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Padres Press Clips Tuesday, June 13, 2017 Article Source Author Page Padres draft catchers Luis Campusano-Bracero, Blake Hunt UT San Diego Lin 2 Franchy Cordero belts first career homer in Padres wins UT San Diego Sanders 5 First pitch: Exploring Allen Cordoba’s future at shortstop UT San Diego Sanders 8 Preller, Padres need Gore to be something like Kershaw UT San Diego Sanders 10 Missions closing in on first-half title UT San Diego Sanders 14 Padres nab Gore's elite left arm with 3rd pick MLB.com Cassavell 16 Feldman out to extend winning streak MLB.com Paris 18 Padres take top prep catcher in second round MLB.com Cassavell 19 Padres take defense-first catcher with 3rd pick MLB.com Cassavell 21 Padres cruise past Reds after huge 2nd inning MLB.com Paris/Ruiz 23 Pick Gore has crazy leg kick, HS numbers MLB.com Mearns 26 Better-balanced Pirela off to torrid start Padres.com Center 27 Draft goes well beyond the first picks Padres.com Center 29 Padres look for 2 in a row vs Reds FOX Sports STATS 31 Padres On Deck: Pitchers Kelly, Lucchesi, Lawson Sharp FriarWire Center 33 This Day in Padres History, 6/13 FriarWire Center 36 Padres Draft High School Pitcher MacKenzie Gore NBC San Diego Strain 37

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Padres draft catchers Luis Campusano-Bracero, Blake Hunt

Dennis Lin

After taking prep left-hander MacKenzie Gore with their top pick, the Padres closed the first day of the draft by adding a pair of high school catchers.

In the second round, at No. 39 overall, the Padres selected Cross Creek (Ga.) High’s Luis Campusano-Bracero. In Competitive Balance Round B, with the 69th pick, San Diego went with Blake Hunt from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana.

General Manager A.J. Preller had emphasized over the weekend that the Padres would not draft for need, a statement apparently backed by Monday’s double-dip.

“I don’t know that (Padres starting catcher) Austin Hedges has anything to worry about yet,” Preller said. “In Luis Campusano and Blake Hunt, we have two guys that we targeted near the top of our board.”

Baseball America ranked Campusano as the top catcher in the draft class and No. 42 in its overall rankings. Hunt was 20th among backstops and 123rd on the magazine’s big board, though his stock rose significantly this spring.

The son of a former Pittsburgh Pirates farmhand, Campusano has shown power potential on offense and the tools to stay behind the plate. As a senior, he hit .622 with six home runs.

“I feel like I’m more well-rounded than most catchers,” Campusano said. “My priority is to catch first, but I feel like I can also bring some hitting ability and power to the plate. I feel like the San Diego Padres have brought in a well-rounded catcher that they can develop.”

Preller noted that Campusano transitioned to catcher not long ago in his career.

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“He’s a guy that’s kind of new to catching in the last couple of years,” Preller said. “He was a first baseman, wanted to catch. It was very natural for him to go back there. We felt he was as good as any of the catchers at the high school or college ranks. He sits well, receives really well, blocks well, he has a contact bat, knows the strike zone.”

Like Gore, Campusano played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic last August at Petco Park.

“As soon as I walked on the field, I walked onto the warning track, and the first thing I did was I threw some dirt over my shoulder and told myself I was going to be here one day,” Campusano said. “The atmosphere was just amazing.”

Campusano’s father, Genaro Campusano, signed with Pittsburgh as a catcher out of the Dominican Republic in 1989. He spent four seasons in the Pirates’ system and another in the Texas Rangers’.

“It’s pretty nice to have a father figure who played professional baseball, teaching you what to expect,” Luis Campusano said. “When you have him sacrificing a lot for me, practicing every day, catching and hitting, it takes someone special to do that for you. I thank him a lot for all the sacrifices he’s made for me, as well as my mom, too.”

Said Preller: “For us, that was important, coming from a professional background. You start to talk to him, see his work ethic, see him talk about the game, break down minor league catchers, break down other prospects, guys that he wants to be better than, guys he emulates — that’s a high school catcher who’s been around the game.”

This spring, Hunt hit .394 with six home runs while asserting himself as one of the draft class’ top defensive catchers. While he faces some question marks on offense, he has shown aptitude behind it. His pop times routinely have been clocked below 2.0 seconds.

“While you wouldn’t think that looking at me, I think I have a pretty athletic build, and I’m able to move well laterally, even though I’m pretty tall,” said the 6-foot-3 Hunt. “I think I have a plus arm that I can use whenever to keep runners honest on the bases. I think I handle pitching staffs pretty well and understand pitchers’ strengths and how to work counts with hitters.”

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Said Preller: “He played really good high school competition. A bigger-body catcher. Another guy that as the spring went on, he got better. .... It’s a big arm. He throws real well. He has the chance to neutralize the running game. Another guy with good makeup. From our standpoint, it wasn’t about need or anything like that. In the system, it’s always important to have catching.”

Hunt, one of five Orange County high school players to be selected on the first day of the draft, was at Petco Park as recently as March, watching the United States defeat the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

“I told all my friends that was the craziest atmosphere I’ve ever been a part of,” Hunt said. “It may not be the same for every big-league game, but the atmosphere of the ballpark definitely retains that. Hopefully, I make it up in a few years. I’m absolutely stoked and couldn’t be more excited.”

The suggested bonus for the 39th overall selection is $1,760,700, while the slot value at No. 69 is $858,600. Campusano and Hunt are committed to the University of South Carolina and Pepperdine University, respectively, but both players indicated a readiness to begin their professional careers.

Including Gore, all three of the Padres’ Day 1 picks came from the prep ranks.

“A lot of people are going to say high school is more risky than college, because they’re a few years younger,” Scouting Director Mark Conner said. “The work our scouts did on these players, getting to know the player, takes a little of that away. … We did that with all the guys we took, multiple times, seeing them in practice settings, game settings, workouts, summer, fall. We were around these guys constantly.”

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Franchy Cordero belts first career homer in Padres win Jeff Sanders

A $175,000 signee out of the Dominican Republic, Franchy Cordero had a wiry-strong left-handed swing, which dared the Padres to dream of a big league future for the 17-year-old as a rare power-hitting shortstop.

The reality?

Even with a wild arm forcing Cordero to move to center, his bat is playing at the major league level.

In a 9-3 romp over the Reds that awarded Luis Perdomo his first win Monday night, the 22-year-old Cordero doubled and hit the homer of a career that once appeared to stall in the low minors under the demands of the infield’s most difficult position.

