Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Nine players from two Padres affiliates will be playing tonight in two, full-season Single-A All-Star Games, including the California-Carolina League's All-Star Game to be played at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.
The four-man Storm contingent will be led by 19-year-old infielder Luis Urias, who ranks third in the California League with a .316 batting average, and 21-year-old third baseman Josh VanMeter (.284, nine homers, 27 RBIs). In the California League bullpen will be right-hander Colby Blueberg, 23 (0.90 ERA with 10 saves and 31 strikeouts in 30 innings) and left-hander Brad Wieck, 24 (1.78 ERA in 22 appearances with 52 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings). Blueberg ranks third in the league in saves.
Additionally, the entire Lake Elsinore coaching staff will represent the Storm and the California League.
Center fielder Michael Gettys will be starting for the East Division in the Midwest League All-Star Game being played in Grand Rapids, Mich. Also on the East Division club are catcher Austin Allen and 20-year-old, right-handed starting pitchers J.C. Cosme, Jacob Nix and Enyel De Los Santos.
Gettys, 20, the Padres' second-round pick in the 2014 draft, is hitting .304 with 10 doubles, five triples, three homers, 27 RBIs and 37 runs scored with a league-leading 24 steals in 68 games.
Allen, 22, the Padres' fourth-round pick in 2015, is hitting .322 with 13 doubles, four homers and 31 RBIs. He ranks ninth in the Midwest League in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage (.385).
Cosme is 7-3 with a 2.88 ERA in 14 games (10 starts). He is tied for second in the league in wins. De Los Santos is 3-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 11 games (seven starts). Nix is 1-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 13 starts.
The Padres of the Arizona Rookie League started play Monday night with a 9-6 loss to the Mariners.
AROUND THE FARM:
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (40-30) - SACRAMENTO 7, Chihuahuas 3: 1B Jason Hagerty (.293) was 2-for-4 with his fourth homer and two runs scored. C Austin Hedges (.319) was 2-for-4 with a RBI. Starting RHP Carlos
Pimental (6.34 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits and four walks with three strikeouts in four innings. RHP Michael Dimock (1-1, 3.65) gave up two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. LHP Daniel Moskos (2.61) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings. RHP Derek Eitel (2.48) allowed a hit in two-thirds of an otherwise perfect inning.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (22-48) - Corpus Christi 5, MISSIONS 3 (11 innings): SS Jose Rondon (.288) waqs 3-for-5 with two doubles and a RBI. 3B Gabriel Quintana (.240) was 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk and two runs scored. C Ryan Miller (.217) was 2-for-5 with a triple and a RBI. RF Nick Schulz (.291) was 2-for-5 with a double. Starting RHP Dinelson Lamet (6.00 ERA) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. LHP Jose Torres (1.23) allowed a hit in 1 2/3 otherwise perfect innings. RHP Yimmi Brasoban (2.16) issued a walk with a strikeout in a hitless inning. RHP Jason Jester (1.80) allowed a hit and a walk with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings. LHP Kyle McGrath (0-2, 2.12) allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts in an inning to suffer the loss.
SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (2-2) - Spokane 7, DUST DEVILS 1: CF Josh McGee (.250) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a RBI. Starting RHP Jordan Guerrero allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Mark Zimmerman allowed two hits with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings. RHP Evan Miller issued a walk in two otherwise perfect innings.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (0-1) - Mariners 9, PADRES 6: 3B Taylor Selesky was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. SS Ariel Ortega was 2-for-4. Starting RHP Jean Garcia allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
DSL PADRES (6-8) - BLUE JAYS 7, Padres 1: RF Yordi Francisco (.233) was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Starting LHP Jose Cabrera (0-2, 2.25 ERA) allowed a run on a hit and two walks with three strikeouts over four innings. RHP Angel Acevedo (3.12) allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.