Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee ofthe Padres.
Thursday was a banner day in the Padres' Minor League system.
Three recently drafted pitchers each made their professional debut with a scoreless inning for the Rookie-level Arizona Padres, and No. 1 Draft pick Cal Quantrill pitched another 2 2/3 scoreless innings with Class A Short-Season Tri-City.
Quantrill, the eighth overall pick in the 2016 Draft, allowed a hit and two walks with four strikeouts in his outing.
In Peoria, right-handers Mason Thompson and Reggie Lawson and left-hander Dan Dallas all worked a scoreless inning. Thompson (the Padres' third-round Draft pick) started, and he allowed a walk with a strikeout in a hitless inning. Dallas (the seventh-round pick) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in a scoreless second. Lawson (the 71st overall pick) struck out two in a perfect third.
Top outfield prospect Manuel Margot had two homers and two doubles among five hits (in six at-bats) in a four-RBI, four-runs scored game for Triple-A El Paso. Hunter Renfroe hit his Pacific Coast League-leading 27th homer.
Recently acquired first baseman Josh Naylor, ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Padres' system, was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore to a win. Catcher Austin Allen extended his hitting streak to 19 straight games for Class A Fort Wayne.
The Padres and owners of the Triple-A Chihuahuas announced an extension of their operating agreement that will keep El Paso a member of the Padres' Minor League system through at least the 2018 season.
In other news, right-handed pitcher Austin Smith, the Padres' second-round pick in 2015, was placed on the seven-day disabled list at Fort Wayne. Right-handed pitcher Angel Mejia was promoted from Tri-City to Fort Wayne.
Around the farm
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (62-51) -- TACOMA 16, CHIHUAHUAS 15: Center fielder Margot raised his season average to .313 with his four-hit game as El Paso had 20 hits as a team, but it lost due to eight unearned runs. Right fielder Renfroe (.322) was 3-for-6 with a double, his 27th homer, two RBIs and four runs scored. 3B Diego Goris (.286) was 3-for-5 with a double, his sixth homer, two RBIs and two runs scored. LF Nick Torres (.364) was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. C Héctor Sánchez (.376) hit a two-run homer in four at-bats. 1B Taylor Lindsey (.275) had two doubles in five at-bats with a run scored. 2B Carlos Asuaje (.329) was 2-for-6 with a RBI and a run scored. Starting RHP Aaron Northcraft (5.04 ERA) allowed eight runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts in four innings. RHP Derek Eitel (3.29) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. LHP Keith Hessler (3.07) allowed a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. RHP Jason Jester (0-2, 20.25) allowed six runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Eric Yardley (3.72) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (19-22, 41-70) -- FRISCO 3, MISSIONS 2: CF Franchy Cordero (.324) had a double and a triple in four at-bats to drive in both San Antonio runs. LF Luis Tejada (.248) was 1-for-1 with a walk and a hit-by-pitcher with a run scored. Starting RHP Michael Kelly (2-2, 3.02 ERA) allowed three runs on three hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. LHP Brad Wieck (0.63) retired both hitters he faced. RHP Walker Lockett (2.55) allowed two hits, and he hit two batters while striking out five over six hitless innings.
CLASS A ADVANCED LAKE ELSINORE (24-17, 56-55) -- STORM 6, BAKERSFIELD 3: Naylor raised his average to .276. CF Michael Gettys (.303) was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk with a run scored. SS Javier Guerra (.197) was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk with a RBI and two runs scored. Starting RHP Enyel De Los Santos (4.95 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. RHP Zech Lemond (4-4, 6.65) allowed a run on a hit with two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings to get the win. LHP Trevor Seidenberger (5.96) allowed a hit and two walks in two-thirds scoreless innings. RHP Gerardo Reyes (5.84) had a strikeout in 1 1/3 scoreless innings to get his first save.
CLASS A FORT WAYNE (17-23, 53-57) -- TIN CAPS 2, SOUTH BEND 1: Starting LHP Thomas Dorminy (3-3, 3.06 ERA) allowed four hits and a walk with two strikeouts over six scoreless innings in his return to the TinCaps. LHP José Castillo (2.61) allowed a run on two hits with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. RHP David Bednar (5.19) allowed two hits in two-thirds of a scoreless inning to get his first save.
CLASS A SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (2-5, 21-24) -- DUST DEVILS 4, BOISE 3: RHP Dalton Erb (1-1, 2.96 ERA) followed Quantrill and gave up two hits with two strikeouts in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. LHP Nathan Foriest (4.15) allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Evan Miller (2.61) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings for his first save. C Kyle Overstreet (.208) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. 3B Boomer White (.252) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. 2B Nate Easley (.298) was 1-for-2 with a walk, two steals and a RBI.
ROOKIE-LEVEL ARIZONA PADRES (14-22) -- CUBS 4, PADRES 3: RHP Jean Garcia (3.00 ERA) allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout in three innings. RHP Andres Munoz (1-1, 4.20) allowed three unearned runs on two hits with two strikeouts over two innings. RHP Grant Zawadzki (3.86) walked one in an otherwise perfect inning. LF Josh Magee (.667)was 2-for-3 with a RBI. RF Jack Suwinski (.324) was 2-for-4 with a double. SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (.256) had a double in three at-bats with a walk and a steal. 2B Hudson Potts (.310) was 1-for-4 with a run scored.
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (26-26) -- PADRES 3, WHITE SOX 2: Starting RHP Diomar Valdez (3-2, 3.83 ERA) allowed a run on a hit with six strikeouts in five innings. LHP Eduardo Solano (4.74) allowed a hit with four strikeouts in three scoreless innings. RHP Miguel Roman hit a batter and allowed a run without giving up a hit in an inning for his first save. LF Danny Tovar (.301) was 3-for-3 with a walk, two steals and a run scored. CF Angel Santos (.258) was 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitcher and a run scored. 2B Kelvin Alarcon (.271) was 2-for-4 with a walk.