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Padres Press Clips Monday, May 13, 2013

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Another lead escapes Padres in series finale MLB.com Brock 2

Amarista’s homer highlights pink bats’ productivity MLB.com Brock 4

Cashner rides momentum into matchup vs. O’s MLB.com Peaselee 7

TinCaps’ Daal has perfect day at dish MLB.com Jackson 9

Rays win 4-2, sweep Padres UT San Diego Center 11

Padres bats go cold UT San Diego Center 14

Padres discuss hard fouls into stands UT San Diego Center 16

Andriese 5-0 with 2.19 ERA for Double-A Missions UT San Diego Center 18

Wisler wins Double-A debut UT San Diego Center 20

Padres struggle offensively in 3rd

straight loss Associated Press AP 22

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Another lead escapes Padres in series finale Amarista homers, but host Rays come back off Stults in sixth

By Corey Brock, MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- The tipping point for the entire weekend came with one out in the ninth inning Sunday,

when Padres center fielder Chris Denorfia, who had a rough day at the plate, hitting into a double play and

striking out, mashed a ball high and deep to right field.

Tampa Bay outfielder Matt Joyce drifted back, turned, looked lost and then, with his back facing the infield,

had the ball drop into his glove just as he reached the warning track.

"I guess I took one away from them, and it's only fair they take one away from me," said Denorfia, who had

made a diving catch in center field in the eighth inning.

Yes, it was that kind of weekend for the Padres.

For the third time in as many days, the Padres fell to the Rays, the latest a 4-2 decision Sunday in front of a

crowd of 17,396 at Tropicana Field.

And for the third time in as many days, the Padres were reminded of the minute differences between winning

and losing.

"Three, well-played, close games that didn't go our way," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We get a couple

of pitches back, we win two of three games."

Don't be mistaken: Black's view was not a Pollyanna take on a lost series for the Padres (16-21), who are off

Monday before opening a two-game series Tuesday in Baltimore.

The Padres had leads in the fifth inning or later in each of the three games they played against the Rays (19-

18), who have won their last five games. For one reason or another, the Padres were unable to close out a

victory.

On Friday, reliever Dale Thayer spiked a throw to first base on a bunt play, which paved the way for the Rays

to score four runs in the seventh inning of a 6-3 victory.

On Saturday, the Padres got a pinch-hit grand slam by Jesus Guzman in the seventh inning and took a lead

into the ninth inning before closer Huston Street yielded a walk-off, two-run home run to Evan Longoria in the

bottom of the ninth inning for an 8-7 loss.

"With the exception of Friday, I thought we played pretty well," Padres right fielder Will Venable said.

"Saturday and Sunday it was like, hang with 'em. The plays they made, the clutch hitting -- things just didn't go

our way."

In the final game of the series, the Padres had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth after Yonder

Alonso had an RBI single in the fourth inning and Alexi Amarista hit a solo home run in the fifth.

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San Diego pitcher Eric Stults (3-3) did not have his best stuff Sunday but allowed only one run through the

first five innings.

He got a double-play ball to end the first. He loaded the bases with one out in the second but yielded only a

sacrifice fly by Jose Molina. Then, Stults really dodged a bullet in the fifth.

Sam Fuld tripled to begin the inning but remained anchored there after he held, as Guzman made a sliding

catch of a sinking liner in left field for the first out. After walking Kelly Johnson, Stults got a ball in on the hands

of Ben Zobrist, who bounced into an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play.

"He battled his command a little," Black said. "It looked as though he wasn't making his pitches. But he

competed, battled."

Stults ran out of luck in the sixth, as Longoria doubled and moved to third base on a fly ball from James

Loney. On a 3-1 count, Stults threw a changeup low and away to the right-handed hitting Sean Rodriguez,

who reached out and poked a bloop single into center field to tie the game.

"I felt like I made a pitch in the location I wanted," Stults said. "He didn't put the best swing on it, but he put it

in no man's land. Give him credit."

Stults departed at that point, having walked five and allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with two

strikeouts.

"Today, to walk five, that's not my game," he said. "Today was a struggle for me. I didn't have a real good feel

for my pitches."

