Alexander Jesus Torres¡attended Universidad Educativa Privado Bello Monte in Venezuela, where he studied science... for the last several years Alex has hosted clinics near his hometown of Valencia during the offseason for Little Leaguers between the ages of four and 13...the youngest of eight children, Alex has five sisters and two brothers¡his brother, Freddy, was a catcher on the Cleveland Indians Venezuelan League team from 2001-03...is ambidextrous when it comes to throwing a baseball¡a natural lefty, he began throwing right-handed at age 13 as a way to preserve his left arm and throw more BP¡today he can throw in the 80s right-handed, or at a distance of up to 120 feet....originally signed by Angels' scout Carlos Porte.
2014
Posted a 1-2 record with a 3.33 ERA (20 ER, 54.0 IP) with 51 strikeouts against 33 walks in his first season with San Diego...Set career-bests in appearances (70) and games finished (12)… his 70 appearances were tied for the team lead with Dale Thayer...Stranded 39 of his 44 inherited runners (88.6%), tied for the fourth-best rate in the Majors and third-best in the NL, behind only J.P. Howell-LAD (94.3%) and Randy Choate-STL (89.7%)...Worked scoreless ball in 53 of his 69 outings…allowed just two earned runs in final 10 outings after allowing eight in previous seven from 8/14-31…allowed just eight earned over his first 46 games of the season (1.88 ERA, 8 ER,38.1 IP) from 3/30 - 7/26...Posted a career-best 12-game, 11.2-inning scoreless streak from 4/9 - 5/6, limiting the opposition to a .111 batting average in that time...Posted a 2.36 ERA (7 ER, 26.2 IP) with 23 strikeouts against 15 walks and a .211 opponents average in 34 games at Petco Park…went 2-1 with a 4.28 ERA (13 ER, 27.1 IP) and 28 strikeouts against 18 walks with a .248 opponents average on the road...Limited left-handed bats to a .256 (23-for-90) with one home run while righties hit just .209 (23-for-110) with one home run…among left-handed, NL relievers, his opponents batting average against right-handed hitters ranked sixth.
2013
Enjoyed one of the better seasons of any reliever in 2013, going 4-2 with a 1.71 ERA (58 IP, 11 ER) in 39 appearances over two stints with the Rays...his 1.71 ERA led all Major League rookie relievers...Began the season with Triple-A Durham and was recalled May 15 to take the place of injured David Price on the roster...optioned to Durham after pitching in two games and recalled again for good on June 1...Over his first 21 big league outings (through Aug 4), allowed only one run in 34.1 IP...after that pitched to a 3.80 ERA (10 ER, 23.2 IP) over his last 18 appearances...Began his season with 20 consecutive scoreless innings, a streak that extended to 25.0 IP counting his final outing of 2011 (did not appear in 2012)...this was the second-longest scoreless streak in club history behind J.P. Howell (27.1) in 2012...His 20.0 IP was also the second-longest scoreless streak to start a season in club history, after Joe Borowski (21.0) in 2005...Torres' streak ended June 24 vs. TOR...Led all AL relievers with a .224 opponents' slugging pct...in 201 AB, yielded only 11 extra-base hits (10 2B, 1 HR)...Held opponents to a .468 OPS (.244 OBP, .224 SLG), fourth-lowest in the Majors behind BOS Koji Uehara (.400), STL Kevin Siegrist (.432) and TEX Joe Nathan (.464)...in Major League history, only one rookie reliever held opponents to an OPS this low while facing as many batters: BOS Jonathan Papelbon (.465) in 2006...Ranked third among AL relievers with a .159 opp avg. (32-for-201)...only BOS' Koji Uehara (.130) and MIN's Caleb Thielbar (.154) were lower...Held right-handed hitters to a .149 average (18-for-121), lowest of any qualifying lefty reliever...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the second pitcher in the last 50 seasons (1964-2013) to allow fewer than 10 hits in the first 100 AB of a season against him (9-for-100), joining CIN's Aroldis Chapman in 2012 (also 9-for-100)...Went 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA (24.2 IP, 2 ER) in 21 appearances at home...Went 4.0 IP in two consecutive outings (May 18 at BAL and June 1 at CLE), becoming the first Major League reliever with consecutive appearances of four-plus innings, 1 hit or fewer and no runs since KC's Mike Boddicker on July 5-12, 1992...did not allow a hit in the May 18 outing...Pitched in one game in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela on March 10...allowed two runs in 0.2 innings in San Juan, PR...Pitched in 3 of 4 games in the ALDS vs. Boston, recording four scoreless innings (2 H, 0 BB, 5 Ks)…was called in with the game tied in Game 3 (1.0 IP) and Game 4 (2.0 IP).
2012
Spent the year with Triple-A Durham, where he
went 3-7 with a 7.30 ERA (69-IP, 56-ER)...had
91 SO in 69 IP but allowed 63 BB and 70 hits...Spent one day on the Rays active roster as
the 26th man for the June 24 doubleheader at Philadelphia...did not pitch...Threw 4.1 shutout innings in his season-opening start on April 6 vs. Gwinnett (Barves)...allowed 20 ER in 13 IP over his next four starts and was moved to the bullpen at the beginning of May...pitched to a 4.95 ERA (20-IP, 11-ER) in 11 relief apps before returning to the rotation on June 19...had a 9.00 ERA (24-IP, 24-ER) over his next eight starts and was placed on the disabled list on Aug. 2...Made four rehab starts with the GCL Rays...reinstated to Durham on Aug 28 and made a relief appearance on Aug 29 at Norfolk (Orioles)... made his final start of the season on Sept. 1 vs. Charlotte (White Sox), tossing 5.2 shutout innings with 10 SO and only one BB.
