Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Top Padres' prospects Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot and Carlos Asuaje will make their Petco Park debuts Sunday in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The game is live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Outfielder Renfroe will play for the United States team while center fielder Margot and second baseman Asuaje will play for the World Team.
Renfroe, 24, the 13th overall pick in the 2013 draft, is hitting .335 with 21 homers, 78 RBIs and 68 runs scored in 84 games for Triple-A El Paso this season. He leads the Pacific Coast League in homers, runs scored, extra-base hits and RBIs and ranks third in slugging percentage.
Margot, 21, and Asuaje, 24, both came to the Padres in the trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox last Nov. 13.Asuaje is hitting .323 for El Paso with 17 doubles, seven triples and five homers for 45 RBIs and 65 runs scored. Margot is hitting .299 for El Paso with 14 doubles, eight triples and four homers for 34 RBIs and 63 runs scored.
Renfroe, Asuaje and Margot rank 1-2-3, respectively, in the PCL in runs scored. Margot is fourth in the PCL with 23 steals.
Meanwhile, El Paso won without the trio Saturday night while four pitchers in the system turned in strong outings starting with Chihuahuas' right-hander Daniel McCutchen (5.38 earned run average), who allowed six hits and a walk with two strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Left fielder Nick Torres, who is with El Paso while Hunter and Margot are in San Diego, was 2-for-4 Saturday night with his first Triple-A homer, three RBIs and two runs scored with a walk. Torres is 3-for-8 and replacement second baseman Luis Urias, 19, is 2-for-7 after going 1-for-4 Saturday with two RBIs and a walk.
Right fielder Jabari Blash (.266) had two doubles in four at-bats with a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored. Catcher Austin Hedges (.390) and shortstop Nick Noonan (.311) were each 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Designated hitter Hector Sanchez (.500) was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored.
In addition to McCutchen, right-handed starters T.J. Weir of Double-A San Antonio, Zech Lemond of high Single-A Lake Elsinore and Jean Garcia of the Arizona Rookie Padres had strong outings Saturday.
Weir (7.13 ERA) allowed one run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Lemond (2-3, 5.98) allowed two runs on four hits with six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. Garcia (1-2, 3.15) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with steven strikeouts over six innings.
AROUND THE FARM:
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (6-10, 29-58) - SPRINGFIELD 2, Missions 1: C Ryan Miller (.223) was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. LHP Brad Wieck (0.00 ERA) followed Weir and allowed a hit with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings. RHP Yimmi Brasoban (2-1, 2.81) allowed a run on a hit and a walk with a strikeout in an inning to suffer the loss.
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (9-8, 41-46) - Storm 7, MODESTO 5: SS Javier Guerra (.212) hit a homer in four at-bats. LF Daniel Bravo (.265) was 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. 1B Trae Santos (.209) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. 3B Ty France (.231) was 2-for-5 with a double and a RBI. CF Michael Gettys (.348) was 1-for-4 with a steal, a RBI and a run scored. LHP Trevor Seidenberger (6.10) followed Lemond and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Trey Wingenter (3.63) struck out one hitter to end the game and get his first save.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (7-10, 43-44) - WEST MICHIGAN 2, TinCaps 0: CF Tyler Moore (.243) was 3-for-4. DH Kodie Tidwell (.246) was 1-for-2 with two walks. Starting LHP Jerry Keel (5-8, 2.75 ERA) allowed two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in five innings. LHP Elvin Liriano (1.96) issued three walks with two strikeouts in three hitless/scoreless innings.
SHORT SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (13-10) - VANCOUVER 8, Dust Devils 3: DH Mason Smith (.267) hit a two-run homer in three at-bats. Starting LHP Will Headean (2-2, 6.55 ERA) allowed eight runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts in three innings. RHP Diomar Lopez (1.10) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in three scoreless innings. RHP Will Stillman (0.00) had a strikeout in a perfect inning. RHP David Bednar (0.00) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (9-7) - PADRES 14, Royals 2: LHP Ben Sheckler (1.00 ERA) followed Garcia and allowed one hit and a walk with four strikeouts over three scoreless innings to get his first save. 2B Fernando Tatis Jr. (.328) was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. RF Manny DeLeon (.245) was 3-for-4 with a double, three steals and two runs scored. 1B Luis Anguizola (.250) was 3-for-4 with two steals, two RBIs and three runs scored. CF Dayon Olmo (.250) had a homer and a triple in four at-bats with three RBIs and three runs scored. 3B Denzell Gowdy (.235) had a double in three at-bats with two walks, a RBI and two runs scored.
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (11-19) - PADRES 6, White Sox 3: RF Yordi Francisco (.203) was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. DH Carlos Taveras (.346) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. 2B Eguy Rosario (.348) had a double in four at-bats for two RBIs and two runs scored. Starting LHP Anderson Polanco (2-2, 3.72 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in five innings. RHP Angel Acevedo (1.99) allowed five hits and two walks with four strikeouts over four scoreless innings to get his first save.