Herrera Texas League Pitcher of Week

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

Twenty-year-old Double-A San Antonio right-handed starter Ronald Herrera has been named the Pitcher of the Week in the Texas League.

Herrera last week pitched 11 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts.

Last Tuesday, Herrera pitched a three-hit shutout against Northwest Arkansas in San Antonio. He didn't allow a walk and had seven strikeouts. It was the first shutout thrown by a Missions pitcher since Cesar Ramos threw two during the 2007 season.

On Sunday, Herrera threw two scoreless innings against Arkansas. He allowed a hit and two walks with three strikeouts before departing early due to innings restrictions.

Herrera is 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA in six starts at San Antonio with 27 strikeouts against 11 walks in 33 innings. He has allowed 15 runs (13 earned) on 31 hits.

But over his last three starts, Herrera is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA with an opponents' batting average of .125. Over those three games, Herrera has been allowing 0.63 runners per inning.

Herrera opened the season with high Class A Lake Elsinore, where he was 5-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). He ranked 10th on the California League ERA chart when he was promoted to San Antonio.

A native of Maracay, Venezuela, Herrera came to the Padres from Oakland with first baseman-outfielder Jake Goebbert in the 2014 trade that sent first baseman-outfielder Kyle Blanks to the A's.

AROUND THE FARM

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (69-60): Colorado Springs 5, CHIHUAHUAS 1 -- 3B Will Middlebrooks (.266) was 2-for-3 with a RBI double as El Paso lost a second straight game in its a bid to overtake division-leading Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South race. 1B Cody Decker (.254) was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored the Chihuahuas' lone run. Starting RHP Daniel McCutchen (8-7, 3.80 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits with five walks in five innings. RHP Nick Vincent (3.17) allowed a hit and two walks in two scoreless innings. RHP Dale Thayer (0.00) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. RHP Jerry Sullivan (4.12) gave up three runs on four hits in the ninth.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (55-71): The Missions were off Monday.

HIGH CLASS A LAKE ELSINORE (46-80): Monday's game against Modesto was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Tuesday with two seven-inning games.

LOW CLASS A FORT WAYNE (69-55): TIN CAPS 3, Lansing 2 -- 2B Josh Van Meter (.265) was 2-for-4 and scored a run while LF Franchy Cordero (.241) was 2-for-4 with a RBI as Fort Wayne won a 14th straight home game to widen their second-half lead to four games in the Midwest League's East Division. DH Edwin Moreno (.313) was 2-for-3. 1B Trae Santos (.257) was 1-for-3 with a RBI. Starting RHP Danielson Lamet (2.93 ERA) walked one with three strikeouts in two hitless innings. LHP Griffin Russell (1-0, 1.69) allowed a run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings. RHP Aaron Cressley (4.55) struck out one in three perfect innings. RHP Colby Blueberg (0.84) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning to pick up his 19th save.

SHORT-SEASON CLASS A TRI-CITY (34-30): Dust Devils 5,HILLSBORO 1 -- SS Peter Van Gansen (.274) was 3-for-5 with a triple, a RBI and two runs scored. 1B Ty France (.302, San Diego State) was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. 3B Carlos Belen (.216) was 1-for-4 with a two-run double. 2B Mitch Morales (.259) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Starting RHP Angel Mejia (4-3, 5.27 ERA) allowed a run on seven hits with two strikeouts in five innings. RHP Brett Kennedy (3.00) allowed a hit with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings. LHP Nathan Foriest allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings in his Tri-City debut.

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (21-30): PADRES 8, Brewers 7 -- 2B Jose Savinon (.253) was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs, including a walk-off single to cap a four-run Padres' ninth. 3B Carlos Sosa (.200) was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Starting RHP Manuel Gonzalez (9.85 ERA) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in one-third of an inning. RHP Starling Ynfante (6.50) allowed two runs on two hits and three walks with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Trevor Megill (3.48) allowed a run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. LHP Corey Hale walked two with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings in his professional debut. RHP Trey Wingenter (1-1, 1.04) allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.