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1 Padres Press Clips Saturday, April 19, 2014 Article Source Author Page Ross tosses gem as Padres stifle Giants MLB.com Brock 2 Quentin headed to Arizona to continue rehab MLB.com Brock 4 Rivera impressing on his work with pitchers MLB.com Brock 6 Giants get a chance to match up against Padres' lefties MLB.com Haft 7 Ross outduels Cain to down Giants UT San Diego Sanders 9 Amarista again delivering all over field UT San Diego Sanders 11 Padres' Dominican foray a bust so far UT San Diego Canepa 13 Cuban market part of Padres' push UT San Diego Sanders 15 Giants play another 1-run game, lose 2-1 to Padres Associated Press Wilson 19 Padres Recap: Ross 'n' Roll NBC7.com Togerson 21 Ross goes eight scoreless as Padres top Giants CBSSports.com CBS Sports 22

Transcript of Padres Press Clips - MLB.com › documents › 5 › 1 › 2 › 72656512 ›...

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Padres Press Clips Saturday, April 19, 2014

Article Source Author Page

Ross tosses gem as Padres stifle Giants MLB.com Brock 2

Quentin headed to Arizona to continue rehab MLB.com Brock 4

Rivera impressing on his work with pitchers MLB.com Brock 6

Giants get a chance to match up against Padres' lefties MLB.com Haft 7

Ross outduels Cain to down Giants UT San Diego Sanders 9

Amarista again delivering all over field UT San Diego Sanders 11

Padres' Dominican foray a bust so far UT San Diego Canepa 13

Cuban market part of Padres' push UT San Diego Sanders 15

Giants play another 1-run game, lose 2-1 to Padres Associated Press Wilson 19

Padres Recap: Ross 'n' Roll NBC7.com Togerson 21

Ross goes eight scoreless as Padres top Giants CBSSports.com CBS Sports 22

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Ross tosses gem as Padres stifle Giants

Righty pitches eight scoreless innings as he outduels Cain

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 4/19/2014 3:30 AM ET

SAN DIEGO - It's just four starts, but Padres' pitcher Tyson Ross has already learned a lot about himself in

this young season.

After two less-than-ideal starts to begin the year, Ross has rediscovered merits of lengthening his stride,

getting more push from his lower body instead of simply trying to muscle the ball.

These reminders have helped Ross to a big turnaround, as evidenced by the eight scoreless innings he

tossed in the Padres' 2-1 victory over the Giants on Friday before a crowd of 34,839 at Petco Park.

But as far as smart decisions go, the one Ross made during a thorny spot in the seventh inning with two on

base rated every bit as highly as anything pitching coach Darren Balsley has passed along to him.

Lesson No. 1: Know when to get out of the way.

Nursing a 1-0 lead, the only kind of lead the Padres seem to hold these days, Ross allowed a single into right

field by Pablo Sandoval and then a walk to Hunter Pence. Balsley bolted from the dugout to calm Ross and

remind him to get back to pounding the strike zone.

After falling behind 2-0 to Hector Sanchez, Ross fired a slider that Sanchez rolled up the middle, just to the

right of Ross. Ross first instinct was to reach for the ball.

"I thought about trying for it … but realized I had an All-Star shortstop [Everth Cabrera] playing behind me,"

Ross said, smiling.

The Sanchez ground ball turned into a 6-4-3 double play that led to another scoreless inning, paving the way

for a victory by the Padres (8-9) over the Giants (10-7) in the first meeting between the two teams in 2014.

After the game, catcher Rene Rivera was asked what he likes best about catching Ross. Rivera smiled.

"His ball … it moves," he said.

It did Friday, as Ross used his fastball/slider mix with a sprinkling of changeups to tie the Giants in knots.

Ross allowed four hits in eight innings with one walk and nine strikeouts. He wasn't stressed much, but when

he was Ross always found a way to avoid serious damage.

"He's always had a good arm. He just threw quality strikes. He's tall and he has a good angle on the ball," said

Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who sounded like he was reciting an old scouting report on Ross from his days

across the Bay with the A's, when he was more potential than production.

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But Ross, for whom general manager Josh Byrnes dealt during the winter of 2012, parting with two Minor

Leaguers for him, has developed into something more in his time with the Padres. His slider has become a

plus-pitch and rates as one of the best in the National League, if not all of baseball.

In his last two starts, after a handful of suggestions and reminders from Balsley, Ross has yielded but one

earned run in his last two starts and 15 innings. He walked two in that stretch with 16 strikeouts.

"We've talked about being aggressive, getting the fastball and slider in the strike zone," said Padres manager

Bud Black. "He was stressed right away but from there, he really made pitches."

Ross allowed a double to the first batter of the game, Angel Pagan, but then very little else. He allowed a

single to Pagan in the third inning and a leadoff single to Brandon Belt in the fourth inning. The final hit that

Ross allowed was the one to Sandoval in the seventh inning. He retired nine consecutive hitters at one point.

"I think the work that I did with Bals got me synched-up again," Ross said. "I was more successful in the strike

zone."

Ross wasn't the only pitcher dealing on Friday as Giants pitcher Matt Cain (0-3) was very good as well. Cain

allowed one run in the first inning when Chris Denorfia tripled with one out and then scored on a passed ball.

At one point, Cain retired 11 consecutive hitters.