An arm too strong, at times, for his own good added up to 126 errors in 165 games at shortstop. Even after a rather seamless transition into a full-time outfielder before the 2016 season, the Padres had to lose Manuel Margot, Travis Jankowski and Alex Dickerson to injury before giving Cordero a look in center field.

“Faith,” Cordero said through an interpreter. “I think you always have to have faith in yourself and in your talent and believe that things are going to happen. Have faith in yourself and faith in God and know that they are going to come at some point or another. I've always been looking for that home run, waiting for it.

“I think through hard work I was able to get it.”

Both Cordero’s hits Monday were at the expense of 40-year-old Bronson Arroyo, who allowed six of his nine runs in a dizzying second inning.

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Austin Hedges drove in the first two runs on a double into the left-field corner, Jose Pirela singled him in and Cordero lined an 84 mph fastball over the wall in left to open up a 6-2 lead.

As Cordero crossed the plate, a smile slipped onto his face. Fifteen games into his big league career, he is hitting .298 with six RBIs.

“Franchy was down the list we had coming into this year,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “But we had high expectations of him in the future. He's here quicker than expected, but I think he's shown he deserves to be here. It's fun to see a kid hit his first big league home run. He's hitting balls around the yard and made a great diving catch in the last inning.

“He had a great game.”

The night was hardly over for Arroyo.

Yangervis Solarte capped the six-run rally with a 424-foot homer, Cordero doubled and scored on Wil Myers’ fourth-inning single and Perdomo’s fifth-inning triple chased Arroyo with 13 hits allowed, tied for a career-high.

Hedges tallied three of them, including a pop-up single in the middle of a confused Reds infield and a long fifth-inning single that bounced off the wall quickly enough for left fielder Adam Duvall to throw him out at second after he stumbled around first. The only Padre without a one off Arroyo (4 2/3 IP, 9 ER) was Hunter Renfroe.

The offensive awakening allowed Perdomo (1-3, 5.16) to put a dicey first inning behind him.

The 24-year-old right-hander exited an out shy of completing seven innings for the second time this season. He scattered three runs on seven hits and two walks to turn in his third quality start in his last four outings.

Two of the runs scored in the first inning in a two-out rally that Scott Schebler cashed in with a two-run single with the bases loaded. After a lineout to end that jam,

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Perdomo turned in five scoreless frames before Scooter Gennett’s two-out single cut the Padres’ lead to 9-3 in the seventh.

“I treated that (first) inning like any other inning,” Perdomo said through an interpreter. “I tried to attack hitters and get after them and stay within my plan. I was able to get out of it as a result of that.”

After walking Billy Hamilton, Perdomo gave way to left-hander Ryan Buchter, who struck out Arismendy Alcantara with runners on first and second to end the Reds’ first real threat since the first. Tyler Yates and Craig Stammen followed with scoreless frames to put the finishing touches on Perdomo’s first win since Sept. 28, 2016.

“He came into lefties so much better today,” Green said. “He mixed well. I thought he did some good things. He had some life to his fastball. … The kid deserved a win by now.”

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First pitch: Exploring Allen Cordoba’s future at shortstop

Jeff Sanders

hen Allen Cordoba made his way to the Padres’ via December’s Rule 5 draft, Andy Green never imagined he’d have penciled a rookie ball shortstop into his lineup in 24 times in the first 65 games of the season. The second-year skipper isn’t about start putting the 21-year-old infielder into a box now.

If Cordoba has it in him to be an everyday shortstop, the Padres are going to find out.

Soon, too.

“We would love – love – to play him there more consistently,” Green said Monday afternoon. “But he’s going to have to take that job. As tough as it’s been on us to score runs and keep runs from scoring, if you hurt yourself at shortstop, you really hurt yourself defensively.

“He’s got to rise up and earn that job.”

Toward that end, Cordoba was penciled Monday’s lineup as the shortstop for the fourth time this season and the first time since May 18. In between those starts and cameos at the position (nine games to date), he’s worked extensively with third base coach Glenn Hoffman and coach Ramon Vazquez on a checklist aimed at having his infield skills catch up to a bat that has paired a .281/.318/.405 batting line with three homers and nine RBIs in a surprising jump from rookie ball.

The checklist for Cordoba – who has made three errors in 36 innings at shortstop – looks something like this:

• Game awareness; • Ability to hold runners on;

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• Turn double plays; • Feeds to second; • The way he gets to his arm action after fielding a ball.

“He’s shown (improvement) in his work,” Green said. “He’s cleaned up the action with which he catches the ball. He’s minimizing the movement. He’s being more compact, more direct to the baseball. He’s got a long ways to go to be a major league shortstop and that’s something we’re well aware of, but we want to get him some exposure there from time to time.”

ON DECK | Reds (29-33) at Padres (24-40)

Game 1: 7:10 p.m. Monday

Reds RHP Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 6.25 ERA)

• The 40-year-old leads the majors with homers allowed (20) through 12 starts after losing the previous two seasons to injury. Only three of Arroyo’s starts have been “quality.” He last faced the Padres in 2014, striking out six over seven shutout innings.

Padres RHP Luis Perdomo (0-3, 5.47 ERA)

• The 24-year-old allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in four innings last week at Arizona. He is looking for his first win since Sept. 28. Perdomo allowed three runs in six innings in a loss last year against Cincinnati.

Up next

• Tuesday: Reds RHP Scott Feldman (5-4, 4.09) vs. Padres LHP Clayton Richard (4-7, 4.54), 7:10 p.m.

• Wednesday: Reds LHP Amir Garrett (3-5, 7.40) vs. Padres RHP Jhoulys Chacin (5-5, 5.35), 12:40 p.m.

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Preller, Padres need Gore to be something like Kershaw Kevin Accee

his is where it has to start sticking.

The Padres on Monday spent the third overall pick in the amateur draft on high school pitcher MacKenzie Gore.

A lot can go wrong between now and the young left-hander’s first professional pitch from the mound at Petco Park. Even more can veer off course before he toes the rubber in a Padres postseason game we’ve been told will happen at some point in most of our lifetimes.

A baseball draft pick’s journey is far more fickle and fraught with risk than in any other sport. As often as not, if not more, it’s just the kind of game that wears a player down mentally while it beats him down physically.

You want guaranteed returns? Baseball drafting is like an investor doing his due diligence and then flipping a coin to decide which stock to purchase.

That said, you don’t miss with this type of pick. You just don’t.

Not when you’ve been living on the bottom and you’re sick of it and you’ve promised your fans that this plan is going to pay off.

Sorry. No. This kid needs to live up to scouts’ comparisons to Clayton Kershaw.

We can’t tolerate anything less. Not so much to put the pressure on Gore, but definitely to place it on the shoulders of Padres General Manager A.J. Preller.

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Last year, Preller made his first first-round selections. He and his staff, in fact, made three picks in the first 25 spots and selected six times in the first 85 turns in the 2016 draft. Then they went about loading up the minor leagues by selling off major league parts and investing a stunning amount in the international market.

That summer certainly marked the launch of the Padres’ acknowledged building process.

Monday took the project to a new level. Hyperdrive.

The third pick is the kind of pick that better change things. And relatively quickly.

The third pick is a player who is supposed to get to the big leagues in a big hurry. If your personnel department is what you hope it is, it’s also a player who makes a difference.

Since 2007, Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Trevor Bauer are among those selected third overall.

Machado made his big-league debut two years after being drafted and played his first full season and made the first of his three All-Star games just three years after the Orioles selected him. Hosmer was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2011, three years after being taken by the Royals. Bauer, selected in 2011, is in his fourth season as a starter for the Cleveland Indians.

Those are timelines the Padres can live with. They can even wait a bit longer for Gore. They will almost certainly have to.

Bauer was drafted out of UCLA. Machado and Hosmer were high schoolers, but they were also position players.

A high school pitcher making the leap effectively in a couple or three years is far from unprecedented but is wholly unexpected.

Kershaw, the seventh overall pick in 2006, made 21 starts two seasons after being drafted and won the first of his three Cy Young awards in 2011.

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That’s something to shoot for.

But none of the high school pitchers taken in the 2014 or ’15 drafts have made it to the majors yet. Two years, it just doesn’t happen. Three is rare.

Tyler Danish, the White Sox’s second-round pick in 2013, is the only high school pitcher from that draft to have made his debut, having done so last June.

Seven of the 28 pitchers who signed after being taken in the first three rounds of the 2012 draft have pitched in the majors. Among those is Lance McCullers Jr., who is a key part of the Houston Astros’ rotation. He made his debut in May 2015.

If Gore is even a slight manifestation of Kershaw and achieves what McCullers has to date, this will be a successful pick.

If by 2020, Gore is reminding us of Tate, Preller has been fired.

Look, it’s almost impossible to completely whiff on this pick.

Between ’07 and ’14, just one player selected third did not make the big leagues. That was, without even a trace of surprise, a pick exercised by the Padres. Donavan Tate, who got a then-record signing bonus from the Padres, never made it past Single-A due to injuries and substance abuse issues. He is now a freshman quarterback at the University of Arizona.

And, yes, there is some justification in pointing out that the Padres have been perhaps the worst team in the history of the draft. No exaggeration. An analysis by the Union-Tribune’s Jeff Sanders last year showed the average WAR of 3.86 for the Padres’ 70 first-round picks since their inception was second-worst all-time. And since the lowest-ranked Chicago Cubs have recently done OK with their drafts, we can safely assess the Padres’ drafts to have been the most fruitless.

But history is also irrelevant in this context. Those horrid drafts weren’t conducted by this regime.

This group, led by Preller, is finally all in. And with this pick they move to neck deep.

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Monday was the first time since ’09 the Padres have picked as high as third, and they almost certainly will pick this high again next year. They had the majors’ second-worst record entering Monday night’s game.

Those type of picks in successive years are what justify the banking – not tanking – organizational strategy. You sink this low so you can get this high.

It stinks for the coaching staff and players trying every day to win. (Thus, we don’t use the term “tanking” in this space; it is “banking” for the future.) But it is the types of players acquired with the capital earned on the backs of this collection of largely subpar players that is the catalyst for an about-face.

Yes, the Padres better invest in some veteran talent when they think they’re close to contending. Signing a top-notch starter or a veteran bat to fill out the infield will be imperative. It might be what gets the Padres over the top. But drafting and developing their own players is what will get the Padres close to that summit – and keep them there.

Hopefully, the Padres don’t have to stink as woefully and as long as the Houston Astros did in order to get the No.1 overall pick in 2012, ’13 and ’14 and the No. 2. pick in ’15. But the Astros have certainly shown what a drastic turnaround looks like when a couple of those picks (plus a few other high selections and a superstar international signee) become the core of your lineup quickly. Houston made the playoffs two years ago, finished above. 500 last season and have the majors’ best record this year.

If Preller & Co. nailed these two picks – this year and next – the chances are good the Padres will get where they want to be. At least, they will be contenders.

If not, it Gore is another Padres bust, well, we’re familiar with what happens then.

Up next

• The Padres host the Reds for a three-game set. San Diego won four of seven last year, but just one of three at Petco Park. The Reds entered Saturday with a 10-16 record on the road.

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Missions closing in on first-half title Jeff Sanders

Double-A San Antonio is closing in on a first-half title.

Right-hander Kyle Lloyd struck out 10 in his return to the Texas League and the Missions used a five-run eighth to propel themselves to a 7-3 win over Corpus Christi on Monday night.

ADVERTISING

With the win, San Antonio (36-27) has a 3 ½-game lead in its division with seven games left.

Briefly promoted to El Paso, Lloyd (3.13) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in seven innings before left-hander Kyle Lloyd (1-1, 4.00) allowed an unearned run in two innings of relief for the win.

Franmil Reyes (.286) doubled in three runs in four at-bats, Noah Perio (.246) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Stephen McGee (.262) drove in two runs on his second homer.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (32-32)

• Lancaster 13, Storm 6: RHP Cal Quantrill (3-5, 3.86) allowed five runs – three earned – on five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings in a road start. CF Michael Gettys (.258) drove in two runs on his ninth homer and RF Edwin Moreno (.272), 1B Josh Naylor (.313), C Austin Allen (.259) and DH Carlos Belen (.208) all had two hits.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (23-41)

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• Lansing 9, TinCaps 7: RHP Pedro Avila (7.94) allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings in his first Midwest League start and RHP Diomar Lopez (0-2, 5.48) allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings in the loss. 3B Hudson Potts (.227) went 3-for-4 with his fourth homer, 1B G.K. Young (.263) collected three hits, including his sixth homer, and C Marcus Greene Jr. (.266) drove in two runs on his third homer.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (5-3)

• Padres 6, Giants 2: RHP Luis Patino (2-0, 0.00) struck out four over five shutout innings of three-hit ball. He did not walk anyone. RF Yordi Francisco (.258) went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and his first homer and CF Adrian Antunez (.250) tripled in two runs in four at-bats.

Transactions

• RHP Emmanuel Ramirez was transferred from Fort Wayne to Tri-City. Click here for the Dust Devils’ initial roster.

• LHP Jerry Keel was transferred from San Antonio to Lake Elsinore. • RHP Pedro Avila was transferred from Lake Elsinore to Fort Wayne.

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Padres nab Gore's elite left arm with 3rd pick By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | SAN DIEGO -- With their highest selection in eight years, the Padres hope they've found their next ace. San Diego selected high school left-hander MacKenzie Gore with the third overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft on Monday night.

Gore's numbers at Whiteville High School in Whiteville, N.C., are nothing short of dazzling. In his senior season, he posted a 0.19 ERA and struck out 158 hitters in 74 1/3 innings, while walking just five. He went 11-0, leading his team to its third state title in four years. "He just kept getting better," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "It was a pretty easy pick and a target of ours.""It's overwhelming right this minute," Gore said via conference call. "I'm just enjoying it."

The Padres view Gore, a 6-foot-2 southpaw with a four-pitch mix and a mid-90s fastball, as a future starter at the front end of their rotation. It's the third consecutive year in which the Padres have taken a pitcher with their first pick. They selected Cal Quantrill at No. 8 overall in 2016 and Austin Smith at No. 51 in '15. Gore, 18, is the first high-school left-hander taken by the Padres since Max Fried in 2012. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s, and he complements it with three above-average off-speed pitches. He says his curveball has been his "out pitch" this season, but his slider and changeup also project as above-average Major League offerings.

"The athleticism, ease of operation, arm angle jump off the table at you," Padres scouting director Mark Conner said. "As you start watching, the competitor comes out more and more. He's easy to fall in love with." Said Preller: "We felt like he was as talented as any left-handed high school pitching prospect that we've seen over the course of the last 10 years." Having allowed just 16 earned runs over four years, Gore has been dominant his entire high school career. But he shot up draft boards this season with an uptick in his velocity and better command of his off-speed pitches.

"It all started by getting in the weight room in the fall, putting on about 15 pounds and getting a lot stronger," said Gore, through his thick Carolina drawl. "That's kind of where the velocity came from. The

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breaking stuff, I got more consistent with it and really worked on it in games when I started throwing. Now, I feel like I can throw it any time in the count." Gore's high school coach, Brett Harwood, noted that Gore's talent is off the charts. But after four years, Harwood came away just as impressed by his mental makeup and team-first mentality.

His case in point: After Whiteville clinched the state championship, Gore was awarded the tournament's MVP Award. But it was shortstop Jake Harwood, Brett's son, who picked up the win and notched the walk-off single to secure the title. Afterward, Gore gave the trophy to Jake, feeling as though his teammate had earned it more than he had.

"Some people talk the talk, but I've seen him actually do it," said Harwood. "It's very humbling as a coach when your best player is also your hardest worker and your best teammate." Gore pointed to Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner as his favorite player growing up, saying he'd particularly like to emulate, "the way he competes and wants the ball in the biggest games." Padres fans might not be too happy with that admission, but they certainly won't mind the comp between the two; both are well-built left-handers out of North Carolina. In fact, Gore actually spent a day with Bumgarner last offseason after they met through a mutual connection. 2017 “He definitely has a unique delivery," Conner said. "It's more athletic than just trained and mechanics. He's the type of athlete that can repeat actions. His body control is exceptional."

Gore, a client of agent Scott Boras, is currently committed to East Carolina, but it's unlikely he'll pitch there.

The Padres also selected a pair of high school catchers on Monday night, Luis Campusano-Bacero at No. 39 overall and Blake Hunt at 69. The Draft will continue Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 9:30 a.m. PT, with exclusive coverage beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

The third overall selection carries a suggested bonus allotment of $6,668,100. In total, the Padres have the Majors' fourth biggest pool at $11,839,000, which they can spend on bonuses for picks in the first 10 rounds, as well as any subsequent players receiving bonuses of greater than $125,000. Any team going over its allotted pool will be taxed on the overage. And in some extreme cases, that team could lose a future pick.

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Feldman out to extend winning streak By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com | Scott Feldman's season continues to blossom as he returns to a starter's role with Cincinnati.

Feldman (30th round, 2003 Draft, College of San Mateo), who was used almost entirely as a reliever last season with the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, seeks his fourth straight win (5-4 overall, 4.09 ERA) when the visiting Reds take on the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

"I've seen him be good as a starting pitcher and I think that's where he is best served for us," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I think he is a big league starter and he has certainly been our top guy."

The Padres will counter with lefty Clayton Richard (eighth round, 2005 Draft, University of Michigan) in the second contest of the three-game series. Richard (4-7, 4.54) has lost three of his last five outings, which include getting beat by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Things to know about this game

• The Reds' Scott Schebler (26th round, 2010 Draft, Des Moines Area Community College) is among the National League leaders in homers despite hitting just 12 long flies over his first season and a half in the Majors. Schebler's average exit velocity is nearly identical this season to last season, but the big change has come in how he's lifting the ball. The right fielder has lifted his average launch angle from 6.5 to 12.8 degrees -- constituting the fifth-highest increase among qualified hitters -- and moving himself up into line-drive territory.

• Richard has lost both his career decisions to Cincinnati while pitching to a 6.31 ERA in 12 games (six starts).

• The Reds are in a stretch where they play 13 of 16 games on the road.

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Padres take top prep catcher in second round By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | SAN DIEGO -- When Luis Campusano-Bracero stepped on the field at Petco Park for the Perfect Game All-American Classic last August, he made sure to soak in the moment.

"I walked onto the warning track," he said. "The first thing I did was I threw some dirt over my shoulder and told myself I was going to [play] here one day." Campusano-Bracero is at least part of the way to reaching that goal. The Padres selected the 18-year-old backstop with their second selection in the 2017 MLB Draft on Monday night.

The No. 39 overall pick, Campusano-Bracero attended Cross Creek High School in Augusta, Ga., where he batted .622 with 13 doubles and six homers during his senior year, en route to being named the state's player of the year.

"We felt he was as good as any of the catchers at the high school or college ranks," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "He sits well, receives really well, blocks well. He has a contact bat, knows the strike zone." Campusano-Bracero was the first of two prep catchers that the Padres selected Monday. They would later take Blake Hunt at No. 69 overall in the compensation-pick B round. The two backstops followed left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who was selected third overall, the club's highest pick since 2009.

