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Padres Press Clips Wednesday, May 31, 2017

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Hedges, Lamet lead Padres past Cubs UT San Diego Lin 2

Chase d’Arnaud getting opportunity with Padres UT San Diego Lin 5

Minors Reyes, Kennedy muscle up in Missions’ win UT San Diego Sanders 8

First pitch: Is Brand Hand destined to rep Padres in All-Star Game? UT San Diego Sanders 10

Perdomo aiming for elusive first victory MLB.com Muskat 11

Hedges’ 4 RBIs puts Cubs under .500 MLB.com Cassavell/Muskat 13

Myers, Padres need your ASG support MLB.com Cassavell 16

Lamet’s recipe for success? Strike one MLB.com Cassavell 17

d’Arnaud making the most of playing time MLB.com Cassavell 19

Andy’s Address, 5/30 Friar Wire Center 21

Hedges, Lamet help Padres hand Cubs 5th straight loss AP AP Staff 25

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Hedges, Lamet lead Padres past Cubs Dennis Lin

Concern filled the home dugout at Petco Park in the second inning Tuesday. A pitch

had ricocheted off the bat of Chicago Cubs star and former Padres prospect Anthony

Rizzo. The ball had drilled Austin Hedges square in the face mask. The catcher

paused. A team trainer jogged onto the field.

“I must be getting used to (taking foul tips off the mask),” Hedges said afterward. “I

feel like there’s been a thousand of those this year. It got me all right, but I’m OK.”

In the Padres’ 6-2 victory, Hedges would remain in the game and change the course of

it. He quickly proved his mettle, launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the

second. He caught five strong innings by Dinelson Lamet, who was making his second

start in the majors. And then, with the Cubs staggering, he delivered a crunching

blow.

Batting in the bottom of the fifth, Hedges followed Hunter Renfroe’s two-run double

with one of his own. A 2-2 tie had turned into a 6-2 lead. The Padres preserved their

advantage as the defending World Series champions dropped to a game below .500.

Hedges, who was drafted in 2011 by current Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer,

finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs, a new career high. He ushered another 24-year-old

through a similarly impressive performance.

As he had in his big-league debut last week, Lamet struck out eight batters over five

innings, showing uncommon poise along the way. The right-hander yielded two runs,

one of which could have been ruled unearned. He pumped first-pitch strikes, 13 to the

Cubs’ first 15 batters, looking unintimidated by a formidable lineup.

“A big mistake you can make is not really trusting your pitch,” Lamet, who threw 69

of 94 pitches for strikes, said through an interpreter. “It ends up being a ball if you’re

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not being aggressive with it. If you’re scared of that, it’s not going to go well. For me, I

always try to be aggressive and just attack in the zone.”

Chicago took an early lead after a two-out grounder tipped off the glove of third

baseman Cory Spangenberg. Willson Contreras was credited with an RBI double.

The Padres wasted little time in erasing the deficit. Two at-bats after Franchy

Cordero’s leadoff single, Hedges sent a tracer over the fence in left-center. The two-

run shot, his ninth home run of the season, gave San Diego a 2-1 lead.

After striking out pitcher Eddie Butler in the third, Lamet issued his only walk of the

game and hit a batter. He came back to strike out 2016 National League MVP Kris

Bryant on four pitches. Rizzo popped out, ending the half-inning.

“He’s outstanding,” Hedges said of Lamet. “His stuff is really, really good. All three of

his pitches — four, kind of — but his three main pitches are plus-plus pitches.

“When he gets ahead, he’s got three options at any time. Even behind in the count,

he’s got enough command to throw any pitch in any count, which keeps the hitters off

balance. “

The Padres still led in the fifth when Lamet made a two-out, 0-2 mistake to Kyle

Schwarber. A game-tying drive soared into the right-field seats. Bryant doubled.

Lamet induced a Rizzo fly out, avoiding further damage.

Lamet is the first rookie to strike out at least eight batters in each of his first two

major league starts since the New York Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka in 2014. Only 11

other rookies have accomplished the feat since 1900.

“We’re not trying to set up on the outside corner of the plate, trying to dot it,” Padres

manager Andy Green said. “We understand that his stuff is good enough to win in the

strike zone, so we ask him to attack the plate. The change-up’s real, and the slider is

real. Those are real weapons. That’s three above-average major league pitches, and

that’s a really exciting thing to see out of a young guy.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with what he’s done in two starts.”

