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Padres Press Clips Sunday, June 11, 2017

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After Diaz’s early exit, Padres’ pen suffers Royal beatdown UT San Diego Sanders 2

Minors Reinaldo Ilarraza, TinCaps power up in win UT San Diego Sanders 5

Minors Tatis, Ona, Allen headed to Midwest All-Star Game UT San Diego Sanders 7

First pitch: Pirela impressing in return to Padres UT San Diego Sanders 9

Data playing key role as Padres approach draft UT San Diego Lin 11

Lamet looks to rebound against Royals MLB.com Cassavell 15

Hit man: Pirela making most of opportunity MLB.com Cassavell 16

Pirela puts Padres ahead, but ‘pen falters in 8th MLB.com Ruiz/Powers 18

Andy’s Address, 6/10 FriarWire Center 21

Padres On Deck: Scholtens, 2 Relievers Combine on 2-Hit

Shutout for A-Lake Elsinore FriarWire Center 24

Cain hits 2 HR’s, slam in 9-run 8th leads KC over Padres 12-6 Associated Press AP Staff 27

Padres Bullpen Blasted by Royals NBC San Diego Togerson 29

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After Diaz's early exit, Padres' pen suffers Royal beatdown

Jeff Sanders

Saturday’s matinee began with the Padres pushing the boundaries of yet another Rule

5 experiment.

The findings? TBD.

In a 12-6 loss to the Royals, rookie Miguel Diaz both teased and frustrated with a

fastball that touched 99 mph. But the 22-year-old right-hander was unable to wield

that pitch with enough consistency in a rotation debut that might have gone

completely awry without clutch pitching from a bullpen that imploded at the end of a

long afternoon.

Right-hander Craig Stammen stranded all of the runners he inherited from Diaz in a

dicey third, only to serve up a solo homer to Alcides Escobar in the fifth. That was the

start of a stretch in which the Royals scored 12 runs on 13 hits off Padres relievers.

The loudest hits were the back-to-back homers that left-hander Brad Hand yielded —

a two-run shot from Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez’s 100th career homer — and the

grand slam that Lorenzo Cain blasted off Jose Valdez, all in a nine-run eighth inning.

“Those are hard losses I think every baseball club endures at some point in time in the

season,” Padres manager Andy Green said after the Royals’ nine-run frame washed

away a 5-3 lead. “We’ve had our fair share recently. Those are tough losses. Any time

you fight hard to take a lead into the eighth inning you want to hold onto that.”

Cain also homered off Jose Torres in a five-RBI game that trumped the Padres’ best

offerings in a Petco Park reunion with Ian Kennedy, who went six innings and

allowed four runs.

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The Padres got three runs on three more hits from the hot-hitting Jose Pirela,

including a homer to lead off the game, three hits from Cory Spangenberg, two runs

on two hits from Yangervis Solarte and not much else. Especially from the starting

pitcher.

Not that Green planned on a whole lot from Diaz: just 60 to 70 pitches over three —

hopefully four innings — in his first start in the majors.

What he got was 46 through two-plus innings and a third-inning hook for the Rule 5

reliever hoping to follow the path that Luis Perdomo blazed to the rotation a year ago.

Based on Saturday’s case study, this journey, too, will have its ups and downs.

Diaz’s initial four-seamer dialed up a 97 mph reading on the radar gun, his third hit

99 mph and 16 of his first 18 pitches were fastballs sitting above 95 mph in what

would have been a one-two-three first had Pirela — at first base for a sickly Wil

Myers — not thrown wildly toward the bag on Cain’s two-out bouncer.

“That’s a guy who was a little amped to start for the first time and not throttling

himself so he could get deeper in the ballgame,” Green said. “You could tell in the first

inning the way he was coming out guns blazing it was going to be hard to get to the

fourth inning.”

Diaz recovered from that gaffe with a pop-out and had his defense pick up the slack in

the second with a double-play ball to erase the leadoff walk he issued Perez.

The next inning, Alex Gordon lined a 95 mph fastball to center for a leadoff single,

Kennedy worked a walk out of the nine hole and Diaz’s next offering to Whit

Merrifield was a 96 mph heater that Austin Hedges had to leap out of his crouch to

keep it from sailing into the backstop netting. An ensuing mound visit from pitching

coach Darren Balsley could not coax Diaz away from the four-pitch walk that ended

his start with the bases loaded and no outs to start a third inning of work for just the

second time this season.

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“I think it was definitely a case of me getting a little too quick with my delivery,” Diaz

said through an interpreter. “That’s something I talked about with the pitching coach.

I think that’s a case of me being in there longer than what I’m accustomed to.”

Added Green: “Diaz, to me, the more he pitches like that, the more he's going to get

better. He needs to be in those situations. His fastball was really, really good today.

His off-speed stuff he really didn't command very well and once guys got on base he

really struggled from the stretch with command.”

Only Stammen kept Diaz’s line relatively clean with no runs allowed over two-plus

innings.

The 33-year-old veteran struck out Jorge Bonifacio – Diaz’s lone punchout victim –

for the first out and got the next two on Cain’s bouncer to shortstop.

Stammen followed with a quick fourth before needing a double play ball to escape a

jam following Escobar’s leadoff homer in the fifth.

