. He has allowed 10 runs in 10⅓ innings since his promotion from High-A Fort Wayne. Right-handers Bernard Jose (two innings), Tucker Musgrove (one inning, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect) and Sadrac Franco (one inning) each had scoreless outings. Right-hander Jose Leclerc gave up two runs on four hits and no walks, striking out four, in two innings. SA_0804.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker, SS 4 0 1 1 0 1 Tirso Ornelas, DH 3 1 1 0 1 1 Jake Cunningham, LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios, RF 3 0 1 1 1 1 Ryan Jackson, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 2 Albert Fabian, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 2 Luis Verdugo, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kai Roberts, CF 4 0 1 0 0 1 Brendan Durfee, C 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 3 7 3 3 3 2 0 Bernard Jose 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 José Leclerc 2 4 2 2 0 4 1 Sadrac Franco 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez's Perfect Plate Day Wasted In TinCaps' Loss Carlos Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, but the rest of the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps didn't produce much in a 12-5 loss to the West Michigan Whitecaps. This was the TinCaps' first game since ace left-hander Kash Mayfield, formerly Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, was traded to the Tigers in the Casey Mize deal. It was the first four-hit game for Rodriguez at the High-A level. The TinCaps committed three errors, including two by center fielder Ryan Wideman, and gave up 15 hits, with all three pitchers giving up multiple runs. That began with left-handed starter Luis Gutierrez, on a rehab assignment from Double-A San Antonio following a shoulder injury, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out six, matching a season high, over three innings, the longest of his four rehab starts. Right-handed Kannon Kemp went 3⅔ innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) one a walk and eight hits with three strikeouts, while right-hander Nick Falter finished with 2⅓ innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits and no walks, striking out three. All three pitchers gave up a homer. Kasen Wells was the only other TinCaps batter to have multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jack Costello hit a two-run homer, his 13th this year, while Rodriguez's was a solo shot, his sixth. FW_0804.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio, SS 4 0 0 0 1 1 Ryan Wideman, CF 5 0 0 0 0 2 Alex McCoy, RF 4 0 1 0 1 2 Luke Cantwell, DH 3 2 1 0 1 2 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Costello, 1B 4 1 1 2 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez, C 4 2 4 2 0 0 Kerrington Cross, 3B 3 0 0 0 1 2 Kasen Wells, LF 4 0 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luis Gutierrez 3 4 3 2 1 6 1 Kannon Kemp 3 2/3 8 7 5 1 3 1 Nick Falter 2 1/3 3 2 1 0 3 1 With 3 MLB Pitchers Appearing, Storm Fall In 10 In a Low-A game that featured three rehabbing MLB pitchers, the host Lake Elsinore Storm gave a larger-than-average matinee crowd a little more than they paid for, but fell 9-6 in 10 innings to the Ontario Tower Buzzers. Two Padres starting pitchers, right-handers Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta, had their first rehab outings for the Storm, while Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow went for the Tower Buzzers. Musgrove and Pivetta had very different results in their appearances as they come back from elbow injuries, while Glasnow (back spasms) went two shutout innings, allowing one hit. Once the major-leaguers left with the Storm trailing 1-0, it turned into a six-inning sprint. It was 1-1 when both teams scored three runs in the sixth, then the Tower Buzzers scored two in the top of the seventh and the Storm one in the bottom half. Qrey Lott's popup to the third baseman was lost in the sun, the second time that happen to him, with Yimy Tovar scoring, but Jose Verdugo thrown out at the plate. Ty Harvey just missed hitting a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth as his double was just about a foot from the edge of the high wall in right field. The Tower Buzzers then scored three runs in the top of the 10th. Storm right-hander Jesus Castro, normally a starter and coming off being named California League Pitcher of the Week, followed Musgrove and Pivetta with four innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks with seven punchouts. Right-hander Daichi Moriki gave up the three runs in the 10th. LE_0804.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Conner Westenburg, CF 5 1 2 0 0 0 Ty Harvey, C 4 0 1 0 1 1 Jorge Quintana, SS 5 1 0 1 0 3 Yoiber Ocopio, 1B 4 1 1 0 0 1 Yimy Tovar, 3B 3 2 1 2 2 0 Truitt Madonna, DH 4 0 1 0 1 3 Jose Verdugo, 2B 4 0 0 1 1 2 George Bilecki, RF 4 1 1 0 1 2 Qrey Lott, LF 4 0 2 2 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joe Musgrove 2 2/3 2 1 1 2 3 0 Yoesmerli Beltre 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Nick Pivetta 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Rordy Mejia 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Jesus A. Castro 4 5 5 2 2 7 1 Daichi Moriki 1 3 3 2 0 1 1 Top 20 Prospect Performances Ethan Salas: 1-for-4 Kash Mayfield: Traded Miguel Mendez: Traded Ryan Wideman: 0-for-5, 2 K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 0-for-5, R, RBI, 3 K Ty Harvey: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, K Kale Fountain: DNP Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Lamar King Jr.: DNP Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4, BB, 3 K Jesus Castro: 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, HR Garrett Hawkins: DNP Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Winyer Chourio: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-4, 2 K View full article

