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Padres Press Clips Saturday, September 12, 2015

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Preller: Padres won't rush manager search MLB.com Brock 2

Upton unleashes power with both bat, arm MLB.com Brock 4

After early blast, Padres held at bay by Giants MLB.com Brock/Haft 6

Kennedy puts strong 2nd half to test vs. Giants MLB.com Macklin 8

Peavy gives up 2 hits over 7 innings in Giants' 9-1 win Associated Press AP 9

Giants wear down Cashner, rout Padres UT San Diego Lin 11

Flip-flop: With Gyorko at SS, Amarista starts at 2B UT San Diego Lin 13

Ross adds cutter to repertoire UT San Diego Lin 15

Federowicz undergoes arthroscopic surgery UT San Diego Lin 16

Jankowski getting a hand from Roberts UT San Diego Lin 17

On deck: Ian Kennedy vs. Madison Bumgarner UT San Diego Sanders 19

Minors: Erlin pitches El Paso to victory UT San Diego Sanders 20

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Preller: Padres won't rush manager

search By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | September 11th, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO -- When the Padres handpicked A.J. Preller as general manager in August 2014, they

did so without fear of another team swooping in and hiring away the candidate they coveted.

No other team was in the market for the general manager at the time.

When the Padres get around to filling their managerial position, they won't be as fortunate.

Whether the Padres decide to hang onto interim manager Pat Murphy or opt to go in another direction for

a manager for 2016, they'll be facing competition and likely quite a bit of it.

The number of teams that could see managerial changes this offseason might hit double digits, like the

Tigers, who, according to an unconfirmed report, will dismiss Brad Ausmus after the season.

Ausmus, who makes his home in Del Mar, worked in the Padres' front office as a special assistant from

2011-13. He would figure to get an interview for the job in San Diego.

As for the Padres, Preller said Friday before the Padres' 9-1 loss in the series opener at AT&T Park in San

Francisco, that the organization won't rush to fill the manager position because of the high volume of

teams that could be looking for a new manager.

"It's an important decision for us," Preller said. "We just want to make sure we make a good call and we

don't feel pressure from what's going on in the industry or anything like that.

"We'll get to a spot where we're comfortable making a good decision and we will make a good hire."

One thing is for certain, though: There won't be any decisions made before now and the end of the regular

season, which is Oct. 4. Murphy took over for Bud Black, who was dismissed on June 15, and has a 35-41

record as interim manager after Friday's game.

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"Like we said all along, we've made a commitment to the end of the year. At the end of the year, we're

going to have a decision of which direction we're going to go in," Preller said.

During the hiring process that led to Preller, president/CEO Mike Dee, executive chairman Ron Fowler

and investor Peter Seidler interviewed eight candidates over 15 days, and Fowler estimated they put in

over 200 hours on interviews.

What is Preller looking for in a manager? If he has a type he wouldn't say Friday. Instead, he insists he's

open-minded to all types of candidates, those who have varying backgrounds and experience levels.

"I think it's all in the individual," he said. "If you study managers who have had success over the last 10,

15 years, they come from all different backgrounds. We're not going to look at it as if we need a guy that

comes from a certain background or profile or anything like that.

"It will be more so a situation where you're looking for the best guy."

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Upton unleashes power with both bat,

arm By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | 2:20 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO -- There wasn't much offense to be had for the Padres on Friday against the Giants at

AT&T Park.

But if you guessed that Justin Upton might have had a little something to do with the team's lone run in

a 9-1 setback, you would have been right.

And, no, that hardly rates as a surprise.

Upton hit his team-leading 25th home run of the season in the second inning for a brief lead, one of the

few blights against former Padres ace Jake Peavy, who gave his former team fits all night.

The Padres finished with four hits -- none bigger than Upton's blast to left field.

"Every team's record is better when you score first," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "I felt good

about it."

Peavy, who won the 2007 National League Cy Young with the Padres, allowed two hits, both to Upton,

over seven innings, tying San Diego's hitters in knots with his stuff that still plays well.

Upton's home run, projected by Statcast™ to land 406 feet away, gave him the most by a Padres player

since Chase Headley hit 31 in 2012. Upton later added a single, punching a hit into right field in the

seventh inning off Peavy.

It was Upton's first home run since Aug. 30 and his third in 228 plate appearances at AT&T Park.

"I've come here and gotten my hits, but for the most part, they have pitched me pretty tough," Upton said

of the Giants. "I've just got to take my hits when I can get them."

Upton did more than just hit Friday.

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In the second inning, and with the Padres leading, 1-0, Angel Pagan slapped a hit to left field,

scoring a run. But Upton came up firing, throwing a strike to catcher Derek Norris to nab Ehire

Adrianza at the plate to keep the game tied. It was his ninth assist of 2015 -- a career high.

The only other Padres hits on Friday were by single by Cory Spangenberg and then a ninth-

inning single by Matt Kemp, who extended his streak of reaching base to 31 consecutive

games.

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After early blast, Padres held at bay by

Giants By Corey Brock and Chris Haft / MLB.com | 1:23 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants were rewarded for an all-around effort Friday night by

gaining ground in the National League West race for the first time since Aug. 21, as they thrashed the San

Diego Padres, 9-1 at AT&T Park.

Every Giant hit safely, led by Marlon Byrd's three singles. Kelby Tomlinson scored a career-high three

runs. Center fielder Angel Pagan contributed a remarkable seventh-inning catch. It added up to ample

support for Giants starter Jake Peavy (6-6), who won his third decision in a row and fourth in his last

five.

With the win and the Dodgers' 12-4 loss to the D-backs, the Giants cut their division deficit to 7 1/2

games.

Said Peavy, who retired 17 consecutive batters after Justin Upton clobbered a second-inning

home run, "It was just another game we had to have. … Nobody in this locker room thought

about giving up. We're ready to play this thing out."

Padres starter Andrew Cashner (5-15) dropped his third consecutive decision and fifth in his last

six while yielding five runs and nine hits -- all singles -- while walking five in 4 2/3 innings.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

If at first you succeed: Peavy threw just six pitches in the first inning, putting him on pace to last

longer than he usually does. Typically, Peavy is good for about twice through the batting order,

meaning he typically doesn't last more than six innings. This time, he worked seven.

"I'm the same guy I was down the stretch for this team last year," said Peavy, who won six of his

last seven regular-season decisions for San Francisco in 2014. More than just a bat: Sure, Upton gets paid (and handsomely) to knock in runs, but he is certainly not a one-dimensional player. That was evident Friday in the second inning when he threw out Ehire Adrianza trying to score on Pagan's single to left field with two outs in the inning, keeping the game tied. For Upton, it was his ninth assist of 2015 -- a career high.

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Robbed by an Angel: Pagan turned in his finest play of the season in the seventh inning, as the Giants center fielder timed his leap perfectly to reach above the wall and deny Matt Kemp a home run.

From the bottom up: Contributions from the lower rungs of the batting order bolstered the

Giants' offense. No. 8 hitter Adrianza, replacing injured Brandon Crawford at shortstop, stroked

two hits, including a fifth-inning RBI single that snapped an 0-for-18 skid. "He's a better hitter

than what's been going on," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's been fighting it."

Pinch-hitter Jarrett Parker, who was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento earlier Friday but hadn't

played since the River Cats ended their season on Labor Day, belted a run-scoring, ground-rule

double while pinch-hitting for Peavy in the seventh.

"I was told to stay ready, so I wasn't really surprised," said Parker, who was staying limber at his

home in northern Virginia when the Giants summoned him.

QUOTABLE

"Cash was lights out in terms of the way the ball was coming out, 98 miles an hour. He had two

quick outs a few times and nobody in scoring position, and then walked a guy. Credit the Giants

for keeping the ball out of the air and then hitting the ball through the right side or hitting the ball

through the left side. It was pretty impressive," -- Padres interim manager Pat Murphy on Cashner.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

This was the first time in three attempts that Peavy defeated the Padres, the organization that

drafted him in 1999. He got a no-decision last September at AT&T Park and then took the loss

in a game in San Diego in April. Peavy was 92-68 in parts of eight seasons with the Padres

(2002-09).