Things went downhill from there as Torres allowed a run in the sixth on Cain’s first

homer of the game, Kirby Yates allowed a run in the seventh and Hand and Valdez

combined for nine runs – eight earned – in the eighth inning, the Royals’ biggest

single-inning rally since scoring 10 runs in the first inning against the Indians on Aug.

23, 2006.

Notable

RHP Carter Capps was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned

to Triple-A El Paso, where he has a 7.71 ERA in eight rehab appearances. Capps

had maxed out his 30-day rehab allotment, as well as three 10-day extensions

as a pitcher recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. To make room on

the 40-man roster, RHP Tyrell Jenkins was outrighted to El Paso.

1B Wil Myers is day-to-day after he was scratched from Saturday’s lineup after

experiencing dizziness and weakness prior to the game.

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Minors

Reinaldo Ilarraza, TinCaps power up in win Jeff Sanders

Reinaldo Ilarraza hit his first professional home run, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Brad

Zunica added blasts of their own and Logan Allen turned in six strong innings to

lead low Single-A Fort Wayne to an 8-4 win over visiting Lansing on Saturday.

The switch-hitting Ilarraza – who signed for $300,000 in July 2015 – also singled in

five at-bats, lifting his average to .193 in what’s been a challenging season for many of

the TinCaps’ teenagers.

Ilarraza, 18, was the fourth-youngest player in the Midwest League on opening day.

He has struck out 63 times in 54 games and swiped 10 bases in 11 chances.

The fifth-youngest player in the league, Tatis (.257) hit his seventh homer, drove in

three runs on two hits and swiped his seventh base and Zunica (.227), hit his team-

best eighth homer, doubled and stole his first base.

The left-handed Allen (4-3, 1.88) struck out six and allowed two runs on five hits, two

walks and two hit batters.

Fort Wayne improved to 23-39 with the win.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (30-33)

Fresno 9, Chihuahuas 5: RF Jabari Blash (.248) hit his ninth homer and LF

Nick Buss (.366) collected two hits in defeat. RHP Matt Magill (3-4, 4.11) struck

out six and allowed six runs – four earned – on seven hits and two walks in four

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innings, including four homers. RHP Christian Bethancourt (10.66) walked two

and allowed two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (34-27)

Missions 3, Corpus Christi 1: 2B Jose Rondon (.307) and DH Franmil Reyes

(.290) both collected two hits, RHP Brett Kennedy (3.79) struck out seven and

allowed a run in 5 1/3 innings before the bullpen combined for 3 2/3 innings of

one-hit ball. RHP T.J. Weir (2-1, 2.78) pitched a scoreless eighth and RHP Trey

Wingenter (2.05) saved his fourth game with a scoreless ninth.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (31-31)

Rancho Cucamonga 5, Storm 3: LHP Eric Lauer (2-4, 2.34) struck out a career-

high 10 batters and allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in six innings. LF

Edwin Moreno (.262) went 3-for-5 and 2B Chris Baker (.257), SS Javier Guerra

(.216), RF Peter Van Gansen (.212) and C Kyle Overstreet (.241) all had two

hits.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (4-3)

Padres 5, Giants 1: SS Bryan Torres (.400) went 2-for-4 with his first homer

and 2B Tucupita Marcano (.200) went 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and two

RBIs. LHP Gabriel Morales (1-0, 4.50) allowed a run in two innings after RHP

Martin Carrasco (0.00) struck out four over four scoreless innings in the start.

Transactions

RHP Austin Smith was transferred from Fort Wayne to short-season Tri-City

to make room for RHP Nick Monroe, who was activated from the seven-day

DL.

RHP Kyle Lloyd was transferred from El Paso to San Antonio.

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Minors

Tatis, Ona, Allen headed to Midwest All-Star Game

Jeff Sanders

The directive, more or less, when the Padres assigned five teenagers to the Midwest

League – five of the circuit’s 10 youngest players, as it happens – was simple: Sink or

swim.

One is doing much better with a challenge the organization deemed that group

mentally strong enough to handle.

Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., 18, headlines three Padres prospects who will

represent low Single-A Fort Wayne in the 53rd Midwest League All-Star Game on June

20 in Midland, Mich. Also headed to the game are Cuban outfielder Jorge Ona and

left-hander Logan Allen.

In his first year of full-season ball, Tatis was named the Midwest League’s player of

the week last month and leads the TinCaps in RBIs (28), hits (57), total bases (91) and

is second with six homers and 11 steals.

Ranked 17th in the organization by Baseball America, Tatis was acquired from the

White Sox last June in the James Shields deal.

Like Tatis, the 20-year-old Ona is also in his first full season of pro ball after signing

for a $7 million last July, the Padres’ second-largest bonus for an amateur. Ona, who

is ranked 12th by Baseball America, is hitting a team-best .311 with three homers and

20 RBIs despite a leg injury sending him to the DL early in the season.

Meantime, the 20-year-old Allen, ranked 19th by Baseball America, leads the system

with a 1.75 ERA through 51 innings, which is also good for sixth in the Midwest

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League in his second run through the circuit. He is 3-3 with 64 strikeouts, 21 walks

and a .184 opponent average.

Regrouping The youngest of the Padres’ teenagers in the Midwest League – and the youngest in

the circuit – 17-year-old Eguy Rosario has been sent to extended spring

training despite leading the farm system with 17 steals in what was an aggressive

assignment in Fort Wayne.

Rosario was hitting .206/.296/.278 with 13 RBIs, 20 walks and 51 strikeouts in 50

games with the TinCaps. He is expected to resurface again in the Arizona Rookie

League later this summer.

AROUND THE FARM

El Paso (AAA): RHP Christian Bethancourt has allowed runs in seven of

his 11 appearances out of the bullpen. He is 1-0 with a 11.91 ERA, five strikeouts

and 12 walks in 11 1/3 innings.

San Antonio (AA): RF Franmil Reyes is fourth in the Texas League with

102 total bases. He has seven homers and 39 RBIs to go with a .285/.348/.462

batting line.

Lake Elsinore (A+): In five starts since his promotion from Fort Wayne,

RHP Jesse Scholtens is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 20 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP

in 29 innings. He has struck out 67 in 65 2/3 innings this season.

Fort Wayne (A): Cuban RHP Ronald Bolanos struck out a career-high nine

batters in five innings Friday in winning his second straight decision. He has a

5.21 ERA through his first four starts.

DSL Padres (R): 1B Elvis Sabala, 19 and a signee out of the Dominican in

2014 for $500,000, is 9-for-19 with two doubles, three RBIs, six walks and

three strikeouts through his first six games.

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First pitch: Pirela impressing in return to Padres

Jeff Sanders

Jose Pirela’s first year in the organization did not go so well: He hit .154/.175/.205

in 15 games in the majors, saw an Achilles’ injury end his minor league season in June

and was bounced off the 40-man roster. After driving in three runs on three hits,

homering for the first time since June 7, 2015 with the Yankees and finishing a triple

shy of the cycle, the 27-year-old utility man is 9-for-18 with four RBIs, three doubles

and four runs scored since Tuesday’s recall from Triple-A El Paso.

“That’s the part of baseball no one wants to go through with the injuries,” Pirela said

through an interpreter. “Last year was an unfortunate year with the injuries I

sustained, but I kept battling, kept working hard and I'm happy to be back now and

overcoming that.”

Triple-A El Paso manager Rod Barajas was perhaps the biggest advocate for Pirela’s

return to the majors after he paired a farm system-best 13 homers and 42 RBIs with a

.331/.387/.635 batting line to start the year in the Pacific Coast League. As the

numbers suggest, Pirela returned a much different hitter than the one who slumped

his way through his first stint with the Padres following his November 2015

acquisition from the Yankees.

“I think the best thing I've seen out of Jose Pirela was he was really hard on his front

side as a hitter last year,” Green said. “Everything was out front. He had no chance on

off-speed and the barrel lagged on fastballs, so he was caught in between.

“He's in such a better hitting position right now.”

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Margot update CF Manuel Margot (right calf) continues to push toward a rehab assignment after

progressing through on-field running drills before Saturday’s game.

“I think Manny would be the first to tell you that he wants to play baseball right now,”

Green said. “We're understandably taking a little bit of a slower path with him right

now. I'd like to see it accelerate a little bit from the selfish manager's perspective, but

you understand the training staff's perspective of making sure he's good to go. I think

just watching him move around he looks good.”

Notable

RHP Trevor Cahill (shoulder) continues to throw from 120 feet. He could

throw his first bullpen early next week.

RHP Jered Weaver (hip) felt “freer,” Green said, in Friday’s bullpen. The

team has yet to determine if he’ll need another side session.

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Data playing key role as Padres approach draft

Dennis Lin

When the Padres make the third overall selection in Major League Baseball’s first-

year player draft on Monday, it will be with the confidence instilled by many hours of

observation and face-to-face interaction. Yet the process of arriving at that choice will

have gone beyond strictly conventional methods.

As data continue to permeate the sport and give fans new ways to digest the action,

front offices have widened their avenues for evaluation. That applies not only in all 30

major league ballparks, where high-resolution cameras and three-dimensional radar

track the movements of the ball and every player, but also at the amateur level, where

the vast unknown is no longer so vast.

Much can still change before Monday, and the Padres’ pick will be dictated by what

Minnesota and Cincinnati do ahead of them, but a consensus top five has emerged in

the draft class: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) High right-hander/shortstop Hunter

Greene, Louisville University left-hander/first baseman Brendan McKay, Whiteville

(N.C.) High left-hander MacKenzie Gore, Vanderbilt University right-hander Kyle

Wright and JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) High shortstop/outfielder Royce Lewis.

Whichever players the Padres select, at No. 3 and throughout the rest of the draft,

they have more information than ever at their disposal.

“The data’s definitely ramped up,” Padres scouting director Mark Conner said. “It’s

not only in quantity. It’s the instantaneous nature of it.”

In the past, a high school pitcher throwing in a remote part of the country might have

had to rely on word of mouth to draw widespread attention. Now, Conner said,

“you’re getting velocities from Twitter immediately.”

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Social media represents just one source. TrackMan radar technology, the driving

force behind a new generation of stats, is widely used at tournaments and showcases,

capturing exit velocity, spin rate and a host of other analytics. At some of these

gatherings, players are tested on everything from hand speed to grip strength.

Similarly, major league clubs have access to growing amounts of data from the college

ranks.

Off the field, teams have made significant advancements in compiling medical data

and charting workloads. Analytics departments, now universal throughout the league,

provide historical context for that information.

“It’s different than when I started (scouting),” said Logan White, the Padres’ director

of player personnel and a senior advisor to General Manager A.J. Preller. “You had

the 60-yard dash. Now, you have companies measuring bat speed, launch angle, time

to impact, looking at all this kind of different stuff.”