The Draft will continue Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET. MLBPipeline ranked Campusano-Bracero as the Draft's best high school catcher and its second-best catching prospect overall. It appears as though Campusano-Bracero has the tools to remain behind the plate, where his arm and pop time are both elite among catchers his age. According to MLBPipeline, he also possesses power potential that could lead to double-digit homers in the big leagues. 2017 Draft: Luis Campusano, "My defense is first, but I feel like I'm more well-rounded than most catchers," said Campusano-Bracero. "My priority is to catch first, but I feel like I can also bring some hitting ability and power to the plate. I feel like the San Diego Padres have brought in a well-rounded catcher that they can develop." Campusano-Bracero said he spends hours online watching the ways different catchers receive and block pitches. His favorite player to emulate is Kansas City's Salvador Perez, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner.

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His father, Genaro Campusano, was drafted by the Pirates as a catcher in 1989, and he played five seasons in professional ball, never making it past Class A.

"That was important, coming from a professional background," said Preller. "You start to talk to him, you see his work ethic, see him talk about the game, breaking down Minor League catchers, breaking down other prospects, guys that he wants to be better than. That's a high-school catcher who's been around the game."

Campusano-Bracero spent Monday night watching the Draft from his high-school auditorium, surrounded by friends and family. When his name was called, they erupted.

"I was just really anxious to hear my name picked," he said. "I'm glad I got picked by the Padres. I just celebrated the moment with my family and friends. It turned out where I wanted to be. I couldn't ask for anything better."

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Padres take defense-first catcher with 3rd pick By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | SAN DIEGO -- The Padres went back to back at backstop on Monday night, selecting high-school catcher Blake Hunt with the 69th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Hunt's selection in the Compensation B round came after the Friars drafted fellow catcher Luis Campusano-Bracero in the second round and left-hander MacKenzie Gore at No. 3 overall. Arguably the best defensive catcher in the Draft class, Hunt could provide some pop as well. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Hunt offers strength and athleticism. But his swing could use some work in professional ball. • Padres' 3rd overall pick: MacKenzie Gore • Padres' 39th overall pick: Luis Campusano-Bracero "He throws real well," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "He has the chance to neutralize the running game, another guy with good makeup. From our standpoint, it wasn't about need or anything like that. In the system, it's always important to have catching. We just felt like those were the two best guys on the board at that time."

The Draft will continue Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Over the past week, Preller has stressed that the Padres will take the best players available, regardless of position. Monday was Exhibit A. "I don't know that Austin Hedges has anything to worry about yet," Preller quipped, referring to the Padres' current starting catcher, and their presumed backstop of the future.

Hunt shot up Draft boards with an impressive season this year in which he added significant bulk. He also began training with former big league catcher Brent Mayne, after years of playing alongside Mayne's son.

"That really dramatically changed my game and brought me to another level," Hunt said.

This spring, Hunt batted .394 with nine doubles and six homers against some of the stiffest high school competition in the country.

But Hunt's strength is undoubtedly his prowess behind the plate.

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"I think I have a pretty athletic build, and I'm able to move well laterally, even though I'm pretty tall," said Hunt. "I think I have a plus arm, that I can use whenever to keep runners honest on the bases. I think I handle pitching staffs pretty well and understand pitchers' strengths." A Costa Mesa, Calif., native, Hunt said he generally makes the trek to a couple games at Petco Park every year. He was in attendance in March when Team USA knocked off the Dominican Republic to advance to the World Baseball Classic in a thriller.

"That was the craziest atmosphere I've ever been a part of," Hunt said. "It brought baseball on a whole 'nother level. It brought so much meaning to the game. The fire the players played with and the crowd was absolutely astonishing. It may not be the same for every big league game, but the atmosphere of that ballpark definitely retains that.

"Hopefully I make it up in a few years. I'm absolutely stoked and couldn't be more excited."

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Padres cruise past Reds after huge 2nd inning By Jay Paris and Nathan Ruiz / MLB.com | 2:19 AM ET SAN DIEGO -- On the night they added more young talent to their organization, the Padres proved they already have plenty, with Franchy Cordero's first homer the highlight of a six-run, second-inning outburst that guided San Diego to a 9-3 victory over the Reds on Monday. Cordero's opportunity with the Padres is the result of several injuries in their outfield, prompting his May callup. The 22-year-old rookie was a shortstop until 2015, but he's hit .298/.353/.511 while serving as the Padres' primary center fielder in recent weeks.

"You always have to have faith," Cordero said through a team interpreter. "In yourself, in your talent, and believe that things are going to happen.

"I've always been looking for that home run. I've always been waiting for it." Cordero's first career home

Shortly after the Padres made their second of three Draft picks Monday, Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo (No. 69 overall pick, 1995 Draft, Hernando HS in Florida) hit Cory Spangenberg (No. 10 overall pick, 2011 Draft, Indian River Community College) with a pitch, sparking San Diego's comeback from a 2-1 deficit. Spangenberg and Allen Cordoba scored on a two-run double by Austin Hedges (No. 82 overall pick, 2011 Draft, JSerra Catholic HS in California), who came around when Jose Pirela continued his scorching June with an RBI single. Pirela's RBI single That was when Cordero launched his first Major League homer, an opposite-field shot to left that traveled a projected 365 feet.

"Those are moments you know a guy will remember the rest of his baseball career," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He's going to know exactly who he hit his first home run off of. He'll remember the day. He'll remember what it felt like. He'll have it with him for the rest of his life." Two batters later, Yangervis Solarte, who hit an RBI single in the first, blasted his sixth homer to center to complete the six-run frame.

"Before I knew it, there was a six-spot on the board,'' Arroyo said. "It was one of those things that I couldn't stop the train from rolling downhill. It looked like they knew what was coming half of the time.''

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Wil Myers (No. 91 overall pick, 2009 Draft, Wesleyan Christian Academy in North Carolina) and Hedges added RBI singles in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to give the Padres their highest-scoring performance since April 29 against the Giants. Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo had gone winless in his first 10 starts before holding Cincinnati to three runs in 6 2/3 innings.

"He got that lead and he ran with it," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Fastball, slider for strikes and he pounded the zone.''

Arroyo was less successful, lasting 4 2/3 innings and allowing nine runs on 13 hits, one of which was a triple by Perdomo.

