Guerra breaks out in Storm's romp

After a tepid start to the season, Javier Guerra has been beginning to heat up. On Wednesday night, he caught fire.

"I needed tonight to raise my confidence a little bit. I'm not panicking or anything, but it's good to have a game like this," Guerra said through Lake Elsinore manager Francisco Morales, who served as translater. "I'm still not feeling like I'm 100 percent [where I want to be], but my swing is coming around and I'm excited about the games to come."

The Padres' second-ranked prospect went 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBIs, a walk and three runs scored as the Storm pounded visiting San Jose, 17-3. Lake Elsinore collected 16 hits, including seven long balls, after totaling 14 runs in its previous seven games.

"I think we needed a night like tonight," Morales said. "The guys are working hard. It's early in the year, but a day like this definitely boosts the team's confidence. I love the way they were playing the game, and they really swung the bats tonight."

Guerra, part of San Diego's November haul from the Red Sox in the Craig Kimbrel trade, was 4-for-32 (.125) through his first eight California League games but entered Wednesday with four hits and a homer in 13 at-bats across his last four contests. Batting third, he took four straight pitches from starter Jason Forjet in the first inning for his fourth walk of the season, compared to 19 strikeouts.

"I went out there with a plan, to look for a good pitch and location," the 20-year-old shortstop said, "but when that wasn't the case, I was happy to take a walk. Sometimes when you take a walk, it gets you to see more pitches for yourself and for the team."

After flying out in the second, the left-handed hitter led off the fifth by knocking a line drive into right field off Jose Reyes. MLB.com's No. 56 overall prospect opened the eighth with a grounder through the right side off Dusten Knight, although Morales said Guerra doesn't need to pull the ball to be successful.

"His approach is just hitting the ball where it's pitched," the manager said. "That's what he's been working with our hitting coach, Xavier Nady, on. He got good pitches to hit to right field there, and that's what he did."

His 18th career homer -- and fifth of the night for the Storm -- was a two-run shot to straightaway center off Reyes in the sixth.

"I hit it well, but it was a low line drive, and in this park it's not easy for those to get out," Guerra said. "This kept carrying and got out. It's a good [feeling of] satisfaction every time any batter hits a home run, but it felt especially good the way everybody on the team was hitting the ball tonight."

Center fielder Franchy Cordero homered twice, including an inside-the-parker, plated four runs and scored three times, while left fielder Edwin Moreno contributed two jacks and four RBIs. Third baseman River Stevens contributed a three-run blast an an RBI groundout.

Ronnie Jebavy, the Giants' No. 25 prospect, tripled, walked and scored twice.