Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Outfielder Hunter Renfroe hit his first homer of the season and four pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout Thursday night as Triple-A El Paso defeated Tacoma 5-0 in the Texas city.
Meanwhile, shortstop Javier Guerra, ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Padres organization, hit his third homer in five games for high-Single-A Lake Elsinore while 18-year-old second baseman Luis Urias was 2-for-3 to raise his batting average to .346 for the Storm.
Renfroe, the Padres' first-round pick in the 2013 draft, was 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs to raise his batting average to .292 for the 4-9 Chihuahuas.
Second baseman Carlos Asuaje (.341) was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple with two RBIs. Left fielder Alex Dickerson (.333) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. First baseman James Loney (.268) was 2-for-4 with a double.
Recently-activated right-handed starter Aaron Northcraft worked the first four innings of the El Paso shutout and allowed three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Left-hander Daniel Moskos (1-0, 1.29 earned run average) allowed a walk with a strikeout in 2 2/3 hitless innings. Submarining right-hander Eric Yardley (0.00) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings. Left-hander Frank Garces (3.86) completed the shutout, allowing a hit with a strikeout in the ninth.
AROUND THE FARM:
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (5-8) - MIDLAND 9, Missions 2: LF Nick Torres (.281) was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Right-handed starter Luis Diaz (1-2, 7.80 ERA) allowed six runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in four innings. LHP Kyle Bartsch (9.82) gave up a run on four hits and two walks in three innings. LHP Brandon Alger (14.54) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in two innings.
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (8-7) -- BAKERSFIELD 7, Storm 4: Guerra went 1-for-4 to raise his batting average to .226. Urias, the youngest player in the California League, had a double and a walk and is 7-for-13 in a four-game hitting streak. 3B Josh VanMeter (.286) was 2-for-4 with a double. LHP Christian Friederich made his injury-delayed debut in the Padres system and allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in four innings. RHP Chris Huffman (2-1, 4.85 ERA) allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four innings to suffer the loss.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (9-6) - SOUTH BEND 7, TinCaps 2 - 3B Ty France (.265), out of San Diego State, was 1-for-2 with a RBI and two walks. Starting RHP Enyel De Los Santos (0-1, 3.86) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts in four innings. RHP Nick Monroe (1.13) issued one walk with two strikeouts in three scoreless innings.