Rea goes above and beyond in first MLB start since 2020

SAN DIEGO -- The Brewers believe their Opening Day pitching rotation stacks up against any in the Majors, but they know it will take more than five starters. It will take a Janson Junk here, a Colin Rea there. They hope Adrian Houser is back from the injured list in short order. Maybe Aaron Ashby will return from left shoulder surgery in time to help.

But the task always requires more than five starting pitchers, and it requires performances like the one Rea delivered on Thursday night at Petco Park. The 32-year-old started a Major League game for the first time since 2020 and just the third time since 2016, and while the story of this particular 4-3 Brewers win over the Padres in 10 innings had some late twists and turns, the takeaway was this: It requires all kinds of pitchers to win.

“Couldn’t ask for anything more,” said manager Craig Counsell of Rea. “I thought he was wonderful. He gave us a real chance to win.”

Milwaukee won for a bunch of reasons, starting with Rowdy Tellez hitting a two-run home run in the first inning and Mike Brosseau muscling a solo shot through the marine layer in the fifth to back Rea, who held the mighty San Diego lineup to a run on two hits and one walk over 5 2/3 innings. After former Brewer Trent Grisham tied the game in the eighth with a two-run homer off Matt Bush, and Josh Hader and Devin Williams combined to go six-up, six-down in an electric ninth, the Crew won in the 10th when Christian Yelich stole third base so he could score on Tellez’s sacrifice fly.

Reinforcing the notion that it takes all kinds of pitchers to win, Joel Payamps kept the Padres off the board in the bottom of the 10th for his first career save -- with a big defensive assist from shortstop Willy Adames.

“We’ve needed guys to step up in different roles, and everyone has been answering the bell when that happens,” Williams said. “You saw it again tonight.”

That includes Rea, who was called up from Triple-A Nashville to make the Brewers’ second straight spot start. That’s not usually how you draw it up in the second week of April, but Milwaukee did this essentially by choice, opting to give its four healthy starters an extra day of rest during this stretch of 13 consecutive game days -- a plan that was set in motion before Brandon Woodruff landed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

“Look, you're playing the long game,” Counsell said Thursday afternoon. “That's what we're doing here, is playing the long game to try to get us through a 162-game schedule and keep these guys not only healthy but as effective as they possibly can be.”

Counsell is not alone in this assessment.

“I think the right time to do it is early on,” said Brewers ace Corbin Burnes. “These are conversations we had in Spring Training about the best way to maximize our innings come August and September when our schedule is really crunched together. I think every one of us -- me, Woody, Freddy [Peralta], everyone -- were like, ‘Yeah, this is what makes sense.’”

Junk was the first starting pitcher summoned from Triple-A on Wednesday, and he took the loss against the D-backs after allowing five runs (four earned) without clearing the fifth inning.

Rea fared significantly better.

The right-hander -- a onetime Padres prospect whose last bona fide big league start was July 30, 2016, following a trade from San Diego to Miami -- has had a long baseball journey. Rea injured his right elbow that day, and it altered the course of his career, leading to stints with the Cubs and the Brewers and in Japan, then back to Milwaukee on a Minor League deal this past winter. Rea’s last Major League start before Thursday was for Chicago in ‘20, but he was essentially pitching as an opener.

Now he has a chance to be a real part of the Brewers’ rotation plans.

“Obviously, with the Woodruff injury, it came right in the middle of this thing, which wasn't ideal. But an injury is never ideal,” Counsell said. “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."

Thanks to Rea, it worked this time.

“I feel like it’s just a step in the right direction,” Rea said. “I don’t necessarily see the huge moments in my career -- it’s just, ‘keep moving forward and preparing and working every day.’ I prepare myself for moments like this.

“As far as tonight, it feels good. I’m going to enjoy it. Tomorrow, we’re back at it again."