TROY, N.Y. - Former ValleyCats pitcher Chad Reineke made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres on Saturday, August 16 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Reineke, 26, was a member of the 2004 ValleyCats squad. The Padres acquired Reineke from the Houston Astros on July 22 in exchange for Randy Wolf.Reineke was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Miami University in Ohio. He made his professional debut with the ValleyCats that summer. In 23 games with the ValleyCats, Reineke compiled a 1-2 record with a 2.45 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched. He continued to ascend up the Astros' minor league system ladder, playing in Class A Lexington in 2005, Class A-Advanced Salem and Double A Corpus Christi in 2006 and Triple A Round Rock in 2007 and this season. Reineke was called up to Houston on July 7, but never pitched before being optioned back to Round Rock. Reineke had been pitching for Padres' Triple A Affiliate Portland Beavers prior to being called up.
In his major league debut, Reineke picked up the win, tossing five innings while allowing five hits and three runs and striking out five Phillies. On Thursday, August 21 Reineke faced the Arizona Diamondbacks and tossed another solid outing - six innings, five hits and three runs. After two solid starts, Reineke will remain a member of the San Diego Padres starting rotation.
Reineke is the 11th former ValleyCat to go from "The Joe" to "The Show" and the fist of 2008. He joins such ValleyCats standouts as the Astros' Hunter Pence and the Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist.
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