SS Giron, RHP Montas pace A-Fort Wayne win

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

Shortstop Ruddy Giron drove in two runs and right-handed starter Ernesto Montas picked up his 11th win Tuesday as low Single-A Fort Wayne defeated Lansing 5-3 for its 15th straight home win to move closer to a Midwest League playoff berth.

Giron (.294) was 2-for-4. Fellow 18-year-old middle infielder Luis Urias (.321) was 1-for-4 with a walk, a RBI and two runs scored.

First baseman Trae Santos (.260) was 2-for-4 with his 12th homer. Third baseman Luis Tejada (.292) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Right fielder Franmil Reyes (.237) was 2-for-4 with a RBI.

Montas (11-6, 3.40 earned run average) gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks with a strikeout in six innings.

Left-hander Kyle McGrath (1.87) hit a batter and allowed an unearned run on no hits and no walks with three strikeouts in an inning. Right-hander Yimmi Brasoban (2.26) struck out one in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

Fort Wayne is 22-4 over its last 26 games and now leads the second-half Eastern Division standings by four games with 13 to play. Their magic number for a playoff berth is down to five.

In organizational moves Monday, right-hander Casey Kelly was promoted from Double-A San Antonio to Triple-A El Paso and started Tuesday night for the Chihuahuas. Right-handed reliever Michael Dimock was sent from El Paso to San Antonio. And right-handed reliever Cody Hebner was placed on San Antonio's seven-day disabled list with neck stiffness.

AROUND THE FARM:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (69-61): Colorado Springs 10, CHIHUAHUAS 4 - El Paso's hopes of winning the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South Division took another hit Tuesday as its lost a third straight home game to Colorado Springs to slip 2 1Ž2 games behind division-leading Las Vegas with 14 games to play. SS Hector Gomez(.315) was 1-for-4 with his first homer and two RBIs. 3B Will Middlebrooks (.268) was 1-for-3 with his third homer. Casey Kelly (0-1) gave up four runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. LHP Caleb Thielbar (0.00 ERA) walked one and struck out one in 1 1/3 otherwise perfect innings. RHP Jerry Sullivan (4.61) allowed three runs on four hits and a walk with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Jay Jackson (2.45) allowed two hits with a strikeout in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.  

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (56-71): Missions 6, FRISCO 3 - DH Kyle Gaedele (.176) was 1-for-2 with his first homer for two RBIs and two runs scored. C Adolfo Reina (.210) was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored. SS Benji Gonzalez (.231) was 2-for-5 with a triple and a RBI. RF-1B Yeison Asencio (.304) had his 12th homer in five at-bats. Starting RHP Bryce Morrow (4-3, 4.95 ERA) allowed two runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings. RHP Stephen Kohlscheen (2.70) allowed a hit with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. Dimock (2.43) allowed a run on two hits and two strikeouts in two innings. LHP Eury De La Rosa (1.33) allowed a walk with a strikeout in an otherwise perfect inning for his sixth save.         

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (46-82): Modesto 13-5, STORM 3-3 - SS Chase Jensen (.274) was 2-for-8 with a double and two RBIs in the doubleheader. CF Donavan Tate (.220) was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. RF Nick Torres (.288) was 2-for-6 with a RBI. 3B Gabriel Quintana (.244) was 2-for-6 with a run scored. OF Nick Schulz (.241) was 2-for-7 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. RHP Michael Kelly (0-4, 8.55 ERA) started the seven-inning opener and allowed eight runs on nine hits and two walk with two strikeouts in four innings. RHP Bryan Verbitsky (3.38) allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts in two innings. RHP Zech Lemond started the second game and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two strikeouts in four innings. RHP Rafael De Paula (4.77) allowed a run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Jason Jester (3-2, 3.57) gave up two runs on three hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning to suffer the loss.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (34-31): HILLSBORO 3, Dust Devils 0 - Starting RHP Adrian De Horta (1-1, 3.00 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts in four innings. LHP Jerry Keel (3.03) allowed a hit with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. RHP Corey Kimber (2.22) worked two perfect innings.               

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (22-31): Giants 6-2, Padres 1-4 - RHP Jean Garcia (1-6, 7.04 ERA) gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with a strikeout in five innings to lose the seven-inning opener. RHP Jordan Guerrero (3-1,4.23) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over five innings in the second game to give the Padres a split. RHP Blake Rogers (2.53) struck out one in a perfect seventh to get his sixth save. 2B Tyler Moore (.208) was 2-for-5 with a double, a walk, a RBI and a run scored in the two games. SS Daniel Bravo (.288) was2-for-6 with a RBI. CF Josh Magee (.201) was 2-for-6 with a run scored. DH Jonas Lantigua (.230) was 1-for-2 with a RBI.