Jan. 31, Saturday time TBA
vs. Navarro/Grayson at Univ. of Houston
Wells pleased with big league debut
Reprinted with permission of MLB Advanced Media - 6/12/2008SAN DIEGO -- Jared Wells' Major League debut Saturday night "was everything it was expected to be."
The 26-year-old 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-hander threw a scoreless seventh inning in the Padres' 7-2 loss to the Reds. He allowed one hit and one walk and stranded two runners.
"There were certainly nerves running and everything else I was just trying to keep under control," said Wells. "It was everything I imagined it to be. It's a great place and this is where I want to be."
On Sunday, Wells pitched two innings in relief. He allowed two runs in the 11th inning, but rebounded to toss a scoreless 12th -- retiring Ken Griffey Jr., Brandon Phillips and Ryan Freel -- in the Padres' 12-9 walk-off win over the Reds in 18 innings.
Wells, who signed with the Padres as a 31st-round selection in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, was brought up midweek from Triple-A Portland, where he was 1-1 with a 5.85 ERA and nine saves for the Beavers.
Wells was a initially a starter, but was shifted to the bullpen last year.
"I enjoy it [relieving]," said Wells. "You have a chance to get in there every day and be a part of it and not wait five days. But I'll do whatever it takes just to play here."
Wells was a member of Team USA that participated in the World Cup in Holland in 2005. He made two starts and went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA striking out 13.
"It was a pretty good experience going overseas and seeing another part of the world and representing the country," said Wells. "It's always a good thing to represent your country.
"It was good to meet a bunch of new guys that I never played with before. It was a fun experience."
Wells played high school baseball at West Columbia High in Texas and went on to play at the famed San Jacinto Junior College in Texas.
"I was there just one year and we lost in the national championship game," said Wells. "They have been ranked No. 1 pretty much every year. It's a great program and they have some good talent coming out of there."
Wells has not always been a pitcher.
"When I played in high school, I was actually an outfielder," Wells said. "I may have thrown only 20 innings as a pitcher my whole high school career. When I went off to college [East Texas Baptist University], I blew out my knee my freshman year playing football and converted from outfield to a pitcher because I wanted play both sports."
Wells was the starting quarterback on the football team before he injured his knee and gave up the sport.
Wells spent all last season at Triple-A Portland, going 3-7 with nine saves and a 5.24 ERA. He struck out 87 against 48 walks.
In 2006 when he was a starting pitcher, he split the season between Double-A Mobile and Portland, combining to go 6-12 with a 5.16 ERA in 27 starts.
In 2005, he went 11-3 at Class A Lake Elsinore, where he had a streak of 28 consecutive scoreless innings. He led the California League in ERA and was the Padres Minor League system's 2005 Pitcher of the Year.
Padres manager Bud Black was pleased with Wells outing Saturday.
"Jared's debut was fine," said Black. "He looked comfortable and I think he'd like to have that walk back to the starting pitcher [Bronson Arroyo], but overall, his stuff looked good, his delivery looked fine."