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After Schwarber’s home run, Lamet was immediately picked up by his offense.

Yangervis Solarte and Wil Myers notched consecutive one-out singles. Renfroe, who

sunk the Cubs with his second career grand slam Monday, smacked a double into the

left-field corner. Moments later, after a walk by Cordero, Hedges lined a drive to

nearly the same spot.

When the dust cleared, the Padres, often overly reliant on home runs, had scored four

times in the inning, capitalizing on two singles, two doubles and a walk.

Relievers Jose Torres, Kevin Quackenbush and Kirby Yates combined to throw four

scoreless frames, sealing the Padres’ third straight win and fifth in seven games.

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Chase d'Arnaud getting opportunity with Padres

Dennis Lin

Before the Boston Red Sox claimed Chase d’Arnaud off waivers on April 27, the 30-

year-old utility man had bounced all over the field with three major league clubs,

playing shortstop, third base, second and a trio of outfield positions.

Over the course of 22 days with his first American League team, he barely played at

all. He appeared in a total of two games. He received only one at-bat.

Pinch-hitting for former Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz on May 9, d’Arnaud beat out

an infield single. He promptly scored on a double, running through a stop sign from

Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield.

Back in the National League, d’Arnaud appears to be maximizing his latest

opportunity. On Tuesday, the Padres gave the newcomer his third consecutive start at

shortstop.

“It feels great to be playing multiple days in a row again,” said d’Arnaud, whom the

Padres claimed off waivers on May 21. “This isn’t my first time starting three days in a

row in the big leagues. The only difference now is it’s coming after about a month of

not starting. So my body’s kind of adjusting.”

If d’Arnaud continues to show what he did the previous two games, the shortstop-

starved Padres could get used to this, too. In Sunday’s victory at Washington, he

made a diving stop deep in the 5.5 hole and fired a one-hopper to first base. Monday,

he made an acrobatic interception of a line drive and started a double play.

“I watched a lot of video when we picked him off waivers and thought, legitimately,

this guy can play shortstop,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “It wasn’t rocket

science to look at him and see that he could do it.

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“It’s not something where (opening-day shortstop Erick Aybar) is forgotten about at

this point in time, but Chase is going to play and get some ample opportunity.”

Aybar, 33 and clearly on the downside of a solid career, entered Tuesday batting .196

with four home runs. D’Arnaud, off to a 7-for-23 start, was a career .232 hitter with

one home run over 462 plate appearances.

D’Arnaud knows as well as anyone that major league playing time can be fleeting. He

received 151 plate appearances as a rookie with Pittsburgh in 2011, six in 2012, none

the next two seasons, 18 in 2015. Last year, he noted, he began playing shortstop for

Atlanta only after Aybar, also with the Braves at the time, suffered a freak setback,

getting a chicken bone stuck in his throat.

He finished 2016 with a career-high 262 plate appearances, hitting .245 with a .317

on-base percentage. He played shortstop, third base, second and all three outfield

positions.

“It was an important year for me, just to prove to myself, after a while of not having

consistent time, that I could do it still,” d’Arnaud said.

D’Arnaud began the 2017 season with the Braves, played sparingly, was designated

for assignment, was picked up by the Red Sox and almost never played. He stayed

busy, especially during batting practice, taking ground balls all over the field.

“You can focus on the negatives, or you can focus on the positives,” d’Arnaud said. “I

just looked at it as an opportunity to be a good teammate, get to know an organization

and just focus on making the team better any way that I could.”

Now with his fifth organization, d’Arnaud has a chance to do that on the field.

“As he builds himself up, we’ll see what he does, and the better he does, the more he’ll

play,” Green said. “It’s no secret that we like guys that have that type of energy and

that type of intensity, who can cover that kind of ground. We’ve been kind of looking

to have that answer (at shortstop) long-term — and there’s no indication that he is or

isn’t the answer at this point in time — but he’s going to get some opportunity and

going to get a look.”

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Notable

Padres center fielder Manuel Margot (right calf strain) underwent an MRI on

Tuesday. The scan revealed inflammation and fluid in Margot’s calf, but no

structural damage, according to Green. Still, it is unclear when the rookie will

be able to resume baseball activities.

Right-hander Jered Weaver (left hip inflammation) threw a bullpen session

before Tuesday’s game. There remains no timetable for a return. “There’s been

a lot of work done on his lower half,” Green said. “Hopeful that we continue to

make progress and he continues to feel better.”