All told, Cain allowed one unearned run on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings.

The Padres, who entered the day tied with the Cubs for the fewest runs in the big leagues (45), got just two of

them against the Giants, though the second one was mighty important.

Pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal, hitting for Ross who left after 100 pitches, hit a home run over the fence in right

field for a 2-0 lead. This became important a half-inning later when Belt cut the lead in half with a home run of

his own off closer Huston Street, who closed out the game anyway for his sixth save.

"We're making the most of it," Black said of the Padres scuffling offense. "There's more runs coming."

Just maybe not when Ross pitches, especially against the Giants, who were the team he grew up rooting

against in Berkeley, where he was an A's fan who later got the chance to pitch for his hometown team.

"East Bay, man," Ross said, smiling.

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Quentin headed to Arizona to continue rehab

By Corey Brock / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Outfielder Carlos Quentin, who has yet to play in a game because of a bone bruise in his left knee, will head to Arizona on Monday to continue his on-field work as he eyes a return.

The Padres begin a 10-game road trip Monday in Milwaukee, meaning Quentin will head to the team's Spring Training facility to continue his baseball-related activities.

What does this mean for Quentin's potential return to the big leagues?

"That's usually the last step before he's cleared to a rehab assignment," said Padres manager Bud Black.

Quentin has spent much of this home stand taking batting practice on the field before games and doing some shagging of fly balls in the outfield. He has played long toss and has done about everything other than run on the knee.

He suffered the bone bruise making a sliding catch in a Spring Training game on March 18.

"Carlos is doing better," Black said. "He'll continue to ramp up activity and is closer to getting into the full swing of things."

The Padres' offense could certainly use Quentin's bat.

Going into Friday's game, the Padres were tied with the Cubs for the fewest runs scored in the Major Leagues (45).

"Our averages have to come up. You look at our averages as a group … they're well below guys' career averages," Black said after Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Rockies. "We're talking less than 60 at-bats. But we need to elevate those averages."

Kelly set to pitch in extended spring game

SAN DIEGO -- Pitcher Casey Kelly, rated the No. 4 prospect in the organization by MLB.com, will appear in an extended Spring Training game Monday in Arizona and if that goes well, he'll head out on a Minor League rehabilitation assignment next week.

Kelly, working his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on April 2 of last year, threw a side session on Friday. On Tuesday, he threw two innings in an extended Spring Training game.

He's advanced to the point where the organization is comfortable letting him pitch in real games. He will likely do so with Double-A San Antonio.

"If he passes the test Monday, he'll go out on a rehab assignment," said Padres manager Bud Black.

Kelly's rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery has gone relatively well and with few hiccups along the way.

He was scheduled to throw to live hitters on April 5 but told the organization that his elbow was a little sore. But he resumed pitching a few days later.

Kelly hasn't pitched in a real game since making a start for the Padres on Sept. 27 of 2012 against the Dodgers.

Worth noting

• Infielder Ryan Jackson, who is with Triple-A El Paso, was in San Diego this week to have his sore right wrist examined. Tests revealed that Jackson has a wrist strain. He's on the seven-day disabled list. Jackson, considered a plus-defender at shortstop, can play third base and second base as well.

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• Infielder Cory Spangenberg, who is with Double-A San Antonio, landed on the seven-day DL with concussion-like symptoms after sliding head-first in a game Tuesday. Spangenberg, who is considered the Padres' No. 19 prospect by MLB.com, missed six weeks with a concussion in 2012, so the organization opted to err on the side of caution this time around. Spangenberg was hitting .271 at the time of his injury.

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Rivera impressing on his work with pitchers

By Corey Brock / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Catcher Rene Rivera made his seventh start of the season Friday against the Giants, which ties him for the team lead with Yasmani Grandal.

Rivera impressed the team with how he worked with pitchers during a 23-game stint with the team a year ago and has done so again during this young season.

Why do pitchers like throwing to Rivera so well?

"I really don't have that answer," Rivera said. "I think they like the way I play my games and that I give 100 percent. Maybe they have a trust in me, how I go about my business, trying to help them.

"It's a good thing. It's a good place to be when all the guys like you and trust you and they like the work you do behind the plate. Hopefully, I can just keep doing what I'm doing."

Pitcher Robbie Erlin had Rivera behind the plate during his victory in Cleveland on April 9. He said that Rivera had a knack of making him feel at ease throughout that start where Erlin allowed one run in six innings with six strikeouts in a victory.

"He really works for the pitchers, you know he's doing everything he can to help you. From a pitchers' standpoint, you get a comfortable level from that, you know it's you two versus the opposition," Erlin said. "He calls a good game, too.

"You know that he's doing everything he can for you, getting you to throw that right pitch, helping you execute it and just making you comfortable so you can do the best job possible."

Rivera has caught all three of Andrew Cashner's starts this season, including his one-hit shutout of the Tigers on April 11.

"I think all our catchers do a great job," said Padres manager Bud Black. "With Rene, he does a nice job instilling confidence in our pitchers, he has a nice rapport with them."

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Giants get a chance to match up against Padres' lefties

San Francisco has found success against southpaws with 4-3 mark

By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 4/18/2014 5:34 PM ET

The next few days will give the Giants a chance to legitimize their improvement from last year.

