ORGANIZATIONAL REPORT (8/31/18)
In each addition of the PlayBall, we will highlight the successes of our fellow Padres clubs as a way to recognize those with the parent club and in the farm system who are excelling on the field. As we look towards a winning tradition in San Diego, it is important we familiarize the fans with those who may be a part of that future.
As we near the end of the regular season, the Dust Devils sit at 34-36 with a team batting average of .245 and an earned run average of 3.64.
Offensively, Tucupita Marcano has been a bright spot, hitting .314 (22-for-70) through 17 games since been promoted from the Arizona League. Catcher Blake Hunt may not want August to end. The 19-year-old is hitting .304 in 19 August contests with 11 extra-base hits, 11 runs scored and 11 RBIs. Meanwhile, University of Georgia product Michael Curry has been hot at the dish in his last ten games. He’s hitting .351 (13-for-37) with 12 RBIs and seven runs scored in that span.
Starting pitcher Omar Cruz has had a nice campaign for Tri-City. The Mexico native sports a 2.01 ERA through 22.1 inning while collecting 29 strikeouts. Fellow rotation arm Cole Bellinger, brother of the Dodgers star, Cody, has put together a nice month of August. The righty owns a 2.45 ERA in 18.1 August innings and picked up a save as well. Cuban southpaw Ramon Perez has also had a solid month. The 19-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 13 August frames. Dominican native Manny Guzman had an impressive first start since coming from Arizona. The right-hander went five shutout innings to earn the win.
Out of the bullpen, El Paso native Joe Galindo has posted solid numbers in 20 appearances. He’s 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 28 punchouts in 22 innings logged. Fellow bullpen arm Jordan Guerrero has converted all seven of his save opportunities and has yet to allow an earned run in 20 innings. The Florida native has collected 26 strikeouts and owns a 0.80 WHIP. Nicaraguan Diomar Lopez, who had a brief stint in lake Elsinore this season, is 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 26.2 innings while striking out 39 batters. Righty Spencer Kulman has enjoyed a nice August, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 innings. Kulman, who breify wore the Eyes before, hasn’t allowed an earned run in his previous four appearances spanning eight innings. In that span, he’s allowed just four hits and a walk while tallying 11 strikeouts.
The TinCaps are 63-70 with a batting average of .246 and an earned run average of 3.51.
Recent draft pick Owen Miller has enjoyed his campaign in the Midwest League. The infielder is hitting .384 (33-for-86) with 13 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Left-handed hitter Jack Suwinski is 15-for-39 (.385) with ten runs in his last ten games. He’s hitting .370 in August with five home runs and 22 RBIs. Padres No. 20 prospect Gabriel Arias is batting .309 (30-for-97) with 19 extra-base hits in 26 games, including four home runs and 20 RBIs.
Twenty-year-old Cuban southpaw Osvaldo Hernandez continues his dominant campaign as a rotation arm. The Havana native is 11-4 with a 1.81 ERA in 19 starts and is 3-0 in August. Luis Patino, the Padres No. 12 prospect, continues his dominant 2018 season, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 22 innings in August. Fellow rotation arm Tom Cosgrove is 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 27.1 innings spanning five starts.
Out of the bullpen, Evan Miller sports a 2.45 ERA through 40 appearances, spanning 62.1 innings. Fellow bullpen arm Austin Smith, who spent most of 2018 in Lake Elsinore, also owns a 2.45 ERA through 19 appearances spanning 33 frames. Gabe Mosser has been dominant on the bump his last two outings, not having allowed an earned run while collecting 13 strikeouts in seven innings.
San Antonio has struggled in August, going 7-18 to fall to an overall record of 70-63. They own a team average of .257 and have an ERA of 3.50.
Pacing the offense in August has been former Storm Taylor Kohlwey. He’s batting .328 (20-for-61) in 20 August contests with a .408 on-base percentage. Another former Storm, Kyle Overstreet, has caught fire at the dish, hitting .385 (10-for-26) in his last seven games.
Starting pitcher Emmanuel Ramirez, recently promoted from Lake Elsinore, is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 21 strikeouts in three starts, spanning 17 frames.
Out of the bullpen, Andres Munoz, the Padres No. 22 prospect, is 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 19 appearances while converting seven of eight save opportunities. Seth Simmons sports a 2.08 earned run average is 13 innings of work. Fellow bullpen arm Chris Huffman owns a 1.69 ERA in 16 August innings, while Jason Jester has a 0.69 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 13 August frames.
The Chihuahuas have enjoyed a successful 2018 season which has resulted in an 80-54 record and a Pacific Coast League playoff birth. The team is batting .268 and has a 4.22 earned run average.
Offensively, Shane Peterson has been one of the hottest bats in baseball. He’s hitting .472 (17-for-36) with ten RBIs and nine runs scored in his last nine games. In August, Peterson is batting .337 with ten extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Allen Craig has also enjoyed a solid August. He’s hitting .308 (16-for-52) through 16 August games.
Southpaw Logan Allen, who was recently promoted to El Paso after earning Texas League Pitcher of the Year, has had no problem handling Triple-A hitters. Allen is 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA in four Triple-A starts spanning 22 frames. Fellow rotation arm Colin Rea sports a 0.90 ERA in August, going 1-0 over ten innings of work.
Out of the bullpen, Canadian native Rowan Wick has been a reliable go-to arm. The 6-foot-3 righty is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 Triple-A frames, converting nine of ten save opportunities. In August, Wick has a 0.79 ERA in 11 appearances. Fellow bullpen arm T.J. Weir has a 1.64 ERA in August and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last three appearances. Meanwhile, Kyle McGrath has picked up four August victories to the tune of a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings.
The Padres have limped to a 52-83 record and own a .236 team average with a 4.46 earned run average.
The bright spot has been the success of several bullpen arms, particularly Robert Stock, Matt Strahm and Kirby Yates. Stock has a 2.49 ERA through 19 appearances, collecting 29 strikeouts over 25.1 innings. He has a 1.32 ERA in 10 August appearances. Strahm is 3-3 with a 2.22 ERA in 48.2 innings with the Padres this season, tallying 52 strikeouts. Since taking over for former closer Brad Hand, Yates is six for seven on save opportunities. He has 71 strikeouts in 50.2 innings totaling 52 appearances, a heavy workload for a bullpen arm. Craig Stammen, who’s also been very good out of the ‘pen, has not allowed an earned run in any of his previous six outings.
Travis Jankowski is hitting .321 (17-for-53) with a team-leading seven stolen bases in August. Hunter Renfroe is 27-for-90 (.300) with a team-best five doubles, eight home runs and 21 RBIs in 23 August games.