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Minors

Reyes, Kennedy muscle up in Missions' win Jeff Sanders

On the strength of Brett Kennedy and Franmil Reyes, Double-A San Antonio

tightened its grip on its Texas League South Division lead.

The 22-year-old right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters over five strong

innings and Reyes hit two homers in the Missions’ 11-5 win over host Tulsa on

Tuesday.

Kennedy (4-3, 4.31) scattered three hits and a walk and allowed both runs on solo

homers to Johan Mieses – one in the third and one in the fifth.

Three innings later, Reyes (.282) hit his second homer of the game and seventh of the

season. The hulking right field prospect also singled, walked twice, drove in six runs,

scored two and stole his first base of the season.

Luis Urias (.347) went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, a walk and three runs scored

and LF Nick Torres (.237) went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, a walk and two runs

scored.

At 30-21, the Missions have a 4½-game lead in the South Division.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (25-28)

Chihuahuas 6, Las Vegas 3: RHP Phil Maton (3.38) struck out two in the ninth

to save his 10th game, tops in the majors, after RHP Andre Rienzo (1-0, 3.03)

struck out six and over five scoreless innings in the start. RF Nick Buss (.380)

went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, LF Jose Pirela (.329) and SS

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Dusty Coleman (.216) each had two hits and 3B Diego Goris (.280) singled in a

pair of runs.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (18-33)

Bowling Green 12, TinCaps 9: LHP Will Headean (1-3, 5.89) allowed six runs in

2 2/3 innings in relief after RHP Adrian De Horta (7.36) opened the game with

three runs allowed on three hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings. DH G.K.

Young (.246) drove in three runs on his fourth homer and CF Jack Suwinski

(.209) went 2-for-4 with his third homer, two RBIs, a walk and two runs scored.

2B Eguy Rosario (.222) went 1-for-3 with a double, his 16th steal and two runs

scored.

Note

High Single-A Lake Elsinore (25-27) was idle. The Storm will resume play at 7

p.m. Thursday in San Antonio.

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First pitch: Is Brad Hand destined to rep Padres in All-Star game? Jeff Sanders

In their leaner years, the Padres often sent relievers to the annual All-Star Game.

Without, as expected, anyone among the National League’s top vote-getters in the

first results release Tuesday, that might be the case for again in 2017.

After all, without another out-of-his-mind June, last year’s position player entrant

– Wil Myers – is facing an uphill battle in a deep first base class, their top starting

pitcher (Trevor Cahill) is on the disabled list and the rest of the roster hasn’t had

anyone jump off the stat sheet to date.

Who does that leave as the Padres’ top candidate?

Pressed for a short list before Tuesday’s game against the Cubs, Padres

manager Andy Green went with his go-to arm out of the bullpen: Brad Hand.

“He is as intriguing as an option as we’ve got,” Green said. “I’m sure if you’re trying to

win the All-Star Game, if you’re managing, you’d love to have him in the bullpen. That

would be the leading candidate in my mind right now.”

Makes sense.

Hand’s 38 strikeouts are second among NL relievers, his 25 appearances are two off

the leader’s pace and his .162 average against ranks seventh among relievers with at

least 20 innings.

Of course, those are the exact reasons that Hand has emerged as the Padres chief

trade target so Green might not have to lobby NL manager Joe Maddon to get his

prized left-hander into his first All-Star Game.

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Perdomo aiming for elusive first victory By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

Jake Arrieta started the Cubs' West Coast road trip last Friday in Los Angeles, and he will finish

it on Wednesday at Petco Park in the series finale against the Padres.

Arrieta is 2-3 with a 5.20 ERA in five starts this month, and he is coming off a loss to the

Dodgers in which he gave up four runs over six innings. He's served up 10 home runs in his 10

starts so far, matching the total he gave up in 2015, when he won the National League Cy

Young Award.

"He pitched really well -- don't be critical, he pitched well," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after

Arrieta's outing against the Dodgers.

Velocity isn't the only key to success for a pitcher, but a dip in velocity appears to be seriously

impacting Arrieta in recent times. The righty's average velocity on his four-seam fastball has

dipped to 91.8 mph -- far lower than his 95.1 mph average during his Cy Young Award-winning

2015 campaign. At the same time, Arrieta is allowing the three batted ball types Statcast deems

favorable to the hitter (barrels, flares/burners and other solid contact) on 37.4 percent of the

balls put in play against him -- a much higher clip than the past two seasons (29 percent in '15,

33.5 percent in '16).