They're scheduled to face left-handed starters in the next four games: Eric Stults and Robbie Erlin of the

Padres in the remainder of the current series, and Jorge De La Rosa and Franklin Morales in the first two

games at Colorado on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

The Giants are 4-3 in games started by left-handers this season. That's a small sample size, but it's more

promising than the club's 24-31 performance in that category last year.

Expect catcher Buster Posey and left fielder Michael Morse, who rested before making unsuccessful pinch-

hitting appearances in Friday's 2-1 loss, to return to the lineup. Both are right-handed hitters who should

present a formidable challenge for lefties, though they'd be back no matter what pitcher San Francisco might

face.

The Padres could welcome back a familiar face, too, to face Giants starter Tim Hudson. They're hopeful that

third baseman Chase Headley will return to the lineup on Saturday after not starting the last three games.

Headley has been sidelined by a mild right biceps strain and his left knee -- the one he had surgically-repaired

in October -- has also been acting up lately, though the team is hoping a new brace will help him return to the

field.

Headley has been wearing a new carbon fiber brace on his left knee, a lightweight brace that is much easier

to move around with than a previous model.

The Padres, who have totaled one more run than the Cubs, the big leagues' lowest-scoring team, need

Headley's bat to come alive. He's hitting .222 in his first 54 plate appearances this season.

"Our averages have to come up. You look at our averages as a group. ... they're well below guys' career

averages," said Padres manager Bud Black. "We're talking less than 60 at-bats. But we need to elevate those

averages."

Headley, a switch-hitter, was able to take batting practice from each side of the plate before Friday's game

and was able to play catch, testing the biceps.

Padres: Spangenberg hits the DL

Infielder Cory Spangenberg, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, has landed on the

seven-day disabled list after suffering concussion-like symptoms sliding head-first into second base in a game

on Tuesday playing for Double-A San Antonio.

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Spangenberg, who is considered the Padres' No. 19 prospect by MLB.com, missed six weeks with a

concussion in 2012, so the organization opted to err on the side of caution this time around.

Spangenberg was hitting .271 in his first 51 plate appearances at the time of his injury.

Worth noting

• Padres outfielder Chris Denorfia had two hits on Friday and now owns a .350 (63-for-180) batting average in

58 career games against the Giants, the best average among all Major Leaguers against San Francisco. He

has multiple hits in each of his last three games dating back to Wednesday against the Rockies, tying him for

the second-longest such streak of his career, behind only a four game multi-hit streak from August 14-17 last

season.

• Giants closer Sergio Romo has not allowed a run in his last six outings. Opponents are 1-for-19 (.053) off

him with eight strikeouts in this span.

• Rene Rivera owns a 1.07 catchers ERA in seven starts behind the plate this season, which is the lowest

CERA in Major League Baseball among catchers with 50 or more innings behind the plate this season. Rivera

narrowly missed a shutout on Friday as Brandon Belt homered in the ninth inning.

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Ross outduels Cain to down Giants Throwing again to Rivera, Padres starter strikes out nine in dominant start

By Jeff Sanders 9:48 p.m. April 18, 2014Updated10:56 p.m.

In Rene Rivera, Padres pitchers trust. Of course, no more than any other catcher on staff, manager Bud Black insists time and time again – even if the numbers are penning a striking story early this season.

Noticeably wild to start the season, Ross fired his second straight dominant start – both to Rivera – in front of the 34,839 who filed into Petco Park on Friday night. He finished one shy of a career-high with nine strikeouts while sprinkling four hits over eight shutout innings to outduel the Giants’ Matt Cain in a 2-1 win in the opener of a three-game series against another NL West rival.

Yasmani Grandal came off the bench to add some breathing room with a pinch-hit homer in the eighth, which Huston Street needed a half-inning later while working around Brandon Belt’s one-out homer to save an outing that Rivera sensed could prove special before the 6-foot-6 Ross ever stepped on the mound.

“He was nasty,” Rivera said after the Padres (8-9) picked up their sixth win in their last nine games. “I noticed in the bullpen his sinker was heavy. He had a heavy sinker, a heavy change-up and the slider is always (scary). I could tell since we came out from the bullpen that it was going to be a good game. His pitch is the sinker and once he has that, he’s tough to hit.”

Not to be entirely outdone on the mound, Cain – he of the perfect game two seasons ago – matched an early season-high eight strikeouts while scattering four hits, two walks and a passed ball that allowed the Padres to score their only run off him in the first inning after Chris Denorfia’s one-out triple.

The Giants right-hander didn’t allow another runner past first base, retired 11 in a row at one point and gave way to a pinch-hitter in the eighth trailing anyway thanks to Ross’ best start to date.

Maybe ever. Maybe.

His and Andrew Cashner’s continued development a big reason for optimism around these parts this spring, the 26-year-old Ross sat down eight straight hitters after Angel Pagan’s leadoff double to start the game and retired nine more in a row at another point, a string snapped by Pablo Sandoval’s single to open the seventh with the Padres clinging to a 1-0 lead.

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The narrow margin, as they’ve tended to be, only added to the moment.

“I definitely fed off having an early lead,” Ross said. “I had to preserve that. It was a lot of fun being in tight ball game. You know, every out counts. You’ve got guys on second base and you have to find a way to leave them out there.”

Which he did.

