Rowdy Tellez's go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning helps Brewers top Padres

SAN DIEGO - The Milwaukee Brewers' first foray into extra innings in 2023 was a successful one.

Rowdy Tellez drove in the decisive run with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly and Joel Payamps made it stand up in the bottom of the frame in a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Thursday night.

Tellez also homered in the first inning as the Brewers evened their record at 2-2 on their current road trip.

"It was a good baseball game," manager Craig Counsell said of the matchup, which played out in front of the Padres' fifth sellout crowd of the season. "It was a good atmosphere. Two good teams battling it out."

BOX SCORE Brewers 4, Padres 3 (10 innings)

The Brewers were one out away from being able to hand the ball off to closer Devin Williams in regulation when the game quickly flipped.

Matt Bush had recorded the first two outs in the eighth before walking pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter to bring up another familiar face in former Brewer Trent Grisham.

In a 1-1 count Bush threw Grisham a curveball down in the zone that Grisham got under and was able to just get over the wall in right field despite Joey Wiemer's best effort at reeling the ball back in.

Ex-Milwaukee closer Josh Hader kept it 3-3 by retiring the side in order in the ninth, then Williams followed suit by striking out the side.

"It was a little weird," Williams said. "(Bullpen catcher Adam) Weisenburger said, 'Has he ever come in before you? I don't think so.' It was good to see him doing well -- not at our expense, but glad to see him doing well."

Tellez, who got the Brewers onto the board with a two-run home run in the first, made it a 4-3 game with a sacrifice fly to right. Milwaukee then squandered a chance to build on its lead when William Contreras struck out and Garrett Mitchell grounded out.

Payamps allowed an infield single in the 10th but was able to close the game out, earning his first major-league save in the process.

A big play came on the first batter of the inning when, on a hard shot to shortstop, Willy Adames made an accurate throw to third base to cut down the "ghost" runner trying to advance.

"I feel very happy," said Payamps. "First career save. I had a couple chances before but never got it done, so I was really happy I was able to come through."

Colin Rea, selected from Class AAA Nashville prior to the game, made his first Brewers start one to remember.

The 32-year-old veteran right-hander became the seventh pitcher to start a game for the Brewers already this season, a day after Janson Junk replaced the injured Brandon Woodruff in an eventual loss at Arizona.

"This is something that we had planned, really since the middle of spring training," manager Craig Counsell explained before Thursday's game. "Just identifying stretches in the schedule where we can get everybody an extra day (of rest). We're going to use that sixth starter at times so we can get everybody an extra day.

"With the Woodruff injury, it came right in the middle of this thing, which wasn't ideal. But an injury is never ideal. We're still committed to making sure we get guys extra rest. It's not going to be every time, but at times when the bulk of the guys benefit from it, we're going to do it.

"Obviously, this is a 13-game stretch. Essentially, Janson was going to start that game on Wednesday since early in spring training. It gives everybody an extra day."

Against that backdrop, Rea was staked to the early 2-0 lead after Tellez's homer off Nick Martinez only to quickly give one run back two batters into the bottom of the first when Manny Machado just squeaked a homer of his own over the fence in right-center.

Rea allowed a single two batters later but only a walk the rest of the way while hitting 95 mph on the radar gun.

Milwaukee's offense didn't have much more luck against Martinez other than Mike Brosseau's leadoff homer to center in the fifth.

Rea, meanwhile, got all the way into the sixth -- probably defying everyone's expectations -- and recorded the first two outs before Counsell went with Peter Strzelecki to face Machado.

"To give us 17 outs and 5 ⅔, it's a great performance," Counsell said. "He pitched really well, executed a whole bunch of pitches, was careful around the edges and got a bunch of swings and misses (seven).

"Couldn't ask for anything more. I thought he was wonderful."

Rea, who'd pitched three and four innings respectively while throwing 54 and 64 pitches in his first two starts at Nashville, allowed just the two hits and one walk while striking out six over 83 pitches.

It was quite the performance for the 2011 12th-round pick of the Padres who broke into the majors with San Diego and in 2021 made one six-inning relief appearance for the Brewers before pitching in Japan last season.

"I think we were just kind of going with what the game gave us," Rea said. "They had a good idea, so they stuck with it and it worked out pretty well. We got those early runs and they definitely helped.

"I was just glad I didn't go over to the other dugout after the first inning. That's what I thought about the last couple days. It's good to be back here. It's always a good place to pitch, and a good atmosphere."

Strzelecki struck out Machado to finish the sixth, then got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh by getting Jake Cronenworth to ground into an inning-ending double play one batter after Nelson Cruz smacked a line drive off Strzelecki's foot/ankle area.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Colin Rea makes a successful spot start for the Brewers in San Diego