Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Center fielder Manuel Margot, ranked by many as the top prospect in the Padres system, was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and five RBIs Friday night to lead Triple-A El Paso to a 7-6 come-from-behind win over Sacramento in El Paso.
The win was the Chihauhuas fifth straight and ninth in the last 10 games. El Paso leads the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Southern Division by four games.
Margot, 21, is 18-for-44 (.409) over the last 10 games to raise his season batting average to .306. He leads the PCL with 44 runs scored and is tied for the league lead with 16 stolen bases.
There were three other notable individual performances in the Padres' minor league system Friday night.
--Left-handed reliever Buddy Baumann, who had been sidelined since early in spring training with a back issue, made his rehab debut at El Paso and allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning and was credited for the win.
--Right-handed starter Brett Kennedy, 21, allowed three runs, but only one earned run, on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts for high Single-A Lake Elsinore. The Storm committed two errors behind Kennedy who took the loss to fall to 1-3 despite a 2.49 earned run average with the storm.
--Right fielder Jhonatan Pena, 22, had a triple in four at-bats with low Single-A fort Wayne. Pena (.235) is 16-for-37 over the last 10 games with a homer and 11 RBIs.
Back to El Paso, right-handed starter Fabio Castillo (3.82 ERA) allowed six runs on 11 hits with a strikeout over six innings. Left-hander Derek Eitel (2.84) allowed a walk in an otherwise perfect inning. Right-hander Jose Dominguez (3.33) pitched a perfect ninth to record his fifth save.
Third baseman Ryan Schimpf (.313) was 2-for-2 Friday night with two walks and two RBIs. First baseman Jose Pirela (.248) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Second baseman Carlos Asuaje (.335) had a triple in two at-bats with two walks, a sacrifice fly and two runs scored.
AROUND THE FARM:
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (16-36) - The Missions scheduled game Friday night against Arkansas at Little Rock was rained out. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday with two, seven-inning games.
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (27-28) - RANCHO CUCAMONGA 4, Storm 3: RF Franmil Reyes (.232) was 4-for-4 with a double and a run scored. SS Javier Guerra (.188) was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. 3B Fernando Perez (.269) was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. RHP Martires Arias (4.45 ERA) followed Kennedy and gave up two hits in a scoreless inning. LHP Trevor Seidenberger (6.48) struck out two in a perfect inning. LHP Jose Torres (3.42) allowed a run on a hit with two strikeouts in an inning.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (29-26) - Dayton 4, TIN CAPS 0: Starting RHP Enyel De Los Santos (3-2, 2.91 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings. RHP Nick Monroe (3.81) allowed an unearned run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. RHP Phil Maton (1.42) allowed a hit with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.