The Padres will counter with right-hander Luis Perdomo, who will be making his ninth start of the

season and second of his career against the Cubs. In his outing Friday against the Nationals,

Perdomo was charged with three runs over six innings. His only appearance against the Cubs

was on May 10, 2016, when he was pitching in relief.

Despite second-tier versions of his sinker and his slider, Perdomo allowed Washington three

runs on two mistake pitches that yielded home runs.

"It's always good to battle," Perdomo said. "That's what I try to do every time. Even if my sinker

isn't necessarily how I want it to be, I'm always battling in the game and trying to make the best

of it."

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Three things to know about this game

• It's been strange for Matt Szczur to not be with the Cubs during this series. The outfielder was

designated for assignment and then traded in May to San Diego. It's been an easy transition for

him, though. His former high school teammate Ryan Buchter, is on the Padres, and Szczur

played with Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill on the Cubs.

"[The Cubs' front office] didn't want me to leave, but at the end of the day, they knew they did

me a favor by giving me an opportunity," Szczur said. "I think they were genuine in saying it was

hard for them. I didn't have a chance [to play with the Cubs].They were sad to let me go, but

they were happy to give me an opportunity to play."

• Ian Happ did not start for the second straight game on Tuesday, although Maddon said he

wanted to give the rookie a breather. Happ was batting .240, striking out four times on Sunday.

"I just wanted to give him a little bit of a break," Maddon said.

• The Cubs will continue their "Anchorman" theme when they head home to Chicago after

Wednesday's game. Maddon went shopping on Tuesday at a vintage clothing store and found a

green leisure suit to wear on the flight home.

"I finally found a leisure suit," Maddon said. "It was right off the rack and it fit."

He also was excited about a leather jacket that he found.

"This will be an heirloom for members of my family," Maddon said.

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Hedges' 4 RBIs puts Cubs under .500

By AJ Cassavell and Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Austin Hedges homered and knocked in four runs Tuesday night, sending the Padres to a

6-2 victory and pushing the Cubs below .500 for just the second time this season.

Hedges has long been lauded for his defensive potential, but the Padres' backstop has spent the first two

months reminding the baseball world that he can hit, too. Hedges launched his ninth homer of the season

in the second inning, a low-trajectory two-run missile that left his bat at 108 mph to put San Diego ahead,

2-1.

"I hadn't hit one like that in a while," said Hedges, who would tack on a two-run double in the fifth. "I

knew I hit it pretty good, but I didn't know if it was going to get out.

Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber homered in the top half of the fifth to snap an 0-for-13 drought

and tie the game at 2, but the Padres wasted little time reclaiming the lead. Chicago right-

hander Eddie Butler came undone in the bottom half of the frame when he let four straight San

Diego batters reach base after recording the first out. All four would score, and Butler exited

having allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.

• Maddon not losing faith in Schwarber

"We got the lead and gave it right back," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We gave up the

lead, and that was very large because they did pitch well again, and we're not hitting like we

can, so it's a bad combination."

The fifth-inning rally made a winner out of Padres No. 10 prospect Dinelson Lamet, who was

sharp in his Petco Park debut. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed two runs over five innings

while striking out eight for the second start in a row. With 16 whiffs, Lamet tied Bob Shirley for

the most by a Padres pitcher in the first two outings of his career.

"His stuff is good enough to win in the strike zone, so we ask him to attack the plate," said

Padres manager Andy Green. "The changeup's real and the slider is real. Those are real

weapons. That's three above-average Major League pitches, and that's a really exciting thing to

see out of a young guy."

• Lamet's recipe for success? Strike one

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The Cubs now have lost five in a row, and they dropped below .500 this late in the season for

the first time since finishing the 2014 season at 73-89.

"As bad as it's going, we're a game and a half, two games away from being in first place in our

division," Chicago's Anthony Rizzo said. "As dark as it is now for us, there's light."

• Epstein: 'We feel we have a talented offense'

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Hunting for the lead: Hunter Renfroe has officially announced his National League Rookie of the

Year Award candidacy with a brilliant month of May. The Padres' right fielder, who struggled in

April, gave San Diego a 4-2 lead with a grand slam on Monday. He gave the Padres the same

advantage on Tuesday, this time with two-run double to the left-field corner in the fifth against

Butler.

