Former Padres power El Paso to victory
Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Five former Padres played key roles for Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday night as the Chihuahuas opened a homestand with a 7-1 win over Sacramento.
And right-handed starter Colin Rea lowered his ERA to 0.86 after three starts at Double-A San Antonio by holding Springfield to one unearned run over 7 1/3 innings.
At El Paso, left-handed starter Robbie Erlin (2-1, 5.63 ERA), who made 11 starts for the Padres last season, allowed one run on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts for the 8-5 Chihuahuas. The El Paso bullpen followed with three scoreless inning.
Right-hander Cory Mazzoni (0.00 ERA) struck out one in a perfect inning. Righty Nick Vincent, who opened the season with the Padres, struck out three while allowing two hits in a scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 1.59. Righty Marcos Mateo (1.29 ERA) allowed a hit with a strikeout in the ninth.
First baseman Tommy Medica was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. He has hit in seven straight games and nine of the last 10 to raise his batting average to .340.
Center fielder Abraham Almonte was 2-for-5 with his second homer of the season, three RBIs and two runs scored. Right fielder Rymer Liriano was 2-for-4 with a triple and a RBI.
Catcher Austin Hedges (.343) hit a two-run double and has 13 RBIs in his 12 starts. Second baseman Taylor Lindsey was 2-for-4 for the Chihuahuas, with a double and two runs scored.
At San Antonio, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Rea allowed no hits through five innings. He gave up three hits and walked a hitter with three strikeouts over the 7 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old Rea was the Padres' 12th-round pick in the 2011 Draft. In three starts this season, he has allowed three runs (two earned) on 15 hits and one walk with 16 strikeouts in 21 innings.
AROUND THE FARM:
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (5-7): Springfield 3, MISSIONS 2 (10 innings) -- C Griff Erickson, a graduate of Westview High, was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. 3B Casey McElroy (.351) was 2-for-4 with a RBI. CF Travis Jankowski (.342) was 2-for-5 with his fifth stolen base and a run scored. 1B Diego Goris was 2-for-4. RHP Jay Jackson (0-1) allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in two innings to suffer the loss.
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (4-9): HIGH DESERT 4, Storm 3 (11 innings) -- 1B Marcus Davis hit a solo homer for the Storm. SS Jose Rondon (.383) was 2-for-5 with a double. 2B Fernando Perez was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. RF Jeremy Baltz was 2-for-4. Starting RHP Ronald Herrera (4.50 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts for five innings. LHP Kyle Bartsch stuck out one in two scoreless innings. RHP Kyle Lloyd (1.00 ERA) allowed one unearned run on a hit with six strikeouts in three innings. RHP Luis Hernandez (0-2, 3.86 ERA) suffered the loss, allowing an unearned run on two hits and a walk without retiring a hitter in the 11th.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (3-7): LANSING 8, TinCaps 1 -- OF Nick Torres was 0-for-4 as his nine-game hitting streak ended. Starting LHP Taylor Cox (0-1, 5.73 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.