"We told them to treat it almost like a backyard Wiffle ball game," Green said of the Padres' approach against Arroyo. "Just relax and hit and have fun hitting. Felt like the guys, for the most part, did a very good job of that today." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hedges hits: Despite batting eighth, Hedges took advantage of the run-scoring opportunities that came his way Monday. With the Padres trailing, 2-1, in the second, he roped a two-run double down the left-field line to give them a lead they didn't give up. His line-drive single in the fifth added another run, even though he was thrown out at second after stumbling on his way around first. The Reds even gifted him a hit in the third, when their four infielders converged on his popup but allowed it to fall. The three-RBI performance brought Hedges' season total up to 34, leaving him one shy of tying the Royals' Salvador Perez for the most among MLB catchers. Hedges' two-run double Two-out trouble: Perdomo pinned the Padres in an early hole when he allowed four straight Reds to reach with two outs in the first, with Scott Schebler (26th round, 2010 Draft, Des Moines Area Community College) hitting a two-run single with the bases loaded. Joey Votto (No. 44 overall pick, 2002 Draft, Richview Collegiate Institute) sparked the rally with a sinking single to left Pirela couldn't corral with a dive, and Adam Duvall (11th round, 2010 Draft, University of Louisville) reached when Spangenberg struggled to get a ball out of his glove, leading to an infield single. Monday's first was the sixth time since Wednesday the Padres retired the first two batters of an inning before allowing their opponent to score multiple runs. Entering Monday's game, San Diego pitchers allowed a .324 average with two outs in June, the worst in baseball. "He was good in the first inning," Green said of Perdomo. "... Thought he did some good things. Had some life on his fastball. Happy for him to see that. Kid deserves a win by now."

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QUOTABLE "I'm proud of both of them, but I feel better about the win because now I feel like I have more confidence." -- Perdomo, when asked to compare his first win to his two triples "I've got to catch a streak here where I put together two or three quality outings. And if not, I'm sure there is going to be a time when someone takes my spot if I don't get it done.'' -- Arroyo, on what the future holds for the struggling veteran SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With his fifth-inning triple, Perdomo became the first pitcher in Padres history with two triples in a single season, a feat no Major League pitcher had accomplished since Dontrelle Willis, who hit three for the Marlins in 2007. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Reds challenged that Schebler was hit by a Craig Stammen (12th round, 2005 Draft, University of Dayton) pitch that was called a ball in the ninth. A replay determined the call stands. Schebler not hit by pitch WHAT'S NEXT Reds: Cincinnati's top starter, Scott Feldman (30th round, 2003 Draft, College of San Mateo), gets the nod Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. ET as he aims for his fourth straight win. Feldman, who leads the staff with six quality starts, is 2-1 lifetime against the Padres. Padres: The Padres will send a rested Clayton Richard (eighth round, 2005 Draft, University of Michigan) to the mound Tuesday. The veteran left-hander threw only 77 pitches in his last start against Arizona, taking the loss after allowing four runs over five innings. In 12 career appearances against the Reds, Richard has a 6.31 ERA. His first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PT. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.T

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No. 3 pick MacKenzie Gore has an insane leg kick and some ludicrous high school stats By Andrew Mearns The top players in the MLB Draft always seem to have terrific statistics in high school and college. It's not surprising -- the old saying is that the cream rises to the top, and they are usually just so much more talented than the field around them.

The first round of the 2017 MLB Draft was no exception, as great fun facts emerged left and right. D-backs Draft pick Pavin Smith hit 13 homers while striking out just 12 times for the University of Virginia. The Angels' Jordon Adell had a scintillating 2.104 OPS with 25 homers in 35 games at Ballard High School in Louisville.

No. 3 overall pick MacKenzie Gore might have topped them both in terms of crazy numbers. During his senior year at Whiteville High School in North Carolina, the lefty starter turned in a spectacular performance:Insane. Oh, and Gore also went 11-0 as Whiteville won its third state title in four years.

For those keeping score at home, 158 strikeouts and five walks equates to a mind-boggling 31.6 K/BB ratio. To offer some perspective, the Twins' Phil Hughes set the MLB single-season record in 2014 at 11.6. That's no small leap, and it's unbelievable that Gore managed to fan 153 more batters than he walked.

That's not all Gore has to offer, either, as he has a fantastic high leg kick that would make the likes of Dontrelle Willis and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez smile.

The biggest mystery seems to be who even scored a run off Gore to keep him from a perfect 0.00 ERA. It sure seems like the Padres nabbed a good one at No. 3.

For the record, Willis definitely agreed.

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Better-balanced Pirela off to torrid start 4 multihit games in first 5 starts

By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres. When the Padres acquired Jose Pirela from the Yankees in November of 2015 for pitching prospect Ron Herrera, the infielder-outfielder came with a bit of a reputation.

Good hitter ... but where do you play him. But in his first season in the Padres organization, Pirela's reputation took a hit because he didn't hit with Triple-A El Paso or the Padres while missing most of the season with a leg injury.

But he is hitting now.

Since being promoted from El Paso on June 6, Pirela is hitting .500 (11-for-22) with three doubles, two homers and five RBIs. Pirela has four multi-hit games during a five-game hitting streak that includes three walks. Since his promotion, Pirela has a .560 on-base percentage and a .909 slugging percentage for a 1.469 OPS.

And while with El Paso, Pirela was hitting .331 with 10 doubles, three triples, 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 48 games with a 1.022 OPS and a .635 slugging percentage.

"All I heard every time I called down and talked to (El Paso manager) Rod Barajas was how well Pirela was swinging the bat."

Green hadn't seen that in 2016. Pirela wasn't balanced at the plate. He was still aggressive at the plate, but he was on top of neither the fastball nor the breaking ball. He wasn't the hitter who batted over .300 in three straight seasons in the International League, which has a reputation of tilting toward the pitcher.

"Pirela had a rough year last year in a new organization while trying to fit in and show what he could do," said Green. "I don't think it went very well for him last year."

And this year?

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"He's got a good swing," continued Green. "You watch him in the box and you expect him to hit. He's one of those guys who has hit his whole life wherever he's been. This is who he was when we traded for him."

"It's good to see him back that way. His swing looks outstanding, the best it has ever looked. I love what he's done so far. He's balanced in the box. He's always been aggressive with the lower part of his body. He's more centered. He's been in that position consistently.

