padres press clips - mlb.commlb.mlb.com/documents/5/2/0/234153520/padres_press... · in the bottom...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Padres Press Clips Saturday, June 3, 2017
Article Source Author Page
Padres hit three home runs in fifth straight victory UT San Diego Lin 2
Jered Weaver making progress in recovery from hip issue UT San Diego Lin 5
Minors Three HRs for Michael Gettys in Storm win UT San Diego Sanders 8
First pitch: Padres’ Franchy Cordero fitting in UT San Diego Sanders 10
Talking with…Padres shortstop Chase d’Arnaud UT San Diego Sanders 11
Chacin looking to extend home success MLB.com Harding 14
Homers fuel Padres’ comeback victory MLB.com Cassavell/Harding 15
Cordoba’s confidence pays off atop lineup MLB.com Cassavell 18
Play Ball Weekend off to strong start at Petco MLB.com Paris 20
Chacin excited to face former Rox teammates MLB.com Cassavell 23
Padres On Deck: RHPs De Los Santos, Nix Have Strong Starts Friar Wire Center 25
Surging Padres beat Rockies 8-5 for fifth straight win Associated Press AP Staff 28
2
Padres hit three home runs in fifth straight victory Dennis Lin
On Aug. 22, 2015, an offense anchored by Matt Kemp and Justin Upton compiled a
dozen hits in an 8-0 shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals. Upton cranked a pair of
doubles. Kemp drove in a pair of runs.
On Friday, Yangervis Solarte, the lone holdover from that day’s lineup, easily cleared
the wall in right-center with a two-run homer. A collection of fresh-faced and less
proven teammates also supplied key contributions.
At the plate, in the achievement ledger, the net result was roughly the same. More
than 21 months after the Padres last celebrated a five-winning streak, they replicated
the feeling at Petco Park with an 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
San Diego finished with 14 hits, including a season-high-tying three home runs and a
trio of knocks from Rule 5 draftee Cordoba. Seven position players collected at least
one hit. Seven scored at least once. Five drove in at least one run.
Starting pitcher Clayton Richard allowed four runs, three earned, but he left the game
in the sixth with a lead.
“You’re starting to sense more confidence in the young guys, understanding they can
compete with any team in this league,” manager Andy Green said. “Last week it was
the world champs (Cubs), quite possibly the best team in the National League in
Washington and now a first-place team in Colorado. We’ve seen really good clubs,
and I think these guys are getting confidence we can play with anybody.”
3
The Rockies had struck first. They scored three times in the third inning thanks to
four hits and an error by third baseman Ryan Schimpf.
Chase d’Arnaud led off the bottom of the frame with a single, stole second and scored
on Cordoba’s single as the Padres made a dent in their deficit.
Colorado promptly went back ahead by three. After a pair of singles to open the
fourth, starting pitcher German Marquez executed the front end of a safety squeeze.
The inning, however, would be remembered for what Austin Hedges did. Shortly after
Marquez’s successful sacrifice, Hedges threw out a runner attempting to steal third.
In the bottom of the fourth, he came to the plate after Franchy Cordero had driven in
a run with a single.
The ensuing two-run, game-tying blast was Hedges’ second home run in as many
starts and his 10th of the season. The 24-year-old catcher has impressed, both behind
the plate and with his power potential.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cordoba continued to defy his lack of experience. The Rule
5 draftee, making his seventh consecutive start as the Padres’ leadoff man, opened
with another hard hit for a double.
A batter later, Solarte continued to rake from the two-hole. Moved to that spot in late
May, he made his third hit of the game his loudest. A 421-foot drive soared out of the
yard, giving the Padres a 6-4 lead.
With out and the bases loaded in the sixth, Cordoba delivered again, plating a run on
an opposite-field sacrifice fly.
The Rockies came back with a run in the seventh. The Padres responded with a solo
shot by Wil Myers, who’d spent much of May in a slump.
After Richard’s exit with two outs in the sixth, four relievers combined to limit a
potent Rockies offense to one run the rest of the way.
Cordoba tripled in the eighth, sealing the second three-hit game of his young career.
Through more than a third of the season, the 21-year-old is leading all Padres players
4
with at least 100 plate appearances in average (.310) and on-base percentage (.346).
He is second in slugging (.460).
“I guess at this point in time you should expect him to get on top of a 94 mph fastball
and line it into the gap,” Green said. “You should expect him to hit a triple down the
left-field line, when nobody really hits a triple down the left-field line (at Petco Park)
at all. You should expect another double down the left-field line. Still, he continues to
impress. He’s earned every bit of the opportunity that he’s receiving right now.
Nothing’s been given to him. He’s earned the right to be out there. He’s earned the
right to be hitting at the top of the order, and it’s been very, very impressive.”
Added Myers: “I think in spring training, watching him, he was just more nervous
than anything. He just wanted to fill the part, and I feel like he fills that now. He looks
great at the plate, he looks good on defense, he’s a great outfielder, he can really run.
He’s impressed me a lot so far this year.”
Since moving to the leadoff spot, Cordoba is 10-for-30 (.300) with three extra-base
hits.
“From the first time (the Padres) took me in the Rule 5 … I really, truly believed I had
the ability to do it, and I think that just comes with hard work,” Cordoba said through
an interpreter.
