Renfroe homers; Gale, Dickerson pace Chihuahuas

Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

Top prospect Hunter Renfroe hit his eighth homer for Double-A San Antonio on Saturday, and left fielder Alex Dickerson and catcher Rocky Gale led Triple-A El Paso back to .500 at Salt Lake.

Right fielder Renfroe, 23, went 2-for-4 with a triple and a homer with two runs scored to raise his batting average to .255. Renfroe has five straight two-hit games, going 10-for-21 (.476) with two homers and four RBIs.

Gale (.310) was 2-for-4 with his first homer of the season and a sacrifice fly to drive in two runs while also scoring twice. Poway (Calif.) High grad Dickerson, 25, had two doubles and a triple in five at-bats to drive in a run while scoring once to raise his batting average to .309.

Left-handed starter Jason Lane (7-4, 4.40 ERA) allowed five runs on 11 hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings, as El Paso posted a 6-5 win at Salt Lake to improve to 41-41. Right-handed reliever Nick Vincent (3.16 ERA) allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts over two scoreless innings to earn his first save with the Chihuahuas.

Second baseman Casey McElroy (.299) was 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored. Outfielder Jake Goebbert (.270) was 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, a sacrifice fly and a run scored, while driving in a pair of runs. Shortstop Benji Gonzalez (.278) was 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base.

Right-handed reliever Dale Thayer allowed three runs on three hits in an inning in his rehab debut with San Antonio, taking the loss in the 35-44 Missions' 8-3 loss at Springfield.

Third baseman Duanel Jones (.224) hit his third homer for the Missions, a two-run shot. Jones also committed his 11th error in 34 games since being promoted from low Class A Fort Wayne.

Right-hander Dennis O'Grady (4.89 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over three innings. Right-hander Bryce Morrow allowed a run on three hits and a walk in three innings of work. Right-hander Cody Hebner walked two and struck out two in a hitless inning in his debut at San Antonio.

AROUND THE FARM:

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (34-45): STORM 6, Lancaster 5

Designated hitter Ryan Miller drove in the tying run with a one-out triple in the ninth and scored the winning run on an error. Miller (.295) was 2-for-5 with the triple, a run scored and an RBI. Second baseman Rey Bruguera (.149) and left fielder Nick Schulz (.230) were each 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Right-hander Matthew Shepherd (5.29 ERA) started and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts over five innings. Left-hander Chris Nunn (6.04 ERA) allowed two hits and a walk with a strikeout over two scoreless innings. Righty Eric Yardley (2-3, 3.86 ERA) allowed a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth, but was credited with the win.

LOW CLASS A FORT WAYNE (38-40): Dayton 6, TIN CAPS 0

Center fielder Michael Gettys (.226) was 2-for-4 with a double. Starting southpaw Thomas Dorminy (6-6, 4.20 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings of work. Righty Seth Lucio (3.82 ERA) allowed two unearned runs on two hits with a strikeout over two innings. Lefty Taylor Cox (5.55 ERA) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in two scoreless innings.

SHORT-SEASON CLASS A TRI-CITY (8-9): SALEM-KEIZER 9, Dust Devils 3

Designated hitter Jose Carlos Urena (.291) had a double in three at-bats with a stolen base and a run scored. Second baseman Luis Urias (.355) was 1-for-2 and was hit by two pitches. Left-hander Alex Constanza (3.38 ERA) started and allowed a run on a hit and three walks in 1 2/3 innings of work. Righty Trey Wingenter (0-1, 19.06 ERA) allowed five runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over two innings.

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (4-8): PADRES 9, Rangers 2

Right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez, 20, (2-1, 0.57 ERA) started and allowed a hit and a walk with four strikeouts over six scoreless innings. Lefty Nathan Foriest (3.00 ERA) allowed two hits with two strikeouts over two scoreless innings to get his first professional save. Designated hitter Bryant Aragon was 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Catcher Wilfri De La Cruz was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Shortstop Westhers Magdaleno (.333) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Right-fielder Tyler Moore (.375) was 2-for-4 with a steal, an RBI and a run scored. Second baseman Jose Savinon (.194) was 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI. First baseman Kyle Overstreet (.095) was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (13-18): D-backs 9, PADRES 4

Four errors made all nine D-backs runs unearned. Righty Emmanuel Clase (1-1, 0.70 ERA) started and allowed four unearned runs on three hits with four strikeouts in three innings of work. Lefty Cristian Machuca (1.98) was charged with five unearned runs on five hits with three strikeouts over four innings. Righty Jonathan Guzman (0.77) allowed a hit and two walks with a strikeout over two scoreless innings. Catcher Ricardo Rodriguez (.200) was 2-for-4, while right fielder Aurelio Perez (.268) was 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and two RBIs.