Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
The Padres four All-PCL players - Austin Hedges, Manuel Margot, Carlos Asuaje and Hunter Renfroe -- combined to go 10-for-17 with a double, two triples, three homers, six RBIs and eight runs scored Wednesday night to lead Triple-A to a 10-4 win over Oklahoma City and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five PCL Championship Series.
El Paso needs one win in the three games scheduled for Oklahoma City starting Friday night to win the PCL title and claim a berth in the Triple-A Championship Game against the International League champion next Tuesday night in Memphis, Tenn.
Starting from the top of the order:
--Center fielder Margot was 3-for-5 with two triples, a RBI and two runs scored. He is 13-for-27 (.491) in six playoff games with four RBIs and 10 runs scored.
--Second baseman Asuaje was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk Wednesday. The PCL Rookie of the Year is 8-for-25 (.320) in the playoffs with a homer and eight RBIs.
--Catcher Hedges was 3-for-4 Wednesday with a double, two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored. He is also 8-for-25 in the playoffs with two homers, four RBIs and four runs scored.
--Renfroe was 2-for-5 with a run scored Wednesday. The PCL Most Valuable Player is 7-for-24 (.292) in the playoffs with a two-run homer that scored the decisive runs in the Padres win that closed out the Pacific Conference series win over Tacoma. He has scored eight runs in the six games.
Shortstop José Rondón had a two-run single Wednesday, although he committed three of the five El Paso errors that led to two unearned runs. First baseman Diego Goris had a RBI single in four at-bats and has seven RBIs in six games. Outfielder Nick Torres and Franchy Cordero each had a pinch-hit single Wednesday.
El Paso broke open a 2-2 tie Wednesday with four runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Left-hander Frank Garces started for El Paso and allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five innings to get credit for the win.
Right-hander Jason Jester allowed a hit with two strikeouts in a scoreless sixth. Left-hander Buddy Baumann allowed an unearned run on two hits and two strikeouts in the seventh. Right-hander Eric Yardley gave up a run on two hits and a walk without retiring a Dodger in the eighth.
Left-handed reliever José Torres allowed a hit in two innings. After a day off Thursday, the series will resume in Oklahoma City Friday night with right-hander Bryan Rodriguez starting for the Chihuahuas.