Perhaps more surprising than Cordoba’s production is the fact that, just a season ago,
he was playing in the rookie-level Appalachian League in the St. Louis Cardinals
organization.
“I think it was just a result of them having a lot of guys in front of me, guys who had
received a lot more money than I had,” Cordoba said. “I signed for $7,500. So I
understood that they wanted to see their guys that received bigger bonuses. They
were always going to want to see them play, and I knew that they were going to be
ahead of me. For me, I just put it in my head that no matter which league they were
going to put me in, I was going to give it my best and play as hard as I can so I could
show them that the results were there and I had the ability to play above that.”
5
Jered Weaver making progress in recovery from hip issue Dennis Lin
In February, Jered Weaver arrived at spring training with a new club and declared he
still had “a lot to prove and a lot in the tank.” After a trio of quality outings in April,
things went awry. On May 19, the veteran right-hander retired only two batters and
surrendered seven runs. He walked off the field to boos and speculation that he might
never return.
At the moment, Weaver is determined to prove his most recent start won’t be his last.
On Friday, he threw his second bullpen session since going on the disabled list May
20 with left hip inflammation.
The ailment isn’t new for a pitcher with more than 2,000 big-league innings on his
résumé. In 2015, it caused him to miss more than a month. He estimated Friday that
he had been “battling it for three or four years now.
“It just causes restriction not only in my hip but other places as well,” Weaver said.
“Everything’s all connected, so it’s been a frustrating process, but every day it’s
getting better, so that’s a positive. I wouldn’t still be sticking around if I didn’t think I
could get it back.”
To be clear, Weaver, 34, wasn’t referencing the All-Star form he showed with the
Angels from 2010 through 2012. According to FanGraphs.com, his fastball this season
has averaged 83.6 mph, roughly where it was in each of the last two seasons. He has
operated with minimal margin for error.
But Weaver and the Padres believe that if he regains something resembling full
health, he could at least eat innings, a necessity on a staff that could shed a few arms
6
during trade season. While sidelined, Weaver has maintained a presence in the
clubhouse, both at home and on the road, where he can stay connected to the team
training staff.
“It’s just a bunch of core work, some shoulder strengthening stuff and just kind of
starting over, really,” Weaver said. “Trying to get the hip worked out and just trying to
get this body back in alignment.
“I’ve always wanted to come back quick, and the thing now is I need to recover before
I start trying to get back out there. … It’s a tough pill to swallow, but you’ve just got to
take it in stride and keep coming here with a positive attitude.”
Transportation advisory As is the case with other Sunday home games this season, the Padres’ series finale
against the Colorado Rockies will be played at 1:40 p.m. Getting to Petco Park,
though, will be trickier than usual.
The Synchrony Financial Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon and Half-Marathon also
will take place Sunday, finishing downtown. Due to road closures that will last until
approximately 2:45 p.m., several routes to Petco Park will not be open before the start
of the game.
With delays expected, the Padres are advising fans to arrive early and use Uber and
public transportation. Uber is offering a free first ride (up to $15) by entering the code
PETCOPARK in the mobile app.
Fans planning to drive themselves can find a road-closures map and other
transportation information related to Sunday’s game at padres.com/marathon.
In previous years, Sunday home games coinciding with the marathon were typically
played at a later time. A Padres spokesperson said this year’s game was scheduled at
the usual 1:40 p.m. slot because the race does not finish at Petco Park. (Last year’s
start time was 6:10 p.m. because the marathon’s finish line was originally located at
Petco. It was later moved.)
7
Notable
Padres center fielder Manuel Margot (right hamstring strain) and right-
hander Trevor Cahill (right shoulder strain) were scheduled to be re-evaluated
Friday. Cahill played catch before Friday night’s game.
Left fielder Alex Dickerson (disc protrusion) is hoping to get at-bats as a
designated hitter in extended spring training games in Arizona starting this
weekend. He could begin a rehab assignment around June 10. “He’s feeling
good and pushing really hard to be cleared to go play,” Padres manager Andy
Green said.
8
Minors
Three HRs for Michael Gettys in Storm win Jeff Sanders
Michael Gettys emerged as an All-Star the last time he repeated a level. Now he’s
heating up in his second trip through the California League.
The center field prospect homered three times in high Single-A Lake Elsinore’s 8-7
win at San Jose on Friday night.
The 21-year-old Gettys, a second-round pick in 2014, set career highs in homers (12)
and steals (33) in 2016 after a strong start in his return to the Midwest League. Then
he tripled his home run output – from three to nine – in 60 games in the Cal League
following a promotion and is up to a team-high seven through his first 52 games with
the Storm (27-28) in 2017.
Ranked eighth in the Padres system by Baseball America, Gettys is hitting .261 with
20 RBIs and 13 steals.
Right-hander Jesse Scholtens (3.68) allowed five runs – four earned – on seven hits
and three walks in a no-decision. He struck out two.
Right-hander Trevor Frank (2.82) struck out one in a scoreless ninth for his third
save after right-hander Gerardo Reyes (2-0, 1.86) allowed two runs in his two innings
to earn the win.
Second baseman Chris Baker (.253) went 3-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored
and first baseman Carlos Belen (.193) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
9
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (25-30)
Salt Lake 5, Chihuahuas 2: RHP Kyle Lloyd (0-1, 5.84) struck out five but
allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in his second Pacific Coast League
start. RHP Christian Bethancourt got struck out a batter and walked two in a
scoreless inning (11.32), just his fourth in 10 minor league appearances. SS
Dusty Coleman (.219) went 2-for-3 with his seventh homer.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (30-24)
Springfield 2, Missions 0: LHP Jerry Keel (1-1, 0.71) struck out four and
allowed two runs – one earned – on six hits and a walk in six innings. HP Kyle
McGrath (6.00) pitched a scoreless seventh. SS Jose Rondon (.267) went 3-for-
4 with two doubles and LF Alberth Martinez (.292) went 2-for-4 with two
doubles. 2B Luis Urias (.335) went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and his 10th error.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (19-36)
TinCaps 8, Dayton 6: RHP Ronald Bolanos (1-1, 5.79) earned his first pro win
despite walking four batters in five innings. He allowed two runs on three hits
and struck out one. DH G.K. Young (.248) hit his five homer, drove in three
runs on two hits, walked and scored two runs. LF Jorge Ona (.310), CF Buddy
Reed (.230), RF Jack Suwinski (.209) and C Webster Rivas (.232) each had two
hits.
Transactions
RHP Walker Lockett was placed on El Paso’s seven-day disabled list with an
lower back strain.
2B Nate Easley was promoted from Fort Wayne to Lake Elsinore. To make
room, OF Yuniet Flores was released.
RHP Emmanuel Ramirez was transferred to Fort Wayne from
extended spring training.
RHP Wilmer Torres was placed on Fort Wayne’s seven-day disabled list.
10
First pitch: Padres' Franchy Cordero fitting in Jeff Sanders
In 1,446 1/3 innings in the minors at shortstop, Franchy Cordero committed 126 errors, most
of them of the throwing variety as the Dominican signee struggled to reign in a plus arm. On
Friday, the 22-year-old Cordero is in a big league lineup in center field for the fifth time after
playing the hero in Wednesday’s win over the Cubs.
“Right now,” Padres manager Andy Green said, “he’s looking every bit the major league
outfielder.”
Through his first 17 plate appearances, Cordero is 5-for-16 with a double, a triple, a walk, four
runs scored and seven strikeouts The triple came with one out in the eighth inning Wednesday,
the left-handed Cordero racing around the bases on a ball hit to deep right-center and scoring
the go-ahead run a batter later on Yangervis Solarte’s grounder to second base.
Cordero, who has hit safely in four of his first five starts, is hitting sixth in Friday’s lineup after
leading off Wednesday.
Notable
OF Alex Dickerson (back) is nearing DH duty in extended spring training games. The
plan is to get him about a week and a half of games before draftees take over the Peoria,
Ariz., complex. “He’s feeling good and pushing hard to go play,” Green said.
Over the last five games, opponents are 1-for-53 against the Padres’ bullpen. According to
ELIAS, it’s the first time in almost a year than a team had a five-game span in which its
relief corps allowed no more than one hit. Oakland allowed one hit in 38 at-bats over five
games in June 2016.
The Padres are riding a season-high four-game winning streak. Their last five-game
streak was under interim manager Pat Murphy, from Aug. 17 to Aug. 22 in 2015.
11
Talking with ... Padres shortstop Chase d'Arnaud Jeff Sanders
Chase d’Arnaud has appeared exclusively at shortstop with the Padres, the latest stop in a
diverse career that has seen the 30-year-old Orange County native play all over the field – and
even a stage at Turner Field. The last week has been whirlwind for the newest Padre, but he set
aside time for the Union-Tribune to talk about the Chase d’Arnaud Band, their “Seven Ghosts”
album (available at i-Tunes and Spotify) and how music is a much needed outlet for his
baseball career.
Union-Tribune: It’s difficult on any baseball player when you’re forced to move around. What
impact have your transactions had on the Chase d’Arnaud band?
d’Arnaud: A couple members are still in Atlanta. My drummer, Christian Leonard, is in
Nashville currently doing something else, but a lot of the members are in Atlanta because that’s
just where they live. I’m in San Diego. I think if I wanted to I could probably book some shows
here nearby, but it would be a lot more convenient if I had some troopers here and have The
Chase d’Arnaud Band grow. Have some members in San Diego with a different sound. I would
really like to do something that’s a different vibration.
U-T: Tell us about the band.
d’Arnaud: It’s an ongoing project. It started two offseasons ago. Friends and family were
encouraging me to start making music for fun and to meet someone with experience in
production with other bands. So the Chase d’Arnaud Band started in Marina Del Rey in
December of 2015 when we made our first song with two other guys. The three of us lived
together in Atlanta and created an album. We lived together in spring training, too. We were
making song after song after song. I let some people with the Braves listen to it until the coaches
got really curious and called me into the office and they were filtering in one by one listening to
it. … Then someone with the Braves … happened to know someone who worked for Bonnaroo.
