Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
The Padres might have found something in catchers named Austin.
Austin Hedges hit his first homer of the season for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday while raising his batting average to .346, while Austin Allen at Class A Fort Wayne had a two-run pinch-hit single to raise his batting average to .647.
Hedges, 23, was 2-for-4 Sunday and is 9-for-26 with the Chihuahuas with three doubles, a homer, six RBIs and four runs scored. He has a .393 on-base percentage, a .577 slugging percentage and a .970 OPS.
Allen, 22, is off to a 22-for-34 start in his first full professional season with the TinCaps with four doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored in 10 games. He has a .675 on-base percentage, a .853 slugging percentage and a 1.528 OPS.
Hedges was the Padres' second-round pick in the 2011 Draft. Allen was the club's fourth-round pick last June.
Another notable performance Sunday was by Class A Advanced shortstop Javier Guerra, who had a double and a homer in four at-bats.
Rehabbing right-hander Brandon Morrow made his second start for Lake Elsinore. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He has a 6.94 earned run average in two starts.
Right-hander Walker Lockett, 21, the Padres' fourth-round pick in the 2012 Draft, allowed three unearned runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts in six innings for Fort Wayne. Lockett is 0-1 with a 0.53 ERA over three starts and 17 innings this season with the TinCaps. He has 14 strikeouts against three walks and has allowed 0.94 runners per inning.
Around the farm
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (2-6): Reno 8, CHIHUAHUAS 5. SS Nick Noonan was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Starting RHP Greg Reynolds (7.27 ERA) allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits with a strikeout in five innings. LHP Michael Kirkman (4.50) had a strikeout in two perfect innings. RHP Leonel Campos (0-1, 5.68) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings to suffer the loss.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (4-5): The Missions were rained out at Tulsa Sunday and will make up the game as part of a doubleheader Monday.
CLASS A ADVANCED LAKE ELSINORE (6-5): Rancho Cucamonga 6, STORM 3. CF Franchy Cordero (.295) was 2-for-4. LHP Brad Wieck (1.35 ERA) allowed a run on two hits and no walks with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Colby Blueberg (1.50) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning.
CLASS A FORT WAYNE (7-4): South Bend 5, TIN CAPS 4. Fort Wayne's five-game winning streak to open the home season at Parkview Field ended. RHP Elliot Ashbeck (1-1, 2.57 ERA) allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout in three innings to suffer the loss.