"He's in such a better hitting position right now. He's driving through the baseball, off-speed as well as fastballs." And as long as Pirela is hitting, Green said he'll be finding time in left field and second. When Pirela is at second, Yangervis Solarte slides over to third. NOTEWORTHY

• Fifteen homers were hit by the Royals and Padres in the three-game series. It was one homer shy of the three-game series record of 16 at Petco Park set July 14-16, 2006, in a series between the Padres and Atlanta Braves. • RHP Phil Maton received a standing ovation from the home crowd as he left the mound after retiring the Royals in order in the eighth in his Major League debut. And Green applauded the Padres' fans. "That tells you something about Padres fans," said Green of Maton's welcome. "I didn't do him any favors. I sent him out against the heart of the order." Maton, 24, had a 2.84 earned run average with Triple-A El Paso and was tied for the Pacific Coast League lead with 13 saves. He had 31 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings over 23 appearances with a 0.59 WHIP. Maton was the Padres' 20th-round selection in the 2015 draft out of Louisiana Tech. Maton made his Major League debut in the eighth inning and retired the Royals in order starting with a strikeout. • 3B Cory Spangenberg hit two home runs Sunday covering 419 and 428 feet. They were only the second and third homers of the season for Spangenberg in 133 at-bats. Spangenberg has 10 homers in 546 Major League at-bats. But this was his second, two-homer game, the first coming on May 14, 2015, against the Nationals. • RHP Kevin Quackenbush was optioned to El Paso Sunday to make room on the 25-man roster for Maton. It marked the fifth time this season that Quackenbush, 28, was optioned to the Chihuahuas. He has a 6.38 ERA in 15 appearances with the Padres and a 4.00 ERA in seven appearances with El Paso.

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Draft goes well beyond the first picks Padres have third overall pick, three total Day 1 picks By Bill Center / MLB.com | Although the Padres draft third in Monday's MLB 2017 Draft, general manager A.J. Preller and scouting director Mark Conner didn't tip their hands Sunday about who the Padres might be looking at with their first-round pick.

Things change. And depending on who is selected ahead of them, things could change a lot. So mum was the word about the identity of the Padres' top pick Sunday as Preller and Conner met with the media.But one thing is clear. This is not just about the top pick.The last pick could be just as important as the first. Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza was picked in the 62nd round by the Dodgers in 1988. The modern Draft no longer has that many rounds, but you get the point. Gems can be found in every round.

Another example is Tony Gwynn, a third-round pick by the Padres in the 1981 Draft. Center fielder Kevin McReynolds was the first-round pick. Now, that was a good Draft. Any Draft that eventually produces five Major Leaguers -- as the 1981 Draft did -- is a good Draft.

The Padres don't have three first-round picks Monday, contrary to last year. Four of the seven top-30 prospects who came out of that Draft were not first-round picks. The Padres have three picks before Monday is done, including a competitive-balance pick after the formal conclusion of the second round.

"You never gloss over a round," said Conner.

That hasn't always been the case with the Padres. Once they drafted a pole vaulter who had never played baseball. That's never with an "n" in front of ever. No need to guess how that worked out. Undaunted, the Padres took a javelin thrower in the later rounds a year later. Good athletes, yes. Baseball players -- no way.

I don't sense this will happen again with Preller and Conner in the room.

Over the past year, more than three dozen Padres scouts have watched thousands of players in preparation for the three-day Draft (Rounds 1 and 2 are today starting at 4 p.m. PT on MLB Network).

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Many of those scouts and players have been at Petco Park the past week auditioning for possible calls from the Padres.

It seems Conner is as excited by the 30 picks he will make Wednesday as the two players he will identify today.

Talking about the Draft last year, Conner said: "The top-round picks have identified themselves to every team. But it's in the later rounds where you can find players who really make a Draft successful."

The problem is, baseball players take more time to develop their talents than NFL and NBA players. There is more to baseball than pure athletic skills. We're just beginning to get a warm feeling about last year's Draft. The fastest advancing players selected over the next three days might not be Major League ready until 2021-22.

The days of moving directly from the draft to the Major Leagues -- ala Dave Winfield in 1973 -- are over.

Which is why smart baseball teams don't draft for need. Who knows if the need position of today will be the need of five years from now.

"We're not drafting for need," said Preller. "It's the best guy available. It's not the NBA or the NFL, where you draft a guy and the next year they're playing."

The Padres' Draft bonus pool is just under $12 million, and they can spend it any way they desire. Last year, for example, they saved some money high and used it in the later rounds to lure some top high school players away from college commitments.

"The Draft is a living, breathing exercise that changes pick-by-pick," Conner said last year.

So take a deep breath and enjoy the next three days. Who knows who is out there in the first (Hunter Renfroe), second round (Austin Hedges), third round (Wil Myers), eighth round, (Clayton Richard), 12th round (Craig Stammen), 20th round (Phil Maton) or the 23rd (Brandon Maurer) rounds.

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Padres look for 2 in a row vs Reds STATS

SAN DIEGO — The Reds’ Scott Feldman has done just fine as a starter, thank you. And he is out to continue his winning run against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

“He’s been our most reliable starter,” Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said.

Feldman (5-4, 4.09 ERA) faces the Padres looking for the Reds’ second straight win in the series and hoping to build on his last outing in which he was stellar. He stymied the St. Louis Cardinals in winning his third straight decision as he has resurrected his career as a starter.

Last year, Feldman was used almost exclusively as a reliever. Of his 40 appearances with the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, only five came as a starter. This year he already has six quality starts, which leads the staff.

“I think he kind of got outside his area of strength last year both in Houston and Toronto by pitching mostly out of the bullpen,” Price said. “I’ve seen him be good as a starting pitcher and I think that’s where he is best-served for us. I think he is a big league starter and he has certainly been our top guy.”

Feldman, who has a 4.26 ERA in six career appearancs against the Padres, worked seven scoreless innings when facing the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, surrendering but four hits. He had four strikeouts and didn’t have a walk for the first time in an outing this year.

“He was in more of an attack mode with early-count strikes,” Price said. “There are times he gets a little too corner-conscious, though he does have the pitches to do it. He doesn’t just concede the fastball when he gets behind in the count.

“When he has struggled, he has been behind too often. That is the one thing that when he is on attack mode and jumping ahead, he has been spectacular.”

That adjective didn’t apply to Clayton Richard’s last start. Richard (4-7, 4.54 ERA) got pushed around by the Arizona Diamondbacks when he gave up four runs and six hits over five innings on Thursday. Richard notes that he had a 3-2 lead in the fifth before Chris Iannetta smacked a two-run homer.

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“It was very matter-of-fact what went wrong,” Richard told reporters. “It wasn’t like it snowballed out of control. It was just a couple of pitches and one misplayed ball.”