"I had a guy on third base, less than two outs," said Renfroe, who has an .882 OPS this month.

"I'm just trying to hit it to the outfield or get a fly ball, make sure I got under it enough to get it to

the outfield. I got the job done."

Escape act: Lamet found himself in serious trouble in the third inning, putting two men aboard

with one out. But he whiffed Kris Bryant and got Rizzo to pop to second, ending the threat.

Once again, Chicago struggled with men in scoring position -- an all-too-common occurrence of

late for the North Siders. They went 1-for-7 in such situations, and the lone hit -- a Willson

Contreras chopper that was mishandled by Cory Spangenberg and ruled a double -- could have

just as easily been an error.

"It's been a very non-productive offensive trip," Maddon said.

QUOTABLE

"We've been punched in the teeth the last two nights. To say everything's peachy, that's not it."

– Rizzo

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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With his walk in the third inning, Chicago's Ben Zobrist has reached base safely in 25 straight

games. It's his longest streak since a career-high 31 game stretch in 2009-10.

Jon Jay's leadoff single in the eighth was the only hit the Cubs mustered against the San Diego

'pen. In nine innings this series, Padres relievers have allowed one hit, while striking out nine.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Jake Arrieta opened the Cubs' West Coast trip last Friday against the Dodgers, and he

will try to close the trip with a win on Wednesday. The problem this season has been too many

home runs -- he's already matched his entire total from 2015 (10). Ian Happ may return to the

lineup. First pitch will be 2:40 p.m. CT.

Padres: Luis Perdomo grinded through six quality innings in Washington without his best stuff on

Friday night. He starts Wednesday in the series finale vs. the Cubs with first pitch slated for

12:40 p.m. PT.

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Myers, Padres need your ASG support

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Despite his hot start to the 2017 season, Padres first baseman Wil Myers was not among the

top five National League All-Star vote-getters at first base.

Major League Baseball unveiled its inaugural Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot update on Tuesday

afternoon without any Padres among the top five at their respective positions in the National League.

• Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for Myers and other #ASGWorthy players

Myers would seem to be the Padres' likeliest candidate to be voted into the All-Star Game presented by

MasterCard. He's hitting .265 and leads the team with an .815 OPS.

Meanwhile, Padres youngsters Austin Hedges, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot are each on the ballot

for the first time this season and have impressed in the early stages of what is expected to be their first full

Major League season.

Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones --

exclusively online using the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 29, at 8:59

p.m. PT. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB.com At Bat and MLB.com

Ballpark mobile apps. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.

Following the announcement of the 2017 All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to

MLB.com and cast their 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's

All-Star roster. Then on Tuesday, July 11, while watching the 2017 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard

live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player

Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.

The 88th Midsummer Classic, at Marlins Park in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in

Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio

and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB Network, MLB.com

and SiriusXM will have comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star

Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @AllStarGame on social media.

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Lamet's recipe for success? Strike one

Prospect trusts arsenal of pitches, stays aggressive

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Dinelson Lamet owns a 98-mph fastball, a slider with a sharp bite and a changeup that

falls off the table.

With an arsenal like that, the rookie right-hander has every right to attack the strike zone -- even when

he's facing the defending champs.

Making his Petco Park debut, Lamet, the Padres' No. 10 prospect, struck out eight Cubs over five innings

in a 6-2 victory Tuesday night. He tied Bob Shirley for the most strikeouts by a San Diego pitcher in the

first two outings of his career with 16. Lamet also became the first big leaguer to debut with consecutive

eight-strikeout starts since Masahiro Tanaka did so for the Yankees in 2014.

Lamet's recipe? Strike one.

"A big mistake you can make is not really trusting your pitch," Lamet said. "It ends up being a ball if

you're not being aggressive with it. If you're scared of that, it's not going to go well. For me, I always try

to be aggressive and just attack in the zone."

Between the second and fourth innings, Lamet threw 12 consecutive first-pitch strikes to Cubs hitters.

"I've seen him be really, really good, and I've seen him struggle," said Padres right fielder Hunter

Renfroe, who played with Lamet at Triple-A last season. "The times he was bad, he wasn't throwing

many strikes, and people were getting their 'A' swing off on a 3-1 pitch or a 2-0 [pitch]. He's got really,

really good stuff. When he throws strikes, he has been phenomenal -- in Triple-A and now here."

Lamet made two appearances for the Padres in Spring Training, walking five hitters over one inning.

