Gyorko again leads El Paso with HR, walk-off single

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

Second baseman Jedd Gyorko had a second straight game-altering game for Triple-A El Paso Saturday night after the Padres shuffled their minor league catching lineup and named former player Xavier Nady the hitting coach at Single-A Lake Elsinore.

Gyorko hit his second homer in as many games then had a walk-off single in the ninth as the Chihuahuas defeated Salt Lake 5-4 in El Paso to climb above .500 for the first time since May 30.

Gyorko was 2-for-5 with the two RBIs and is now hitting .270 (10-for-37) with three homers and seven RBIs in nine games for the Chihuahuas. He is 5-for-9 over the last two nights with two homers, four RBIs and three runs scored.

Catcher Jason Hagerty doubled as a pinch-hitter during El Paso's three-run, game-winning rally in the ninth hours after being promoted to the Chihuahuas from Double-A San Antonio.

To replace Hagerty at El Paso, the Padres promoted catcher Adolfo Reina from Lake Elsinore to San Antonio. To replace Reina with the Storm, catcher Miguel Del Castillo was promoted from low Single-A Fort Wayne. And to replace Reina at Fort Wayne, Michael Miller was promoted from short-season Single-A Tri City.

Back at El Paso, center fielder Abraham Almonte (.304) was 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk, two RBIs and a run scored. Designated hitter Alex Dickerson (.315), from Poway High, was 2-for-3 with a triple.

Right-handed starter Chris Smith (3.48 earned run average) allowed a run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six innings.

Left-hander Chris Rearick (7.11 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits in one-third of an inning. Right-hander Jay Jackson (2.37 ERA) allowed a run on four walks and no hits with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. Right-hander Jerry Sullivan (2-0,2.79 ERA) issued a walk and had a strikeout in a hitless ninth to get the win.

Nady, 36, replaces Rod Barajas, who became the manager at Double-A San Antonio last week when Jamie Quirk was promoted to replace Padres manager Pat Murphy as the manager at El Paso.

Nady was the Padres second-round pick in the 2000 draft out of the University of California. He spent five of his 12-season Major League career (.268 career hitter with 104 homers in 2,969 at-bats) with the Padres.

AROUND THE FARM:

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (29-38): Midland 9, MISSIONS 6 - 2B Taylor Lindsey (.364) was 3-for-5 with a double, his first homer with two RBIs and two runs scored. Reina was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI in his first game with the Misisons. SS Casey McElroy (.266) was 2-for-4. 1B Luis Domoromo (.201) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. Starting RHP Elliot Morris (2-6, 5.19 ERA) allowed seven runs on 11 hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. RHP Michael Dimock (2.70 ERA) allowed two runs on four hits and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (30-39): Storm 12, LANCASTER 6 - 2B River Stevens (.326) was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. LF Kyle Gaedele (.243) was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. RF Donavan Tate (.252) was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. RF Nick Schulz (.228) was 2-for-3 with three walks with a RBI and two runs scored. 3B Gabriel Quintana (.248) was 2-for-4 with two walks and two runs scored. 1B Marcus Davis (.273) was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. C Ryan Miller (.301) was 2-for-6 with two runs scored. Starting RHP Zech Lemond (4-4, 5.31 ERA) allowed four runs on seven hits and awalk with four strikeouts in five innings. LHP Kyle Bartsch (5.40 ERA) allowed a run on two hits with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Eric Yardley (3.94 ERA) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings, but still picked up his system-leading 13th save.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (31-36): TIN CAPS 5, Bowling Green 1 - CF Michael Gettys (.235) was 4-for-5 with a run scored. SS Ruddy Giron (.380) was 2-for-5. Starting RHP Ernesto Montas (6-4, 3.71 ERA) allowed a run on three hits with a strikeout in six innings. RHP T.J. Weir (4.87 ERA) allowed four hits with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
RHP Seth Lucio (4.11 ERA) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI CITY (1-2): BOISE 13, Tri City 6 - C Austin Allen (.364), the Padres' fourth-round pick in the June draft, was 3-for-3 with a RBI. SS Peter Van Gansen (.333) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. LF Justin Pacchioli was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Starting RHP Angel Mejia allowed four runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in three innings.

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (0-1): Mariners 9, PADRES 7 - LF Jhonatan Pena was 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the opener of the Arizona Rookie League. SS Kodie Tidwell was 3-for-5 with a double. 2B Jose Savinon was 2-for-5 with a steal. C Josh Magee was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. RF Euri Minaya was 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. 1B Jonas Lantigua hit a solo homer. Starting RHP Jean Garcia allowed seven runs (three earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (9-10): PADRES 8, Reds 7 - RF Angel Santos (.270) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. C Wilfri De La Cruz (.234) was 1-for-3 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. Starting LHP Eisler Cordova (7.47 ERA) allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Luis Perez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) allowed a hit with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings.