Rea, officially added to the roster earlier in the day from Triple-A El Paso, worked his way into a conundrum in the first inning against the Reds at Petco Park, as he allowed the first two batters of the inning to reach base.
No problem for the 25-year-old, pitching in front of more than 75 members of his family -- and extended family, plus friends -- who made the trip from Cascade, Iowa.
Rea got Joey Votto to roll a ball back to the mound, starting a 1-6-3 double play, escaping the inning unscathed.
It only got better from there.