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

It is a minute sample size, but it is still worth a look.

Over the past three games, a trio of rookie Padres starting pitchers have allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks, with 11 strikeouts in 20 innings.

Over the three starts, right-hander Jacob Nix and left-handers Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer posted a 0.90 earned run average and a 0.90 WHIP. Opponents hit .189 against the trio, with a .241 on-base percentage and a .311 slugging percentage for a .552 OPS.

Nix got it going Tuesday night when he held the Mariners scoreless for 8 1/3 innings before Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer. Nix finished allowing only the one run on eight hits in 8 1/3 innings, without issuing a walk or striking out a hitter. Nix, 22, lowered his earned run average to 4.05, while evening his record at 2-2 after four career starts.

On Wednesday, Lucchesi, 25, allowed one run on six hits and two walks, with nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. He now has a 7-7 record, with a 3.59 ERA in 21 starts.

Lauer, 23, came off the disabled list Thursday night to hold the playoff-contending Rockies -- who have feasted on left-handed pitching this season -- hitless over five innings. Lauer gave up an unearned run on two hits and two walks, lowering his ERA to 5.01.

Notebook

• Outfielder Hunter Renfroe has four sacrifice flies in his last 21 games after having only two in the first 193 games of his Major League career. Renfroe was also 2-for-5 Thursday night to extend his hitting streak to a seven straight games, going 11-for-30 with a double, three home runs and eight RBIs in that span. Renfroe is hitting .304 in August, with nine home runs, five doubles and 26 RBIs, with a .324 on-base percentage and a .618 slugging percentage for a .942 OPS. Since July 31, Renfroe has raised his batting average from .231 to .252.

• With his second-inning sacrifice fly Thursday night, Freddy Galvis became the Padres leader in runs batted in for the season with 57. Eric Hosmer is second with 56 and Renfroe is third with 53.

• Right fielder Franmil Reyes was 2-for-2 Thursday night, including the first walk-off homer of his career. Reyes is 6-for-13 during a five-game hitting streak, with three solo home runs. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, going 10-for-22 to raise his batting average from .222 to .253.

• Right-hander Robert Stock earned his first Major League win Thursday night by working three scoreless innings in the Padres' 3-2, 13-inning win. Stock also hit triple digits with a fastball in his final inning of work. Over 14 2/3 innings in his last nine appearances, Stock has allowed one earned run (three runs total) on eight hits and eight walks, with 13 strikeouts.

• Thursday night marked the fifth time this season that the Padres won a third straight game. They have yet to win four straight.

• Thursday also marked the second straight home series that the Padres won the opening game. They are now 4-19 in series openers at home. But they have won three of their past five series openers at home.