WHAT'S NEXT

Padres: Ian Kennedy (8-13, 3.99) gets the start on Saturday in the second game of the three-

game series. He's actually pitched better away from spacious Petco Park (3.48 ERA in 12

starts) than he has at home this season (4.48 in 14 starts).

Giants: Madison Bumgarner will resume his bid for 20 victories as he faces San Diego in

Saturday's 6:05 p.m. encounter. Including this game, Bumgarner could have as many as five

more starts to record the three victories he needs to get to reach the milestone.

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Kennedy puts strong 2nd half to test vs.

Giants By Oliver Macklin / MLB.com | 1:52 AM ET

With 21 games to play and their backs to the wall, the San Francisco Giants send ace Madison Bumgarner

to the mound against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.

Bumgarner, who looks to keep the Giants in the playoff hunt as they face a 7 1/2-game deficit in the

National League West, is coming off a win over Colorado on Sunday, in which he allowed four runs on

nine hits in six innings. The left-hander has won nine of his last eleven starts.

Including this game, Bumgarner (17-7) could have as many as five more starts to record the three

victories he needs to get to reach the 20-win milestone. He set a career high in victories last season with

18.

The Padres turn to Ian Kennedy to oppose Bumgarner. Kennedy struggled over the season's first two

months, but has turned himself around in a big way. The right-hander, who went 4-9 with a 4.91 ERA

before the All-Start break, has gone 4-4 with a 2.74 ERA since.

Things to know about this game

• Padres reliever Shawn Kelley, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 1 because of tightness in his right forearm,

will play long toss on Saturday with an eye on throwing a bullpen session on this road trip. That will

likely occur when the team plays in Arizona next week (Monday-Wednesday).

• The Giants' Brandon Belt and Marlon Byrd each have two career home runs off Kennedy.

• The Padres haven't completely closed the door on reliever Brandon Maurer (right shoulder

inflammation) returning, but he's running out of days to get back. There's no timeline for a throwing

program. On a separate note, the team hasn't ruled out the possibility of him moving into the rotation in

2016.

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Peavy gives up 2 hits over 7 innings in Giants' 9-1 win Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jake Peavy was surprised to learn he beat his former team for the first time. He had thought he earned one last season.

"I guess that was a no-decision," he said. "You know, I enjoy competing. I know a lot of people in that dugout. Other than that, it's just another game."

Peavy allowed two hits over seven innings, Marlon Byrd had three hits and drove in a run and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 9-1 on Friday night. Matt Duffy had two hits and drove in two runs for the Giants, who have won four of six following a seven-game losing streak. Buster Posey extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The Giants, who left 10 men on base, picked up ground on the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time since Aug. 21. The first-place Dodgers, who lost 12-4 to Arizona, are 7 1-2 games in front in the NL West.

"We know the task at hand," Peavy said. "We're just trying to to get within striking distance and make this thing interesting."

Justin Upton homered for the Padres, who have lost six of their last eight. Peavy (6-6) did not walk a batter and struck out two. He retired 17 straight after Upton's second-inning homer gave the Padres the early lead.

"He was good," Padres manager Pat Murphy said. "Let's face it, he's a veteran, a former Cy Young Award winner and he pitched his butt off. He made pitches and when we did hit it hard, they caught it."

Andrew Cashner (5-15) gave up five runs and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out seven on his 29th birthday. Angel Pagan, who robbed Matt Kemp of a home run with an over-the-fence grab in the seventh inning, singled home the tying run in the second and the Giants took the lead for good with two runs in the third on RBI singles from Posey and Byrd.

Duffy's two-run double highlighted a four-run outburst in the seventh.

BOCHY'S NIGHT

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Giants manager Bruce Bochy visited the mound to talk with his son, Brett Bochy, who happened to be pitching the ninth inning. The younger Bochy had given up a hit and then hit a batter after getting the first two outs.

"That was emotional for me," the manager said. "I was caught up and I'm not going to lie. I was influenced by the crowd."

Allowing his son one more hitter, Brett Bochy struck out Jedd Gyorko to end the game as the crowd chanted "Bo-chy, Bo-chy," throughout the inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM:

Padres: RHP Shawn Kelly (strained right forearm) is expected to play long toss Saturday, with the possibility of a bullpen session next week.