The specifics of how the Padres and their rivals utilize and weigh new forms of data

are closely guarded secrets. Even so, it’s clear that internal discussions have gained a

different layer.

“In conversation, guys are saying things like ‘He had this many exit velos of 90 (mph)

or better throughout the season,’ which is something that would not have been

thrown in conversation earlier,” said Conner, whose scouting staff has been

ensconced in the draft room at Petco Park since last Sunday. “‘This player’s spin rate

is in the elite level or the lower level.’ So it helps paint a picture of how a guy is

succeeding with maybe not sheer velocity or a lack of a breaking ball. I think we’ve

had some of those cases throughout the last week.

“We’re trying to use any information we can get early in the process to help spark

questions, get our (scouts) to think at a different level. To get them — when they go

see a player that maybe doesn’t have the tools that we deem higher-level — to ask why

and try to determine how is this guy performing, how is he getting strikeouts, how’s

he doing whatever. The earlier we can use it in the process to get questions for our

scouts, the better off we are.”

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White, who ran 13 drafts for the Los Angeles Dodgers, selecting such players as

Clayton Kershaw, Russell Martin, Matt Kemp and Corey Seager, said the proliferation

of data has led to fewer under-the-radar picks early in the draft.

“Twenty years ago, there were players going in the first round who not everybody

knew,” White said. “Now, everybody who goes in the first two rounds — because of

technology, the internet, video, live streams — these kids get recognized pretty quick.

“I think the technology is great. I think it’s made it a lot better. I don’t necessarily

think we make less mistakes because of it, but I do think it’s moved some of the better

players into the top two rounds.”

While White and Conner are among those embracing the Information Age, both

caution against getting swept up in an overabundance. In many cases, newer data

have not been around long enough to establish reliable baselines.

Meanwhile, the scouting of makeup and character remains paramount.

“We have a lot of data we look at,” Preller said. “Ultimately, it’s still important to see

the player, get a feel for the player, try to put the picture together. … A lot of times,

the analytics will go hand in hand with what our scouts are seeing. If not, that’s when

we have to take a closer look.”

“We’re always trying to evolve as scouts and figure out how to identify and pick the

best players and find out those micro-separators in them,” Conner said. “Ultimately,

the scout’s job, it’s not necessarily to be data-driven. … The big thing is going and

meeting with players and getting to know them as people, because there’s still no data

for the person that you’re looking to bring into the organization.”

On Monday, the Twins and Reds will make their selections. Then the Padres will be

on the clock.

“Honestly, we’re kind of in a wait-and-see position,” Preller said of his expectation for

the available options at No. 3. “The biggest thing is we’re prepared. I feel comfortable

knowing we’re going to make a decision based on really thorough evaluation.”

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Cream of the crop While there is no clear-cut No. 1 pick in this draft, the following five players are

considered the best available in the class:

Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, University of Louisville: MLB.com draft expert Jim

Callis is projecting McKay, a two-way star, to go to Minnesota with the first overall

selection.

Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) HS: Greene, the best

talent in the draft, is unlikely to last past the No. 2 pick.

MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Whiteville (N.C.) HS: Some scouts think Gore is a

better pitching prospect than Greene.

Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt University: Wright was roughed up Saturday in

a super-regional game, but he already had established himself as the top pitcher in

the collegiate ranks.

Royce Lewis, SS/OF, JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) HS: Evaluators have

doubts as to whether Lewis can play shortstop in the pros, but even as a center fielder,

he has significant upside.

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Lamet looks to rebound against Royals

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

A pair of young right-handers are looking for bounceback efforts Sunday when the Padres and

Royals meet in the rubber game at Petco Park.

San Diego's Dinelson Lamet, the club's No. 10 prospect, began his career with two very

impressive outings before a dud his last time out. He allowed seven earned runs over three-plus

innings, throwing just 42 strikes among his 88 pitches.

"What makes him special is that he has a live fastball, elite velocity, elite spin," Padres manager

Andy Green said. "He's going to win in the strike zone. He doesn't win in the strike zone if you

go ball one, ball two, and guys gear up and cheat. With the changeup, with the slider, there's

enough there to attack the strike zone and realize there's margin for error."

Opposite Lamet is fellow rookie Jake Junis, who was also roughed up for seven runs (four

earned) in his last start. With an ailing rotation, the Royals opted to give Junis another

opportunity to find his form from Triple-A Omaha, where he posted a 2.34 ERA in seven starts

this year.

Three things to know about this game

• Padres first baseman Wil Myers felt ill on Saturday and was a late scratch from the lineup. The

Padres expect him to be healthy for Sunday's game. Meanwhile, right-hander Trevor Cahill

could be ticketed for a bullpen session as soon as Tuesday, as he recovers from a strained right

shoulder.

• Salvador Perez's two homers this series have given him 100 in his career -- 95 of which have

come when he's playing behind the plate. His dinger on Friday broke the franchise record for

home runs by a catcher, previously held by Mike Macfarlane. It also moved him past San

Diego's Austin Hedges into the Major League lead for catcher home runs. Perez now has 13.

• With Saturday's loss, the Padres fell to 18-2 this season when they score at least five runs --

still the second-best record in baseball.

