Minors: Padres’ 2021 draft class shows well with Storm; Kopps debuts in Double-A

The University of Tennessee's Max Ferguson (2)

Rounding up the action at the Padres’ minor league affiliates

Sept. 16, 2021 5 AM PT

The 2021 draft class is showing well lately at low Single-A Lake Elsinore.

Max Ferguson and Cole Cummings both drove in three runs on two hits in the Storm’s 17-3 rout over visiting Inland Empire on Wednesday.

A fifth-round pick out of Tennessee this summer, the 22-year-old Ferguson went 2-for-4 with a double, two walks and two runs scored. He is hitting .258/.425/.387 in eight games in Low-A West after hitting .239/.415/.324 to start his career in rookie ball.

Cummings, 23, was a minor league signee this summer out of UC Santa Barbara.

He is hitting .379/.514/.621 with two homers and 10 RBIs in eight games after going 2-for-3 with three walks, a double and three runs scored on Wednesday.

Shortstop Jarryd Dale (.707 OPS) also doubled in two runs and designated hitter Carlos Luis (.645 OPS) and left fielder Pierce Jones (.390 OPS) both drove in two runs on two hits.

Right-hander Ruben Galindo (5-4, 4.57 ERA) struck out six over four innings of one-run ball in relief for the win after left-hander Robert Gasser (1.29 ERA) opened the game with four strikeouts while allowing two unearned runs in three innings.

Gasser, a third-round pick out of Houston, has struck out 14 batters against two walks in his first 15 innings as a pro (1.20 ERA), all but one of those innings with the Storm (52-64).

Right-hander Miguel Rondon (10.48 ERA) closed the game with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (52-63)

Corpus Christi 4, Missions 0: RHP Kevin Kopps (0.00 ERA) struck out two and hit a batter in a scoreless ninth inning in his Double-A debut. RHP Tyler Viza (1-3, 471 ERA) allowed four runs in six innings in the start. LHP Tom Cosgrove (1.75 ERA) and RHP Moises Lugo (1.98 ERA) each struck out a batter in a scoreless frame. SS Eguy Rosario (.812 OPS) went 1-for-3 with a walk.

HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (54-62)

Dayton 9, TinCaps 2: SS Justin Lopez (.702 OPS) went 2-for-4 with his 10^th homer. CF Robert Hassell III (.761 OPS) went 0-for-5 and 3B Euribiel Angeles (.764 OPS) went 0-for-4 with an RBI. RHP Gabe Mosser (4-8, 4.39 ERA) allowed three runs in 2 2/3 inning in the start.