Reliever Brad Brach, who entered the game for Stults, did not either. He uncorked a wild pitch that sent

Rodriguez to second base with Yunel Escobar as the plate. Escobar then took a fastball the other way to right

field for an RBI double and a 3-2 lead. Loney later added a home run for the final margin.

"It was frustrating, because I know I have to keep that guy [Rodriguez] off second, especially with the game

tied," Brach said. "Just one of those things where I yanked it."

The Padres finished with two runs on six hits and struck out nine times, giving them 38 strikeouts in the three-

game series.

"We didn't put the ball in play enough in this series," Black said.

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Amarista’s homer highlights pink bats’ productivity

By Corey Brock, MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- Pink bats were not just a popular choice for the Padres on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

They were productive as well, none more so than in one swing by second baseman Alexi Amarista, who

drilled a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Rays.

That home run gave the Padres a 2-1 lead, one that would eventually dissolve into a 4-2 loss to the Rays in

front a crowd of 17,396 that included many moms in the stands on Mother's Day.

Sunday marked the eighth straight Mother's Day when members of the Padres and the rest of Major League

Baseball wore pink equipment and took to the plate with pink bats.

The pink is about honoring mothers, but it is also part of MLB's effort to raise breast cancer awareness.

Amarista was not the only member of the Padres to have success with a pink bat.

Teammate Yonder Alonso singled in Chase Headley in the fourth inning while swinging pink. Earlier in that

inning, Carlos Quentin singled sharply to center field with a pink bat.

Home runs carrying Padres in recent games

ST. PETERSBURG -- Ever think you would see the day where a Padres team had its offense driven by the

home run? That is precisely what has happened lately.

Heading into Sunday's series finale against the Rays, the Padres had hit 18 home runs over their last 13

games, including four home runs in the first two games of the Rays series.

The 18 home runs in that span is tied for fifth in the Major Leagues and second in the National League. Only

the Indians (24 home runs), Pirates (23), Tigers (21) and Angels (20) have hit more home runs than the

Padres in that span.

And the power is coming from different places, as 10 different players have home runs over the last 13

games, including Chase Headley and Will Venable, who have three home runs each in that stretch.

"If you look at this club and the makeup of this group, there's more raw power and strength through the

lineup," Padres manager Bud Black said. "There are even guys at the bottom of the order who can pop the

ball."

Padres close to setting up Draft board

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Padres are probably about two weeks away from putting up their Draft board in

advance of baseball's First-Year Player Draft next month.

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The board will have plenty of names, some more realistic than others for Chad MacDonald, the Padres' vice

president and general manager of player personnel, who will preside over his second Draft.

The Padres have the No. 13 overall pick, which means the perceived elite group of players -- most likely

seven or eight of them, according to those in the know -- could be gone by the time the team picks.

"There's probably more balance [in the Draft] than people give it credit for," MacDonald said. "There are a lot

of high school hitters out there. I think people are quick to grade a Draft. But our only goal is to find people

who can help us win games.

"We pick 13th, so everyone has to be in play."

The Padres have three of the top 69 picks in the Draft and four of the top 86 overall selections. The Draft will

be held June 6 at MLB Network's Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J.

"The process has been really good," MacDonald said. "[Scouting director] Billy [Gasparino] has done an

outstanding job of putting the pieces together."

The Padres promoted Gasparino in September after he had served as their national cross-checker since

2010.

The goal is to get as many eyes and evaluations on potential picks as possible, which means MacDonald,

Gasparino, Bob Filotei, Kurt Kemp (national cross-checkers), Sean Campbell, Chip Lawrence, Tim Holt, Pete

DeYoung (regional supervisors), Dan Cholowsky (adviser to amateur scouting) and Eddie Ciafardini

(assistant, amateur scouting) have been busy.

The Padres have also had AJ Hinch (vice president, assistant general manager), Omar Minaya (senior vice

president, baseball operations) and even general manager Josh Byrnes look at amateur players as well.

MacDonald is quick to credit the area scouts, the foot soldiers in this puzzle who first identify players and

develop relationships with them, all while gauging if they will be good fits for the organization.

"One thing all successful organizations have in common is they trust their people," MacDonald said. "We have

put good people in place. The area scouts drive the train and lead us to the player, the cross-checkers

compare them to other guys in that region. But for me, the process has to start with the area scouts."

Guzman's rare feat comes against changeup

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jesus Guzman had trouble making contact with the changeup when he faced Clayton

Richard during the pitcher's simulated game Saturday afternoon.

Guzman had no such trouble when he saw a changeup during the game, as he connected for a seventh-

inning grand slam that was the major blow in a five-run inning that gave the Padres a lead in a game they

eventually lost, 8-7.

Guzman actually saw plenty of changeups in his pinch-hit at-bat against Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson -- six

of them, in fact.

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"He threw me six of them in a row," Guzman said Sunday. "I've never seen that before."

Guzman laid off a 2-2 changeup down and then took advantage of another changeup that Hellickson got up in

the strike zone, sending it over the wall in left field.

"Buddy [manager Bud Black] came up to me during the game and told me that someone was going to hit a

changeup hard," Guzman said. "He told me to be ready."

It was the first Padres pinch-hit grand slam since Josh Barfield hit one against the Giants on Aug. 17, 2006,

and the first pinch-hit slam on the road since Melvin Nieves did so Aug. 26, 1995, against the Mets.

"I was watching the game all day [from the bench]," Guzman said. "He [Hellickson] believed in that pitch."

Short hop

• Rookie pitcher Burch Smith, who allowed six runs in the second inning Saturday and left the game after he

retired just three batters, will remain in the starting rotation and pitch next week at Petco Park when the

Padres face the Nationals.

"He was disappointed in his outing," Black said. "He will be back up on the horse later this week. But he's not

going to back off his game."

The Padres would like to see Smith use his breaking ball more in his next start.

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Cashner rides momentum into matchup vs. O’s Young Padres right-hander will face off against Tillman in Baltimore

By Evan Peaslee, MLB.com

The Padres and Orioles will meet for the first time in three years at Camden Yards on Tuesday.

The Orioles return to Baltimore for a much-needed homestand after playing 14 of their last 17 games on the

road.

They will be up against a San Diego team that is coming off a sweep at the hands of the Rays but had won six

of seven prior to that.

The Padres' last series ended with disappointment, as they had held the lead in each of three games but

could not hold on in any of them.

On Tuesday, the Padres turn to their promising righty, Andrew Cashner, who will look to build on one of his

best starts in his young career.

Cashner tossed 7 1/3 scoreless frames last Monday against the Marlins, allowing just four hits and three

walks while striking out four.

It was a nice comeback outing for the 26-year-old, who was coming off a poor outing against the Cubs, and it

was the longest start of the young hurler's career.

"I like the fact that he bounced back after a rough game last week in Chicago," Padres manager Bud Black

said afterward. "He came back with a little bit of determination to prove that he's more of this type of pitcher."

Cashner's start against Baltimore will be only his fifth start of the season, having spent the first part of the year

in the bullpen. His start Tuesday is later than anticipated -- he was originally scheduled for Saturday's game,

but the righty was bumped back a couple of days to help manage his innings.

"We don't have a hard number [of innings], but we're going to keep an eye on his usage," Black said. "With

Cash, we know there will be a time when we scale him back. It's his usage the last couple of years that hasn't

been great."

Cashner threw just 57 innings in the Majors in the 2011-12 seasons combined, having been shut down in

each of them as a result of injury. He is already at 30 2/3 innings this year.

Opposing him Tuesday will be Chris Tillman, who will take to the mound for the Orioles looking to maintain his

recent success, having recorded a quality start in four straight games.

However, in his last time out, against Kansas City, the 25-year-old right-hander did not have his best stuff.

Tillman allowed three earned runs on three walks and five hits, while striking out a season-low two in six

innings on the mound.

However, the Anaheim, Calif., native still managed to better his record to 3-1, recording his third straight

victory.

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"You get your team deep in the ballgame, you feel good about it, whether or not you featured your best stuff,"

Tillman said after the game. "You give your team a chance to win and get deep in the game. ... I'd like to get

deeper, but you feel good about it."

Padres: San Diego seeing sudden surge in power

The Padres are suddenly seeing their fair share of home runs, hitting 19 in their last 14 games.

Prior to Sunday's contest, the Padres' power was good for fifth in the Major Leagues and second in the

National League over that span. Only the Indians (24 home runs), Pirates (23), Tigers (21) and Angels (20)

had hit more.

Of those 19 home runs, Chris Headley and Will Venable lead the team with three, and 10 different players

had cleared the fences over that span, including Alexi Amarista, who hit his second of the year Sunday

against the Rays.

"If you look at this club and the makeup of this group, there's more raw power and strength through the

lineup," Black said. "There are even guys at the bottom of the order who can pop the ball."

Orioles: Belfiore excited for MLB debut

Mike Belfiore was called up to the Orioles on Sunday, a year after being dealt to the team, to add some length

to an overworked bullpen.

"It's just one of those days, I guess you can say," said Belfiore, who had his parents, girlfriend and friends on

hand for the Mother's Day game. "Life-changing days."

Belfiore, ranked by MLB.com as the Orioles' No. 18 prospect, takes the roster spot vacated by Steve

Johnson, who was optioned to Triple-A after a four-inning start Saturday night. The 24-year-old has yet to

make his big league debut, but being even this close has the left-hander excited.

"It's unbelievable," said Belfiore, who flew into Minneapolis early Sunday morning and will wear No. 65. "This

is the dream that everyone wants to do when they are younger, and it's finally here. It hasn't set in yet, but just

a dream come true."

In 10 games for the O's Triple-A team, Belfiore was 1-0 with a 5.52 ERA, but he was 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA in

28 outings with Double-A Bowie in 2012.

• Miguel Gonzalez, who was placed on the disabled list retroactive to May 4, was going to try to throw

Sunday, but the blister on his right thumb had not healed enough to allow it. Gonzalez will try to throw a side

session Tuesday, and he could make a rehab start as early as Thursday or Friday.

Worth noting

• When these teams last met, June 18-20, 2010, the Padres took two of three at Petco Park.

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TinCaps’ Daal has perfect day at dish Padres catching prospect goes 4-for-4, homers twice, doubles

By Josh Jackson, Special to MLB.com

Rodney Daal suspected it was only a matter of time before he started piling up multiple-hit games. Turns out, he was right.

The Padres prospect was hitting .200, despite singling twice in his last game. On Sunday, he went 4-for-4 with a pair of homers, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored to power Class A Fort Wayne to a 13-7 victory over Dayton.

"I know I can hit," Daal said, "so even though I've been working at that, I don't really worry about it too much."

The 19-year-old catcher from the Netherlands had been putting in extra time in the batting cage and felt rewarded when he smacked a two-run homer off Dragons starter Sal Romano in the third inning.

"That feels great," Daal said. "I've been working with our hitting coach [Morgan Burkhart] a lot. I've been making adjustments and it was great to have it finally pay off. I've been working mostly on hitting through the ball, not pulling off, and using the opposite field a lot more."

Both of the homers came on inside pitches that the right-handed hitter deposited over the left-field fence. But he was successful in going the other way in the fourth, poking an outside offering into right field for a single and his third RBI. He doubled to deep center in the fifth and was hit by a pitch his next time up.

"It got me on the hand, right on the pinkie," Daal said. "It hurt. It's a little swollen, but it's fine."

When he returned to the plate in the eighth, he needed a triple for the cycle. But the thought never crossed his mind.

"I wasn't thinking about [the cycle] at all," he said. "I was trying to stay within myself, trying not do too much. That's what's got me in trouble before, so I was just trying to stay under control. I saw a good a pitch inside and I turned on it."

While he was relieved to have a big offensive day, Daal's primary focus has been elsewhere in his first full pro season.

"My goals for the season are being a better defensive catcher because I struggled at that last year," said Daal, who split 2012 between the Rookie-level Arizona League and the short-season Northwest League. "I'm trying to improve on that as best I can.

"All I think about is defense. I'm definitely more comfortable behind the plate [because of the added focus] lately. Blocking balls, throwing, calling the game ... all that stuff, I can feel I'm getting better and better. I'm feeling really good back there."

Daal signed with the Padres in 2010 out of a college in the Netherlands, and he wished his mom a happy Mother's Day before the game. She watched Sunday's action from Amsterdam on MiLB.TV.