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Hit man: Pirela making most of opportunity

Recent callup provides nearly all of the Padres' offense in

loss

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Since his callup on Tuesday, Jose Pirela has done precisely what he's done his

entire life. He hit in the Minor Leagues. He hit in the Venezuelan Winter League. Now, he's

hitting in the Major Leagues, too.

Pirela racked up three more hits in the Padres' 12-6 loss to the Royals on Saturday, including a

leadoff homer and a double. He knocked in three runs and scored two more, providing nearly all

of the San Diego offense.

All this for a player who was removed from the Padres' roster in December after an injury-riddled

2016 campaign. Pirela, 27, signed a Minor League deal with the club during the offseason, and

he's making the most of it.

"It's a part of baseball no one wants to go through, with the injuries," said Pirela, who missed the

second half last year, because of a lingering Achilles issue. "Last year was an unfortunate year

with the injuries I sustained, but I kept battling, kept working hard, and I'm happy to be back,

overcoming that."

Pirela hasn't been gifted anything cheap either. He has put 14 balls in play since his callup on

Tuesday -- with an average exit velocity of 96.9 mph. He's 9-for-18 with three walks and four

extra-base hits.

"In his history, he's a guy who's always hit," said Padres manager Andy Green. "You ask

anybody from Venezuela about him, from Winter Ball, he's almost a legend down there. He hits

and hits and hits."

The Padres acquired Pirela in November 2015, less than a month after Green was hired as

skipper. Shortly thereafter, Green received a text from then D-backs outfielder Ender Inciarte,

who had played with Pirela in Venezuela. The message: "He can flat-out hit," Green recalled.

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And yet, in parts of four seasons at the big league level, Pirela hasn't quite put it all together at

the plate. He went 6-for-39 with the Padres last season, spending most of his time with Triple-A

El Paso.

"He got into the year last year with us and was really aggressive to the front side, body weight

out in front of his front knee, unable to stay back," Green said. "... He had a hard time finding it,

new team, new organization all together. He's showed up this year in a much more balanced

position. He's still aggressive, but his body's balanced, and he fires through really aggressively

with his lower half."

Pirela is going to continue to receive playing time, primarily in left field and at second base. On

Saturday, he moved from left to first when Wil Myers was a late scratch because of an illness.

Pirela has never been known for his defense, and he immediately committed an error on a flip to

starter Miguel Diaz, a play that would have ended the inning.

Diaz escaped that jam, and Pirela atoned rather quickly. In the bottom of the inning, he crushed

an Ian Kennedy fastball off the facing of the batters eye in center field. To celebrate his first

home run for the Padres, Pirela pumped his fist as he rounded second base. And he wasn't

done either, tacking on a two-run double in the fifth and a single in the seventh.

"He's looked outstanding," Green said. "He was always going to hit. It's starting to come back for

him, and it's exciting to see."

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Pirela puts Padres ahead, but 'pen falters in

8th

By Nathan Ruiz and Tim Powers / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- The Royals spent seven innings inching toward the Padres on Saturday. In the

eighth, they broke through emphatically with the franchise's most prolific inning in 11 years, a

nine-run frame leading to a 12-6 victory at Petco Park.

Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain all went deep in the Royals' highest-scoring

inning since Aug. 23, 2006. After Cain, who also homered in the sixth, led off with an infield

single, Hosmer sent a 1-0 fastball from Brad Hand the opposite way for a game-tying, two-run

shot.

"That's the benefit of hitting behind LoCain," Hosmer said. "Any time he gets on first, he's a

baserunning threat to steal. After I got the first slider, I knew there was a pretty good chance I'm

gonna get a fastball. It might be the only one I got, so I just wanted to be on time and make sure

I didn't miss it."

• Grand slams mean 40% off pizza

Two pitches later, Perez turned a Hand slider into his 100th career home run, giving the Royals

their first lead of the series. Hand came into Saturday's contest having allowed two home runs

on the year.

"Those are hard losses," Padres manager Andy Green said. "I think every baseball club endures

them at some point in time in the season. We've had our fair share, obviously. … Any time you

fight hard to take a lead into the eighth inning, you want to hold on and win that. It's more painful

when you lose late in the ballgame."

The Royals were not yet done, as Moustakas doubled off Hand. Green turned to Jose Valdez,

who loaded the bases for Cain. He promptly unloaded them, his second homer of the game also

serving as his second career grand slam.

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"I was just looking for a fastball there," Cain said. "I didn't realize how hard he threw it, 97, but I

was just looking for a good pitch to drive. That was the main goal there. It was a two-seamer, so

I was able to get my hands inside and get it out. It was huge."

The Padres jumped ahead early behind recently called-up Jose Pirela, who drove in their first

three runs before scoring their fourth and fifth. His leadoff home run off former Padre Ian

Kennedy was San Diego's fifth of the season, while his two-run double in the fifth gave him his

first career three-RBI game. He scored on separate Yangervis Solarte singles in the fifth and

seventh.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Taking advantage: In the midst of the Royals' eighth-inning home-run derby, a Padres miscue

proved costly. With the bases loaded and one out, Whit Merrifield lofted a deep fly ball to

center field, but Franchy Cordero appeared to be camped under it. The fly ball bounced off the

tip of his glove and deflected onto the outfield grass, allowing two runs to score and setting the

stage for Cain's slam two batters later.

"He missed it," Green said. "I wouldn't make more of it than it was. I think he went back there,

was where he was supposed to be and just didn't catch it."

