Padres Down on the Farm: June 18 (Iriarte slays the Dragons for FW, Ornelas leads charge for SA)
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost to the Round Rock Express 6-3) (29-40 on the season)
Pedro Avila: 3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K (55 pitches, 37 strikes)
Tim Lopes: (2-for-4), R
Alfonso Rivas: (1-for-2), R, 2B, 2 BB
Round Rock scored a run in the first on Sunday of El Paso starter Pedro Avila thanks to a single, hit by pitch, and a fielder’s choice. They added on in the second. After a walk and a single to lead off the inning, Sandro Fabian homered. A few batters later, Davis Wendzel doubled to extend the Express lead to 5-0. El Paso finally built a rally in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Jose Azocar reached on a fielding error. Kevin Plawecki followed it up with an RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 5-2.
The Chihuahuas got another run in the sixth inning thanks to an error. It didn’t matter, though. El Paso was limited to just five hits in the game. The bullpen kept the team in the game just in case, striking out eight in five innings while allowing one unearned run.
San Antonio Missions (Defeated the Amarillo Sod Poodles 11-4) (35-28 on the season)
Jackson Wolf: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 6 K (88 pitches, 63 strikes)
Pedro Castellanos: (2-for-5), 2 2B, 3 RBI
Tirso Ornelas: (2-for-4), 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Ripken Reyes: (2-for-4), 3 R, 2B, BB
Ray-Patrick Didder: (1-for-3), 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB
Kevin Pichardo: (1-for-5), 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
San Antonio was on a Mission Sunday to finish the series strong against Amarillo, and they did just that. After a leadoff walk to Ripken Reyes, Tirso Ornelas belted a two-run home run. The Sod Poodles got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, but Kervin Pichardo responded with a solo shot in the second to give San Antonio a 3-1 lead. Amarillo got two home runs off of Missions starter Jackson Wolf from Camden Duzenack and A.J. Vukovich. Wolf rebounded with a 1-2-3 sixth inning and finished the day with six punchouts.
Pichardo delivered again in the top of the sixth with a two-run single. The Missions would score two more in the inning to take a 9-4 lead. In the eighth, Pedro Castellanos ripped an RBI double, his second of the game. Ray-Patrick Didder would homer in the ninth to cap off the hit parade. The Missions recorded 14 hits, with each of the nine starters getting at least one base knock.
San Antonio’s bullpen combined for three shutout innings, striking out four while allowing just one baserunner. The Missions are now 24-12 in its last 36 games. The team also hold a four-game lead in the Texas League South Division over Amarillo with just three weeks left in the first half.
San Antonio has won 24 of its last 36 games 🔔 https://t.co/cwi8sutvgc pic.twitter.com/kwVMPqAn05
— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) June 19, 2023
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Defeated the Dayton Dragons 2-1) (30-33 on the season)
Jairo Iriarte: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K (86 pitches, 52 strikes)
Jackson Merrill: (3-for-4)
Brandon Valenzuela: (2-for-4), R, 2B, RBI
Jairo Iriarte took the mound for Fort Wayne on Sunday, looking to build off his success against Dayton earlier in the season when he struck out eight Dragons in six scoreless innings. On the other side was right-hander Jose Acuna. After being shut down for three innings, the TinCaps got a leadoff walk from Nathan Martorella in the fourth. He would score on the very next pitch when Brandon Valenzuela doubled to right off of Acuna.
Iriarte was fantastic again, like his first time against Dayton. The right-hander struck out six. His only blunder came in the sixth inning. Dayton got a one-out double from Jack Rogers. After a walk and a flyout, Tyler Callihan pulled a ball to right field for an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Juan Zabala came up in the bottom half of the inning with a bases-loaded sac fly, which proved to be the difference maker. Caleb Thwaits picked up his third hold of the season, striking out a pair in two scoreless frames. Keegan Collett recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his third save.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost to the Stockton Ports 6-0) (30-30 on the season)
Miguel Mendez: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K (58 pitches, 38 strikes)
Samuel Zavala: (1-for-4), 2B
Albert Fabian: (1-for-4)
After a scoreless first inning, Miguel went back out to the mound for his second inning of work and got two quick outs, seemingly on track. Mendez would walk a batter before giving up a single to Cooper Uhl. After a wild pitch scored one run, Mendez gave up another single, this time to Pedro Pin,eda who stole second and third base before also scoring on a single. Mendez day ended after just two innings, though he did get some help from first baseman Griffin Doersching.
Griffin Doersching has a sixth tool and it is FLEXIBILITY#StormTheLake pic.twitter.com/IcKNHRXcaV
— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) June 18, 2023
Uhl came up again in the fourth,h homering to left field. Dereck Salome would in two in the sixth inning as they routed the Storm. Lake Elsinore drops to .500 after managing only three hits on the afternoon.
DSL Padres Brown (DNP) (5-4 on the season)
Game against DSL White Sox at 8:00 am PST.
DSL Padres Gold (DNP) (6-4 on the season)
Game against DSL Blue Jays at 8:00 am PST.
ACL Padres (DNP) (5-6 on the season)
Game against ACL Dodgers at 6:00 pm PST.
Monday’s Probables:
El Paso: Off
San Antonio: Off
Fort Wayne: Off
Lake Elsinore: Off
DSL Brown: TBD
DSL Gold: TBD
ACL Padres: TBD
Al was born in Fresno, California with a passion for talking and writing about sports. The lifelong Padres fan is currently attending Fresno State as he pursues a degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to being a student, he does public address announcing at both the high school and collegiate levels.