Ross followed Sandoval’s single with his lone walk of the game – to Hunter Pence – before getting Hector Sanchez to bounce into a double play and Brandon Crawford to line out to shortstop with the tying run at third base. The next inning, he retired pinch-hitters Michael Morse and Buster Posey in succession – on a grounder and strikeout – before ending the night with a punchout on his 100th pitch, an 87 mph slider that got Pagan swinging.

Sixty-six of those offering were strikes, just a handful off the pace he set Sunday when Rivera caught Ross’ first quality start of the season following a shaky start to the year.

Considered the third catcher on the roster to start the season, Rivera had emerged as Cashner’s go-to caddy to start the season before guiding Ross through a 16-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last 15 innings.

Make what you want of this, too: The journeyman catcher entered the game with Padres pitchers fashioning 1.08 ERA with River behind the plate, by far the lowest of the three catchers on the roster.

“I love throwing to Rene,” said Ross, who entered the game with a 1.24 ERA over four career starts with Rivera behind the plate. “He’s a great catcher. I think we’re on the same page a lot. Whenever I get off track, he kind of does a good job of steering me back on a path I need to be on.”

Not that there’s not more at play here.

Since a rocky start to the season – his WHIP topped 1.80 after his first two starts – Ross and pitching coach Darren Balsley have worked diligently in side sessions to correct flaws that led to slips in command. Those corrections, from a move toward the middle of the rubber to really driving off the mound again, again have Ross throwing like he did down the stretch last year.

“I think it comes down to mechanics,” Black said. “Darren and I both felt that he wasn’t using his legs for whatever reason. He just sort of reverted back to muscling the ball with his upper body and not really driving off the mound. I think his stride got a little shorter. Our eyes told us his stuff wasn’t quite the same.

“When a pitcher doesn’t use his lower half, I think the stuff is going to suffer.”

On Friday, only the Giants suffered.

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Amarista again delivering all over field Injuries, cold bats forced Padres super utility into center, third base

By Jeff Sanders 7:08 p.m. April 18, 2014

The Padres' Alexi Amarista, right, looks up as he prepares to cross home plate after hitting a three-run home run against the Miami Marlins in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Miami, Sunday, April 6, 2014. Will Venable and Tommy Medica scored on the home run. The Padres won 4-2. — (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

At first glance, adding Seth Smith to the mix this offseason appeared to number Alexi Amarista’s days in the outfield. In reality, only Chase Headley’s biceps issues is keeping Padres manager Bud Black’s super-utility option out of center field the last few days.

Until making a brief appearance at shortstop this week for Everth Cabrera (knee) and filling in the last three games at third for Headley, the 25-year-old Amarista’s last three starts had come in center field. Nearly three weeks into the season, Amarista has started six games in center and has made nine appearances there overall as the Padres weather both cold bats and injuries to projected starters in what looked like a crowded outfield even before Xavier Nady and Tommy Medica entered the mix.

“I never even thought about that,” Amarista said through an interpreter. “I always thought I was going to come in and be ready and have a good spring. That’s the manager’s decision. I can play outfield and play infield. I’m ready to do any work.”

In the short term, Amarista has been a salve for both the Padres' shortcomings in the health and offensive departments, with all 5-feet, 5 inches of him entering the game with a .483 slugging percentage, second only to Nady (.700). He was also one of four Padres hitting better than .270 as the Padres search for consistency at the plate.

Consistency, as it turns out, was also paying dividends for the natural second baseman while making six of his first seven starts in center field, he said.

“I feel more comfortable out there than before; I’m feeling real good,” Amarista said. “You get better when you play back-to-back days in the outfield or at any position. I’m always working during BP, taking fly balls out there and throwing to the bases out there and going back and forth to the infield to take ground balls. I always get my work in.”

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Headley improving

Out of the starting lineup for the game in a row, Headley hit from both sides of the plate and threw on the field before Friday’s game for the first time since a mild right biceps strain sidelined him Wednesday, further signs that he is inching toward a return to the starting lineup.

When he does, he’ll be sporting a new carbon-fiber brace on that bothersome left knee that became an issue during the team’s trip to Cleveland. That ailment, Headley suspects, subconsciously played a role in straining his biceps as he adjusted throwing and swinging with discomfort in his knee.

“It’s a little overkill for what I need, but it’s the only thing that won’t break when I slide,” Headley said. “It’s not for any other reason than it’s stable and will withstand sliding.”

Notable

RHP Casey Kelly (elbow) threw on the side Friday and is expected to throw between 50 and 60

pitches in an extended spring game on Monday – one of the last hurdles he’ll need to clear

before beginning a rehab assignment, likely with Double-A San Antonio. Kelly’s most recent

extended game, his first against a non-Padres team, went off quite well: He sat between 90-93

mph on Wednesday and threw 16 of his 21 pitches for strikes against a White Sox minor league

squad. He struck out two and didn’t allow any hits or walks.

Although LF Carlos Quentin (knee) has yet to run on the field, Padres manager Bud Black

said he is expected to move his rehab to Peoria, Ariz., at some point during the Padres’

upcoming 10-game road trip through Milwaukee, Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Double-A 2B Cory Spangenberg has hit the seven-day disabled list in the minors with

concussion-like symptoms. He took a knee to the head while sliding awkwardly into second

base Tuesday.