They tossed our music that way. Their initial response was, “We’re not going to have your pretty
12
boy baseball player here at Bonnaroo. This is Bonnaroo.” Then the next day they had listened to
the music and reached out and said, “Hey this is pretty good.” They had us play the Hay Bale
Studio. We were actually in San Diego playing the Padres with a day off the next day. We flew
back to Atlanta and they picked up me at 1 a.m. in Atlanta. We drove down to Tennessee, did
that whole bit, and ever since that Bonnaroo experience it’s opened up some doors for live music
and all that kind of stuff.
U-T: What are your influences?
d’Arnaud: Well our Americana album is inspired by the South. I was in Atlanta. I grew up
listening to Sublime and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson and
that’s more my vibe, but an Americana album make sense since we were in Atlanta. And I love
how that came out.
U-T: You opened up a show for Lady Antebellum. That’s you, your band and your guitar. What
is that experience like compared to an at-bat in front of 40,000 fans?
d’Arnaud: Well, I have my guitar for a couple of songs. The majority of the time I have the
wireless mic set-up and my buddies in the band are playing so I can just be a goofball on stage. I
have a lot of fun roaming around as a front man. … But it is very similar to baseball. The feeling
you get before a show is much like an at-bat. It’s, “Here we go, it’s time to get after it.” You trust
your preparation and it’s go time.
U-T: We’re sure the crowd factor is different.
d’Arnaud: I interact with the crowd. That’s one thing that’s really different with music. You’re
expressing a song. You’re communicating a song to an audience. In baseball, I’m trying to
communicate this fastball right back at your head.
U-T: You played a show at Turner Field last year after a game. What was that experience like?
d’Arnaud: Yeah, after that Bonnaroo show, the Braves were like, “Let’s book this band to play
after a game.” They marketed it pretty heavily. They were treating it like it was a regular
postgame show. They had ads between innings. It was really funny to see our picture, the band’s
picture up on the board. I had mixed feelings from teammates – “How are you going to do this?
What if we lose?” I just thought to myself whatever happens, happens. The show must go on.
13
U-T: Have you had baseball people ask, “Is this a distraction?”
d’Arnaud: Yeah, but I’ve just reassured them that baseball comes first. In fact, I would say that
nobody thinks about that more than I do. When I first started doing it, I wasn’t sure if it would
serve as a distraction myself. I didn’t know, but the evidence will show you that it doesn’t. It
actually helps me with baseball. I had a good season last year. I played multiple positions for the
Braves. After that show at Turner, I hit a walk-off the next day to win the game. That was really
important to me, because I wanted to prove that I could do a show and come back and play.
U-T: Maybe it’s even helpful to have something away from the field, to be able to put baseball
out of your mind.
d’Arnaud: Anybody will tell you, coaches and players and anyone who knows the game and the
grind it can be sometimes, can totally see that it’s outlet for me. You don’t want to go home and
think about a strikeout. All of us are perfectionists. We’re kind of hard on ourselves. When you
get home and you’re thinking about an at-bat, or even it if was a great game, it’s nice to go home
and just dive into music. It completely takes your mind off baseball.
U-T: So you’ve had a week of games at Petco Park now. You’ve heard a decent sampling of your
teammates’ walk-up songs. As the clubhouse music aficionado, who’s got the best?
d’Arnaud: I like Hedges’ walk-up song (“Careless Whisper”). It’s a classic. It gets me feeling
good when I’m on deck hitting right after him.
U-T: What’s your walk-up rotation been?
d’Arnaud: For the past five or six years I’ve been true to “Pony” by Ginuwine. That’s my go-to –
and I was using it well before it was used in “Magic Mike.” Not that I’m bothered by the fact that
it’s in that movie. Channing Tatum danced great to it.
14
Chacin looking to extend home success
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
There is an alphabet soup of stats for almost everything in baseball but Rockies manager Bud
Black pinpoints what leads to joy or heartache for right-hander Tyler Chatwood, who will start
Saturday afternoon against the Padres and righty Jhoulys Chacin.
Four times this season, Chatwood has given up five or more earned runs. In those starts, he
threw 60 percent or fewer of his pitches for strikes.
"The games that he's good, he's thrown strikes and he's not walking people," Black said. "The
games that he's scuffling, the ball-strike ratio is poor -- walks, bad counts."
He'll be going against Chacin, who pitched for the Rockies from 2009-14. Chacin has been
comfortable at Petco Park: 0.67 ERA, as opposed to 10.27 on the road. Among pitchers with at
least six career starts at Petco Park, Chacin's 1.71 ERA is second-lowest only to the Mariners'
Felix Hernandez at 1.51.
Things to know about this game:
• The Padres' Wil Myers slumped in May, batting .214/.310/.378. Could he be ticketed for
another June surge? Last year, Myers posted similar May numbers before winning Player of the
Month in June. Myers' 11 homers last year were the most by a Padres player in the month of
June, and he batted .327 with a 1.194 OPS.
• Black said he plans to return sizzling outfielder Gerardo Parra to the starting lineup. Parra, a
left-handed hitter who was held out against Padres lefty starter Clayton Richard on Friday night,
started three of the last four games in which he appeared and was 10-for-13 with a home run,
three doubles and seven RBIs.