There is little doubt that Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove wanted to be on the mound in Phoenix on Tuesday night as the San Diego Padres played the second of a crucial four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yet here the two veteran right-handers were, at a Low-A stadium in Lake Elsinore, a little more than an hour north of San Diego and 340 miles from Phoenix, on a sunny Tuesday morning. The two 33-year-olds suited up for the Lake Elsinore Storm with a bunch of aspiring MLB players who are 20 years old or just a year or two off as they took the next big step in their comebacks from injuries. (So did Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers, making it three MLB pitchers in the California League game involving the Storm and Ontario Tower Buzzers.) Pivetta and Musgrove are technically on the Padres’ 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, but it has been more than that keeping the pair sidelined for this extended period. Musgrove hasn’t pitched in a real game since Game 2 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series. He had Tommy John surgery that October and was on track to be ready by Opening Day this year. But his arm never bounced back from a single exhibition game against a World Baseball C team from Great Britain. Pivetta made four starts to begin the season, leaving an April 12 game vs. the Colorado Rockies after throwing three pitches to begin the fourth inning. He had a start skipped in spring training due to arm fatigue. First, the bad news that might not be as bad as originally thought. Pivetta, facing his fourth batter after having recorded two flyouts and yielded a single, threw his 16th pitch, a ball that made it a 3-2 count, and immediately walked off the mound and into the Storm dugout on the first-base side, then into the clubhouse. Padres manager Craig Stammen said during his pregame media scrum in Phoenix that Pivetta felt elbow tightness, but then felt better and threw a 30-pitch bullpen session in the batting cages. The team will wait to see how Pivetta feels Wednesday before determining his next step. Pivetta had already relayed that he would not speak with the media following his rehab appearance. Musgrove, however, did answer questions, doing so before Pivetta exited. Java Joe's outing went fairly well. He threw 39 pitches, including 22 strikes, in going 2⅔ innings. He gave up a run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts. After a 14-pitch first inning, Musgrove ran into issues in the second inning, giving up a single, a double and a run-scoring wild pitch, then two walks and a stolen base before an inning-ending double play in the 20-pitch frame. Knowing he only had a handful of pitches left before hitting his allotment, Musgrove retired both hitters he faced in the top of the third on five pitches. After topping out at 93.1 mph twice in the first inning, Musgrove hit a high of 93.6 mph in the second, consistently around 93. In his brief third inning, he maxed out at 92.5 on his final pitch. "I think a big checkmark is just getting in there and getting in the pace and the tempo of a normal start and kind of getting your (timing) back in line, getting comfortable, being on the mound with the pitch clock," Musgrove said. "Obviously got the hitters in the box, so checked off a lot of things. Physically feel great. Yeah, good day." Musgrove was fairly happy overall with his performance as he worked with catcher Ty Harvey, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect whom he met 20 minutes beforehand. Typical adrenaline rush in the first inning after not being in any type of game since March, then the comedown from that in the second inning. While his mechanics still need some work, his fastball velocity was right where he thought it would be. In 2024, his four-seamer averaged 92.9 mph, and he felt good about his pitch shapes Tuesday. "That's about where I've been. I've been like (92 to 95 mph) anywhere in that range. Haven't done three ups, so I don't know what my velo was in the last inning, but I felt like I was maintaining decently well," Musgrove said. He expects his next outing to come Sunday, site to be determined, and probably another inning or so tacked on. Perhaps back in Lake Elsinore. With the Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller having added two excellent starters at the trade deadline in left-hander Robbie Ray and right-hander Casey Mize, the team doesn't have to try and push Musgrove to return quickly to a pennant race that could come down to one game. "I didn't plan on cutting any corners to begin with," Musgrove said before Pivetta pitched in the game. "The rush thing is not really up to me. If I could, I would rush back and be back sooner than possible. But the staff and A.J. and them got a plan for us to get there. This does give us a little more peace of mind that not everyone's holding their breath, waiting for us to get back. We got a little bit of help until we can get back. But the way that rotation will round out when me and Nick get back, I feel really confident about it." Musgrove has felt the weight of the rotation not performing as he and Pivetta were sidelined and their progress was slow, yet now the team is in position to be competitive down the stretch. "Our offense has worked their ass off this year to get things right, and the pitching staff has kind of had to piece it together lately," Musgrove said. "A lot of that responsibility falls on me and Nick. Injuries happen, but this team counted on us being there, being a part of that rotation and him and I are doing everything we can to get back as soon as we can. But having some reinforcements come in, especially guys that have done it for a while at a high level ... Robbie's track record speaks for itself. Casey being a first overall pick (in 2018) and kind of coming into his own in the league as a starter, really good. And then heard a lot of good things about the teams they came from, work ethic and just quality of person, so excited to have them." The 39-pitch rehab appearance was a good first outing. His one start this spring, the WBC exhibition against Great Britain, went 60 pitches over three innings, which felt to some like a lengthy outing coming off Tommy John surgery. "I think three innings, 60 pitches felt like a lot," Musgrove said. "But in the moment, you feel good. I wasn't begging to come out of that game, just maybe I shouldn't have let myself go that far in my first one. I never felt great coming into spring. I was always kind of under the idea that I just got to keep working. This thing's going to start to iron itself out and I'll turn the corner soon. And that day just never came. So I went into that outing not feeling great and a little bit skeptical where my arm was going to be. In the moment, competition, the adrenaline, you don't feel much and then the next day, had a really hard time moving my arm. So that could have been part of it. It could have just been my arm wasn't ready. Could have been the pitch count." As is typical for rehabbing veterans when they visit the minors, Musgrove and Pivetta treated the Storm players a little bit more than they are generally accustomed to. "We got them a taco truck. There's a coffee cart here this morning," Musgrove said, although it wasn't his Java Joe coffee. "I think we got a Cold Stone (ice cream) truck coming later. So try to do something. We're gonna leave some gifts for them in the locker room, something to spice up their day." View full article