A three-man crew umpired Friday’s game while Jerry Layne tended to personal medical issues,

according to a Padres spokesperson.

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Padres' Dominican foray a bust so far By Nick Canepa 3:30 p.m. April 18, 2014 Updated 3:59 p.m.

For the Padres, what’s happened in the Dominican Republic has stayed in the Dominican Republic. Not by choice. But that’s what happens when nothing happens.

Back in 2007, the Padres looked around baseball’s landscape and found it dotted with Dominican players. They also discovered none of those dots on their property. Of course, they had no presence in the island nation, so it wasn’t too surprising.

Hard to find diamonds hoping they’ll just stick to the bottom of your shoes.

For years -- due to bad drafting and bad luck -- they were unable to bring up most drafted everyday players from their minor league system (pitching never has been a problem), so John Moores, who then owned the ballclub, went along with his baseball people. He threw millions into the Dominican, building a state-of-the-art baseball academy in Santo Cristobal.

“To be successful on this island, we have to treat the island the same way as any of our minor league affiliates,” ex-General Manager Kevin Towers said at the time.

And so they have. With similar results, when it comes to position players.

The outcome from their piles of Dominican pesos? Nothing. Well, basically nothing. The Padres do have a DC player on their roster, reliever Joaquin Benoit, but he arrived in December as an expensive free agent.

Their venture into the Dominican has been a failure. At the very least, a major disappointment?

“To some degree, anyway, I’d have to say yes,” says current Padres GM Josh Byrnes, who like Towers, isn’t adverse to honesty. “But it is one of the hardest things we have to do, evaluating players from there, because you sign them young and don’t know for five or six years.

“When I was in Boston, they spent a lot of money on the Dominican -- $15 million in four years -- and had Hanley Ramirez to show for it. Thing is, you have to sign a lot of players to hit on a few.”

Have to agree with that. Judging talent from the DC -- and that sometimes includes guessing ages -- is difficult, but the results have to be better. The Padres have one top Dominican prospect, 22-year-old outfielder Rymer Liriano, who can play, but sat out 2013 due to Tommy John surgery and currently resides in Double-A ball at San Antonio.

Certainly there should be more than one guy.

“Your question is fair,” Byrnes says. “We’re 6-7 years out now (since their foray into DC), so you would hope for more players pushing the major league roster.”

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Or even minor league rosters.

The Padres have trouble scoring runs. Despite giving up fewer scores than most clubs in baseball, they’re the worst at scoring them themselves, and they haven’t been good at it for a long time. They have made some horrible draft day judgments -- especially high in the first round (Matt Bush and Donovan Tate aren’t the only ones) -- but they also have had the door leading to the room of good fortune slammed in their faces.

“You’re right,” former Padres top scout Bill “Chief” Gayton once told me. “Bad luck.”

Has to be. Of course there have been some bad draft choices over the years. Everybody has them. But this is baseball. The draft is the ultimate crap shoot, and yet teams find position players by accident. Pitching aside, the Padres have had a remarkable, decades-long run of drafting ineptitude.

This isn’t just a Bush thing, when they didn’t do their homework on the kid and refused to pay Justin Verlander. It’s not money anymore. Byrnes doesn’t disagree.

“I’ve been involved in some good drafts (in Cleveland, Boston and Arizona),” Byrnes says, “and we’re going to get better, but unfortunately it’s not immediate. The draft is near and dear to my heart. It intrigues me. It’s fun, but it’s also critical. People focus on the first round, but you have to be good all the way through the draft.”

That’s how you get lucky.

“The National’s media guide has (Stephen) Strasburg, (Bryce) Harper, (Ian) Desmond and (Ryan) Zimmerman on their cover,” Byrnes says of Washington’s home-grown players. “We can’t put Bush and Tate on the cover of our media guide.

“We can’t build our roster by purchasing resumes. We have to build resumes.”

Buena suerte, senor.

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Cuban market part of Padres' push Competitive offers for Diaz, Arruebarruena signals new push into rich talent pool

By Jeff Sanders 11:40 a.m. April 18, 2014

The recent successes of Cuban defectors like Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, shown in this 2013 photo, have led more Major League Baseball teams to take an interest in players leaving Cuba to play in America. — AP

The pursuit of talent drives Major League Baseball scouts to all corners of the world when new sources of stardom surface – or resurface, as they have in Cuba. The dramatic ascension of Yasiel Puig into the American game last year, in particular, has led to renewed interest in players from the embargoed island.

Los Angeles’ polarizing right fielder officially jump-started Puig-mania with two home runs in his second day in the majors. He matched Joe Dimaggio’s pace with 27 hits through his first 15 games. Only another historic campaign from a fellow Cuban defector, Jose Fernandez, kept the 22-year-old enigma from running away with N.L. Rookie of the Year honors after hitting .319 with 19 home runs in 109 games, as the Dodgers triumphantly returned to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

Immediate impact.

And that’s precisely what’s on the radar on a Thursday morning in Peoria, Ariz., in mid-February as pitchers and catchers filed into the Padres’ newly-renovated spring training complex for the start of another eight-month haul. Outside, scores of eyes were already trained on two of the latest Cuban defectors, shortstop Aledmys Diaz and pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne, warming up on the chief backfield.