• In his last start at Petco Park, Chatwood held the Padres hitless for five innings, then gave up
five runs and four hits without managing an out in the sixth inning of a loss May 2. Career,
Chatwood is 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA at Petco Park.
15
Homers fuel Padres' comeback victory
By AJ Cassavell and Thomas Harding / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- The red-hot Padres slugged their way to a fifth straight victory Friday night, using three
homers to roar back from an early deficit in an 8-5 victory over the Rockies at Petco Park.
Austin Hedges mashed a game-tying two-run homer in the fourth, and Yangervis Solarte put San Diego
on top for good with a two-run shot an inning later. Wil Myers-- no doubt thrilled to be putting his May
struggles behind him -- added some insurance in the seventh with a solo blast.
"There's been a lot of guys swinging the bat really well over the last couple weeks," said Myers, who
batted .214 last month. "I'd like to join them here a little bit."
Presented a pair of three-run leads, Rockies righty German Marquez simply couldn't keep the Padres'
bats in check. He struck out nine, but allowed six runs on eight hits over five innings. Marquez hadn't
allowed more than two runs in a start since May 5 and had posted a 1.46 ERA during that span.
"We jumped on them early for the three-spot and tacked on another one -- 4-1, early going of the game,"
said Rockies manager Bud Black, whose club fell out of first place with the loss. "You usually feel pretty
good about it. But the Padres squared some balls up, got back in the game, added on and we couldn't
against their 'pen."
Padres lefty Clayton Richard struggled early, allowing three Rockies runs in the third and another in the
fourth. But he held them in check from there, doing just enough to pick up the victory over 5 2/3 solid
frames.
Rule 5 rookie Allen Cordoba, who has made each of his past seven starts in the leadoff spot, sparked the
offense once again with three hits. He fell a homer shy of the cycle, as the Padres recorded their first five-
game winning streak since August 2015.
"It's very satisfying when your team picks you up and does everything they need to do to win a game,"
Richard said afterward. "It's not many times you get in a hole like that and come out on top, so I'm happy
with how we performed. It was a very good team win."
16
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Bullpen ball: Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who finished 3-for-4, opened the seventh
inning with a double, and he came around to score on Trevor Story's RBI single. It was the first
run allowed by the Padres bullpen in 18 innings, snapping the Majors' longest scoreless streak
by a bullpen. Still, lefty Brad Hand escaped that jam by whiffing Tony Wolters, and four Padres
relievers combined for seven strikeouts in 3 1/3 frames.
Hedge-hammer: Marquez attempted to barehand a 110 mph chopper off the bat of Franchy
Cordero in the bottom of the fourth. It caromed off his hand for an infield single. Marquez
remained in the game, but one batter later, he grooved a fastball to Hedges. The Padres
backstop launched it over the left-field fence for his 10th dinger of the season.
"It's a little sore right now, but during the course of the game, even after the home run … he
punched out the side and he was throwing 96 mph," Black said.
QUOTABLE
"In general, you're starting to sense more confidence in the young guys, understanding they can
compete with any team in this league. Last week it was the world champs and quite possibly the
best team in the National League in Washington. And now [it's] a first-place team in Colorado.
We've seen really good clubs, and I think these guys are getting confidence we can play with
anybody." -- Padres manager Andy Green
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
With 10 long balls, Hedges is halfway to becoming the fourth Padres catcher in history to reach
the 20-homer plateau. Mike Piazza owns the club record for a catcher with 22 in 2006. Hedges
needed just 56 games to reach 10 dingers, making him the quickest catcher in franchise history
to reach double figures.
UPON REVIEW
The Rockies challenged an out call in the fourth against Wolters on an attempted steal of third
on a double-steal with Charlie Blackmon. But a replay review determined the call would stand.
WHAT'S NEXT
Rockies: Tyler Chatwood (4-7, 5.04 ERA) returns to the road, where he is 2-3 with a 3.06 ERA
17
as opposed to 0-2 and 7.59 at home, to face the Padres at Petco Park on Saturday at 2:10 p.m.
MT.
Padres: Jhoulys Chacin spent 10 years in the Rockies organization. He's never faced them. On
Saturday, the veteran right-hander finally gets that chance. Chacin, who owns a 0.67 ERA at
home this season, will start Game 2 of the series, with first pitch slated for 1:10 p.m. PT.
18
Cordoba's confidence pays off atop lineup By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Forget the qualifiers with Allen Cordoba. The 21-year-old rookie isn't merely a
good player for a Rule 5 pick. Two months into his big league career, he's been an impressive
baseball player. Period.
Cordoba went 3-for-4 with two RBIs on Friday night, finishing a homer shy of the cycle as the
Padres rallied past the Rockies for an 8-5 victory. He's hitting .310/.346/.460 this year after
spending last season playing rookie ball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
"Anybody hitting .300 in this league is impressive," said Padres manager Andy Green. "... If you
want to paint the picture with the Rule 5 or without the Rule 5, he's a legitimate top-of-the-order
hitter at this point in time. How long that sustains, we'll give him every opportunity to show."
Since center fielder Manuel Margot went down with a calf strain last week, Cordoba has filled in
as the sparkplug atop the Padres' batting order. He's batting .333 since the start of May.