Plenty of Stammen-a: Padres right-hander Craig Stammen entered in a dire situation in the third

inning, with San Diego clinging to a 1-0 lead after the Royals loaded the bases with no outs

against rookie right-hander Miguel Diaz. Stammen struck out Jorge Bonifacio before getting Cain

to hit into an inning-ending double play. It was the second time in a week Stammen entered with

the bases loaded and no outs and did not allow a run. Stammen allowed Alcides Escobar's tying

home run in the fifth, but was otherwise sharp, allowing one run in three innings.

"Craig Stammen did an unbelievable job today," Green said. "Pitching us through the fifth inning,

he gave us a chance to win the game."

QUOTABLE

"I think, more than anything else right there, we hit for a long time in the bottom of the seventh.

Brad Hand goes out there, closes out the [top] of the seventh inning, going back out for the

eighth. … I don't think he was as sharp as he normally is. For him, he's been outstanding all

year. Tons of confidence in him next time he takes the ball." -- Green, on Hand's struggles in the

eighth inning

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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Royals' five home runs (two by Cain and one each by Perez, Hosmer and Escobar) were

their most since July 23, 2003.

DIAZ DOESN'T LAST

Although it became a moot point by the end of the contest, Diaz made his first career start

Saturday after pitching exclusively in relief, hurling two-plus innings before exiting with the bases

loaded and no outs.

Diaz was sharp across the first two frames, sitting between 95-99 mph with his fastball while not

allowing a hit, but he struggled with his command in the third, which he said was the result of

him quickening his delivery as he worked longer than he had been used to. Thanks to

Stammen, Diaz has a 0.00 ERA as a starter.

"I felt normal, to be honest," Diaz said through a team interpreter. "I was really just focused on

getting first-pitch strikes and getting ahead in the count. Had a rough third inning, but other than

that, I felt good, felt normal."

WHAT'S NEXT

Royals: Jake Junis will take the mound for the Royals in the rubber game and make his third

career start. Junis was recalled on June 6 from Triple-A Omaha prior to his last start against

Houston. The right-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings while allowing seven runs (four earned) on

eight hits. Game time is set for 3:40 p.m. CT.

Padres: Rookie right-hander Dinelson Lamet is seeking a bounceback start after the worst of his

three outings. Lamet struck out eight in each of his first two starts, but he struggled last time out

against the D-backs, allowing nine runs (seven earned) in three innings. The first pitch of the

series finale is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. PT.

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Andy’s Address, 6/10

Andy Addresses Diaz, Pirela, rough relief outings

By Bill Center

Almost 13 months ago, 23-year-old Rule 5 draft pick Luis Perdomo made his first Major League start. By the end of the season, Perdomo led all Padres pitchers in wins (nine) and innings pitched (146 2/3).

Saturday afternoon at Petco Park, another Rule 5 draft pick, 22-year-old Miguel Diaz, will be making his first start against the Kansas City Royals.

Padres manager Andy Green talked about Diaz recently during his pre-game media sessions.

“He’s never been shaken,” Green said of the Dominican Republic native who has a 7.50 earned run average in 21 relief appearances thus far. “He’s incredibly even-keeled for a young guy.”

“He’s a very relaxed kid, composed. It’s a very good attribute to have in this game. I never saw him rattled when I took the ball from him in the middle of a game. He was always composed, always under control. I think what he’s done well is starting to throw a consistent break ball.”

“Credit (pitching coach) Darren Balsley and (bullpen coach) Doug Bochtlerwith working with Diaz. He’s got a curve ball and a slider and he’s starting to throw them for strikes which he wasn’t doing earlier in the season. The changeup is a real pitch. It’s a three-pitch mix. I’ve always seen him as a starter. It’s 95–98 with the changeup and a developing feel for the breaking pitch . . . 97 comes naturally to him, he doesn’t have to force it.”

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“He doesn’t have the deception necessary to turn a lineup over three and four times right now. So that’s the challenge. There is a lot to like about him.”

“The confidence has always been there and I do think it’s up because he has been performing well. It’s the right time to look at him as a starter.”

Green talked about recently recalled infielder-outfielder Jose Pirela.

“Pirela looks more confident in the box,” said Green. “His body is in a different position. It’s a good addition for us because we have been struggling to score runs. Anyone who comes up and takes good at-bat after good at-bat is going to get opportunity and he’s done that since he’s been here.”

“If Pirela is swinging the bat, he’s going to get opportunities in left and at second. If he’s at second, we’ll slide (Yangervis) Solarte back over to third.”

Green discussed the Thursday outings of relievers Kevin Quackenbush and Brandon Maurer in Arizona.

After striking the first two batters he faced, Quackenbush gave up six runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batter before he got the third out. Asked to work a mopup inning to get an over-worked bullpen a break, Maurer gave up four runs on four hits and a walk without retiring a hitter.

“Quackenbush was as good as he’s been with the first two batters,” said Green. “Two quick outs, loses a ball up and in and hits a batter and just one of those things where he couldn’t right the ship.”

“We’re stretched incredibly thin from a pitching perspective,” Green continued turning to Maurer.

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“It’s a challenge that a closer and back-end reliever has to accept, there are times that they have to pitch in situations that they don’t want to and are not necessarily asked to pitch in. I don’t think Brandon did well with that Thursday.”