Scouts for the $2 billion Dodgers were there. So were all the other big-spenders – from the Yankees to the Red Sox to the Cardinals to the Braves – to position themselves to potentially sign what they hope will be the next Puig or Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes or Cincinnati pitcher Aroldis Chapman, the latest success stories weeded from the throng of refugees who’ve attempted to find fame and fortune north of native lands overrun with oppression and poverty.

Again, immediate impact – all of ‘em – and that’s what recently compelled the White Sox this winter to pay first baseman Jose Abreu $26 million more than Puig got; the Dodgers to commit another $53 million to two more defectors this offseason; and the Padres to quietly enter the fray as the 23-year-old Diaz and 27-year-old Despaigne showcased their chops.

Yes, the Padres.

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They’d already quietly watched this winter as the Dodgers came over the top of their offer on a deal to whisk 23-year-old shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena into L.A. system on a five-year, $25 million contract.

And in the weeks that followed that spring training tryout, they saw Diaz’s asking price slip from an eight-figure salary to the $8 million the Cardinals paid him over the next four years – still too high for the Padres’ taste on that particular player.

They were in the running on both those players, though, and are the supposed winner for Despaigne, who profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter. Earlier this month, the U-T reported that Despaigne is expected to sign a roughly $1 million minor league deal with the Padres in the coming weeks.

No, it’s not exactly a huge splash in this emerging market. But it’s a start.

“We ultimately got outbid, but at least we’re in a good position,” said Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes while noting the club’s quiet pursuit of Arruebarrena and Diaz. “These agents, they have a lot of guys, and they know now to factor us in as they get clients and try to sign them.”

Too rarely in this franchise’s history has that been a real possibility.

As recent as 2010, the Padres had slashed its payroll to as low as $38 million, the second lowest in the game. Four years later, those figures are pushing a franchise-record $90 million as a new ownership group begins to finally put some of its 20-year, $1.2 billion cable deal to work.

For now, that’s translated into committing $21.5 million over the next two years to Josh Johnson and Joaquin Benoit alone and another $35 million over the next six years to second baseman Jedd Gyorko.

Behind the scenes, Padres baseball ops have trended toward ramping up its scouting and player development efforts in recent years as the organization sets its sights on making more and more significant moves overseas than previous regimes found capable.

“Oh, much more,” said Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer, the man once told to make that $38 million payroll work for him in San Diego. “That cable money allows them to do things we weren’t able to. And that was something that was openly discussed when I got there – it was going to get bigger when they got a cable deal.

“This isn’t a surprise. It’s what was expected, but it’s nice to see that market able to spend money.”

***

That’s all above Trevor Schumm’s pay grade.

Really, the Padres’ longest-tenured international crosschecker wouldn’t know anything about the kind of “investment spending” that Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler reiterated as a priority while visiting the team’s spring training complex.

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Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. Before delving into scouting – before the knee injury that ended a short-lived pro career that led to a coaching gig in Australia that led to sharpening opinions on skill-sets – Schumm schooled at Cornell University.

The Padres don’t care too much about that degree. They care about bat speed and pop times and reports on players – lots of ‘em – as they always have.

That’s why Schumm has traveled the world to get eyes on the sexiest of the Cuban defectors like Cespedes and Jorge Soler at various national tournaments off the Communist island. While the Padres never entered the Puig sweepstakes, they had eyes on Abreu and Alexander Guerrero’s workouts in the Dominican after their defections last summer – even with rumors of the bidding swirling well out of the Padres’ price range – and they’d even gathered lots of reports on Japan ace Masahiro Tanaka, who signed a $155 million deal with the Yankees this winter and went to 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA after a win over the Cubs on Thursday.

You never know, right?

“In the back of my mind,” Schumm said, “I’m always thinking about when management, when ownership, might want to make a move.”

Only the move toward the Cuban player market isn’t so simple. Not for teams that don’t have – better yet, don’t want – to throw boatloads of money at players with scouting reports filled with holes that have everything to do with an economic embargo in place since the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Scouts can’t get on the island. More importantly, players hoping to cash in prestige earned on world-renowned national teams often go to extreme measures to re-establish residency in neighboring countries like Haiti and Mexico. Puig’s journey alone reportedly weaves Mexican drug cartels smuggling him out of the country, extortion and an execution-style murder through a ready-made Hollywood script.

The latest developments in Cuba – the government relaxing restrictions to participate in tournaments in other countries and, in theory, making it easier to defect – only adds to the number of players teams will need to scout in the near future.

A handful may pen the kind of start that Puig has fashioned in Los Angeles. Many more will not, emphasizing the need for clearer evaluations, especially for small- to mid-market teams just beginning to dip their toes into those murky waters.

“We might not agree on the price that players want, but in time we’re going to hit on those guys,” said Omar Minaya, a senior vice president with the Padres and a former general manager of the Mets and defunct Expos. “The more important thing is setting up the foundation for us. We want to make sure we’re at the forefront of understanding the market, understanding the Cuban player, because we think the market is going to be very active in the coming years.”

***

Chad MacDonald sounds as if he’s running through a catalog when he lists the sort of talent the Padres hope to unearth as they dig deeper and deeper into the emerging Cuban market.

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“They have the lean, athletic middle infielders,” said MacDonald, the assistant general manager now heading up the Padres’ international endeavors. “They have the powerful outfielders that swing hard and hit it far. They have the pitchers with touch and feel.”

