Hunter Renfroe stars in first game at Triple-A

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

Right fielder Hunter Renfroe celebrated his first day at Triple-A Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run for four RBIs and two runs scored to lead streaking El Paso to an 8-1 win at Memphis.

Both the Chihuahuas and low Single-A Fort Wayne continued their hot runs Tuesday.

-- El Paso's seventh straight win pulled the Chihuahuas to within a half-game of first-place Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Southern Division race with 20 games to play. El Paso is 22-10 over its last 32 games to move 10 games (67-57) above .500 for the first time in franchise history.

-- Fort Wayne tied a franchise record with a 10th straight win with a 4-1 victory at Bowling Green. The TinCaps are 17-2 over their last 19 games and maintained a 3 1Ž2-game lead in the Midwest League's Eastern Division. The TinCaps have a 66-53 record.

Renfroe, 23, was promoted from Double-A San Antonio early Tuesday in a chain of events stemming from center fielder Travis Jankowski being promoted from El Paso to the Padres. Center fielder Auston Bousfield was promoted from high Single-A Lake Elsinore to San Antonio to fill the void left by Renfroe's promotion.

Renfroe, the Padres' first-round pick and 13th overall selection in the 2013 draft out of Mississippi State, had been hitting .259 with 22 doubles, three triples and 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 421 at-bats for San Antonio.  

Right-handed starter Daniel McCutchen (8-6, 3.81 earned run average) allowed two hits with two strikeouts over 5 1/3 scoreless innings for the Chihuahuas. Left-hander Caleb Thielbar (0.00) allowed two hits with a strikeout in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Right-hander Jerry Sullivan (3.72) allowed a run on a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings.

Offensively, left fielder Alex Dickerson (.312, Poway High) backed Renfroe, going 2-for-5 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. Center fielder Jake Goebbert (.297) was also 2-for-5 with a RBI and a run. Third baseman Casey McElroy (.280) and second baseman Mike McCoy (.225) were each 2-for-5 with a run scored. Catcher Tim Federowicz (.203) was 1-for-5 with his third homer.

At Bowling Green, right fielder Edwin Moreno was the TinCaps offense, going 3-for-4 with a double, his fourth home run and a steal for three RBIs and a run scored.

Right-handed starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet (5-6, 2.99 ERA) allowed three hits with five strikeouts over six scoreless innings. Left-hander Taylor Cox (3.96) allowed a run on two hits in an inning.
Right-handed closer Colby Blueberg (0.70 ERA) allowed two hits and two walks with a strikeout in two innings for his 17th save.

AROUND THE FARM:

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (55-67): Arkansas 12, MISSIONS 2 - San Antonio's four-game winning streak and center fielder Alberth Martinez's streak of reaching base in 33 straight games both ended. Right-handed starter Casey Kelly (1-8, 4.94 ERA) allowed 10 runs on 13 hits and a walk with three strikeouts in just 2 2/3 innings. LHP Brandon Alger(4.11) allowed three hits with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. RHP Stephen Kohlscheen (2.90) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in two innings. SS Diego Goris (.266) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. 3B Benji Gonzalez (.231) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (45-77): BAKERSFIELD 6, Storm 2 - Second baseman Fernando Perez (.229, Otay Ranch High) hit his 10th homer in four at-bats. LF Nick Torres (.291) was 2-for-4 with a double. SS Felipe Blanco (.263) was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Starting RHP Michael Kelly (0-3, 7.31 ERA) allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts in six innings.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (32-27): Dust Devils 6, VANCOUVER 2 - Starting RHP Angel Mejia (3-3, 5.61 ERA) allowed a run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in five innings. RHP Wilson Santos (2.91) allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Corey Kimber allowed an unearned run on two hits with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Sam Holland (1.99) struck out two in a perfect inning. 3B Nick Vitter (.224) was 2-for-4 with his first homer and three RBIs. DH Carlos Belen (.216) was 2-for-5 with a double and a RBI. 2B Kodie Tidwell (.280) was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. CF Rod Boykin (.246) was 2-for-5. C A.J. Kennedy (.299) was 2-for-3 with a RBI. SS Peter Van Gansen (.271) was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored.           

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (19-28): Cubs 6, PADRES 0 - Starting RHP Adys Portillo (0-1) gave up two walks and had two strikeouts while allowing an unearned run on no hits in an inning in his first rehab outing with the Rookie Padres. RHP Jean Garcia (7.02 ERA) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in four 1/3 innings. C Wilfri De La Cruz (.245) was 2-for-2. CF Josh Magee (.195) was 1-for-1 with two walks.  

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (31-38): Reds 6, PADRES 4 - 2B Ariel Ortega (.320) was 3-for-4 with his first homer, a double and a steal with two runs scored. Starting RHP Adrian Martinez (4.41 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts in five innings. RHP Diomar Lopez (1.93) allowed a run on three hits with two strikeouts in three innings. RHP Juan Arias (5-2, 3.35) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in three innings.