For two months and a possible postseason series or four, the San Diego Padres paid a good price to acquire 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants. The prospects the Padres gave up are right-handed starter Miguel Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, and shortstop Joniel Hernandez, the Friars' top international signing this year. With the Giants paying half of the remaining $7.35 million on Ray's contract, the Padres had to give up a little bit more to get the left-handed starter. Mendez is well-known to Padres fans and was in danger of being exposed to the other MLB teams in this offseason's Rule 5 draft if not placed on the 40-man roster. The 24-year-old. who was at Double-A San Antonio, just returned from a right shoulder injury, making a rehab appearance at High-A Fort Wayne on Tuesday, where he pitched a perfect first inning, striking out one, before exiting. Mendez, who signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, has been on the injured list twice this year, for about three weeks in April-May, then a month beginning in late June before returning last week. He has made 12 starts this year, pitching 35⅔ innings with a 10.9% walk rate and 25% strikeout rate. His walk rate is much improved from 14.9% in 2024. Since making his debut in 2021, Mendez has made 101 appearances, including 79 starts, with a 4.52 ERA. Mendez has a tremendous fastball and still has potential, as he didn't begin pitching until six months before signing with the Padres. He has excellent athleticism and is effective with a three-quarters delivery. In addition to a mid- to upper-90s fastball, Mendez also has a nice slider and changeup. The changeup was a developing pitch that had a 37% miss rate last year. With the Padres still in contention mode, finding a spot on the 40-man roster this offseason might have been difficult. Hernandez is a 17-year-old out of Cuba who received a $1.4 million signing bonus. He has been playing in the Dominican Summer League, where he has put together a .303/.424/.503 slash line with four homers and 43 RBIs in 41 games. He also had four steals in eight attempts. With a wiry frame at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Hernandez has the tools to stay at shortstop with a strong arm and being a plus runner, skills that could also translate as a center fielder if the infield doesn't pan out. His plate approach, including a leg kick, is something that needs to be worked on, but at least in the DSL this summer has been producing decent results. Overall, the price to bring in a No. 1 starter ahead of Michael King and reducing the Padres' chaos pitching plan a bit seems fairly appropriate without doing too much damage to their prospects. View full article

In their second move of the day to bolster their starting rotation, the San Diego Padres acquired right-hander Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman. The Padres also picked up utility infielder Gage Workman in the deal. Heading to Detroit are High-A Fort Wayne left-hander Kash Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect who pitched in the Futures Game, and Triple-A El Paso left-handed starter Jackson Wolf. Mayfield was the Padres' first-round draft choice in 2024. Mize joins left-hander Robbie Ray as acquisitions at the 2026 deadline, with Mize being a buzzer-beating pickup. Both of those sandwich right-hander Michael King at the top of the Padres' rotation, with right-hander Walker Buehler at No. 4 and decisions to be made at No. 5. But the bottom line is the rotation is tremendously better than it was when everyone woke up Monday morning. Ray, King and Mize is a postseason-worthy rotation. Based on their last starts, Mize and Ray can slot into the rotation as soon as Tuesday, when they have the second game of a huge four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team the Padres trail by one game in the NL wild-card chase along with the Philadelphia Phillies. Mize is making $6.15 million this year, with $1.8 million left this year, before becoming a free agent. Mize was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 draft out of Auburn and made his MLB debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He had Tommy John surgery in June 2022 that caused him to miss the 2023 season. He returned in 2024 and was an All-Star in 2025 with a 3.89 FIP (3.87 ERA) with a 5.7% walk rate and 22.2% strikeout rate in 28 starts and 149 innings, just shy of his carer high of 150⅓ from 2021. Mize followed that up this year with even better numbers. In 86⅔ innings over 16 starts, Mize has a 2.58 FIP (2.70 ERA) with a 5.6% walk rate and a 24.9% strikeout rate, the latter topping his career best set last year. His walk rate is the second-best of his career. Workman still has minor-league options left and might be headed to Triple-A El Paso. He was a fourth-round draft choice of the Tigers in 2020 out of Arizona State. Workman was then taken by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft after the 2024 season and traded to the Chicago White Sox in April 2025 for cash. He played in a total of 17 games with the two Chicago teams, going 3-for-16 (.188) before being returned to the Tigers as a failed Rule 5 pick. He has appeared in 16 games with the Tigers this year, going 6-for-38 for a .158/.158/.395 slash line with two homers and five RBIs. Giving up Mayfield is a big blow considering Mize is a two-month rental, the same as Ray, who fetched right-hander Miguel Mendez (Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect) and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez. But that is also the state of the Padres' farm system, ranked last by every major outlet. At Fort Wayne this season, the 21-year-old had a 3.54 ERA in 15 starts and 53⅓ innings. He had a 10.3% walk rate and 29% strikeout rate. Mayfield has shown front-of-the-rotation ability this season. Wolf had been in contention to join the Padres' rotation in spring, but started the season at Triple-A, where he has been all season. He has a 7.56 ERA in 24 games (17 starts) for the Chihuahuas, with 8.7% walk rate and 16.8 strikeout rate. View full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 5-1 (53-53) Runs scored last week: 30 Runs allowed last week: 21 (season run differential: minus-12) Scores Monday: Off Game 107 (Tuesday): Padres 8, Rockies 7 Game 108 (Wednesday): Padres 3, Rockies 1 Game 109 (Thursday): Giants 4, Padres 1 Game 110 (Friday): Padres 7, Giants 0 Game 111 (Saturday): Padres 5, Giants 4 Game 112 (Sunday): Padres 5, Giants 4 Week in Review and Highlights Rockies series Game 1: This brief two-game series against the Colorado Rockies is one that could make or break the good work the Padres did over the weekend in sweeping the Miami Marlins on the road. Back at home and fresh off a day off, And this game played out exactly as you might imagine. The Padres, a team that has been unable to find any real positive momentum since April, and the Rockies, a team playing better but trying to avoid yet another 100-loss season, engaged in a sloppily played yet entertaining tilt. In a game they had to have—at this point, they are all like that, aren't they?