2011
Made 4 relief apps over two stints with the
Rays, his first experience in the majors, and
spent the remainder of the season with
Triple-A Durham...Recalled on July 18 and made his major league debut that night vs. NYY...entered in the 9th inning and yielded a single and 3 walks (1-IBB) to plate the winning run and suffer the loss, 5-4...was optioned to Durham the next day...Recalled on Sep 13 and remained in the majors through season's end...made 3 relief apps during his final stay, going 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA (7-IP, 2-ER)...prior to his call-up had not pitched in relief since 2009 with Class-A Rancho
Cucamonga (Angels)...On Sep 24 vs. TOR earned his first major league win to bring the Rays within 1.5 games of Boston in the AL Wild Card race...pitched a career-high 5 innings, scoreless, in relief of Jeff Niemann, who exited after the 1st inning...tallied 3 H, 1 BB and 5 SO...it was the most scoreless innings thrown by a Rays reliever since Doug Waechter threw 5 scoreless innings on June 3, 2005 at SEA...it was the most scoreless innings of relief thrown by a Rays rookie since Delvin James' 5 IP on Sep 24, 2002 at NYY...Led all Triple-A pitchers in strikeouts (156) and walks (83)...the 83 BB were tied for 7th most among all minor leaguers...finished his second straight season winning the strikeout title at his respective league, after leading the
Double-A Southern League with 150 in 2010...In 27 starts for Durham, went 9-7 with a 3.08 ERA (146.1-IP, 50-ER)...won 5 of his last 6 decisions and 7 of his last 9...Through June 11 was 2-5 with a 4.24 ERA (63.2-IP, 30-ER) in 12 starts for Durham...after that (starting June 18) went 7-2 with a 2.17 ERA (82.2-IP, 20-ER) over his final 15 starts, allowing 2 ER or less in 12 of those 15 outings...Ranked 7th among Rays minor leaguers (4th among full-season players) with a 3.08 ERA...his 12 wins were tied for 2nd...his 156 SO were 2nd behind Matt Moore...Made 3 apps (1 start) in his first spring spent in major league camp...Enters the 2012 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in the Rays organization.
2010
Spent the entire season with Double-A Montgomery,
going 11-6 with a 3.47 ERA (142.2-IP, 55-ER) in 27 starts...was named to the Southern League midseason All-Star Team...Led the Southern League with 150 strikeouts, which fell three shy of the Biscuits record held by Andy Sonnanstine (153 in 2006)...ranked 2nd in the Rays system in strikeouts behind
minor league leader Matt Moore (208)...In addition to his strikeout title, ranked among league leaders in SO/9 IP ratio (9.46, 3rd), starts (tied for 3rd) and ERA (7th)...issued a league-high 70 walks...Through July 2 (16 starts), was 8-3 with a 2.40 ERA (82.1-IP, 22-ER)...after that, went 3-3 with a 4.92 ERA (60.1-IP, 33-ER) in 11 starts...Was selected to the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game...pitched a scoreless 3rd inning, allowing 1 hit...Pitched for Aguilas del Zulia of the Venezuelan Winter League...went 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA (28.1-IP, 6-ER) in 7 starts...Enters 2011 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect and Best Slider in the Rays org...BA also rated him the Southern League's No. 12 prospect and Best Change-up.
2009
Was acquired by the Rays from the Angels on
Aug 28 as part of the Scott Kazmir trade...split
the season between advanced Class-A (Rancho
Cucamonga) and Double-A (Arkansas,
Montgomery)...Combining all three stops, went 13-6 with a 2.77 ERA (156-IP, 48-ER) in 28 games (26 starts)...ranked 11th in the minors with 156 strikeouts,
as he struck out exactly one batter per inning...
held opponents to a .222 batting avg...Despite being promoted to Arkansas on
July 31, he led the Class-A California League
with a 2.74 ERA and led Rancho Cucamonga
with 124 strikeouts...was named a midseason
and postseason All-Star in the California
League...also led the CL with a .217 opp avg...Allowed only 5 home runs in 156 IP (31.1-IP per
HR)...in his minor league career, has allowed
only 10 HR in 341.2 IP (34.1-IP per HR) and has
averaged 9.98 SO/9 IP...Earned consecutive minor league Pitcher of the
Month honors for the Angels organization in
June and July...went 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA (32.2-
IP, 5-ER) in June...in July went 5-0 with a 2.09
ERA (38.2-IP, 9-ER)...His 85 walks overall were tied for 4th most
among all minor leaguers...Led all Angels farmhands in strikeouts (149) and
wins (13)...ranked 3rd in ERA (2.75)...Had a stretch of 19 consecutive scoreless innings
between June 9-29 for Rancho...won his
final 5 starts for the Quakes...After the season, was rated as the No. 9 prospect in the Rays organization and No. 14 prospect in the California League by Baseball America...was tabbed by BA as having the best slider in the system...was added to the Rays 40-man roster on Nov 19.
2008
In 2008 made 10 starts for Rancho Cucamonga,
his first experience beyond Rookie
ball...began the year in the Rookie-level Arizona
Summer League...allowed only 4 runs in 4
starts there before making the jump to Rancho
on July 13...Allowed only one home run in 53 IP for Rancho...struck out a career-high 12 on Aug 3 vs. Lancaster (Red Sox) in 5.1 IP...After the season, made one appearance for Magallanes of the Venezuelan Winter League...was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 24 prospect in the Angels system.
2007
In 2007, pitched in 4 games for the AZL Angels.
2006
Made his stateside debut in 2006 with the AZL Angels.
2005
Spent the 2005 season with the DSL Angels, where he compiled a 1.52 ERA (52.1-IP, 9-ER) over 9 starts...held opponents to a .122 avg and averaged 14.68 SO/9 IP.