Three months later, he seems like a different pitcher entirely.

The 24-year-old right-hander had one walk Tuesday, coming after an 11-pitch battle with Ben Zobrist.

Lamet surrendered runs on a bad-bounce chopper in the second and a Kyle Schwarber homer in the fifth.

"I felt a lot more confident knowing that once I had a strike on those guys, that I could go after them with

my offspeed pitches and breaking pitches," Lamet said.

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The biggest difference for Lamet this season has been the inclusion of a changeup. He began throwing the

pitch consistently after being sent to the Minors during Spring Training.

It's become a go-to out pitch for Lamet, who was thought of primarily as two-pitch pitcher when the year

began.

"It was outstanding," said catcher Austin Hedges. "I didn't know it was that good. It wasn't that good last

year. ... It's a really good pitch for him to be able to get a swing and a miss or a ground ball at any time."

Lamet joined the rotation last week after right-hander Jered Weaver was placed on the disabled list with

hip inflammation. Lamet's biggest advantage over the velocity-deprived veteran: margin for error.

In that regard, the Padres aren't asking Lamet to hit spots. They don't want him nibbling around the strike

zone. They're fine if, say, once in a while a hitter like Schwarber turns around an 0-2 fastball and puts it in

the right-field seats.

"His stuff is good enough to win in the strike zone, so we ask him to attack the plate," said Padres

manager Andy Green. "The changeup's real and the slider is real. Those are real weapons. That's three

above-average Major League pitches, and that's a really exciting thing to see out of a young guy."

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d'Arnaud making most of playing time

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- In parts of six big league seasons, regular playing time has eluded Chase d'Arnaud.

The Padres' shortstop might finally be getting just that, and he's determined to make the most of it.

Since the Padres claimed d'Arnaud off waivers on May 21, he's dazzled defensively, while going 3-for-14

at the plate. He appears to have overtaken Erick Aybar for the starting shortstop job, though the Padres

maintain both will see playing time going forward.

"I just come to the park, I look and see what's going on with the lineup, and I go from there," said

d'Arnaud, who started his third straight game on Tuesday. "I'm not one of those guys that's had a job to

begin a season that was all mine. Until I get to that point, I just come ready to play anywhere every day."

d'Arnaud spent time between Atlanta and Boston this season, playing only sporadically. Tuesday was his

20th game and just his fifth start.

d'Arnaud is hitting .304 in 25 plate appearances, after making a career-high 262 last year. d'Arnaud may

be off to a nice start, but he pointed out that there's plenty left to prove.

"It's all about consistency," d'Arnaud said. "You just want to come out there and keep it as simple as you

can. I don't even let my brain think about these [long-term] things. I come to the field and prepare the

same way and not let my brain go there. And I've learned that's the best thing for my success."

When the Padres claimed d'Arnaud, manager Andy Green watched video of his newest acquisition and

said he instantly felt as though d'Arnaud would thrive with increased playing time at shortstop.

"It wasn't rocket science to look at him and see he could [play short]," Green said. "He's got the arm

strength, the lateral mobility, he's got the want-to and he's locked in pretty well. You don't know some of

those things about him until he gets here. He's looked good so far, but there's a difference between playing

a couple days and grinding out month-long stretches. He's got an opportunity now in front of him, and

we'll see how he handles it."

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Maurer, Hand effective in 'pen

Don't call it closer by committee; call it closer by situation. The Padres will continue to split the ninth-

inning role between Brandon Maurer and Brad Hand.

There are essentially two key differences with which Green will manage their time on the mound. He

feels more comfortable with Hand coming into a situation with traffic already on the bases -- as was the

case Monday. Plus, Hand will generally face lefties, while Maurer faces righties.

It's certainly not a traditional set-up, but Green doesn't see a downside.

"The only negative is if somebody's ego is bigger than the team," Green said. "We don't have that

situation. Both these guys are mature that way. They're selfless that way. They just want to win baseball

games and pitch well. The positive is that ... you don't feel obligated to pitch somebody just because

they're supposed to throw in the eighth inning."

Injury update

Padres center fielder Manuel Margot underwent an MRI on his strained right calf Tuesday afternoon. It

revealed inflammation in the area but no structural damage.

The club is unsure when Margot will resume baseball activities. It could be as soon as this weekend.

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Andy’s Address, 5/30

Andy addresses Lamet’s second start, closer Hand-

Maurer, d’Arnaud, etc.

