San Diego Padres affiliates went 3-1 on Sunday.

Here is a recap of the day’s events.

Lake Elsinore Storm (win 2-0 against Rancho Cucamonga ) (26-23, 1st in Cal South)

*Javier Chacon: 2 IP, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 3 KS

*Nick Vogt: 2-for-3 

The Storm won their Sunday Night game against Rancho Cucamonga by the final score of 2-0. It would be the combined effort of five Storm arms that would succeed in shutting out Rancho Cucamonga. 

Miguel Mendez would get the start from Lake Elsinore. The 21-year-old would work three solid innings, allowing three hits, walking three, and punching out three. Mendez has struggled with command this season, walking 21% of the batters he’s faced. Fortunately, he was able to navigate around the free passes he issued in his start tonight. 

The best outings of the evening for the Storm would come courtesy of  Xavier Ruiz and Javier Chacon.

Xavier Ruiz would work three innings and lower his ERA to 2.88 on the season. He has a K% of  23.3% paired with a solid 2.95 FIP and 3.67 xFIP 

In Javier Chacon’s two innings of work, the 21-year-old allowed one hit and two walks but punched out three for the Storm. 

At the dish, the big hit on the afternoon would come from Braedon Karpathios , as in the bottom of the second he would round the bases with an inside the park home run. Nick Vogt would also record a nice offensive afternoon as he would lace two hits on the afternoon. 

Vogt has been slow out of the gate, with just an 81 wRC+ and .321 wOBA. However, in his last 20+ at-bats, he has seen an uptick in production, posting a wRC+ over 100 and .386 wOBA. 

Vogt should see some positive regression in the near future as he continues to hit the ball hard on a line. Posting a 25% LD%(Line Drive%) this season. At some point, more of the line drives will fall in for the UCSB alum. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps, (5-4 Win v. Timber Rattlers  ) (23-28, 6th MID EAST)

*Griffin Doersching:4 for 4  w/ 2 HRs & 3RBIs

*Tyler Robertson: 2 for 3, HR & 3 Runs Scored 

Fort Wayne won on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Timber Rattlers by a final of 5-4. 

Offensively, the Tin Caps would get a big day out of Tyler Robertson & Griffin Doersching. The 7th and 8th hole hitters would go a combined six for seven at the dish, driving in four of the TinCaps five runs. 

Doersching, who possesses huge power, would connect for two home runs as part of his 4-for-4 day at the plate. The first a two-run bomb in the 4th and a solo shot in the 8th. 

The Oklahoma State alum continues to flash plus power, posting exit velocities north of 114 mph. However, the raw power continues to be nagged by 35.1% Whiff%, 25.6% K%, and just a 71.6% Z-Contact%

Again, the raw power of Doersching is undeniable. It gives him upside, but if he hopes to keep climbing the Padres minor league ladder, he needs to cut down on the swing and miss and make more regular contact in the zone. 

For Tyler Robertson, his two-hit game was one of his best in recent memory. Like Doersching, Robertson has struggled to cut down on the strikeouts, punching out on 27.3% of the time while also posting a 43.1% O-Swing%(outside of zone swing), and 33.4% Whiff Rate.

Hopefully, Sunday afternoon’s game is a step in the right direction for the Montgomery, Alabama native.

San Antonio Missions (Loss 5-2 to Rough Riders) (22-28, 4th TEX SOUTH)

*Ryan Bergert: 5 2/3 IPs, 6 Hits, 2 ERs, and 2 Ks

*Robbie Tenerowicz: 2 for 4 w/ HR 

Padres No.7 Prospect Ryan Bergert would get the start for San Antonio in their 5-2 loss to the Rough Riders.

The hard-throwing right-hander would go 5.2 innings and allow two earned runs on six hits while walking three and punching out two. His ERA now sits at 5.70, and his xFIP at 4.49. 

Despite allowing a bevy of base runners, Bergert would be able to avoid any major damage. In his extended time in Double-A this season, Bergert has struggled. Last season, the 24-year-old had a K% north of 28% in both San Antonio and High-A Ft. Wayne. However, that number has taken a dip to just 18.8% this season.

Bergert still has some solid swing-and-miss numbers, such as a 14.1% SwSrt% and 27.7 Whiff%, but he appears to be struggling to put hitters away. As with just a 21.7% Chase% and 31.6% O-Swing%, he seems to be unable to get hitters to chase outside of the zone with enough regularity. 

Still, given that it is only now June, and he has just 37 innings on the mound this season, there should not be any real reason to panic. Given his extensive successful track record, he certainly can right the ship in the near future. 

At the dish, it was a lackluster day for the Missions, as they managed only five hits as a team. The lone bright light on offense would be Robbie Tenerowicz. Tenerowicz would collect two hits, with one being a solo homer in the bottom of the 4th. 

EL Paso Chihuahuas (7-0 win v. Round Rock Express  ) (24-33, 4th in PCL East ) 

*Eguy Rosario: 2 for 4 w/ a HR & 2B

*Jackson Wolf: 6 IP, 0 ERs, 5 Ks

The EL Paso Chihuahuas bats would  again do plenty of damage on Sunday, as they would take down the Round Rock Express. 

Having the biggest offensive impact would be Eguy Rosario. The El Paso third baseman would go 2-for-4 with a home run, double, two RBIs and a run scored. The 24-year-old has wreaked havoc on the PCL, posting a 153 wRC+, .616 Slug%, and .392 ISO for the Chihuahuas since being sent down.

Rosario was a player who, during his time with San Diego this season, killed left-handed pitching at the MLB level, posting an 184 wRC+ against them in 2024. However, he has struggled against RHP with a 51 wRC+ and .437 OPS. 

But perhaps he is starting to see the ball against right-handers a bit better, as both of his hits on Sunday came off the Express right-hander Peter Solomon. 

 On the mound for El Paso, Padres No. 14 prospect Jackson Wolf would deal in his start. The left-hander would work six innings, allowing zero runs on four hits while punching out five. 

2024 has had some highs and lows for Wolf. He owns a 6.69 ERA this season and a 6.63 FIP. Yet, it’s hard to judge him, given he’s playing in such a hitter-friendly league as the PCL. 

With Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish injured, either Wolf or Adam Mazur could soon be called upon to fill innings in their absence.

Clark E. Fahrenthold

Proud San Diego Native. Attended Sonoma State University, where I received my bachelor’s degree in communications; following my graduation, I returned home to San Diego, where I have worked in the local San Diego media sports scene since 2020.