"I told her I was going to hit her a home run today," he said. "I wasn't expecting to hit two."

Jeremy Baltz also drove in three runs for Fort Wayne, while Luis Tejada hit a two-run homer and triped.

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Rays win 4-2, sweep Padres

By Bill Center , U-T San Diego

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It seems like a switch was thrown.

The Padres have gone from hot to cold in a span of three games.

After winning four straight games and going 11-3 during a 14-game run that inched them to within two wins of

.500, the Padres just got swept by Tampa Bay in a three-game, weekend series that opened interleague play.

Worse, the Padres led all three games against the Rays at least into the bottom of the sixth. The Rays rallied

to win all three games, the most crushing loss coming Saturday night on Evan Longoria’s two-run, two-out

walk-off homer against Padres closer Huston Street.

“They are on a bit of a roll,” said Padres manager Bud Black of the Rays.

“We got beat in three well-played, close games that didn’t go our way. Take a couple pitches back and we win

two of the three.”

Which is true . . . and something of a masking agent.

In three games at Tropicana Field, the Padres scored 12 runs on 17 hits and 10 walks. They had a total of 29

baserunners in three games while striking out 38 times.

The Padres are driving the ball. They have 19 homers in the past 14 games. Nine of their 12 runs against the

Rays came off home runs, which an unusually high ratio for the Padres.

But they aren’t sustaining rallies. The Padres had only four opportunities with runners in scoring position each

of the past two games.

“We didn’t put the ball in play enough in this series,” Black said of the strikeouts and the absence of

baserunners. “We couldn’t mount any sustained offense.”

Yes, the Padres grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth Sunday when 5-foot-5 (maybe) Alexi Amarista homered to

distant right-center against Rays starter Roberto Hernandez – who might be rembered to most fans as Fausto

Carmona.

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But the visitors had only two baserunners over the last four innings and appeared helpless after the Rays

scored twice in the bottom of the sixth against Padres starter Eric Stults and reliever Brad Brach. Former

Dodger first baseman James Loney gave the Rays more than enough insurance when he hit his second

homer in as many games – this one a drive off reliever Dale Thayer – in the eighth.

The crusher, however, was the Rays’ two-run rally in the sixth.

Stults had worked through five innings without his best stuff.

“He battled,” said Black. “But he wasn’t making his pitches. “His command was off.”

Everything was off to hear Stults tell it.

“I didn’t have a good feel for any of my pitches,” said Stults. “It was definitely a struggle. To walk five guys is

not my game.”

But it wasn’t walks that got him into trouble in the sixth. Longoria lead off with a long double to left-center.

After Loney flew out to right, Sam Rodriguez tied the game by looping a single to short center.

At that point, Brad Brach relieved Stults. Brach’s specialty last year was damage control. As a rookie, Brach

ranked second in the major leagues in keeping runners he inherited from reaching the plate. He hasn’t been

quite as successful this season.

His second pitch to light-hitting shortstop Yunel Escobar (.183) bounced away from Nick Hundley for a wild

pitch that allowed Rodriguez to reach second. Escobar then doubled over the head of the hobbled Will

Venable in right – Rodriguez scoring the winning run.

“I wanted to go down-and-away to Escobar,” said Brach. “I got it up in the zone. Coming out of this series with

no wins is frustrating.”

Notable

--Black said he spoke to Burch Smith Saturday night after the rookie allowed six runs on five hits and two

walks without getting an out in the second inning of his major league debut. “I told him I hoped he learned a

little something,” said the manager. “He said, ‘I did.’ We saw some breaking ball in there, some changeup in

there. His stuff will play.”

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--Venable was less than 100 percent after being hit by a pitch on his right calf Saturday night. Before the start

of the game, Black moved Chris Denorfia to center and Venable to right after it appeared Venable might not

be able to play at all. “He’s our hottest hitter,” said Black of Venable, who is 9-for-22 since May 3 with three

homers. “I was a little limited on my running ability,” said Venable. “I didn’t have my athleticism.” That likely

cost him a shot at catching Escobar’s decisive double.

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Padres bats go cold

By Bill Center, U-T San Diego

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Despite being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, the Padres are

11-6 over their last 17 games.