Giants: OF Gregor Blanco was diagnosed with a concussion and may miss the remainder of the season. "He complained after the game in Arizona," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He thinks it's from a slide in LA when his head hit the knee of the infielder. It seemed to get worse." ... RHP Matt Cain (elbow) was reinstated from the DL and will pitch out of the bullpen for the time being.

UP NEXT:

Padres: RHP Ian Kennedy (8-13, 3.99), who starts Saturday's game, has an ERA of 2.48 over his past six starts and is 2/3 over that stretch. In four starts against the Giants this year, he's 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA. Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (17-7, 3.05) is 8-2 since the All-Star break and will be looking to match his career high for wins from last year. He's 8-2 with a 2.02 ERA in 14 home starts.

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Giants wear down Cashner, rout Padres Padres starter goes just 4 2/3 innings, while Jake Peavy throttles former team

By Dennis Lin | 10:19 p.m. Sept. 11, 2015 | Updated, 10:54 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants paraded around the bases Friday at AT&T Park, wearing

down Andrew Cashner with a hail of singles.

While Giants starter Jake Peavy bounced back from a Justin Upton home run in the second,

Cashner promptly surrendered his early lead in what became a 9-1 loss.

Eight of the nine members of San Francisco's lineup singled against Cashner. The last to do so:

Peavy himself, his fifth-inning knock chasing Cashner from the game. It was another early exit

for the Padres right-hander, this on his 29th birthday.

The Padres surely would like to turn the clock back to a couple years ago, when Cashner was

throwing one-hitters and seemingly scraping the surface of his potential. Friday, it was Peavy

putting on a throwback performance, only this time against his former team, two-hitting the

Padres over seven innings.

"He hit his spots," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "What can you say? He's a veteran

and former Cy Young winner, and he pitched his (tail) off tonight. ... He kept the pressure on. He

was relentless."

In the meantime, Cashner continued to slog through a trying season. Not long after Upton's

homer gave the Padres a 1-0 lead, a two-out single by Angel Pagan tied the score. In the third,

the Giants opened with a salvo of three consecutive singles before Marlon Byrd's one-out single

made it 3-1. Cashner eventually got out of that frame on his 80th pitch. He would not get out of

the fifth.

"Their two-strike approach tonight was very, very good," Murphy said of the Giants. "They did a

really nice job of hitting the ball through the holes."

Cashner was lifted after 4 2/3 innings, his shortest stint since June, and 117 pitches. The Giants

had taken a 5-1 lead on nine hits and five walks.

"The results aren't obviously what you want, but I don't feel like I pitched that bad," Cashner

said. "Overall, I thought I executed some pitches. I thought I made a few mistakes. I had some

ground balls that weren't right at guys."

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Cashner hasn't won in his last 10 outings on the road. With a 4.27 ERA, he fell to 5-15, tied for

the most losses in the majors.

The Giants rubbed it in.

In the top of the seventh, Pagan robbed Matt Kemp of a home run by scaling the centerfield

fence. Kemp could only laugh and nod to Peavy as he jogged back to the dugout.

In the home half of the inning, Belt led off and broke his bat. The ball fell into center field for a

single, making it nine of nine Giants starters with a hit. San Francisco went on to score four runs

in the inning.

Kemp singled with two outs in the ninth, extending his on-base streak to 31 games, the longest

in a single season for the Padres since Ryan Klesko had a 56-game streak in 2002.

Since moving to 61-62 with a shutout of the Cardinals on Aug. 22, the Padres are 6-13.

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Flip-flop: With Gyorko at SS, Amarista starts at 2B In a reverse of early this season, second baseman and shortstop swap places

By Dennis Lin | 8:37 p.m. Sept. 11, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO — For the Padres, Friday's middle infield represented a flip-flop of what they

envisioned months ago.

Starting at shortstop in the series opener at AT&T Park, continuing what has been an extended

look, was second baseman Jedd Gyorko. Starting at second, having earned a rare appearance,

was utility man Alexi Amarista.