Hard throwers, too, of course. Like Aroldis Chapman, he of the fabled 106 mph fastball and 38 saves each of the last two seasons wth the Reds.

The Padres have flirted with the intrigue in those types of players over the years with the same intent used to court the athletes they funnel into their Dominican baseball academy: Buy-low and buy in bulk.

Right-hander Daniel Sarria, the last Cuban to sign with the Padres, pocketed a modest $100,000 signing bonus four years ago. Really, that’s chump change considering the franchise-record $2 million they handed out to Venezuelan right-hander Adys Portillo in 2008, let alone the millions and millions of dollars that a Cuban defector tends to generate when a big spender gets in the fray.

That, of course, will never be a game the Padres can win.

What they can do is move into a position to strike on just the right player at just the right price, as they appear to have done with Despaigne.

It’s not insignificant, either, that the Padres were poised to add significant dollars to an opening day payroll that topped last year’s figures by about $22 million while discussing major league deals for the two Cuban shortstops they ultimately lost to higher bids.

Byrnes declined to reveal just how close the Padres came to approaching the $25 million and $8 million that ultimately locked up Arruebarrena and Diaz, respectively, the latter more realistic to target when it became clear the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox weren’t interested enough to push Diaz’s payday beyond the Padres’ means. The third-year general manager can’t divulge just how much more he might have to work with, either, he said with a smile.

Even with that record payroll this year, the Padres still sit in the bottom third of baseball and at a competitive disadvantage that Byrnes is quick to protect.

Either way, the directive is clear.

“You have to pursue talent – that’s been a theme and a message to our staff,” MacDonald said. “With regards to budget, ownership has been tremendous. When we see players we want to acquire, especially in the international market and with the Cuban players – which don’t count against your international cap – they’ve been very receptive to some ideas we’ve had.

“They are willing spend.”

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Giants play another 1-run game, lose 2-1 to Padres By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer11:30 p.m.April 18, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants have played eight straight games decided by one run, losing four of them.

They've scored two runs in the last 19 innings and four in the last 26.

"We have to get these bats going," manager Bruce Bochy said after Tyson Ross pitched the San Diego Padres to a 2-1 victory Friday night.

Ross held the Giants to four hits and struck out nine in eight scoreless innings. It was Matt Cain's third straight loss.

"We're a little cold here the last few games," Bochy said. "But their guy pitched very well, kept us off balance, had good stuff and shut us down."

Ross (2-2) beat Cain five days after topping AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander was rarely in trouble, despite allowing a leadoff double to Angel Pagan. Ross then retired the next eight batters. He walked one.

"From there he really made pitches. I thought his stuff was outstanding," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He was in a pitching duel with one of the proven National League pitchers in Matt Cain, and matched him. It was a great, great pitching duel."

Pablo Sandoval was the only Giants runner to reach third base against Ross, after hitting a single leading off the seventh and advancing on a walk and a double play. Sandoval was stranded when Ross got Brandon Crawford to line to shortstop.

Asked if his players are pressing, Bochy said: "Maybe a couple of them. They're big boys. They have to fight through this. It's early. I think without question there's a couple of them pressing up there. What we have to do is to stop going out of the strike zone. We've done it quite a bit here over the last two games."

Cain (0-3) allowed four hits and one unearned run in seven innings while striking out eight and walking two.

The eight consecutive games decided by one run is the most for the Giants since another streak of eight in a row in August 1910, according to STATS.

"It's tough," Cain said. "Any way you lose, it's not fun. Tyson threw the ball really good over there and he didn't give us many opportunities to score runs. When we had chances to do it, he (bore) down and got the job done."

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Ross was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, where he later pitched for the A's. He beat the Giants for the first time in six career appearances.

"East Bay, man," Ross said. "That was a lot of fun. I grew up an A's fan, so that rivalry's definitely there. The Giants were the rival at heart for me growing up."

Chris Denorfia tripled to right-center with one out in the first and scored on a passed ball by Hector Sanchez, who couldn't hold onto ball four to Jedd Gyorko.

Yasmani Grandal, pinch-hitting for Ross in the eighth, homered off Juan Gutierrez, his first.

Huston Street got his sixth save in six chances, but not before allowing Brandon Belt's homer to right with one out in the ninth, his sixth. Street walked Hunter Pence with two outs before striking out Sanchez.

After allowing Denorfia's single with one out in the third, Cain retired 11 straight batters until Will Venable singled leading off the seventh.

It was Cain's second straight start allowing one run and four hits in seven innings.

It was the seventh time Cain has allowed just one run and lost, and the second time he has not allowed an earned run and lost.

NOTES: Plate umpire Jerry Layne was scratched due to an illness, and a three-man crew worked the game. Hunter Wendlestedt took over behind the plate. ... Giants C Buster Posey got the night off. ... The series resumes Saturday when Giants RHP Tim Hudson (2-0, 2.35 ERA) is scheduled to face LHP Eric Stults (0-2, 5.52).

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Padres Recap: Ross 'n' Roll Padres Get Another Great Start To Beat Giants By Derek Togerson | Saturday, Apr 19, 2014 | Updated 9:36 AM PDT

Padres right-handed pitcher Tyson Ross has made four starts this season. His first two were not

very good.