—the Padres used two late blows to upend the Rockies 8-7. Xander Bogaerts delivered the winning shot, a bases-loaded, no-outs sacrifice fly to center field that scored Jackson Merrill. That came an inning after Manny Machado tied things at 7-7 with an opposite-field single to right-center that was bobbled by right fielder Jake McCarthy, allowing Jake Cronenworth to score from first base. While there were plenty of talking points produced by this game—Fernando Tatis Jr.'s first career five-hit game, Michael King's six stalwart innings, the Friars producing 16 hits, Craig Stammen's fourth ejection (Ryan Goins getting tossed, too), the Rockies' four errors—the Padres are in one mode and one mode only for probably the rest of the season: must-win. No matter the opponent, that one win can make a difference in playing in the postseason and watching it from Cancun. And the Padres continue to show enough fight to remain in the race. This win put the Padres above .500 at 54-53 for the first time since they were 43-42 on July 1. They are 1½ games out of the last NL wild-card spot, with only three teams to climb over. The Padres could have taken the drama out of this game by scoring more than once in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings or more than twice in the seventh. But they did just enough to not let the Rockies get too far out in front. Machado and Merrill each had three hits and Luis Campusano had a pair. In addition to his five hits, Tatis drove in two. Game 2: Mission accomplished. With a Rockies team that can be a bit of a thorn—the Padres are now 8-1 vs. Colorado, but with two walk-offs and four more wins decided by one or two runs—a 3-1 win is more of an exhale than a major accomplishment. But as mentioned above, a win is a win is a win. That is the only thing that matters. Unlike Tuesday's game, Wednesday's matinee was much more crisp. The Padres rode the chaos pitching plan with left-hander Kyle Hart and right-hander Griffin Canning combining for 5⅔ innings shutout innings with a walk and seven strikeouts. The buy-in for this plan instead of trying to force more innings out of certain guys certainly seems to be working, at least to this point. The Friars scored all three of their runs in one inning, the bottom of the fourth, all without an extra-base hit. Cronenworth and Machado singled and Ty France was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Merrill singled home Cronenworth, Luis Rengifo hit an RBI groundout and Gavin Sheets hit a sacrifice fly. That quick, it was 3-0. The 2⅔ innings by Hart wasn't that surprising, but the three clean innings from Canning certainly was. In his first spin through the chaos plan, Canning allowed just one hit and for the first time this season (16 games) didn't allow a run. This after getting roughed up for nine runs over 6⅓ innings in his last two outings. From there, it was a typical bullpen run of left-hander Wandy Peralta, right-handers Bradgley Rodriguez, Jeremiah Estrada and closer Mason Miller. Estrada was just activated from the 15-day injured list due to right knee inflammation. Miller's perfect ninth included a pair of strikeouts en route to his 28th save in as many attempts. Giants series Game 1: OK, so the Padres weren't going to win their final 58 games. We all know that. Some losses are a little more palatable than others and while a loss to the San Francisco Giants isn't ideal, they were shut down by 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who is auditioning to join a contending team before Monday's trade deadline. So Thursday's 4-1 Padres loss to the Giants is a little easier to swallow in the grand scheme of things, especially when you consider that every other team battling for the last two NL wild-card spots that were in action lost. Ray limited the Friars to four hits and a run over six innings, walking one and striking out six. Unfortunately, the Padres were unable to dent the Giants' bullpen either. The Padres' only run off Ray came in the bottom of the second as France was hit by a pitch, Merrill singled and Campusano hit into a double play, putting France on third. Bogaerts singled to center to trim the Padres' deficit to 3-1. But the Padres would have half of the six hits they would notch in the game at that point. The chaos pitching plan didn't backfire, but perhaps hit its first glitch. Left-hander JP Sears started and went 3⅔ innings, allowing three runs in the first two. It could have been worse as Tatis made a nice homer-saving catch on a drive by Rafael Devers to right-center. But Sears loaded the bases (two singles, hit by pitch) with one out in the fourth, then struck out the next batter before Peralta came in to get the final out, which he did thanks to Campusano challenging a pitch and turning a run-scoring walk into an inning-ending strikeout of Bryce Eldridge. Peralta got another out in the fifth but left two runners on for right-hander Randy Vasquez to clean up. He did, then pitched the final four innings. So the Friars got 8⅓ out of Sears and Vasquez, so that was certainly a positive development while also saving true relievers. Game 2: Adding more chaos to the chaos pitching plan worked wonderfully for the Padres. As a result, the Friars did what they should have done in this particular pitching matchup, dispatching the Giants 7-0. This twist on the chaos involved two relievers setting up a starter. It began with Rodriguez striking out two in a perfect first inning, then left-hander Yuki Matsui came on for a career-high three innings and 49 pitches in facing just one hitter over the minimum. Matsui turned things over to right-hander German Marquez, who went a traditional starter's five innings and only allowed one hit to complete the two-hit shutout. As chaos begets chaos, Matsui, the reliever, was credited with the win, while Marquez, a starter, picked up a five-inning save, the first save of his 11-year career. The offense was a little more straight-forward, although there was a surprising contribution. The Padres got a pair in the first inning off left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who will not be mistaken for Ray, his rotation mate who stifled the Friars the night before. Tatis opened with a double, Rengifo singled him to third and Machado hit a liner of a sacrifice fly as Tatis sped home for a 1-0 lead. France walked and, one out later, Campusano singled home Rengifo. A Bogaerts double-play ball brought in a third-inning run, then the surprise struck. Jase Bowen, who has shown well defensively as the extra outfielder but hasn't had much of an impact with the bat, went deep for the first time since getting called up June 2 to make his MLB