Padres Down on the Farm: September 10 (Storm slug to a Game 1 Win/Mitchell HR for EP)

San Diego Padres farm affiliates went 1-2 on Tuesday.

Here is a recap of the day’s events.

Photo byLake Elsinore Storm

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 7-1 vs Salt Lake) (54-85 on the season)
Cal Mitchell - 1-for-3, Home Run
Clay Dungan - 1-for-3, Double
Carl Edwards Jr.- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K (86 pitches - 54 strikes)

Coming off a 10-strikeout outing, Carl Edwards Jr. pitched into the sixth inning, with the only damage coming against him on two solo home runs. The right-hander struck out only one batter but generated an even split of five groundouts and flyouts apiece. Edwards has pitched well in his second stint with the Chihuahuas this season, allowing three runs or less in each of his last six starts.

El Paso’s offense did not have much bite, mustering six hits against four different Bees pitchers. Cal Mitchell homered for the 16th time on the season, driving in his 51st run of the season. The team’s only other extra-base hit came on a double by Clay Dungan, his 20th. Tirso Ornelas was 2-for-4 with two singles, and Brandon Lockridge reached base on a single. El Paso’s batters did hit into two double plays, which led to a fruitless 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

San Antonio Missions (Lost 7-3 vs Springfield) (77-56 on the season)
Anthony Vilar - 2-for-4, Home Run, Double, Two RBI
Romeo Sanabria - 1-for-4, Single
Sam Whiting - 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K (57 pitches - 36 strikes)

For the second consecutive start, right-hander Sam Whiting tossed three innings. On Tuesday night, however, the right-hander allowed three runs on six hits, failing to record a strikeout in the outing. Whiting navigated through eight baserunners in his time on the mound, generating four of nine outs on the ground. Relievers David Morgan and Jason Blanchard allowed two runs each over the final five innings, with Blanchard tossing a season-high 3.1 innings.

The primary sparkplug in the Missions’ lineup was catcher Anthony VIlar, who had the team’s lone multi-hit effort. Vilar hit the team’s only extra-base hits as well, with a fifth-inning home run bringing San Antonio within three runs. Robert Perez Jr scored a run on the Vilar homer, and Connor Hollis scored Vilar on an eighth-inning RBI single. Cole Cummings reached base twice in the game, via the single and walk, as the team finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Three double plays grounded into played a major role in the Missions’ eventual 7-3 defeat.

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 13-7 vs Visalia) (Storm Lead 1-0 in Divisional Series)
Brandon Butterworth - 1-for-3, Home Run, Three RBI, Three Walks
Sean Barnett - 2-for-4, Two-RBI Double
Luis Gutierrez - 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K (88 pitches - 53 strikes)

Opening the California League playoffs on the road, the Padres’ Single-A affiliate certainly brought the storm to Visalia. Lake Elsinore’s offense ambushed Rawhide starter Wilkin Paredes, striking for four runs in the top of the first, chasing Paredes from the game. Lamar King Jr doubled in the Storm’s first run, and Sean Barnett roped a double to cap the scoring for the frame at 4-0. Barnett reached base again in the third before Brandon Butterworth’s first professional home run put the Storm up by six.

The run support helped Storm left-hander Luis Gutierrez go five innings, allowing four runs in his outing. While it was a far cry from the southpaw’s best effort, it was a serviceable start with the scoring barrage the offense put on. Two bases-loaded walks and a balk in the sixth inning extended Lake Elsinore’s lead to 9-4, and Ryan Jackson singled in the tenth run. Five players in the Storm’s lineup registered multi-hit efforts, and the team had six hits with runners in scoring position. Despite three relievers each allowing runs, the lead Lake Elsinore took into the late innings was simply too large a cushion for Visalia to attempt to overcome. Tyson Neighbors struck out two batters in the ninth, finishing the game on a strikeout, looking to stake Lake Elsinore to a 1-0 Division Series lead heading back to The Diamond.

Wednesday’s Probable Pitchers:
El Paso - Jared Kollar (2-2, 4.89 ERA)
San Antonio - Austin Krob (4-10, 4.50 ERA)
Lake Elsinore - No Game