By Bill Center

Padres manager Andy Green discussed a number of topics during Tuesday’s pre-game media session starting with Tuesday night’s starter, Dinelson Lamet.

“I don’t think we’d ask for anything to be different at this point in time,” said Green when asked what the Padres might want to see different from Lamet in his second Major League start after holding the Mets to one run on three hits over five rainy innings in New York last Thursday.

“He threw his fastball by hitters, mixed in the slider and his change up was the most pleasant surprise,” continued Green. “He really threw the change at the bottom of the strike zone. It played off his fastball nicely. He punched some good hitters out with it. I kind of want to see the same thing out there again.”

“He’s not the guy who is going to be pinpoint command. That’s not really who he is. But he is a guy who has margin for error. That’s the best way to look at his fastball. He’s got the type of fastball that even if he misses his spot, he’s got a chance to get away with it. Now you don’t always get away with it, but he has a chance to get away with it more than most. There are some fastballs there right where the glove was. And there were some where the glove was down and it went up and it blew by good hitters.”

“The Cubs are a very good fastball hitting club, but if you locate at the top of the zone you have a chance against them.”

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Green then discussed his closer combination of Brad Hand and Brandon Maurer, who has the save in each of the last two games.

“Maurer’s been great the last two days,” said Green. “It’s the best I’ve ever seen him, against really good lineups. More of the same is what we want. The fastball is not just down and away right now, it’s to all quadrants of the zone and that’s a good step forward for him. I think he’s doing a good job.”

“Maurer has experienced a lot of bad luck for a while, the way some of the saves got away from him. I’ve been impressed with his resiliency. Even as every day passes, he’s more comfortable in that role, pitching in high leverage situations. His confidence is there right now and he’s going to do some great things.”

But Green said he would remain “open-minded” when it comes to who pitches and eighth and who pitches the ninth between Maurer and Hand.

“With Maurer and Hand, it’s looking at the game and trying to figure out the best way to get through the eighth and the ninth,” said Green. “Some days, when one guy down, it makes the decision easier.”

“Starting the game yesterday, if you asked me who is closing I couldn’t tell you. Where we are in the lineup and how we like the matchups is how we’ll proceed with that. The only negative (with deploying two closers) is if someone’s ego is bigger than the team and we don’t have that situation. I don’t think there is a negative whatsoever.”

“I think both these guys are mature that way, selfless that way. They just want to win baseball games and be in situations where they can succeed. I don’t feel obligated to pitch someone. I like looking at the lineup the way you do the rest of the game. You do that all the way through a baseball game until you get to the ninth and then you basically turn your brain off and say ‘go close it out.’”

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“That doesn’t make sense when you have the flexibility we have. Now if you’ve got Trevor Hoffman sitting in the ninth, then, yeah, I’m going to hand him the ball and get out of the way. We’re not sitting there right now. They have a good vibe collectively down there.”

Green turned to Chase d’Arnaud, who was making his third straight start at shortstop Tuesday.

“D’Arnaud is going to continue to play,” said Green. “He’s played well. He’s going to get some days off. You are talking about a guy who basically sat for the entire first month of the season . . . he hasn’t played that much.”

“It’s not like Erick (Aybar) has been forgotten about at this point in time. Chase is going to play and get ample opportunity as he builds himself up. We’ll see what he does and the better he plays the more he plays. It’s no secret that we like guys who have that type of energy and that kind of intensity and cover that kind of ground.”

“We’ve been kind of looking to have that answer long-term and there’s no indication that he is or isn’t the answer at this point in time. But he’s going to get the opportunity and get a look. There’s been a lot of guys who get the opportunity later in their careers and run with it. He’s happy to have opportunity. He’s happy to be on the field. He’s working. He’s a Southern California guy through and through as you are ever going to see. He loves it here.”

“The last couple days at shortstop, he’s helped us win baseball games with his glove. It’s good to see. I looked at video and thought this guy could play shortstop. He’s got the arm strength, he’s got the lateral mobility. He’s got the want to and he’s locked in pretty well. He’s looked good so far.”

“Now, there’s a difference between playing a couple days and grinding out month long stretches. He’s got the opportunity right now and we’ll see how he handles it.”

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Green talked briefly about Yangervis Solarte, Luis Perdomo, Trevor Cahill, Manuel Margot and Jered Weaver:

On Weaver: “Weaver threw a pen today. When we were passing, he said ‘I’m feeling freer.’ We’re working on some mobility things, working on those hips so they function like they’ve functioned in the past. There’s inflammation, tightness. Things don’t function the way they used to function.”