But the context is what makes Cordoba's numbers jaw-dropping. Speaking with reporters after
the game, he donned a ring from his championship with Johnson City of the Appalachian
League. It's not even a year old.
Chances are, Cordoba would be toiling away in Class A right now, had the Padres not taken him
in December's Rule 5 Draft. For some, it'd be considered an intimidating step up. For Cordoba --
who juxtaposes his soft-spoken nature by oozing self-confidence -- he never seriously doubted
whether he'd fit in.
"From the first time they took me in the Rule 5 ... I believed in myself, and I really, truly believed
I had the ability to do it," Cordoba said. "I think that just comes with hard work. I know I have a
lot of talent and it's just a matter of working hard."
Without any fanfare, Cordoba signed with the Cardinals for $7,500 in April 2013. He won
consecutive rookie ball batting titles in the Cardinals system, yet never got a chance at a higher
level.
19
Asked why he felt he wasn't given that opportunity, Cordoba pointed to a backlog of high-priced
signees in the Cardinals system. That, of course, was part of the reason St. Louis opted not to
add Cordoba to its 40-man roster, thus protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.
"For me, I just put it in my head that no matter which league they were going to put me in, I was
going to give it my best and play as hard as I can so I could show them that the results were
there and I had the ability to play above that," Cordoba said.
The Padres gave him that chance -- and then some. Cordoba has made it count.
He lined an RBI single in the third inning Friday night, before doubling and scoring in the bottom
of the fifth. He tacked on an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, before showcasing his
elite wheels with a triple to left in the eighth.
As has been the case since December, Cordoba made the most of every at-bat Friday night.
"He's earned every bit of the opportunity that he's receiving right now," Green said. "Nothing's
been given to him. He's earned the right to be out there. He's earned the right to be hitting at the
top of the order, and it's been very, very impressive."
20
Play Ball Weekend off to strong start at
Petco
Friday's fun included Wiffle ball, appearances from
d'Arnaud and Hedges
By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- When a Wiffle ball game breaks out, everyone wants to get into the fun. How else to
explain Padres announcer Mark Grant wearing a bucket hat and high-fiving a girl in ponytails?
Major League Baseball's Play Ball Weekend was on display before the Padres faced the Colorado Rockies
on Friday night, as two softball teams from the San Diego area squared off at Park at the Park, the Wiffle
ball diamond inside Petco Park.
"This is awesome," San Diego Firecrackers coach Sal Mata said. "What a great experience for the girls."
The Firecrackers took on the Imperial Valley Desert Divas, with Grant working the on-field
microphone. His play-by-play layered smiles upon the laughs the girls, ages 10-13, were having.
"This is really cool," Maya Loper, 12, said.
Loper hit a three-run homer in the first inning, which brought with it a high-five from Grant. It was
hard to decipher who was more excited about the hit.
"It felt pretty good," Loper said.
The feeling among the players, coaches and parents is that playing ball -- in any fashion -- is the
way to go.
"It doesn't have to be baseball or softball leagues -- just playing Wiffle ball is fun," Grant said.
A Play Ball Weekend pregame ceremony will take place Saturday, with children from Star/Pal
youth sports being recognized and taking the field with the nine Padres starters. San Diego's
21
representative from MLB's inaugural Trailblazer Series will throw out the first pitch. Children
attending games on Saturday and Sunday will receive a Play Ball bat and ball set by visiting the
Padres Baseball Camp activation at the Park at the Park.
Padres catcher Austin Hedges lent a hand to the Firecrackers while teammate Chase
d'Arnaud aided the Desert Divas. Hedges' advice was simple and well-received in both
dugouts.
"Go out there," he said, "and have fun."
The Desert Divas were skipping with joy in the final inning. Trailing by three runs and down to
their last out, Desert Divas hitter Emma Infante, 10, smoked a three-run homer to tie the game,
5-5. The exit velocity and launch angle of Infante's blast was undetermined, but the knock easily
cleared the fence.
"I didn't think it was going to be a home run," she said. "I'm happy it was."
This contest was about celebrating the sport rather than the final score.
"It's very important to create a love of the game," d'Arnaud said. "It's extremely important to get
kids out there, educate them, show them how fun it is to play. Sometimes kids can put too much
pressure on themselves anyway, so it's just good to get outside, be in the sun, have some fun,
make some friends, meet some new people. It's a good social event."
The Firecrackers scratched across a run in the final inning for a 6-5 victory.
"The girls were so excited to do this," Desert Divas coach Gabe Infante said. "That the Padres
would engage us in this is really special."
The teams enjoyed on-field access to the Padres' batting practice. Numerous players and
coaches stopped by to talk to the girls.
"Get the kids out from in front of the cellphone, and the TV sets, and out playing ball
somewhere," Padres manager Andy Green said. "We definitely encourage them to do that any
way we can."
22
The second annual Play Ball Weekend features a variety of youth engagement activities by
nearly 200 Major League and Minor League clubs to highlight the fun of youth baseball and
softball. It is a complementary program of the Play Ball initiative, designed by MLB to celebrate
youth baseball and softball participation. MLB has provided clubs with more than 300,000 youth
plastic bat and ball sets to distribute in both ballparks and at community events.