Entering this season, the Padres had hoped for a bounceback season for Gyorko and that

Amarista could team with veteran Clint Barmes to hold down the infield's most demanding

position.

More than 130 games later, Gyorko's second-half resurgence - this following a June demotion to

the minors - has been partly responsible for Amarista's return to limited duty. While Gyorko

made his 14th start at shortstop Friday, Amarista made just his second start in 20 games and

his fourth start this season at second.

"Certainly coming into this year, he was going to get the bulk of his starts at shortstop, but with

what Jedd's done and some of the developments on the team, he's kind of slid back into more of

a super-utility role," said Padres assistant general manager Josh Stein.

What Gyorko has done in a small sample at short has been a welcome development, especially

considering the infield has often resembled a game of musical chairs. Going into Friday's game,

he'd gone 16-for-47 (.340) with six home runs while playing the position. As a second baseman,

he was hitting .229 (64-for-279) with seven home runs, those numbers including another dismal

start to the season.

"I think the biggest thing is the bat," Padres GM A.J. Preller said. "This is the type of hitter he

should be, a dangerous hitter, someone who can hit anywhere 2 through 6 in a big-league

lineup. It's nice to see him swing the bat with authority the way he has the last month."

Meanwhile, Gyorko had yet to commit an error as a shortstop. Far removed from his days as a

college shortsop, he has below-average range for the position, but Padres officials have noted

he's made up for it with his quick hands and smooth actions.

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"It's been great to see the way he's handled the challenge, moving over without obviously

having worked on it much over the last few years," Preller said.

Added interim manager Pat Murphy: "I'm interested in Jedd at short; I'm interested in the future

of that. He hasn't been exposed yet. Maybe this is something, really another option for the

organization."

Given the price of a productive shortstop, could the Padres go with Gyorko there next year?

More than one rival evaluator has said that would not be truly solving the problem and akin to

running in place.

For now, it seems the Padres have found an emergency option at least on par with the

Amarista-Barmes platoon.

"He's played well over there, so I think it opens up another possiblity for us when we get to the

offseason," Preller said. "That's going to be something we're going to talk about, for sure."

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Ross adds cutter to repertoire Padres starter has reincorporated pitch he threw in the minors

By Dennis Lin | 6:54 p.m. Sept. 11, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO — Padres starter Tyson Ross found big-league success relying almost

exclusively on two pitches. Lately, he's used more and more of a third.

The right-hander began throwing a cutter in a late-May start in Anaheim, toyed with it in a

subsequent bullpen session and has since made it a noticeable part of his repertoire, which

previously was almost all fastball-slider.

"I was new to the National League in '13, guys hadn't seen me," said Ross, who has followed up

last year's All-Star campaign by going 10-10 with a 3.24 ERA. "I just think you need to make

adjustments as you go. Teams started to see those two pitches and adjust off of that, so I had to

do something to change my gameplan."

Ross noted that he'd thrown the cutter in the minors and as a college pitcher at Cal, but, he

explained, "when you struggle with command the last thing you want to do is add pitches. I had

my struggles and kind of stripped down to the basics and rebuilt from there."

This season, Ross has gone from merely experimenting with his cutter, thrown with a four-seam

fastball grip with the baseball slightly off center, to making it more than just an occasional fling.

According to PITCHf/x data at brooksbaseball.net, more than 11 percent of Ross' pitches in

August were cutters. He has approximated that usage through two September starts.

The pitch, which breaks slightly toward the glove-side of the plate, has averaged 91.36 mph,

compared to 87.42 mph for Ross' slider and 93.74 mph for his two-seam fastball. Ross throws

his four-seam fastball (93.89 mph) less often than the latter two pitches.

For Ross, one of the game's most extreme groundball pitchers, the cutter has been largely

effective; on the season, opposing batters are hitting .239 and slugging only .326 against it.

"I just think it's a different look," Ross said. "It's movement (away from) the barrel, trying to get

poor contact and just avoiding the hitters being able to sit on anything."

Of course, work remains to be done. Thursday at Petco Park, Ross left a cutter over the plate

and Colorado's Nolan Arenado redirected it for a home run.

