Beavers’ Kazmar on defensive

When he was a kid growing up in Las Vegas, Sean Kazmar came to Cashman Field often to cheer on the Stars, then the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

Little did he know that one day he, too, would play at Cashman Field for the Padres' Triple-A affiliate -- but as a member of the Portland Beavers.

A former standout at Las Vegas High School and College of Southern Nevada, Kazmar went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Wednesday in the Beavers' 4-2 win over the 51s at Cashman Field.

Kazmar, who started at shortstop and batted ninth for the second straight night, made his Cashman Field debut Tuesday, when he went 0-for-4 in Portland's 8-4 victory over Las Vegas (20-33).

Kazmar said he left about 50 tickets for his family and friends and had been "looking forward to this from the day I found out I was coming to Triple A."

"I definitely was excited," he said before Wednesday's game. "It's my first time playing on this field, and I've got all my friends and family out."

In a microcosm of Kazmar's sixth professional season, he has struggled at the plate here, going 1-for-7 in two games, but has been flawless in the field, handling 15 chances without an error.

Kazmar has made only two errors in 143 chances this year, giving him a .986 fielding percentage, which leads all Pacific Coast League shortstops.

"The strong part of my game is definitely my defense. That's something I take a lot of pride in," he said. "I go out there thinking if I can't get a hit then they can't get a hit. That's my defensive mindset going out there."

Unfortunately for Kazmar, who started this season with a .254 career average in the minors, he has had to rely on that mindset more than usual this year. He's hitting .189 (23-for-122) with two homers and 14 RBIs in 41 games.

"I need to start being a little more consistent at the plate," he said. "I got off to a slow start here, then I got hot, but I've been a little slow as of late."

The 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound Kazmar, 24, had no trouble hitting the ball for CSN. He batted .359 for the Coyotes in 2003, when he helped lead them to the junior college national title, and .330 in 2004, when he was drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Padres.

After playing parts of five years in the minors in Single A (Eugene, Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore) and Double A (San Antonio), Kazmar was promoted to the Padres late last season, becoming the first CSN product in the majors.

He hit the first pitch he saw in the big leagues, a fastball from CC Sabathia, for a single and batted .205 (8-for-39) in 19 games for San Diego.

"The whole experience was second to none," Kazmar said. "Now I'm trying to work hard and get back."

Kazmar, who will become a free agent after next season, said he's confident he can turn things around at the plate, but he also feels he can make it in the majors on the strength of his defense.

"If a guy can play real good defense, a team can always use (him) either off the bench or if someone goes down," he said.

• NOTES -- The Toronto Blue Jays sent right-hander Brian Wolfe to Las Vegas. ... 51s center fielder Buck Coats went 0-for-4, ending his 13-game hitting streak.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.