“He was not as locked in when you’ve seen him when he’s pitching with the game on the line. The last four or five times he’s taken the ball at the back-end of the bullpen, he’s been as good as he’s ever been.”

“Thursday we had to ask him to do that because our bullpen was so thin and he didn’t seem to approach the outing with the same kind of intensity that he normally does. I think he’ll right that ship immediately.”

Rookie center fielder has been running short sprints on his calf injury. “He’ll have some rehab games before he is with us again,” said Green of Margot, who has been on the disabled list since May 27.

Green again praised Margot’s sub, Franchy Cordero.

“Franchy can swing the bat,” said Green. “He has real pop in his bat. He hit a batting practice pitch into the upper deck in right field in Phoenix. I haven’t seen anyone do that. He’s really athletic, it’s a real physical body. He looks like a big leaguer.”

24

Padres On Deck: Scholtens, 2

Relievers Combine on 2-Hit

Shutout for A-Lake Elsinore

Blash, Goris have 4-RBI games for Triple-A El Paso

By Bill Center

Right-handed starter Jesse Scholtens and right-handed relievers Gerardo Reyes and Trevor Frank combined on a two-hit shutout Friday night as Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore defeated Rancho Cucamonga at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.

Scholtens, 23, allowed two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over seven innings to improve to 2–1 while lowering his earned run average to 2.79. Reyes (1.71 ERA) walked one in an otherwise perfect inning. Frank (2.59) pitched a perfect ninth.

There were a number of players in the Padres system who had big games Friday night.

— Right-hander Chris Huffman allowed one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts to lower his earned run average to 1.35 for Double-A San Antonio.

— Designated hitter Jabari Blash (.248) and first baseman Diego Goris(.277) each drove in four runs in Triple-A El Paso’s 14–12 win over Fresno in the west Texas city. Blash hit his eighth home run and scored a second run after being hit by a pitch. Goris was 2-for-4 with a double and a sacrifice fly.

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— Second baseman Chris Baker (.253) backed Scholtens with a double and a triple for three RBIs at Lake Elsinore.

— Catcher Marcus Greene Jr. (.270) was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored in Single-A Fort Wayne’s 5–4 win over Lansing in the Indiana city.

Back at Lake Elsinore, designated hitter Josh Naylor (.312) was 2-for-4 with a RBI as the Storm climbed above .500 at 31–30 with a third straight win.

Center fielder Michael Gettys (.263) had a double and a run scored in four at-bats. First baseman Kyle Overstreet (.200) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Third baseman Ruddy Giron (.234) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Catcher Austin Allen (.253) was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (30–32) — CHIHUAHUAS 14, Fresno 12: Blash and Goris had plenty of support. CF Rafael Ortega (.313) was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored and also threw out two runners on the bases. 2B Carlos Asuaje (.237) was 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, a RBI and three runs scored. C Rocky Gale (.271) was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. 3B Carlos Villanueva (.308) was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. RF Nick Buss (.362) was 1-for-3 with two walks, a RBI and two runs scored. RHP Zach Lee (6.05 ERA) came off the disabled list to make the start and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings. RHP Jason Jester (2–0, 9.26) allowed five runs on three hits and two walks with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. RHP Rafael De Paula (6.35) allowed a run on three hits in one-third of an inning. Rehabbing RHP Carter Capps(7.71) walked two in a scoreless inning. RHP Adam Cimber (5.02) allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in two innings.

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DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (33–28) — Midland 3, MISSIONS 2: 1B Fernando Perez (.235) was 3-for-4 with a RBI. CF Auston Bousfield (.243) was 1-for-3 with a run scored. SS Jose Rondon (.302) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. LF Alberth Martinez (.274) was 1-for-4 with a RBI. 2B Luis Urias (.325) was 1-for-3 with a walk. RHP Charles Nading (0–1, 1.72 ERA) followed Huffman and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk in one-third of an inning to suffer the loss. LHP Brad Wieck (3.43) struck out the only two hitters he faced. LHP Kyle McGrath (4.50) struck out one in a perfect inning.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (22–39) — TIN CAPS 5, Lansing 4: Starting RHP Ronald Bolanos (2–1, 5.21 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in five innings. RHP Austin Smith (6.64) gave up a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Blake Rogers (3.10) allowed a run on a hit and a walk with a strikeout in an inning. RHP David Bednar (1.98) issued a walk in an otherwise perfect inning to get his seventh save. 1B Brad Zunica (.217) backed Greene, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored and a RBI. SS Reinaldo Ilarraza (.188) was 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. LF Rod Boykin (.217) was 1-for-3 with a RBI and a walk. CF Jack Suwinski (.209) was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (3–3) — Orioles 10, PADRES 3: DH Ydie Araujo (.250) was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. 1B Elvis Sabala(.500) was 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and a stolen base. RF Yordi Francisco (.222) was 2-for-4. Starting LHP Carlos Valenzuela (5.63 ERA) allowed a hit and a walk with three strikeouts in four scoreless innings.

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Cain hits 2 HRs, slam in 9-run 8th leads KC

over Padres 12-6

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- Kansas City Royals stars Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez would welcome more games in San Diego, even though Petco Park is a spacious place for sluggers. Hosmer and Perez hit home runs as part of a nine-run eighth inning that also included Lorenzo

Cain's grand slam, sending the Royals to a 12-6 victory Saturday over the San Diego Padres. Cain homered twice, and Alcides Escobar hit his first home run of the year as the Royals hit five home runs for the first time since July 23, 2003, at Minnesota. At the All-Star Game last year in San Diego, Hosmer and Perez homered in the first inning. Hosmer took away the game's MVP award.

