Minors Report: Rea, Erlin shine on the mound
Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Right-hander Colin Rea pitched the best game of his professional career for Double-A San Antonio Saturday night and left-hander Robbie Erlin picked up his fourth win of season for Triple-A El Paso.
Rea allowed one hit and one walk over eight shutout innings at Midland. He threw 105 pitches, with 70 going for strikes.
Rea, 24, was the Padres' 12th-round pick in the 2011 Draft out of Indiana State University. The native of Cascade, Iowa, is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds with a fastball in the 91-92 MPH range and solid secondary pitches.
Rea picked up his first win of the season in San Antonio's 3-0 Texas League win. He is only 1-1 on the season despite a 1.00 ERA after five starts. He has allowed four runs on 24 hits in 36 innings with 34 strikeouts against only three walks.
Rea was 11-9 with a 3.89 ERA at high Class A Lake Elsinore last season, where he had 118 strikeouts with 37 walks in 139 innings. Before improving on his control and command this year, Rea had walked 166 hitters in 381 professional innings.
Meanwhile, Erlin ran his record to 4-1, as El Paso scored a 10-6 win at Sacramento. Erlin (5.33 ERA) allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five innings.
AROUND THE FARM:
Triple-A El Paso (15-8): Chihuahuas 10, Sacramento 6
El Paso had 16 hits to remain tied for the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South Division lead. INF Casey McElroy was 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and two runs scored. C Rocky Gale (.355) was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. 3B Brett Wallace (.318) was 3-for-6 with a double and two RBIs. CF Abraham Almonte (.307) was 2-for-4 with a pair of walks. SS Ramiro Pena (.288) was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. RF Rymer Liriano (.272) had two doubles in six at-bats with two RBIs. RHP Cory Mazzoni (0.87 ERA) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in his first appearance back with the Chihuahuas after a stint with the Padres. LHP Frank Garces (2.70 ERA) pitched a perfect inning.
Double-A San Antonio (9-13): Missions 3, Midland 0
RHP Casey Kelly (7.71 ERA) picked up his first save, allowing a hit and a walk with a strikeout in the final inning in relief of Rea. SS Trea Turner (.286) was 1-for-3 with his second homer and two RBIs. C Jason Hagerty hit a solo homer. CF Travis Jankowski (.346) was 1-for-3 with a walk.
Advanced Class A Lake Elsinore (10-13): High Desert 7, Storm 2
Starting RHP Ronald Herrera (2-2, 4.18 ERA) allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk with two strikeouts in six innings. RHP Sam Holland (7.11 ERA) allowed a hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. 2B Fernando Perez had an RBI double. DH Donavan Tate was 1-for-3 with a walk in his second game of the season.
Class A Fort Wayne (6-14): South Bend 5, TinCaps 5
Starting LHP Taylor Cox (5.12 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Colby Blueberg struck out five in 2 2/3 perfect innings in his Fort Wayne debut. RHP Seth Lucio (0-1, 9.00 ERA) allowed three runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in an inning. LF Henry Charles was 2-for-4 and scored two runs. 2B Duanel Jones (.354) was 1-for-4 with an RBI. SS Frsanchy Cordero committed two errors to bring his total to 16 in 20 games.