debut, a no-doubt solo shot into the Western Metal Supply Building in the fourth inning. He hit 13 homers in 49 games at Triple-A El Paso and got his first in MLB in his 40th game. He also had just his third multihit game as his season slash line languishes at .167/.206/.250. France then put this one out of reach with three more RBIs, two on a fourth-inning single and another on a sixth-inning sacrifice fly. Game 3: The one trait that hasn't left the Padres since Opening Day is their ability to have some late-inning magic. One of the big differences since then, though, is they are getting a lead early and not having to make big comebacks. On a day in which the impeccable Miller blew his first save of the season, the Padres rescued their closer by walking off the Giants 5-4 on Cronenworth's two-out, two-strike single to center that scored Bogaerts from third. Their seventh win in eight games kept the Padres one game out of an NL wild-card berth. Again, it was a group effort. While Cronenworth got the postgame Gatorade bath, Bogaerts had doubled leading off the ninth and Freddy Fermin bunted him to third. That wasn't Fermin's only contribution. He hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put the Padres up 4-3, his first since June 8, two stays in the injured list ago. Fermin also had an RBI single in the sixth to make it 5-3. Bogaerts had two hits and scored twice, France had three hits and scored once, Merrill had a two-run double in the first and Cronenworth had two hits. That was just the offense. Buehler wasn't as solid as he has been, only going 4⅓, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out just one. But Peralta and Morejon each didn't allow a run while getting four outs. Estrada loaded the bases before he got a strikeout. Miller was summoned for a five-out save, but for the first time this season, he blew the assignment. After getting a strikeout, Miller was tagged by Osleivis Basabe for his first double of the season that tied the game 5-5, just the second extra-base hit the right-hander has allowed in the year he has been with the Padres, both coming in the last two weeks. Miller returned to the dugout after the inning and threw a cooler, which resulted in a minor cut on the middle finger of his throwing hand. Still, he returned for the ninth and struck out two of the four batters he faced. Bogaerts doubled down the left-field line leading off the ninth and Cronenworth's line drive kept the good vibes going at a time the Padres need them to remain high. Some change, maybe something big, could be coming before Monday's 3 p.m. PT trade deadline arrives. Game 4: A 5-1 week is nothing to sneeze at, but with where the Padres were, what is at stake and the way they are playing, that is exactly what you should have expected while facing the Rockies and the Giants, two of the three worst teams in the NL. This round of pitching chaos starred Hart and Merrill hit a two-run homer as part of a four-run second inning that carried the Padres to a 5-4 victory. After winning three of the four games in the series and eight of their last nine, the Friars are now one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies for the last two NL wild-card spots. Who do the Padres play next? The D'backs for four games in Phoenix. Hart set the tone with three shutout innings, surrendering just one hit and no walks with three strikeouts. Sears experienced a hiccup by giving up a pair of runs in the fourth, then Canning came on, allowing a solo homer in two innings. After a scoreless inning from Estrada, Rodriguez ran into trouble in the eighth, which required Morejon, filling in as the closer after Miller's extended outing Saturday, to come on in the eighth to get four outs for his second save of the season in what could be his final appearance as Monday's trade deadline looms. The Padres used six pitchers in their chaos plan. The offense produced one big inning, which was enough. France (2-for-4, two runs) had a leadoff single, then Merrill hit an 0-2 pitch for a 422-foot homer and a 2-0 lead. After an out, Bogaerts and Sheets walked, then a strikeout and Rengifo walked to load the bases. Cronenworth then delivered a two-run single to make it 4-0. The Giants got two in the fourth and one in the fifth to pull within 4-3, with Campusano singling home France. The deadline awaits, then the push against the D'backs begins. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 4-1, 0.76 ERA, 45 games, 28 saves (29 chances), 47⅓ IP, 22 H, 6 H, 4 ER, 16 BB, 88 K, .137 opponent average Blew first save of the season trying to get a five-out save vs. the Giants on Saturday. Struck out three batters in an inning for the third time in six outings Tuesday vs. the Rockies. It was the 13th time this season he has done that, more than doubling the next-highest total by a reliever (six). Tuesday marked the seventh time he struck out all three batters he faced in an inning. Random Stats Fernando Tatis Jr.'s five-hit game Monday was the 10th five-hit game in MLB this season. Xander Bogaerts has eight career walk-offs, with three coming against the Rockies, including two this year. The Padres have won their last seven series against the Rockies. Manny Machado played in his 2,000th career game in Thursday's series opener vs. the Giants. He is one of seven active players to be in that many games and one of 255 players all time to reach that mark. Xander Bogaerts' second-inning run-scoring single Thursday was his 1,900th career hit. The Padres had their 45th sellout in 57 games at Petco Park this year. Transactions Note: The Padres officially announced the signings of 20 draft choices and nine minor-league free agents as previously reported by Padres Mission. Check out the transactions log here: Wednesday: Activated RHP Jeremiah Estrada (right knee inflammation) from the 15-day injured list. Wednesday: Designated RHP Matt Waldron for assignment. Website Highlights Campusano has forced Padres' hand behind the plate — Randy Holt Rengifo is proving to be exactly what Padres need — Randy Holt Looking Ahead (Projected starter or bulk reliever) Monday: Padres (Michael King) at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (Randy Vasquez) at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (German Marquez) at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. Thursday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. Friday: Astros (Kyle Hart) at Padres, 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Astros (Michael King) at Padres, 4:15 p.m. Sunday: Astros (Randy Vasquez) at Padres, 5:20 p.m. View full article