Hosmer homered in his return to Petco in March for the World Baseball Classic and struck again Saturday with a two-run, tying shot off San Diego's best reliever, Brad Hand (1-4). "I've had some great moments here," Hosmer said. "Don't know what the cause of that is, but I definitely enjoy it when this San Diego trip is on the schedule."

Hosmer said Cain set him up against Hand by opening the eighth with a single off the lefty.

At the time, the Royals trailed 5-3.

Hosmer, the next hitter, said he sought a fastball from Hand because "he's really pitched off that slider all year well."

With the speedy Cain on first base, the lefty Hosmer hit a 1-0 fastball over the left-field wall.

The ball landed in the seats near where he drove the All-Star Game home run, off former Royals teammate Johnny Cueto. "That's the benefit of hitting behind `Lo' Cain," Hosmer said. "Any time he gets on first, he's a baserunning threat to steal as well. So after the first slider, I knew there was a good chance I might get a fastball. It might be the only one I got, so I just wanted to make sure I was on time and not miss it."

Perez followed with a home run, the 100th of his career. Noting the wear and tear a catcher takes, Hosmer called the total "really impressive."

Counting the 2016 All-Star Game, Perez has homered in his past three games at Petco.

Cain capped Kansas City's highest-scoring inning since a 10-run first against the Cleveland

Indians on Aug. 23, 2006, hitting his slam off a 97-mph fastball from Jose Valdez. "Two-seamer, inside," Cain said. "I pulled my hands inside and the ball ended up getting out for me. It was huge."

The grand slam was Kanas City's first this season and Cain's second of his career. Cain also hit a solo shot in the sixth, and has six home runs this season.

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Travis Wood (1-2) won in relief. Royals starter Ian Kennedy gave up a leadoff homer to Jose Pirela and allowed four runs in six innings. Kennedy is winless in 15 starts dating to last Sept. 11. Pirela bounced a two-run double over third baseman Mike Moustakas during a three-run fifth that made it 4-1. Miguel Diaz made his first major league start after 21 relief appearances. The rookie didn't get an out in the third inning, leaving with the bases loaded and none out. Padres manager Andy Green said Diaz "was probably a little bit over-amped, starting for the first time, not throttling himself a little bit so he could get a little bit deeper into the ballgame." Reliever Craig Stammen bailed him out, striking out Jorge Bonifacio and getting a double-play grounder from Cain that kept the Padres ahead 1-0. Escobar's drive, off Stammen, made it 1-all in the fifth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: 1B Wil Myers was scratched from the lineup because of illness. His replacement at first, Pirela, who was in the original lineup at third base, had a throwing error in the first inning. UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (1-0, 7.84) is coming off a no-decision against Houston in which he allowed seven runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings.

Padres: RHP Dinelson Lamet (2-0, 6.92) is limiting right-handers to a .176 batting average, while lefties are hitting .286 against him.

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Padres Bullpen Blasted by Royals One awful Padres inning leads to lopsided loss

By Derek Togerson

In case you have not seen or heard or otherwise been aware of us making this point in the past

I’ll bring it up again:

When things go badly for the Padres they do so in a truly spectacular fashion.

In just one inning on Saturday afternoon at Petco Park the Padres went from leading by two

runs … to trailing by seven runs and eventually losing 12-6 to the Royals.

The bit of good news is the Padres got another nice game from Jose Pirela. Starting at 1st base

to give Wil Myers a day off, the recent El Paso recall was batting leadoff and opened the

game with a home run against former Padre starter Ian Kennedy. Pirela had three hits and

drove in three runs and it hitting .500 since re-joining the big league club.

2nd baseman Yangervis Solarte also had a nice afternoon. Solarte had a pair of RBI singles,

the second one coming in the 7th inning to put the Friars on top 5-3. After that the Padres

collapsed like a giraffe on a sheet of ice.

We knew the bullpen was going to be taxed because Miguel Diaz was asked to make his first

MLB start in place of the injured Jarred Cosart. The rookie Rule 5 draftee made it through the

first two innings unscathed but ran in to trouble in the third when he loaded the bases on a

single and two walks, one of them to Kennedy.

Craig Stammen came in and, for the second time in a week, got out of a bases loaded, no outs

jam that he inherited. Stammen struck out Jorge Bonifacio then got Lorenzo Cain to ground in

to an inning-ending double play to pull the Houdini act. Stammen ended up going 3.0 innings,

allowing one run.

Jose Torres and Kirby Yates followed with abbreviated appearances, both allowing one run,

so in the top of the 8th inning San Diego had a 5-3 lead with the right man on the mound.

Brad Hand has been one of the best relievers in the game in 2017 and is squarely in the All-

Star Game conversation. He had allowed exactly two home runs for the entire season before

Saturday. He gave up back-to-back homers to Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez and in the

baseball blink of an eye the Royals had a 6-5 lead. But they did not stop scoring there.

The recently recalled Jose Valdez coughed up a grand slam to Cain, who hit a pair of dingers,

to cap a 9-run Royals 8th inning. The Padres can still take the series from Kansas City on

Sunday if rookie Dinelson Lamet can beat rookie Jake Junis.