On tomorrow’s starter Perdomo: “He’s done a lot of work to combat lefties, to attack them in a different manner. We’re going to continue to see if that work comes to fruition. I think we’re seeing some progress. There are still some things to work on to make him better against lefties, to get his fastball to play better against left-handed hitters.”

On Solarte: “He’s reined in the over-aggression since he moved to the №2 hole. He was swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. You don’t notice it as much with Solarte as other guys because he has the ability to put the bat on almost any ball.”

On Cahill: “He is nearing the end of the 10-day to-14 day window when he can start throwing.”

On Margot: “Manny had an MRI this morning. It showed nothing of consequence. He has inflammation and fluid. Structurally, he’s sound. We have to get the fluid out of the calf.”

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Hedges, Lamet help Padres hand Cubs 5th straight loss Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- The rebuilding San Diego Padres are hoping to follow the Chicago Cubs' blueprint -- the one that required years of losing before a title was delivered. Not that the defending World Series champions are looking all that unbeatable up close.

Austin Hedges had a home run and a career-high four RBI, rookie Dinelson Lamet produced another strong outing and the Padres beat the Cubs 6-2 on Tuesday night, giving Chicago its fifth straight loss. Hedges hit a two-run homer and a two-run double as the Padres clinched the three-game series against the struggling Cubs.

Lamet (2-0), one of Padres' top prospects, was making his Petco Park debut and looking to build on his stellar first start. Against the New York Mets on Thursday, the right-hander threw five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits. He was nearly as good against the potent Cubs, limiting them to two runs, five hits and a walk over five innings. For the second straight start, he struck out eight. He showed three effective pitches in a fastball, slider and changeup.

"We knew we would see great stuff, but a 4-to-1 strike-to-ball ratio today?" Padres manager Andy Green said. "He's in the strike zone, and that is the No. 1 thing for him to be successful." Eddie Butler (2-1) was seeking his third straight win, but he lasted only 4 1/3 innings, charged with six runs and seven hits. "We had a good game plan, executed a lot of pitches, but missed with a few too many," Butler said.

He walked three and struck out five as his teammates were no match for Lamet.

"Fortunately everything went well," Lamet said through a translator. "I got confidence once I got a strike on these guys, then I could go after them with my offspeed pitches and my breaking stuff. I was trying to be aggressive and attacking the strike zone."

Hunter Renfroe had a two-run double in the fifth that put the Padres up 4-2 and gave him six RBI in two games. "We gave up the lead and that was largely because they did pitch well again and we're not hitting like we can," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "So that is a bad combination."

Hedges got to reliever Brian Duensing for another two-run double into the left field corner, extending the edge to 6-2.

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Kyle Schwarber burned Lamet on an 0-2 pitch, turning on an elevated fastball for a solo homer in the fifth to tie it at 2 and snap his 0-for-13 skid. "The rest of the outing it was lights out for the young guy," Green said. "I feel really good about his ballgame, and I couldn't be more pleased in what he has done in his two starts."

Hedges' ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot off Butler's fastball, pushed the Padres ahead 2-1 in the second inning. Franchy Cordero opened with a single. The Cubs struck first when Willson Contreras' bad-hop grounder got past Cory Spangenberg at third for a double in the second for a 1-0 edge, scoring Cordero after he singled. Chicago, which has fallen a game under .500, has nine hits in the series' first two games. They left nine runners on base.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: 2B Ben Zobrist is starting but a sprained left wrist is restricting him when he bats right-handed. He's avoiding hitting from that side but is getting better, according to manager Joe Maddon. Padres: RHP Jered Weaver (hip inflammation) threw his first bullpen session Tuesday since going on the DL on May 20. ... RHP Trevor Cahill (shoulder strain) has yet to throw after going on the DL May 14. ... CF Manuel Margot (strained left calf) had an MRI, which the team said came out well. UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (5-4, 4.92) has lost three of his last four starts. Against the Padres, Arrieta is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA. He last faced them in August when he threw eight shutout innings. Padres: RHP Luis Perdomo (0-0, 4.19) has lost his last two decisions after setting a franchise mark with six straight no-decisions to start a season. Perdomo has pitched against the Cubs just once, allowing two runs, two hits and two walks in three innings.