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Federowicz undergoes arthroscopic surgery Padres minor league catcher has procedure to shave down cartilage

By Dennis Lin | 6:24 p.m. Sept. 11, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO — Padres minor league catcher Tim Federowicz underwent a second

surgery on his right knee Friday, this one more minor than the first. The arthroscopic procedure,

performed by team physician Dr. Heinz Hoenecke in San Diego, came six months after

Federowicz had a torn meniscus repaired in March.

Hoenecke shaved down "a little cartilage that was causing (Federowicz) some problems,"

Padres assistant general manager Josh Stein said. Federowicz also received a platelet-rich

plasma injection to help stimulate recovery in the knee.

Federowicz, 28, was acquired in the December blockbuster that brought Matt Kemp from the

Los Angeles Dodgers to San Diego. Unlike Kemp, the catcher has yet to appear in a game for

the Padres. He suffered the meniscal tear in a spring-training game, eventually beginning a

rehab assignment in July.

After Federowicz, who had no minor league options left, completed the 20-day assignment, the

Padres designated him for assignment and outrighted him to El Paso. In 22 games for the

Triple-A affiliate this season, Federowicz hit just .179 with three home runs.

"He got back to where he felt he was healthy, and (the cartilage) just started to creep back up on

him in the process," Stein said. "Obviously, it's unfortunate for him and in a lot of ways a lost

season for Tim, but hopefully we can get him back healthy and see what's next in his career."

Federowicz is expected to be ready for spring training next year. Whether he'll have a significant

role in the organization remains to be seen.

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Jankowski getting a hand from Roberts Padres' centerfield and leadoff candidate learning from bench coach Dave Roberts

By Dennis Lin | 5 p.m. Sept. 11, 2015

The Padres have gone a decade without a leadoff hitter who was simulatenously prototypical

and productive, the irony being that the last instance is standing in their own dugout.

Perched nightly beside interim manager Pat Murphy is bench coach Dave Roberts, who in 2006

established career highs with a .293 average, a .360 on-base percentage and 49 steals.

"I wasn't a guy who was going to hit the ball out of the ballpark, but I just tried to be a pest," said

Roberts, who homered exactly twice that season but also tripled 13 times, matching Tony

Gwynn's club record.

Ten years later, Roberts is leading off again, now in the effort to instill the same mentality in a

new protege. Since his promotion last month, Travis Jankowski has auditioned for the Padres'

leadoff and centerfield jobs, both roles Roberts once filled quite capably.

"A pest at the plate, a pest on the bases - just cause havoc," Roberts continued. "I definitely see

it. He's a better version of me. ... If you look at the age where he started and where he's at, he's

definitely accelerated. I was just more polished because I got here later."

Roberts arrived in the majors with the Indians at age 27. It took two more seasons before, in

2002, he became a big-league regular with the Dodgers.

Jankowski turned 24 on June 15. He was 13 when Roberts executed what came to be known in

Boston as, simply, "The Steal."

To be sure, Jankowski remains a long way from etching himself in a franchise's lore, much less

sparking an entire city in the postseason. The tools and the mindset, meanwhile, suggest he

could one day make his own impact. Jankowski has cooled since a pair of multi-hit

performances to start his career, but he has continued to impress Roberts.

"I think Travis is doing a really nice job as far as trying to scale the game down a little bit,"

Roberts said. "And I think the skillset's there, the head's there, the will. He's going to continue to

get better with the at-bats and innings played. I think he's a winning player, and I think he's

going to do a lot of good things for this franchise."

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Introduced to the lanky prospect this past spring, the former major league player has taken a

special interest in Jankowski's instruction. Just about every afternoon since his call-up,

Jankowski and fellow speedster Cory Spangenberg engage in a particular form of early batting

practice, squaring around to bunt as Roberts feeds a pitching machine.

"I'd been doing it in the minors for probably a month, and Doc grabbed both of us and said, 'Hey,

this is something we're going to try to do, if not every day, then almost every day,'" Jankowski

said. "It's been paying off."

Jankowski, who was batting .195 through his first 15 games, noted that one of his hits came on

a bunt. (He also noted that Spangenberg, a good friend and locker mate, had collected multiple

bunt hits.)

