Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Left fielder Hunter Renfroe and catcher Austin Hedges continued their home run assaults Wednesday night as Triple-A El Paso ran its record to 41-30 with a second straight win over Salt Lake in west Texas. Hedges (.350) was 2-for-4 with his sixth homer, his fifth in the last seven games.
Renfroe (.314) moved into a tie for the Pacific Coast League home run lead with his 17th. The two-run shot was his third in the past six games.
Shortstop Nick Noonan (.310) was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a double. Second baseman Casey McElroy (.318) doubled in three at-bats with a run scored.
Starting right-hander Daniel McCutchen allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts to improve his record to 8-3, while lowering his earned run average to 4.87. McCutchen is tied for the Pacific Coast League in wins.
Left-hander Daniel Moskos (2.51 ERA) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Right-hander Eric Yardley (1.69 ERA) retired both hitters he faced to get his second save.
El Paso is 42-30, and leads the PCL's Pacific Southern division by three games.
AROUND THE FARM:
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (1-1, 23-49) - MISSIONS 2, CORPUS CHRISTI 1 (13 innings): SS Jose Rondon (.284) was 1-for-3 with his fifth homer and two walks. CF Auston Bousfield walked to open the 13th and scored on a one-out single by RF Nick Schulz. RHP Kyle Lloyd (4.59 ERA) allowed a run on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in five innings. RHP Adam Cimber had a strikeout in two perfect innings. LHP Jose Torres (0.96) issued a walk with two strikeouts in two, otherwise, perfect innings. RHP Jason Jester (1.73) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in an inning. LHP Kyle McGrath (1.89) had two strikeouts in two perfect innings. RHP Yimmi Brasoban (1-0, 1.93) struck out two in a perfect 13th.
HIGH CLASS-A LAKE ELSINORE (32-38) - The California League had Wednesday off.
LOW CLASS-A FORT WORTH (36-34) - The Midwest League had Wednesday off.
SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (3-3) - DUST DEVILS 3, SPOKANE 2: C Hunter Redman (.143) was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Starting RHP Emmanuel Ramirez (1.00 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with a strikeout in five innings. RHP Dalton Erb (0.00) allowed two hits and a walk with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. RHP David Bednar (1-0, 0.00) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings to get the win.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (1-1) - PADRES 9, DODGERS 4: 3B Tyler Selesky (.625) was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple for two RBIs and three runs scored. DH Hudson Potts (.375) was 2-for-3 with two walks, a double and two stolen bases for two runs scored. LF Dayon Olmo (.333) was 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Starting RHP Starlin Cordero allowed two runs on two hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. LHP Benjamin Sheckler allowed a hit with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings to get the win. RHP Jim McDade allowed a run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Lake Bachar allowed a run on a hit and two walks with four strikeouts in two innings. RHP Wilmer Torres had a strikeout in a perfect inning.
DSL PADRES (7-8) - PADRES 7, REDS 1 (5 innings, second game postponed by rain): C Bryant Aragon (.265) was 2-for-2 with a triple and a walk for two RBIs and a run scored. DH Juan Fernandez (.636) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. 3B Eguy Rosario (.362) walked in all three plate appearances with two steals. Starting LHP Adolfo Hernandez (1.50 ERA) allowed an unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts in four innings. LHP Anderson Polanco (1-0, 4.50) walked two with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning to get the win.