Many MLB clubs are hosting skills and physical fitness clinics as well as surprise "takeovers" of
youth baseball and softball games or practices featuring appearances by Major League players,
alumni, mascots, public address announcers and more. Activities will include kids participating
in special news conferences, pregame meet-and-greets and catches with players, ceremonial
first pitches, public address duties, lineup card exchanges, taking the field with players,
postgame running the bases and more. Major League players, coaches and managers will wear
Play Ball Weekend patches during the weekend's games, and players on home clubs will wear
custom T-shirts during batting practice on the date of their club's activations.
Teams that are on the road Saturday and Sunday will host their Play Ball Weekend activities
during another homestand.
23
Chacin excited to face former Rox
teammates
By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Jhoulys Chacin spent 10 seasons in the Rockies organization, where he pitched
124 Major League games and nearly 700 innings. In his own words, the Rockies "are the team
that taught me everything I know about baseball."
On Saturday, for the first time, he gets to show them what he learned.
Chacin has faced 28 teams in his nine-year big league career, excepting only the Rockies and
Blue Jays.
"It's going to be exciting and maybe a little emotional to be facing the team I played for for 10
years," Chacin said. "That's the team I signed with. I know a lot of the guys. But when I get on
the field, I just want to pitch well and give our team a chance to win."
Chacin left the Rockies after the 2014 season and has pitched for four teams since. He inked a
one-year deal with the Padres during the offseason and has seen mixed results over the
season's first two months.
He says he's most eager to face Carlos Gonzalez, his teammate for six years and a fellow native
of Maracaibo, Venezuela.
"CarGo is one of the guys I was most close to," Chacin said. "Also, [Nolan] Arenado came up a
couple years after me. I was rooting for them to get hits my whole career. Now I'm facing them,
competing against them. It's going to be really exciting for me. ... I know they have a lot of new
people now, and things might be a little bit different with them. But it was a really good time that
I spent with the Rockies."
It's been a bumpy road of late for Chacin, who has struggled away from Petco Park this season.
He's posted a 10.27 ERA in seven road starts, while allowing just two runs on 12 hits in 27
home innings.
24
"It starts to play itself out by a self-fulfilling prophecy, where you expect him to pitch really well at
home," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Good news, he's pitching at home. ... We'll try to
figure out the road thing after his next two outings at home."
Worth noting
• Alex Dickerson will get at-bats as a designated hitter in some extended spring games at the
Padres' complex in Peoria, Ariz., beginning this weekend. Dickerson is recovering from a
bulging disk in his back, and the Padres are hopeful he will progress toward a rehab stint in the
next week or two.
• The Padres will have a decision to make with rookie Franchy Cordero when center
fielder Manuel Margot returns from a strained right calf. Cordero, Margot's replacement in center
field, was 5-for-16 entering play Friday and has impressed defensively. Green said it's possible
Cordero could shift to one of the corner outfield spots. But he wouldn't delve too deeply into the
issue, with Margot's timetable still uncertain.
"You don't want to limit the opportunities for Franchy," Green said. "I think it's premature to
discuss what we'd do at that point in time, when Manny's back. But Franchy is making a nice
impression."
25
Padres On Deck: RHPs De Los
Santos, Nix Have Strong Starts
Top-30 prospects Gettys, Allen, Giron pace A-Lake
Elsinore win
By Bill Center
Right-handed pitchers Enyel De Los Santos and Jacob Nix turned in solid starts Thursday night in the Padres’ minor league system.
De Los Santos, 21, the Padres’ 15th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts over six innings for Double-A San Antonio to lower his earned run average to 4.88.
Nix, 21, the Padres №5 prospect, made his second start of the season for Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore and allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts in a 5–3 Storm win at San Jose. Nix, who opened the season on the disabled list with a groin injury, has a 4.09 ERA after two outings.
Right-hander Zech Lemond(2.79 ERA) followed Nix and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Right-hander Colby Blueberg (5–2, 1.91) allowed one hit with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings to get the win.
Top-30 prospects center fielder Michael Gettys, catcher Austin Allen and third baseman Ruddy Giron played key roles as Lake Elsinore improved to 26–28.
Gettys, the Padres’ 11-ranked prospect, had two doubles in five at-bats with a RBI and a run scored to raise his batting average to .251. Allen
26
(.261), the №27 prospect, had two doubles in four at-bats with a RBI. Giron (.226), the №26 prospect, was 1-for-5 with a steal, a RBI and a run scored.
Second baseman Chris Baker (.240) had two doubles in four at-bats with a run scored. Left fielder Edwin Moreno (.263) was 2-for-3 with two walks, a RBI and two runs scored.
In a pair or related moves Thursday, Single-A Fort Wayne activated center fielder Buddy Reed from the seven-day disabled list and returned infielder-outfielder Tyler Selesky to extended spring training.
