PHOENIX _ As Colin Rea continues to feel his way through major league lineups, another San Diego Padres rookie is settling in at the plate.
Infielder Ryan Schimpf hit his second home run in as many nights and later launched his second homer of the game in a 13-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Schimpf, a 28-year-old who received his first big-league call-up June 14, boosted the Padres (37-48) in the rubber match and finished the three-game series 6-for-13 with two doubles, three home runs and five RBIs. Before that, he had begun his debut 5-for-38.
Triple-A's leading slugger at the time of his promotion, the left-handed-hitting Schimpf displayed opposite-field power late in Tuesday's loss. Wednesday, the Padres opened the fourth with four consecutive hits. Moments later, Shelby Miller missed his spot with a 2-0 fastball. Schimpf crushed a two-run drive to right.
That scored the Padres' fourth and fifth runs of the inning, this after the D-backs (38-49) had taken a 4-0 lead into the frame. The Padres ended up plating 13 unanswered runs.
The Padres, the National League's hottest-hitting team in June, have continued to produce in July. They have scored 38 runs in six games this month, fueled by first-time All-Star Wil Myers and his supporting cast.
Yet they are barely above .500 since May ended. A well-oiled offense has been counteracted by an injury-depleted pitching staff. In more than one case, a lack of experience has hurt.
Rea, who turned 26 last week, continued to grapple with inconsistency, allowing four runs over 4 2/3 innings. The Padres right-hander has bid for a no-hitter this season, but he also has been chased from a game in the third inning. In 17 appearances (16 starts), he is 5-3 with a 4.95 ERA.
In the bottom of the first Wednesday, he yielded a two-out double, then an RBI single. In the third, he surrendered a two-out triple, then an RBI single, then a two-run homer to Brandon Drury.
Schimpf and the Padres offense surged in the fourth. In the top of the fifth, Travis Jankowski drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Yangervis Solarte's two-out double, for a 6-4 lead.
Rea did not get out of the bottom of the inning. He issued a leadoff walk of his own and, after retiring the next two batters, gave up a double. Jake Lamb, who'd walked, stopped at third. Rea walked the next batter to load the bases, whereupon Padres manager Andy Green called on hard-throwing reliever Jose Dominguez.
Dominguez, who was promoted from Triple-A over the weekend, impressed in a high-leverage appearance. The right-hander fell behind, 2-and-0, against pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks Jr. before firing three consecutive strikes. Weeks flailed at the last pitch, a 98 mph fastball.
In the bottom of the sixth, three D-backs hitters all lined out versus Dominguez. Despite some hard contact, the reliever has retired all seven batters he has faced since his call-up.
Rea, meanwhile, allowed eight hits and three walks Wednesday. He was not nearly as efficient as he would have liked, throwing 57 of 97 pitches for strikes.
The Padres forged another multi-run inning in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson led off with a single, Jankowski walked and Myers stroked an RBI double. Matt Kemp followed with a two-run single.
In the ninth, the visitors piled on with a three-run homer by Solarte. The third baseman has gone deep three times in the last four games. Three batters later, Schimpf skied his third home run in two games over the right-field wall.
Lamb hit a two-run homer off Matt Thornton in the bottom of the ninth. Thornton has allowed nine runs in 11 innings since coming off the disabled list in late May.
The Padres finished with 14 hits. Solarte, Myers and Kemp each had three, while Schimpf recorded his third consecutive two-hit game.
