Prospects Decker, Turner, Renfroe power up
Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Triple-A first baseman Cody Decker capped a night of big games for key players in the Padres' farm system Friday.
Decker, 28, hit two home runs, including a grand slam, for six RBIs in El Paso's 10-6 win over Las Vegas that snapped the visiting team's 14-game winning streak.
Decker's homers were part of a 4-for-5 game that raised his batting average to .250. The UCLA product has six homers on the season and a Padres' farm system-record 139 in his seven-season career.
Also with El Paso, right fielder Rymer Liriano (.273), 23, was 2-for-3 with his third home run, two walks and three runs scored.
Elsewhere:
• Shortstop Trea Turner, 21, the 13th overall pick in last June's First-Year Player Draft, was 4-for-6 with a double, his third homer, four RBIs and three runs for Double-A San Antonio. He is hitting .307.
• Right fielder Hunter Renfroe, 23, the 13th pick in the 2013 Draft, was 3-for-5 with a double, his second homer, three RBIs and two runs for the Missions. He is hitting .231.
•Center fielder Donavan Tate, 24, the third overall pick of the 2009 Draft, was 3-for-5 for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore in his best game since his return from a year's absence. He is hitting .217.
• Catcher Jose Ruiz, 20, was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Class A Fort Wayne. The Venezuelan is hitting .224, but he threw out his Midwest League-leading 19th would-be basestealer in 18 games. Meanwhile, El Paso placed right-handed starting pitcher Bryce Morrow on the seven-day PCL disabled list while adding optioned right-handed reliever Nick Vincent from the Padres.
Around the farm
Triple-A El Paso (18-11): Chihuahuas 10, Las Vegas 6. INF Casey McCoy backed Decker and Liriano by going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs. Starting RHP James Needy from Santana High (3-2, 7.22 ERA) allowed five runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings. RHP Cory Mazzoni (0.73 ERA) had two strikeouts in a perfect inning. RHP Marcos Mateo (2.40 ERA) had a walk and a strikeout in a hitless inning.
Double-A San Antonio (13-15): Missions 4, Frisco 3; Missons 12, Frisco 2. Right fielder Yeison Asencio's sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth gave San Antonio the win in Thursday's game suspended by rain in the eighth with the score tied at 3. LHP Brandon Alger (4.63) walked two and struck out two in 1 2/3 scoreless innings and RHP Michael Dimock (0.00 ERA) saved the win for RHP Casey Kelly (1-2) by getting the final out. CF Travis Jankowski (.346) backed Renfroe and Turner in the regular game, going 2-for-5 with a walk for a RBI and two runs. 3B Diego Goris (.271) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. Starting RHP Bryan Rodriguez (2-4, 5.35 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore (15-14): Lancaster 7, Storm 6 (10 innings). LF Jeremy Baltz (.188) was 2-for-3 with his second homer and three RBIs. 3B River Stevens (.333) was 3-for-5. Lake Elsinore led, 6-4, going into the bottom of the ninth and lost in the 10th. Starting RHP Ronald Herrera (4.36 ERA) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with five strikeouts in five innings. RHP Eric Yardley (2.25 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in the ninth to suffer his first blown save. RHP Genison Reyes (1-2, 4.76 ERA) allowed a run on a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning to suffer the loss.
Class A Fort Wayne (9-17): TinCaps 4, Lansing 3. LF Nick Torres (.333) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to climb to the No. 6 spot in the Midwest League batting race. DH Franchy Cordero (.232) was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a RBI. 3B Duanel Jones (.318) homered in three at-bats with a walk and a steal. Hard-throwing starting RHP Dinelson Lamet, 22, (1.69 ERA) allowed a hit with three walks and eight strikeouts in four scoreless innings. He has 27 strikeouts in 16 innings this season. RHP Bryan Verbitsky (4.91 ERA) allowed a run on two hits and two walks in an inning but still picked up his second save.