Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
While outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe and second basemen Carlos Asuaje were in San Diego on Sunday to play in the SiriusXM Futures Game, their Triple-A El Paso teammate Austin Hedges was having a record game.
The catcher had a franchise-record eight RBIs in the Chihuahuas' 11-2 win at Salt Lake.
Hedges was 3-for-5 with two homers. Hedges is hitting .397 on the season with 16 homers and 53 RBIs in just 38 games and 141 at-bats (56 hits).
Hedges wasn't the only Chihuahua having a breakout game Sunday.
Nineteen-year-old second baseman Luis Urias, who was promoted from Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore to take Asuaje's spot, hit his first Triple-A homer Sunday and reached base all six plate appearances. Urias (.444) was 2-for-2 with three walks, a hit-by-pitcher and a steal and scored four runs.
Shortstop Alexi Amarista (.375) was 2-for-5 with a home run, a steal and three runs scored. Right fielder Jabari Blash (.281) was 3-for-4. Third baseman Nick Noonan (.311) was 2-for-6 with a RBI and a run scored.
Right-hander Michael Kelly (3.60 ERA) allowed a hit and two walks with three strikeouts over three scoreless innings. Left-hander Frank Garces (3-3, 4.10 ERA) allowed three hits and a walk with a strikeout over three scoreless innings.
Right-hander Michael Dimock (3.04) struck out one in a perfect inning. Left-hander Daniel Moskos (3.40) allowed two runs on three hits in an inning. Right-hander Leonel Campos (3.19) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning.
El Paso reached the Triple-A All-Star break with the best record in the Pacific Coast League (53-37) and a 6 1/2-game lead in the Pacific Southern Division.
Meanwhile, Margot and Asauje helped the World to an 11-3 win over Team USA in the Futures Game at Petco Park.
Center fielder Margot, 21, played all nine innings and went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored and made a leaping catch at the wall to save a home run. He also raced home from first on a double.
Asuaje, 24, was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Renfroe, 24, was 0-for-2 with a walk.
Asuaje boarded a plane in San Diego on Monday morning headed for Charlotte, N.C., and Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game.
AROUND THE FARM
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (7-10, 29-58): Missions 6, SPRINGFIELD 4. CF Franchy Cordero (.340) was 2-for-5 with a homer. RF Nick Schulz (.289) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. LF Luis Tejada (.306) was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Starting RHP Kyle Lloyd (3.93 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings. RHP Jason Jester (2.53) struck out two in a perfect inning to get his 11th save.
CLASS A ADVANCED LAKE ELSINORE (9-9, 41-47): MODESTO 6, Storm 2. 1B Ty France (.300) was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a RBI and a run scored. C Ricardo Valenzuela (.270) was 2-for-4. LF Edwin Moreno (.232) was 1-for-3 with a steal and a RBI. Starting RHP Enyel De Los Santos (1-3, 6.92 ERA) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks with a strikeout in 5 2/3 innings. P> CLASS A FORT WAYNE (7-11, 43-45): WEST MICHIGAN 2, TinCaps 1. 1B Brad Zunica (.258) was 2-for-4. CF Tyler Moore (.257) was 2-for-2 with a double. RHP Austin Smith (4.66 ERA) allowed a run on three hits with two strikeouts in five innings. RHP J.C. Cosme (3.12) allowed two hits with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
SHORT SEASON TRI-CITY (13-11): VANCOUVER 6, Dust Devils 2. LF Taylor Kohlwey (.182) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a RBI. Starting RHP Jordan Guerrero (2-2, 3.86 ERA) allowed four runs on two hits and five walks with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Dalton Erb (2.45) allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout in two innings. RHP Jesse Scholtens (0.79) allowed two hits with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. RHP Aaron Cressley (1.93) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in two scoreless innings.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (9-8): MARINERS 2, Padres 1. 2B Fernando Tatis Jr. (.338) was 2-for-4 with a home run. 1B Luis Anguizola (.313) was 2-for-4. Starting RHP Luke Bachar (2.13) allowed three hits with four strikeouts over five scoreless innings. RHP Grant Zawadzki (3.86) struck out one in a perfect inning. RHP Kyle Gauthier (0-1, 1.13) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with a strikeout in two innings.
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (11-19): The Dominican Summer League doesn't play on Sunday.