Deadline day has arrived and the San Diego Padres have yet to make a move, but you know that will change by the 3 p.m. PT deadline. The biggest need is a starting pitcher and the Padres are looking at a pitcher who just shut them down: San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray. Joel Sherman of the New York Post said the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner is of interest to the Padres. That move would certainly make sense, especially after Ray stifled the Padres for six innings in Thursday's series opener, allowing one run and striking out six. Other contenders will be after Ray as well, so it could become a bidding war. Ray has a 4.36 FIP (3.08 ERA) with an 11.1% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate in 22 games this year. View full rumor

In what could be the final game for certain prospects with the San Diego Padres, the four full-season affiliates went 2-2 with another game suspended. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas fell to Albuquerque 10-5, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were walked off in extras again 7-6 in 10, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps completed Saturday's suspended with a 12-5 victory, then had the regularly scheduled game suspended after three innings leading 6-2 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm prevailed over Stockton 5-3. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres sent RHP David Morgan on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas. RHP Hans Crouse assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas Suffer 6-Game Sweep By Isotopes Left-handed starter Jackson Wolf was roughed up for eight runs over four innings as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas fell to the Albuquerque Isotopes 10-5. The Chihuahuas (44-63, 9-23 second half) were swept in the six-game series. Rehabbing Padres right-handed reliever David Morgan pitched a scoreless fifth inning, facing four batters and alloing a hit with no walks or strikeouts. This was his second rehab outing as he comes back from left knee inflammation. Blake Hunt went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, while Dustin Harris, Marcos Castanon and Clay Dungan each had two hits for the Chihuahuas, who gave up three runs in the top of the first and were down 8-1 after the top of the fourth. Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect who was just promoted to Triple-A Wednesday, did not play after playing the other five games this week, including Tuesday's with Double-A San Antonio. EP_0802.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris, DH 5 0 2 0 0 0 Mason McCoy, CF 5 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Solak, RF 5 1 1 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon, 3B 4 1 2 1 0 0 Nick Pratto, LF 4 1 1 0 1 0 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 5 1 0 1 0 0 Blake Hunt, C 4 1 3 1 0 1 Clay Dungan, SS 4 0 2 1 0 1 Anthony Vilar, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 2 Totals 40 5 12 4 1 4 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf (L, 5-10) 4 9 8 8 1 4 3 David Morgan 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Andrew Moore 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 Daison Acosta 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 Totals 9 14 10 10 2 7 4 Missions Rally, But Get Walked Off In 10th By Sod Poodles Braedon Karpathios had three hits and along with Jake Cunningham hit a homer, but the Double-A San Antonio Missions were walked off in the 10th inning by the host Amarillo Sod Poodles 7-6. The Missions (45-57, 14-19 second half) went 1-5 in the six-game series, including an 11-inning loss Saturday. Carson Tucker, Tirso Ornelas and Albert Fabian each had two hits, with Ornelas driving in a pair of runs. Missions left-handed starter Jamie Hitt allowed three runs over four innings, giving up six hits and two walks with three strikeouts. It was 2-2 after the first inning, 3-3 after four, then the Sod Poodles scored three in the bottom of the fifth. The Missions battled back with a pair in the seventh on Brendan Durfee's lineout to center that brought in Luis Verdugo and Ornelas' RBI single that plated Wyatt Hoffman. Ornelas tied it in the ninth on a run-scoring single to right. But the Sod Poodles walked it off in the 10th. Right-hander Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, came on to begin the 10th with the zombie runner on second. After striking out the first batter, Druw Jones, sone of Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, won it with a one-out ground single to center. SA_0802.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker, CF 5 0 2 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas, DH 5 0 2 2 0 1 Jake Cunningham, LF 5 1 1 1 0 2 Braedon Karpathios, RF 5 1 3 1 0 0 Ryan Jackson, SS 4 0 0 0 1 3 Albert Fabian, 1B 5 1 2 0 0 2 Luis Verdugo, 3B 3 1 1 1 0 1 Wyatt Hoffman, 2B 4 1 1 0 0 0 Brendan Durfee, C 4 0 1 1 0 1 Kai Roberts, PR 0 1 0 0 0 0 Chris Sargent, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 40 6 13 6 1 11 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 4 6 3 3 2 3 0 Harry Gustin 1 2 3 1 1 2 0 Clay Edmondson 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 Igor Gil 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Tucker Musgrove (L, 0-2) 1/3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Totals 9 1/3 9 7 4 6 8 0 TinCaps Prevail In First Suspended Game; Second One Suspended, Too After rain wiped out all but 1½ innings Saturday, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps and host Great Lakes Loons were able to complete that suspended game, but then only made it through four innings of the regularly scheduled game before that was suspended. The TinCaps picked up a 12-5 win in the first suspended game, which was interrupted after the top of the first with Fort Wayne up 7-0. Alex McCoy finished with his two homers and three RBIs, Jack Costello also homered and went 3-for-3, Justin DeCriscio went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Zach Evans had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, has 15 homers after going deep three times in the series. The TinCaps led the second game, scheduled for seven innings, 6-2 entering the top of the fifth when the field conditions were determined to be unplayable. The game will resume in Fort Wayne when the Loons visit Aug. 18-23. The exact date has yet to be determined. Costello had a two-run double as part of a three-run third inning and a walk, while Rosman Verdugo had two hits. The TinCaps (45-55, 18-16 second half) won four of five games in the series. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio, SS 5 2 3 2 1 0 Ryan Wideman, CF 6 1 1 0 0 1 Alex McCoy, RF 5 3 2 3 1 1 Jack Costello, 1B 3 2 3 1 0 0 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 3 0 1 1 2 1 Lamar King Jr., DH 5 1 1 1 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez, C 3 2 0 0 2 0 Zach Evans, 3B 5 1 2 2 0 0 Kasen Wells, LF 4 0 0 0 1 1 Totals 39 12 13 10 7 4 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Abraham Parra (W, 5-5) 5 1/3 5 4 4 4 5 1 Will Koger 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Will Varmette 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Totals 9 8 5 5 5 7 1 Bullpen, Conner Westenburg Spearhead Storm Victory Three relievers combined for 5⅔ shutout innings, while Conner Westenburg and Jorge Quintana each had a pair of hits as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm used early strikes to beat the host Stockton Ports 5-3. The Storm (54-48, 15-21 second half) went 4-2 in the six-game series. After right-hander Luis Maracara allowed three runs in 3⅓ innings on three hits and two walks and a pair of punchouts, left-hander Cal Riehl, right-hander Jordan Valenzuela and right-hander Isaiah Lowe allowed just one hit from the fourth inning on. Valenzuela struck out five in his three innings. Westenburg got things going in the top of the first with a leadoff single, causing a balk and stealing third with one out, his 43rd stolen base. Quintana grounded out to the shortstop to plate Westenburg. Three more runs came in the third inning as Westenburg doubled with one out, stole his 44th base and scored on Ty Harvey's fielder's choice. After a wild pitch, Quintana singled Harvey to third and Bradley Frye had a sacrifice fly. Quintana stole his 23rd base and scored on Truitt Madonna's single to center. Dylan Grego added an RBI single in the fourth for a 5-0 lead. All three Ports runs came in the bottom of the fourth. LE_0802.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Conner Westenburg, LF 4 2 2 0 0 1 Ty Harvey, C 4 1 0 1 0 1 Jorge Quintana, DH 4 1 2 1 0 0 Bradley Frye, 3B 2 0 0 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 George Bilecki, RF 4 1 1 0 0 0 Jose Verdugo, SS 3 0 0 0 1 0 Dylan Grego, 2B 4 0 1 1 0 1 Yimy Tovar, 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qrey Lott, CF 4 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 33 5 8 5 1 4 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luis Maracara 3 1/3 3 3 3 2 2 0 Cal Riehl (W, 1-1) 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Jordan Valenzuela (H, 3) 3 1 0 0 2 5 0 Isaiah Lowe (S, 1) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9 4 3 3 5 8 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-6, 1 K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 2-for-4, 1 RBI Ty Harvey: 0-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Tucker Musgrove: ⅓ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-5, 1 RBI Braedon Karpathios: 3-for-5, HR, 1 RBI Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K Jesus Castro: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Winyer Chourio: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K View full article

Maybe the San Diego Padres are going to hold onto valuable left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, whose accuracy on breaking news can be questioned as much as an ABS challenge is made, reported Sunday that the Padres rejected a deal with the New York Yankees that would have brought right-handed starter Will Warren to San Diego. No other details were given, whether it was a one-for-one deal or other pieces might have been involved, but it would have been an ideal trade for the Padres from one aspect, but not from another. Yes, it would have given the type of young controllable starting pitcher the Padres crave as Warren is under club control through the 2030 season, still a year away from arbitration. But it also would have taken a crucial arm out of the Padres' bullpen. While Morejon is a free agent at the end of the season, perhaps president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is exhibiting a little bit of self-control. OK, we say that with a chuckle as that would be a first for Preller at the trade deadline. Morejon is one of the top left-handed relievers in MLB, while the 27-year-old Warren has a 3.96 FIP (4.14 ERA) in 22 starts over 108⅔ innings with a 7.6% walk rate and 23% strikeout rate this year. View full rumor

There is no secret that San Diego Padres left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon is one of the most coveted names on the trade market as Monday's 3 p.m. PT deadline approaches. The names of the teams interested should tell you all you need to know. While long associated with the Chicago Cubs, you can add the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates to that list, according to a report Sunday by MLB insider Francys Romero. Morejon has boosted his value this year with an increase in fastball velocity by a few ticks up to 99.4 mph. A pending free agent who would be a big late-inning addition to any bullpen, including possibly as a closer, Morejon has been expected to bring back a decent package even as a rental, potentially a young controllable starter. View full rumor

The four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates went 1-2 with one game suspended by rain Saturday. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas fell in 10 innings to Albuquerque 11-9, the Double-A San Antonio Missions won 7-5 over Amarillo in 11 innings, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps had their game interrupted by rain in the second inning and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were drilled by Stockton 10-1. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated 1B Nick Pratto from the temporarily inactive list. El Paso Chihuahuas placed RHP Evan Fitterer on the 7-day injured list. Dustin Harris HRs, Romeo Sanabria Has Slam In Chihuahuas' Loss Dustin Harris homered for the third straight game and fourth in five with a two-out blast in the bottom of the 10th inning, but that wasn't enough to help the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas blew an early 6-1 lead in an 11-9 loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes. The Chihuahuas gave up four runs in the top of the 10th to lose their fifth straight. Romeo Sanabria hit a grand slam, Harris finished 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Will Wagner went 2-for-5. Trailing 1-0, the Chihuahuas erupted for six runs in the bottom of the second as Romeo Sanabria hit his grand slam, his second Triple-A homer since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio on June 23 and 10th of the season, past the right-field four pole and Mason McCoy and Nick Solak added RBI singles as the Chihuahuas went up 6-1, sending 11 batters to the plate. The Isotopes scored twice in each of the third and fourth innings to pull within 6-5. Albuquerque took the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth, but the Chihuahuas tied it on a sacrifice fly by Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect who otherwise went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his fourth Triple-A game, hitting third and catching. Chihuahuas right-hander Miguel Cienfuegos pitched two perfect innings. EP1_0801.mp4 EP2_0801.mp4 EP3_0801.