Around the Farm:
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (25–29) — Salt Lake 11, CHIHUAHUAS 10: LF Jose Pirela(.337) was 3-for-5 with his 13th homer, three RBIs and two runs scored. 1B Christian Villanueva (.308) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. 3B Diego Goris(.286) was 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.CF Rafael Ortega(.319) was 2-for-5 with a double, a RBI and three runs scored. 2B Carlos Asuaje (.235) had a triple in three at-bats with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. C Rocky Gale (.258) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Starting RHP Tyrell Jenkins (4–5, 6.51 ERA) allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on nine hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. RHP Adam Cimber (4.35) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. LHP Keith Hessler (4.24) allowed four hits and a walk in two scoreless innings. RHP Jason Jester (7.45) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (30–23) — TULSA 5, Missions 4 (11 innings): SS Jose Rondon (.254) was 2-for-5 with a double, a steal and a RBI. RF Franmil Reyes (.286) was 1-for-3 with two walks and a RBI. 2B Luis Urias (.342) was 1-for-4 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored. PH Alberth Martinez(.287) was 1-for-1 with a run scored. 1B Fernando Perez (.222) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. CF Auston Bousfield (.204) had a run-scoring double in five at-bats. RHP Eric Yardley (2.10 ERA) followed De Los Santos and pitched a perfect inning. LHP Brad Wieck (3.72) allowed two runs on four hits
27
with two strikeouts in an inning. RHP Trey Wingenter (2.25) allowed a run on a hit and a walk in an inning. RHP Cesar Vargas (1–3, 3.03) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss.
SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (18–36) — Bowling Green 11, TIN CAPS 4: 1B Brad Zunica (.207) was 2-for-3 with his seventh homer for two RBIs. 3B Hudson Potts (.235) hit his third homer in four at-bats for two RBIs. RF Jorge Ona(.305) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Starting RHP Hansel Rodriguez (1–6, 5.64 ERA) allowed six runs (five earned) on three hits and five walks with five strikeouts in five innings. RHP Jim McDade (4.32) allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and a walk with a strikeout in two innings. RHP David Bednar (2.35) struck out one in a perfect inning. 1B G.K. Young issued a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless inning in a mop-up role.
28
Surging Padres beat Rockies 8-5 for fifth straight win
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO -- The rebuilding San Diego Padres haven't been pushovers of late. Not after knocking off three of the National League's top teams. Austin Hedges, Yangervis Solarte and Wil Myers homered, leading San Diego to an 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night for their season-high fifth straight win. The Padres followed their sweep of the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs by beating the Rockies, who have a share of the NL West lead. This winning run, the Padres' longest since 2015, stated with a road triumph over the Washington Nationals. That's quite an accomplishment for the Padres, who were among the majors' worst clubs before their turnaround.
"I think in general you're seeing more confidence from the young guys that they compete with anyone in this league," Padres manager Andy Green said. "This last week we have seen the world champs, possibly the best team in the National League in Washington and now a first-place team in Colorado." Clayton Richard (4-6) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings, while striking out three in winning for the second time in his last three outings. Brandon Maurer worked the ninth for his ninth save. Richard leans on his slider to be effective. But as he struggled to command the pitch, he went almost exclusively to his fastball, which was in the mid-90s.
"Unfortunately with the game plan the sliders were good to a lot of the guys," Richard said. "I did not make the adjustment quickly enough and fortunately our team came through. It's very satisfying when your team picks you and does everything to win the game. It was a very good team win."
German Marquez (4-3) went five innings, allowing six runs, eight hits and two walks for Colorado, which has lost four of five. He struck out nine as he failed to win his fifth consecutive start. "The fastball command wasn't quite there and they took advantage of it," Marquez said through a translator.
Added Rockies manager Bud Black: "I think more than anything his pitches were elevated and they took advantage of it."
The Padres took a 6-4 lead in the fifth on Solarte's two-run homer. Allen Cordoba was on with a single before Solarte's 437-foot shot, his third hit of the game.
29
Cordoba's sacrifice fly in the seventh pushed the Padres ahead 7-4, but the Rockies got within two runs in the bottom half on Trevor Story's RBI single. Colorado had the tying runs aboard when Brad Hand struck out Tony Wolters. Myers notched the Padres' final homer in the seventh, extending San Diego's lead to 8-5.
"When Wil is relaxed at the plate he is as good as any hitter in the game," Green said.
Hedges had tied the game at 4 with a two-run homer in the fourth, his 10th, which followed Franchy Cordero's single that scored Ryan Schimpf. Cordero's shot up the middle ricocheted off Marquez's pitching hand. The right-hander said he was fine, but Hedges immediately crushed a 93 mph fastball. TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (fractured left foot) will pitch on the side on Saturday and possibly a simulated game on Tuesday. ... RHP Chad Bettis (testicle cancer) will rejoin the team on Tuesday to begin building arm strength. Padres: OF Alex Dickerson (bulging disk in back) will DH in extended spring training games this weekend at the team's Arizona camp. He could progress to a rehab stint in two weeks. UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (4-7, 5.04) has been scuffling, surrendering a season-high six runs on seven hits in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on Monday. The last time Chatwood saw the Padres in San Diego on May 2, he took a no-hitter into the sixth before faltering. He's 3-1 at Petco Park. Padres: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (4-4, 4.33) has won both of his decisions at home thanks to a 0.67 ERA as batters are hitting.132 against him at Petco Park. Chacin faces the Rockies, his former team, for the first time as he tries to go at least five innings for the ninth time in his 13 starts.