But it was enough to chase Richard in favor of a pinch-hitter in the sixth. Richard exited despite heaving but 77 pitches.

“I felt as if I threw the ball well,” he said. “Unfortunately, the times it counted, I didn’t execute a couple of pitches.”

Richard, a southpaw, is making his seventh career start against the Reds. He is 0-2 with a 6.31 ERA in those games, and he’ll be challenged by a lineup that includes the leading All-Star vote-getter at shortstop in Zack Cozart.

When the latest tabulations were announced on Monday, Cozart led all National League shortstops in batting average, hits, triples, home runs (tied), extra-base hits, total bases, RBIs and various other categories.

That Cozart, even with his statistical edge, is ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers Corey Seager is impressive.

“We haven’t had a call of arms to go vote, to push our fan base to get someone over the top,” Price said. “Zack is on top because of the national vote and not so much the regional vote. I think that is a big deal.”

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Padres On Deck: Pitchers Kelly, Lucchesi, Lawson Sharp Blash, Schimpf homer for AAA-El Paso By Bill Center

Pitchers Michael Kelly, Joey Lucchesi and Reggie Lawson all turned in impressive starts Sunday in the Padres minor league system while Jabari Blash (again) and Ryan Schimpf were homering for Triple-A El Paso.

— The right-handed Kelly, 24, allowed one unearned run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings to lead Double-A San Antonio to a 4–2 win over Corpus Christi at San Antonio. Kelly is now 6–1 with a 2.55 earned run average for the Missions, who improved to a Texas League-best 35–27. Kelly is second in the league with 75 strikeouts, tied for third in wins and sixth in ERA.

— Left-hander Lucchesi, 24, allowed two runs on four hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts over seven innings in Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore’s 5–3 win over Rancho Cucamonga at The Diamond. Lucchesi, the Padres’ 20th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, is 5–3 on the season with a 2.43 ERA. Lucchesi ranks second in the California League in WHIP (0.96) and strikeouts (86) and is third in ERA.

— The right-handed Lawson, 19, allowed two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in six shutout innings for Single-A Fort Wayne to lower his ERA to 5.87. He is the Padres №30 prospect.

Meanwhile, third baseman Schimpf homered in his first start with the Chihuahuas since being optioned to El Paso. And right fielder Blash homered in a third straight game and for the fifth time in six games to

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give him 10 on the season. Schimpf hit a solo homer in four at-bats. Blash (.258) was 2-for-3 and also had a double, three RBIs and two runs scored.

Top-10 prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jorge Oña also had solid games for Fort Wayne. Shortstop Tatis, 18, the Padres’ №6 prospect, was 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks and two runs scored to raise his batting average to .260. Ona, 20, the №7 prospect, was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to raise his batting average to .315.

Back at San Antonio, shortstop Jose Rondon (.306) had a two-run double in four at-bats. Left fielder Nick Torres (.240) was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. First baseman Noah Perio (.240) was 1-for-4 with a RBI.

Right-hander Eric Yardley (2.34 ERA) allowed a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Left-hander Brad Wieck (3.27) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless inning for his third save.

At Lake Elsinore, Left-hander Jose Castillo (3.45 ERA) followed Lucchesi and struck out the side in a perfect inning. Right-hander Trevor Frank allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning for his fourth save as the Storm improved to 32–31.

Third baseman Ruddy Giron (.239) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Josh Naylor (.311) started at first base and was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Designated hitter Carlos Belen (.198) was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Second baseman Peter Van Gansen (.217) was 1-for-2 with a RBI. Left fielder Taylor Kohlwey (.220) had a triple in four at-bats with a run scored. Shortstop Javier Guerra (.216) was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Right-hander Cesar Vargas was promoted from San Antonio to El Paso Sunday and right-hander Yimmi Brasoban was activated from San Antonio’s disabled list. Missions right-hander Jake Esch was designated for assignment by the Padres.

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Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (30–34) — Fresno 11, CHIHUAHUAS 5: 2B Carlos Asuaje (.241) was 2-for-5 with a run scored. 1B Christian Villanueva (.302) was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. DH Nick Buss (.370) was 2-for-4. Starting RHP Tyrell Jenkins (4–7, 7.46 ERA) allowed nine runs on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss. RHP Rafael De Paula (6.43) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Vargas issued a walk with two strikeouts in two otherwise perfect innings. RHP Adam Cimber (5.28) allowed a run on a hit in an inning.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (23–40) — Lansing 6, TIN CAPS 5: CF Rod Boykin (.232) backed Tatis and Oña, hitting a double and a solo homer in four at-bats with two runs scored. Catcher A.J. Kennedy (.333) was 2-for-4. 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza (.193) was 1-for-5 with a steal, a run scored and a RBI. RHP Nick Monroe (7.07) followed Lawson and allowed four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning. RHP Blake Rogers (3.43) allowed a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Emmanuel Ramirez (0–2, 3.63) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in two innings and took the loss.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (4–3) — The DSL doesn’t play on Sundays.

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This Day in Padres History, 6/13 Jones beats Phillies with arm, bat By Bill Center

June 13, 1976 — Left-hander Randy Jones pitches a six-hit, complete-game shutout and goes 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored to lead the Padres to a 5–0 win over Philadelphia at San Diego Stadium. Jones improves to 12–2 on the season.

June 13, 1979 — Second baseman Fernando Gonzalez is 4-for-4 with a two-run homer to lead the Padres to a 3–2 win over Pittsburgh at San Diego Stadium.

June 13, 2006 — Center fielder Mike Cameron falls a single short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and three runs scored in a 9–1 win over the Dodgers at Petco Park.

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Padres Draft High School Pitcher MacKenzie Gore With the 3rd pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres selected pitcher MacKenzie Gore. Gore is a left-hander from Whiteville High School in North Carolina. By Todd Strain

The San Diego Padres selected Whiteville (North Carolina) High School pitcher MacKenzie Gore with the 3rd pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.

The 6-foot-2 Gore went 9-0 with a 0.22 era and 132 strikeouts in 63 innings during this senior season in high school, leading Whiteville to a North Carolina state championship. Gore's high school team at Whiteville won 3 of 4 state championships during his time at the school.

In an interview prior to the draft, when asked about prospects Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said, "there's always more and more pitching prospects" year to year.

Gore is represented by agent Scott Boras. As an agent, Boras has a history of being difficult in signing negoatiations, so things could get interesting between Gore and the Padres. If Gore doesn't sign with the Padres, he has a scholarship offer from East Carolina University.