Credit: EVT Sports (Farm Report)
Padres affiliate clubs went 4-2 on Friday.
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 7-1 vs Tacoma) (24-25 on the season)
Tim Locastro – 2-for-3, Home Run
Bryce Johnson – 1-for-3, Walk
Ryan Bergert – 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K (46 pitches – 30 strikes)
The Chihuahuas saw a 1-0 lead dissipate in the sixth inning, allowing seven runs in what ended as an 8-1 defeat. Ryan Bergert started and threw three efficient innings, striking out three batters in the process. Bergert has been tossing in shorter starts throughout his return to the rotation, partly due to the team’s pitching depth, but he has been effective regardless. Austin Krob allowed no runs in two innings of relief, striking out one. Krob is likely to remain in this long-relief role moving forward, as he has shown he can be efficient. Francis Pena allowed four runs in a third of an inning, being tagged with the loss.
The offense fell flat for El Paso, scoring a lone run on Tim Locastro’s third home run of the season. Locastro was the lone member of the Chihuahuas lineup with an extra base hit, finishing 2-for-3. Bryce Johnson reached base twice on a single and a walk, and Forrest Wall finished 1-for-3 with a walk. The Chihuahuas stole five bases in the game, but a 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position sealed the result.
San Antonio Missions (Won 2-1 vs Wichita) (22-21 on the season)
Brandon Valenzuela – 1-for-4, Double, Run Scored
Devin Ortiz – 1-for-4, Single
Sam Whiting – 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (58 pitches – 41 strikes)
Sam Whiting’s first start of the season was a success, as the right-hander struck out six batters in 4.1 innings of work. Whiting has seen action in relief, but his performance in a starting role appears to be one he is more accustomed to. On rehab assignment, Bryan Hoeing tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, ultimately earning the win. Jose Espada closed out the game with his second save of the season. Espada has been a key member of the Missions’ elite bullpen, having struck out 33 in 18.2 innings this season.
Bryan Hoeing 2 Ks today pic.twitter.com/5WYawPy1Zn
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) May 24, 2025
Three hits and four walks were all the Missions’ lineup could muster, but the team took advantage of these limited opportunities. Joshua Mears reached base on one of those walks, and he stole home in the third inning to give the Missions their first run. Mears isn’t quite known for his speed, but his athleticism and baseball IQ allow him to be productive despite the questions in his offensive game. Devin Ortiz was 1-for-4 with a single, also driving in the go-ahead run on a batted ball that was misplayed by Wichita reliever Michael Martinez. Brandon Valenzuela, whom EVT just covered in a feature piece, doubled in the win, raising his OPS in May to .969.
Fort Wayne TinCaps – Doubleheader vs Cedar Rapids
Won 6-2 in Game 1
Jacob Campbell – 2-for-3, Home Run, Two RBI
Brendan Durfee – 2-for-3, Double, Two Runs
Jose Luis Reyes – 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K (83 pitches – 53 strikes)
Jacob Campbell flashed with the bat in the game, hitting a home run and driving in two runs in a 6-2 win. The TinCaps had a strong offensive showing, with Brendan Durfee posting a multi-hit game after a rough start to May. Leo De Vries walked and scored a run, while Brandon Butterworth tripled, drove in two, and scored a run.
Jose Luis Reyes struck out seven in four strong innings of work. The Mexicali native bounced back from getting trounced by West Michigan in his last start, and when Reyes’ strikeout stuff is there, he has the potential to be dominant. Josh Mallitz earned the win with two scoreless innings; the right-hander has posted seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in his last three outings. Tyson Neighbors struck out three in a scoreless seventh and has struck out 45.6% of opposing batters this season. Even with the stacked bullpens in the Padres’ system, Neighbors could be a mid-season promotee.
Tyson Neighbors (@Padres‘ 2024 fourth-rounder) stikes out the side to continue his High-A @TinCaps domination:
– 31 K’s in 17 IP
– 1.06 ERA pic.twitter.com/G8EdMcaGJQ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 24, 2025
TinCaps Won 9-3 in Game 2
Brandon Butterworth – 2-for-4, Triple, Three RBI
Kaden Hollow – 2-for-3, Triple, Two RBI
Miguel Mendez – 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 9 K (86 pitches – 50 strikes)
Brandon Butterworth finished the doubleheader with a triple-double, or two run-scoring triples. The TinCaps infielder hasn’t had the strongest month, but looks to be turning a corner in his last week’s worth of play. Kaden Hollow had his first two RBI with the TinCaps, tripling in two runs of his own to give the team a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning. Rosman Verdugo drove in a run on a single, and Oswaldo Linares had himself an RBI double as well.
Miguel Mendez showed off his electric stuff once more, battling through some shaky command early to strike out nine batters. Mendez is another Padres arm with high velocity and a two-plane fastball, and while he remains something of a raw arm when it comes to rounding out his arsenal, he has been able to succeed early on, which bodes well for his ability to serve as a starter long term. Fernando Sanchez picked up the win with two outs recorded, and the duo of Eiker Huizi and Garrett Hawkins tossed a scoreless final two innings to seal the doubleheader sweep.
9 Ks for Miguel Mendez. Fastball touched 99 electric arm. pic.twitter.com/8wE3q3DH4E
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) May 24, 2025
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 1-0 vs Visalia) (17-26 on the season)
Victor Figueroa – 1-for-4, Double
Ryan Wilson – 1-for-2, Double, Walk
Boston Bateman – 4 IP, 2 H., 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K (62 pitches – 34 strikes)
Boston Bateman tossed four efficient frames, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts. Bateman was able to reach 97 on the fastball yet again, using his size to tunnel the slider well to opposing batters. The 6-foot-8 southpaw has a 4.45 ERA this season, but his 33 strikeouts in 30.1 innings, as well as his 3.57 ERA in May, point towards the left-hander building his confidence to be able to go out and dominate. Tucker Musgrove struck out four in two innings of work, lowering his season ERA to 6.14.
The Storm offense hit a dry spell, registering only three hits in the game, all for extra bases,. The trio of Victor Figueroa, B.Y. Choi, and Ryan Wilson all doubled in the game. Ryan Jackson walked twice as the leadoff man, reaching base twice in the game. The rest of the lineup struggled, with the team finishing 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Also notable was the absence of Cobb Hightower, who has not seen game action since May 20.
ACL Padres (Won 6-0 vs ACL Angels) (5-11 on the season)
Jesmaylin Arias – 1-for-4, Home Run
Yoiber Ocopio – 3-for-4, RBI Single
Cole Paplham – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Two former DSL Padres had standout offensive performances on Friday, with Yoiber Ocopio finishing with a three-hit day. Ocopio had three singles, one of which drove in a run. Jesmaylin Arias had his first career ACL homer in the game, a fly ball to right against Davidxon Lara. Carlos Rodriguez and Luis De Leon each drove in a run, and Gustavo Marquez posted a pinch-hit single, his third hit of the season.
Cole Paplham started as an opener, tossing a scoreless inning with a strikeout. The right-hander, working his way back from a facial injury, looks to be coming along just fine. Yovannki Pascual had a scoreless inning with three groundouts, and Winyer Chourio earned the win with four innings of scoreless relief. Chourio struck out four in his outing, scattering five hits and recording four outs on the ground. Jordan Valenzuela had two scoreless innings with three strikeouts as well.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.
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