Of course, Jankowski will first have to get on base to fully utilize his speed, a plus tool already

evident on defense; in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Rockies, he seemed to make the outfield

shrink on a running catch at the wall in left-center.

The left-handed hitter made significant strides this season before his Padres debut, cutting

down on his two-strike approach and redirecting more baseballs to his pull-side gap. Between

stints with Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso, he logged 49 walks to 50 strikeouts

while hitting .335 with a .413 on-base percentage.

"Morgan Burkhart, the Double-A hitting coach, we worked on staying on top of the ball and

staying through it," said Jankowski, who's made one start leading off and 11 batting ninth (a way

to ease his transition to the majors). "It's all still stuff that I need to work on."

Jankowski has split time in center field with the right-handed-hitting Melvin Upton Jr., who's

unlikely to be moved since he's owed $33 million over the next two seasons. A platoon is a

possible arrangement for 2016.

Meantime, unless the Padres determine Jankowski has accumulated enough plate

appearances, he will get more in this year's Arizona Fall League. Conveniently, the rookie owns

a four-bedroom house in Goodyear, Ariz. After he was drafted 44th overall by the Padres in

2012, he took his parents' suggestion by making the investment.

Jankowski spent much of last season there as he rehabbed a fractured wrist and elbow at the

Padres' spring-training facility in nearby Peoria, Ariz. This fall, the plan is for his offseason pad

to be a base for his continued development.

"The (real estate) market's gone up since I bought it, so it's definitely paid off," Jankowski said.

The Padres hope their own investment will produce similar dividends.

"It's just really honing his craft as far as being a proficient base-stealer and trusting himself out

there on the bases, and also continuing to hone his skills as a bunter and just having that

relentlessness, that fearlessness, as an offensive player," Roberts said. "As far as how he's

supposed to be as a player, I think he's really starting to understand that, and there's definitely

been a buy-in. He's going to be a pretty special player."

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On deck: Ian Kennedy vs. Madison Bumgarner Five of the seven runs scored off Bumgarner came in first game against Padres

By Jeff Sanders | 10 a.m. Sept. 12, 2015

THE SERIES

Padres at San Francisco Giants

Game 2: 6:05 pm. Saturday

PROBABLE PITCHERS

Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (8-13, 3.99)

The pending free agent is coming off his worst start of the second half: Six runs (four earned) in

five innings on Monday against the Rockies. Kennedy, neverthless, has 21 strikeouts in his last

12 innings.

Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (17-7, 3.05)

In three starts against the Padres in 2015, Bumgarner is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA, 24 strikeouts and

two walks in 17 2/3 innings. Five of the seven runs were scored in the first meeting.

GAME 3

Sunday, 1:05 p.m.: Padres RHP Colin Rea (2-2, 4.26) vs. Giants RHP Mike Leake (9-8, 3.70)

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Minors: Erlin pitches El Paso to victory Padres' Triple-A affiliate wins elimination playoff game

By Jeff Sanders | 8 a.m. Sept. 12, 2015

Left-hander Robbie Erlin turned in a quality start, Jake Goebbert doubled in two runs and Triple-

A El Paso won the franchise's first playoff game, a 6-4 decision over Fresno on Friday night to

avoid elimination.

Casey McElroy drove in a run on two hits, including a double, and Hunter Renfroe and Cody

Decker each drove in a run. Down 0-2 in the series, the Chihuahuas trailed 4-0 when they

scored all six runs in the fifth inning.

Erlin struck out three and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk in six

innings.

Right-handers Michael Dimock and Dale Thayer each struck out two in a perfect inning of relief,

the latter locking down the ninth inning.

Former No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and three

walks in 4 1/3 innings for Fresno.

Chihuahuas right-hander Casey Kelly (2-10, 5.16) is in line to pitch Game 4 at 6 p.m. tonight

against Fresno right-hander Brett Oberholtzer (7-4, 3.86).

The Padres' other affiliate alive in the minor league playoffs, short-season Tri-City will turn to

right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez (6-3, 2.34) against Hillsboro left-hander Cody Reed (5-4, 3.27).