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Storm's Edwards figuring out Cal League

Padres No. 8 prospect posts first four-hit game at new level
Xavier Edwards collected a career-high five hits on May 1 for Class A Fort Wayne. (Fort Wayne TinCaps)
July 24, 2019

Xavier Edwards is starting to get the hang of the California League.The eighth-ranked Padres prospect registered his first four-hit game since moving up a level and scored a run in Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore's 10-5 loss to Lancaster on Tuesday night at The Hangar.

Xavier Edwards is starting to get the hang of the California League.
The eighth-ranked Padres prospect registered his first four-hit game since moving up a level and scored a run in Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore's 10-5 loss to Lancaster on Tuesday night at The Hangar.

"I'm just trying to stick to my approach from the beginning and it paid off today," Edwards said.
The 19-year-old grounded a single through the right side off starter Colten Schmidt in the first inning and scored on a base hit by Padres No. 20 prospect Gabriel Arias. After flying out to end the second, he another knock to right-center on a 3-1 offering from the left-hander in the fourth, then ended Schmidt's Cal League debut with an infield single that loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth.
Edwards said his third at-bat typified what he's been working on recently.
"Just trying to hit it to the big part of the field and keep your weight behind the ball," he said. "Try to go through the middle, not get too pull-happy."
That third hit matched Edwards' best single-game total for the Storm, notched on July 15. With one out and righty Austin Moore on the hill in the eighth, the switch-hitting infielder sent a 2-1 pitch back up the middle for his fourth hit of the night.
Edwards is 11-for-32 (.344) over his last eight games after batting .238 (5-for-21) in his first five games with Lake Elsinore.
Gameday box score 
A major reason for Edwards' slow Call League start was getting too pull-happy and diverging from his ideal approach.
"I've tried to tone it down a little bit and try to stay through the ball," he said.
Another factor was getting used to his new surroundings.
"New league, different time zone," Edwards said, "different things I was getting acclimated to and kind of learning how the guys here pitch, how this league is different from the Midwest League. Just little things about teams and how they throw to guys."
Selected 38th overall in last year's Draft, Edwards raised his average to .302 with five stolen bases and eight runs scored in 13 Cal League games. The New York native was promoted from Class A Fort Wayne on July 9 after he batted .336/.392/.414 with 18 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs and 20 steals in 77 games. 

Edwards said he tried not to get too discouraged after scuffling early with Lake Elsinore.
"It's definitely a good feeling when things are starting to turn a little bit and you could see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
Lancaster's Taylor Snyder extended his home run streak to four games with a first-inning grand slam. Ramon Marcelino added a solo shot and fell a triple shy of the cycle for the JetHawks, while Matt Hearn was 3-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, three RBIs and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot.
Jack Suwinski had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Storm.

Shlomo Sprung is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @sprungonsports</a