Ross went 10.1 innings, allowing five earned runs, striking out nine, walking nine, and taking the

loss in both games.

His last two starts were extremely good.

Ross has gone 15 innings, allowing one earned run, striking out 16, walking two, and getting the win

in both games.

Friday night at Petco Park, Ross did everything he had to do to help a lifeless offense get a 2-1 win

over the Giants.

"I thought his stuff was outstanding," said Padres manager Bud Black. "Really good movement on

the fastball, made some pitches with the slider, mixed in some change ups, and overall was in a

pitching duel with one of the proven National League pitchers in Matt Cain, and matched him."

Cain only gave up one unearned run, which came in the first inning when Chris Denorfia scored on a

Hector Sanchez passed ball.

The Padres only other run came in the bottom of the 8th inning, when Black sent Yasmani Grandal

up to pinch-hit for Ross. Grandal promptly smashed his first home run of the year to right field off

Giants reliever Juan Gutierrez.

It turned out to be the game-winning hit. Huston Street gave up a solo home run to Brandon Belt in

the 9th inning before striking out Sanchez to notch his 6th save of the season.

The Padres secure a non-losing record on their 10-game homestand with two to play. On Saturday

they send Eric Stults to the mound against San Francisco starter Tim Hudson.

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Ross goes eight scoreless as Padres top

Giants CBSSports.com wire reports

April 19, 2014

SAN DIEGO -- Years later and some 500 miles to the south, Tyson Ross still considers the San Francisco

Giants to be rivals.

Born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, where he later pitched for the A's, Ross beat the Giants for the first

time in six career appearances by throwing eight scoreless innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-1

victory Friday night.

"East Bay, man," Ross said. "That was a lot of fun. I grew up an A's fan, so that rivalry's definitely there. The

Giants were the rival at heart for me growing up."

Ross held the Giants to four hits, struck out nine and walked one. The Padres handed Matt Cain his third

straight loss.

Ross (2-2) beat Cain five days after topping AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and the Detroit

Tigers. The right-hander was rarely in trouble, despite allowing a leadoff double to Angel Pagan. Ross then

retired the next eight batters. He walked one.

"From there he really made pitches. I thought his stuff was outstanding," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He

was in a pitching duel with one of the proven National League pitchers in Matt Cain, and matched him. It was

a great, great pitching duel."

Pablo Sandoval was the only Giants runner to reach third base against Ross, after hitting a single leading off

the seventh and advancing on a walk and a double play. Sandoval was stranded when Ross got Brandon

Crawford to line to shortstop.

Ross has made two strong starts after opening with two shaky outings.

Black said Ross made a big mechanical adjustment between his second and third starts.

"He just sort of reverted back to sort of muscling the ball with his upper body and not really driving off the

mound and keeping his right foot securely against the rubber and pushing off," Black said. "When a pitcher

doesn't use his lower half, his stuff's going to suffer."

Ross said he's worked to keep his foot against the rubber longer and not rush his pitches.

"Since I've made that adjustment I've been more consistent in the strike zone and had a better feel for all my

pitches," he said.

Cain (0-3) allowed four hits and one unearned run in seven innings while striking out eight and walking two.

The Giants have played eight straight games decided by one run, their most since another streak of eight in a

row in August 1910, according to STATS.

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"It's tough," Cain said. "Any way you lose, it's not fun. Tyson threw the ball really good over there and he

didn't give us many opportunities to score runs. When we had chances to do it, he (bore) down and got the job

done."

Chris Denorfia tripled to right-center with one out in the first and scored on a passed ball by Hector Sanchez,

who couldn't hold onto ball four to Jedd Gyorko.

"We were trying to throw outside and it cut on him a little bit," Cain said. "I got to a count where I shouldn't

have. I should have been a little more aggressive in going after Gyorko and getting him out."

Yasmani Grandal, pinch-hitting for Ross in the eighth, homered off Juan Gutierrez, his first.

Huston Street got his sixth save in six chances, but not before allowing Brandon Belt's homer to right with one

out in the ninth, his sixth. Street walked Hunter Pence with two outs before striking out Sanchez.

After allowing Denorfia's single with one out in the third, Cain retired 11 straight batters until Will Venable

singled leading off the seventh.

It was Cain's second straight start allowing one run and four hits in seven innings.

"He couldn't get a win his last two games, with the way he threw the ball," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

"Giving up one run, and the way he gave up the run, it's a shame."

Notes

Plate umpire Jerry Layne was scratched due to an illness, and a three-man crew worked the game. Hunter

Wendlestedt took over behind the plate. ... Giants C Buster Posey got the night off. ... The series resumes

Saturday when Giants RHP Tim Hudson (2-0, 2.35 ERA) is scheduled to face LHP Eric Stults (0-2, 5.52). ...

When the Padres go on the road next week, LF Carlos Quentin, who started the season on the disabled list with

a bone bruise in his left knee, will go to extended spring training in Arizona to continue working toward his

return. If he does well, it'll be the last step before he's cleared to go on a rehab assignment. Black also said

RHP Casey Kelly, who's rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery, threw a side session and is scheduled

to throw another extended spring game Monday. If all goes well, Kelly will go on a rehab assignment to

Triple-A El Paso.