Rea, Gyorko lead Padres past Reds
SAN DIEGO -- Jedd Gyorko knocked in four runs, and Colin Rea had a wildly successful Major League debut on Tuesday as the Padres defeated the Reds, 11-6, at Petco Park.
Rea, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A El Paso, allowed three runs in five-plus innings and recorded his first hit on his way to the victory. He struck out four, walked one and allowed seven hits.
"I think he showed incredible poise, real happy for the young man. I have known him for a while, to see him come through just the way he did -- it's a great moment," interim manager Pat Murphy said.
The Reds got a home run and an RBI double from Todd Frazier, who had a three-hit night. Jason Bourgeois added a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning.
Video: CIN@SD: Rea pitches well, gets hit, win in MLB debut
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Settling down: It was a rough start for Rea, who allowed the first two batters of the game to reach base before he induced a double-play from Joey Votto, as he fielded a comebacker, starting a 1-6-3 double play. He settled down from there, though, and even got his first big league hit to start the second inning -- in his first career plate appearance, no less.
• Rea's day: Padres' rookie does it all in debut
Video: CIN@SD: Rea lines a single for his first MLB hit
Lorenzen's struggles continue: Reds starter Michael Lorenzen issued a walk to his first batter and struggled from there in the shortest start of his career -- 1 1/3 innings with seven earned runs allowed. He faced eight batters in the three-run first. Over seven starts since his last victory on June 21, Lorenzen is 0-6 with an 8.49 ERA.
"Just command of the fastball -- I think I've done it better the past two starts and then today. It just wasn't there again," Lorenzen said. "It's: How can I get there mechanically -- but without thinking about it -- in the Major Leagues? That's the struggle. I'm pushing through it."
• Rookie Lorenzen learning on the job
Video: Must C Catch: Hamilton makes an unbelievable catch
GyorkStoreCalled: Gyorko's big night began with a two-run single in the first inning. He would later add a two-run home run to left field in the third inning as the Padres jumped out to an 11-0 lead.
"Jedd's been a little unlucky," Murphy said. "He's hit a lot of balls hard to center field. It was good to see him break loose."
• Gyorko 'breaks loose' for big offensive night
Video: CIN@SD: Gyorko breaks it open with a two-run blast
Frazier's funk ending?: One silver lining for the Reds was the 3-for-4 night from Frazier, who came into the game batting .148 with two homers in 23 games since the All-Star break. His ninth inning leadoff homer landed in the second balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building and was his first long ball since July 25.
"It was good. Much better, more balanced swings," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "In his first at-bat, he makes a one-pitch out on a ball away from him that he extends for -- and flies out to right field. After that, he was on the barrel three straight at-bats. I think for anybody, you need a game like that to get you back where you're feeling confident and expecting success. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come for Todd."
Video: CIN@SD: Frazier puts Reds on the board with a double
QUOTABLE
"Being down 11 after three, it's a big hole to dig ourselves out of. It was just, I don't want to say insurmountable, but certainly we weren't able to overcome it. Just not a good night, not a good night for Michael. We just couldn't stop the bleeding. It just got away from us." -- Price
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Lorenzen's clunker ended the rotation's quality start streak at four games. Entering the night, the rotation had a 3.27 ERA over the previous 12 games without both Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake. The pitching staff as a whole owned a 2.77 ERA in that stretch.
ABOUT THAT HIT
Rea became the fourth pitcher in franchise history to get a hit in his first Major League plate appearance. The last to do it was Tim Stauffer on May 11, 2005, against the Reds.
"Well, we are going to wait and see some more at-bats before we pass judgment on his ability, but I am happy for him. It couldn't be a more perfect night for him in his big debut -- a base hit, too." Murphy said. "It's something he will remember forever. A lot of us who have seen him before, know him [from] before, will be proud of his first victory."
Video: CIN@SD: Murphy disccusses Rea's start, 11-6 win
WHAT'S NEXT
Reds: Wednesday's 3:40 p.m. ET series finale will feature Raisel Iglesias on the mound. Despite giving up one run and three hits with a walk and six strikeouts over six innings, Iglesias was a 2-0 loser at Arizona on Friday. It was one of his best outings, and he retired 15 in a row at one point.
Padres: James Shields (8-4, 3.75) gets the start in the series finale on Wednesday at 12:40 p.m. PT. Shields continues to pitch well at Petco Park this season. So far, he's 4-1 with a 2.62 ERA in 11 starts in his home ballpark.
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