Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Streaking catcher Austin Hedges and outfielder Hunter Renfroe each homered Sunday for Triple-A El Paso.
Hedges gave the Chihuahuas a 4-1 win over Reno in El Paso with a three-run walk-off homer in the ninth. Hedges was 4-for-5 in the game to extend his hitting streak to 14 straight games. The 23-year-old, who was the Padres second-round pick in the 2011 draft, is 30-for-57 during the streak with 11 homers and 30 RBIs, and is now hitting .407.
Hedges, who missed almost two months following surgery to remove the hamate bone in his left hand, has 14 homers and 41 RBIs on the season in just 113 at-bats.
Renfroe, 24, the Padres first-round pick in 2013, was 2-for-4 Sunday with his Pacific Coast League-leading 19th homer. He scored two runs and is hitting .333.
Shortstop Nick Noonan, a graduate of Francis Parker High in San Diego, Calif., was 2-for-3 with a walk in his first start since returning from the disabled list to raise his batting average to .310.
Starting right-hander Bryan Rodriguez (3.57 ERA) allowed one run on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts over eight innings. Left-hander Frank Garces (2-3, 4.40 ERA) struck out one in a perfect inning to get the win after coming off the seven-day disabled list earlier Sunday morning.
El Paso improved to 49-34 to build its lead in the Pacific Southern Division to 5 1/2 games.
Double-A San Antonio (4-6, 26-54) also had a walk-off win Sunday, scoring a 2-1 win over Springfield in San Antonio on second baseman Nelson Ward's walk-off single with one out in the 11th.
Ward (.230) was 2-for-5 with his game-winning RBI. Right fielder Nick Schulz (.291), who drew the first of three straight walks in front of Ward's single, scored the winning run and was 1-for-4 with a walk. Shortstop Jose Rondon (.278) was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Right-hander Aaron Northcraft (2.83 ERA) started for the Missions and allowed one run on three hits wiith eight strikeouts over seven innings. Right-hander Adam Cimber (1.97 ERA) allowed a hit with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. Right-hander Jason Jester (1.55 ERA) had a strikeout in a perfect inning. Right-hander Yimmi Brasoban (2-0, 1.35 ERA) also had a strikeout in a perfect inning to get the win.
There were two other notable events Sunday.
Major League veteran Brandon Morrow made his second appearance with the Arizona Rookie League Padres and allowed two hits with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings.
And right-handed pitcher Elliot Morris, who came to the Padres from the Angels as part of the 2014 trade package for closer Huston Street, was released from Class-A Fort Wayne.
AROUND THE FARM:
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (6-5, 38-43): STORM 3, Lancaster 2: Catcher A.J. Kennedy (.321) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Starting right-handed pitcher Walker Lockett (3-3, 3.54 ERA) allowed a run on a hit and a walk with six strikeouts in six innings. Right-handed pitcher Trey Wingenter (4.20 ERA) allowed a run on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. Left-handed pitcher Brandon Alger (5.56 ERA) struck out two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Righty Colby Blueberg (1.78 ERA) gave up a hit and issued two walks with a strikeout in a scoreless inning to get his 11th save of the season.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (4-7, 40-41) - LAKE COUNTY 3, TinCaps 0: First baseman Brad Zunica (.252) had two doubles in four at-bats. Second baseman Kodie Tidwell (.244) had a double in two at-bats with two walks. Starting left-handed pitcher Thomas Dorminy (1-2, 3.20 ERA) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Righty Corey Kimber (3.86 ERA) allowed an unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
SHORT SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (11-6) - Everett 8, TRI-CITY 0: Starting right-handed pitcher Angel Mejia (1-1, 4.26 ERA) allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Righty Chasen Ford (2.57 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Right-handed pitcher Evan Miller (0.00 ERA) struck out two in two perfect innings.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (7-4) - PADRES 5, Royals 4: Designated hitter Hudson Potts (.326) was 2-for-4 with his fifth stolen base and a run scored. Left fielder Jose Sotillo (.231) had a double in four at-bats with two RBIs in the Padres five-run first. Starting right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar (3.52 ERA) allowed a run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Righty Juan Arias (7.11 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits with a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Righty Starlin Cordero (4.70 ERA) struck out four in two perfect innings. Right-handed pitcher Wilmer Torres (1.69 ERA) walked two with two strikeouts in a hitless ninth to get his third save.
DSL PADRES (10-13) - The Dominican Summer League does not play on Sundays.