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 6 2 3 2 0 1 Mason McCoy 4 1 1 1 1 2 Ethan Salas 3 0 0 1 1 1 Nick Solak 4 0 1 1 1 0 Will Wagner 5 1 2 0 0 2 Marcos Castañon 4 1 1 0 1 1 Nick Pratto 3 2 0 0 2 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 1 1 4 0 1 Bryce Johnson 4 1 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Sean Boyle 5 8 5 5 0 4 1 Miguel Cienfuegos 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 Ty Adcock 1 3 2 2 1 1 0 Alek Jacob 1 2/3 4 4 3 1 0 0 Johan Moreno 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Kai Roberts Does It All In 11th Inning To Spark Missions' Victory Kai Roberts singled in the go-ahead run, then scored in the top of the 11th and preserved the victory with a diving catch in shallow center as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled out a 7-5 victory over the host Amarillo Sod Poodles. The Missions gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth and both teams scored once in the 10th before San Antonio won it in the 11th. Ryan Jackson went 4-for-6 with a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored, Braedon Karpathios (Padres Mission's No. 12 prospect) 3-for-6 with a double and two RBIs, Tirso Ornelas walked three times and singled, scoring twice for the Chihuahuas and Jake Cunningham also walked three times, scoring once. It was back-and-forth over the first five innings, with the Missions trailing 2-1 after the first, then 3-2 after the fourth and tying it in the fifth on Jackson's two-out RBI single. But a walk and a double in the ninth off right-hander Josh Mallitz tied it for the Sod Poodles. Mallitz hadn't allowed a run in nine innings over three previous outings and then the eighth inning. Both teams scored in the 10th, with Luis Verdugo driving in the Mission's go-ahead run after being 0-for-5, sending it to the 11th. Chris Sargent began as the automatic runner at second, went to third on Carson Tucker's groundout and came in on Roberts' single, with Roberts taking second on a play at the plate. After Roberts stole third for his 32nd of the season, Cunningham was given an intentional walk for his third free pass and Karpathios struck out before Jackson singled home Roberts to make it 7-5. Right-hander Sadrac Franco began the bottom of the 11th by walking the leadoff hitter, then struck out the next two hitters and got the dramatic catch from Roberts in center to earn his third save. SA_0801.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 6 0 1 0 0 2 Tirso Ornelas 2 2 1 0 3 0 Kai Roberts 1 1 1 1 0 0 Jake Cunningham 3 1 0 0 3 0 Braedon Karpathios 6 0 3 2 0 2 Ryan Jackson 6 2 4 3 0 1 Albert Fabian 6 0 1 0 0 1 Luis Verdugo 5 0 1 1 0 1 Kai Murphy 4 0 0 0 1 1 Chris Sargent 5 1 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 5 4 3 3 1 2 0 José Leclerc 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Josh Mallitz 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 Francis Peña 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Sadrac Franco 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Rain Suspends TinCaps' Game After 2 Alex McCoy Homers No one likes to see rain at a baseball game, but Alex McCoy had reason to be upset that the wet stuff interrupted the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps' game after the top of the second inning. Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect had homered in his first two plate appearances as the TinCaps grabbed a 7-0 lead over the host Great Lakes Loons. The game will resume entering the bottom of the second on Sunday, followed by the regularly scheduled game, which will be seven innings. McCoy hit a two-run blast to left-center in a five-run top of the first and a solo shot to right in a two-run second. McCoy has 15 homers this year. Jack Costello also hit a solo homer in the second inning, his 12th this season. FW1_0801.mp4 FW2_0801.mp4 Storm Swamped By Ports' 6-Run Fourth Inning Right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt gave up seven runs over 3⅓ innings, while the offense only managed four hits as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm bowed to the Stockton Ports 10-1. Schmitt allowed seven hits, including a pair of homers, and two walks while striking out seven. Both of the homers came in a quick-strike six-run fourth inning in which Schmitt got just one out and all the runs scored after that. Right-hander Brandon Langley came in when it was 4-0, then allowed two run-scoring wild pitches sandwiched around an RBI single. Yimy Tovar singled off the the shortstop's glove and Yoiber Ocopio beat the throw home in the top of the seventh for the Storm's lone run. Ocopio had singled with two outs and stolen a base. LE_0801.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Conner Westenburg 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ty Harvey 4 0 0 0 0 2 Bradley Frye 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jorge Quintana 2 0 0 0 2 1 Yoiber Ocopio 4 1 1 0 0 1 Yimy Tovar 3 0 1 1 1 1 Truitt Madonna 2 0 0 0 2 2 Dylan Grego 3 0 1 0 1 0 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schmitt 3 1/3 7 7 7 2 4 2 Brandon Langley 2 1/3 4 0 0 2 5 0 Sean Barnett 1 1/3 2 1 1 0 2 0 Daichi Moriki 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, K Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K Ty Harvey: 0-for-4, 2 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Tucker Musgrove: DNP Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Lamar King Jr.: DNP Braedon Karpathios: 3-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K Jesus Castro: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Winyer Chourio: DNP Rosman Verdugo: DNP View full article

With all of the uncertainty around the San Diego Padres' pitching depth as Monday's trade deadline approaches, they are taking a shot on a recently released player. Right-hander J.P. France has signed a minor-league contract with the Padres, The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported Saturday. The 31-year-old France had been designated for assignment by the Houston Astros, went unclaimed and was released Thursday. France made three relief appearances for the Astros this year, giving up six runs in 6⅔ innings, walking five and striking out four. He has been at Triple-A for most of 2026, appearing in 29 games, including one start, with a 3.72 ERA in 36⅓ innings. He had a rather high 14.8% walk rate and 23.1% strikeout rate. France appeared in 34 games, including 28 starts, for the Astros over the last four seasons, including 24 games (all but one a start) in 2023 as he posted a 3.83 ERA. He is likely to join Triple-A El Paso next week, depending on what else happens at the trade deadline. View full rumor