Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Alex Dickerson, Nick Noonan and Ryan Schimpf homered to lead surging Triple-A El Paso to a sixth straight win and the Padres opened the Dominican Summer League with a 6-4 win over the White Sox Saturday.
Elsewhere, right-hander Bryan Rodriguez pitched seven shutout innings as Double-A San Antonio split a doubleheader and starters Jacob Nix and Logan Allen piggy-backed on a four-hit win for low Single-A Fort Wayne.
Left fielder Dickerson returned to the lineup after getting two starts off following the end of his 29-game hitting streak and went 4-for-5 with his 10th double and ninth homer for five RBIs and two runs scored. He is hitting .414 on the season with 40 RBIs.
Third baseman Schimpf (.326) was 3-for-5 with a double and his 11th homer with two runs scored as El Paso won for the 12th time in 13 games to improve to 33-22.
Shortstop Noonan (.336) homered in three at-bats with a walk and two runs scored. Second baseman Carlos Asuaje (.335) had a triple in three at-bats with two walks for two runs scored.
Starting right-hander Carlos Pimental (5-3, 6.75 earned run average) allowed three runs on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts in five innings to get the win.
Left-hander Keith Hessler (3.38 ERA) allowed a run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in two innings. Right-hander Leonel Campos (4.98) gave up a run on two hits with a strikeout in an inning. Left-hander Daniel Moskos (2.13) struck out one in a perfect ninth.
Nix, 20, allowed one run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts in four innings to pick up the win and lower his ERA to 3.05 as 30-26 Fort Wayne scored a 4-1 win at Dayton. Left-hander Allen, 20, allowed a hit and a walk with three strikeouts over five scoreless innings to improve to 3-1 and lower his ERA to 3.63.
Catcher Austin Allen (.318) was 2-for-4 with his third homer and two RBIs. Right fielder Jhonatan Pena (.243) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Shortstop Ruddy Giron (.185) was 1-for-3 with a RBI.
Right fielder Yordi Francisco was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored for the DSL Padres. Left-handed starter Cristian Machuca, 19, allowed two runs on four hits and a walk with a strikeout in four innings. Left-hander Eduardo Solano, 19, allowed four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
AROUND THE FARM
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (17-37) -- Missions 6-2, ARKANSAS 0-5 - Rodriguez (3.5, 3.51 ERA) gave up seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six scoreless innings in the opener. RHP Seth simmons struck out two in a perfect seventh to complete the shutout. Starting RHP Michael Kelly (1-1, 2.86) allowed five runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts over five innings in the secondgame. RHP Rafael DePaula (3.63) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. SS Jose Rondon (.253) was 3-for-7 in the doubleheader with a double, a homer, a walk and two RBIs. 2B Nelson Ward (.223) was 3-for-7 with two doubles, a walk and a RBI. C Ryan Miller (.218) was 1-for-3 with a homer, 3B Gabriel Quintana (.245) was 1-for-7 with a homer. INF River Stevens (.375) was 2-for-5 with a walk and two runs scored. LF Nick Torres had two doubles in seven at-bats with two RBIs. CF Auston Bousfield (.194) had two doubles in eight at-bats with a run scored.
HIGH CLASS A LAKE ELSINORE (27-29) - High Desert 10, STORM 6 (15 innings): CF Franchy Cordero (.270) had a double and a triple in seven RBIs with two RBIs and a run scored. 1B Trae Santos (.222) had a double and a triple in six at-bats with two RBIs and two runs scored. SS Javier Guerra (.193) was 2-for-6 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. DH Franmil Reyes (.234) had two doubles in seven at-bats with a RBI. Starting RHP Zech Lemond (3.50 ERA) allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in nine innings. RHP Yimmi Brasoban (0.68) allowed a run on three hits with two walks in two innings. RHP Colby Blueberg (1.04) allowed a hit with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings. LHP Brad Wieck (1.55) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings. RHP Ben Paullus (3.18) walked two with two strikeouts in two innings. LHP Taylor Cox (1-2, 6.19) allowed six runs on five hits and three walks with a strikeout in the top of the 15th.