But some dark clouds have been forming. Many of the Padres key hitters are in slumps bordering on

droughts. OK, some of them are in doughts.

--Outfielder Carlos Quentin is 2-for-May, of 2-for-28 since the month started with seven strikeouts. His

averaged has plunged from .239 to .176.

--Catcher Nick Hundley Sunday got his first hit in 23 at-bats since May 2. He has eight strikeouts during the

drought. His average has slipped from .325 to .264. He has no homers or RBIs in May. His backup, John

Baker is 0-for-20 since April 10.

--Shortstop Everth Cabrera is 1-for-18 with nine strikeouts in his last four games and his average has plunged

from 264 to .238. Rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko, who got his second day off of the season Sunday, is

0-for-11 in his last three games with five strikeouts and his average has dropped 23 points to .248.

--Third baseman Chase Headley’s two-run homer Saturday was his only hit in 10 at-bats at the Tropicana

Dome, where he struck out five times. Outfielder Chris Denorfia is 2-for-13 in his last five games with three

strikeouts as his average dipped under .300 for the first time this season to .283.

The hottest Padres:

--First baseman Yonder Alonso has hit .275 since April 28 with two homers and 11 RBI in 13 games. Alexi

Amarista is 4-for-14 in his last four starts with two doubles and Sunday’s go-ahead homer. And Will Venable

is 9-for-22 since May 3 with three homers.

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Looking Ahead

Monday: Off.

Tuesday: Padres RHP Andrew Cashner (2-2, 3.23 ERA) at Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (3-1, 3.76 ERA), 4:05

p.m.

Wednesday: Padres RHP Jason Marquis (4-2, 3.48 ERA) at Orioles, to be determined, 9:35 a.m.

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Padres discuss hard fouls into stands

By Bill Center, U-T San Diego

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nick Hundley stood frozen in the batter’s box Friday night, his eyes focused on a

mother and young child in the stands behind first base.

Hundley had just lined a foul into the stands that hit the child.

“Standing there after you’ve fouled off a ball that hits someone in the stands is, I think, one of the toughest

things a player has to deal with,” Padres outfielder Chris Denorfia said Sunday morning.

“When you are hitting, you are so in the moment,” Denorfia continued. “When you foul one off like that, it

changes everything. There’s a deafening silence. You can hear the screams of the fan that’s been hit. It takes

you out of what you are doing, changes the perspective.

“It’s hard to continue the at-bat with the focus you originally had.”

Briefly, Friday’s game stopped as Hundley and the Rays players stared into the stands. You could see the

anguish on the Padre catcher’s face as medical staffers at Tropicana Field reached the scene.

“I watched his mom carry the child all the way up to the top of the aisle,” said Hundley. “You could see him

hugging his mom hard. The medical people weren’t following, which was a good sign. I was able to breathe.”

But was Hundley the same threat at the plate immediately after the incident?

“I think it takes a little away from your concentration,” said Hundley. “We’re human. Most of us are husbands

and fathers. You have to get back into it, but part of you is going ‘whew.’”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever hit a foul ball that’s hurt a fan,” said Chase Headley. “But I’ve seen some when I’ve

been at third and it’s hard to concentrate afterward. Those moments are terrible.”

Like many players, Headley tries to put his family and friends out of harm’s way when he leaves tickets.

“Everytime I leave a family ticket for (wife) Casey and (son) Colt, I leave a message saying ‘behind the net,

please.’”

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Most players believe there should be more protective netting to protect the fans. The issue was raised during

the last collective bargaining negotiations. The players say the owners rejected the idea.

“Fans want foul balls and that’s part of the game,” said Will Venable. “But most fans aren’t prepared for how

fast those balls are coming off the bat.

“Few people are paying attention to every pitch. It only takes one. And if the person in front of you dives out of

the way, you are helpless.”

Which is what happened at Petco Park in 2006 when a young boy in the third row of seats down the left field

line was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez when the fan in front of him ducked at

the last second. The injured boy required facial surgery and was visited by Gonzalez in the hospital.

“You are not responsible because there is no way you can control where the ball goes,” Gonzalez said at the

time. “But in a way, a part of you feels like you are just because it happened when I was hitting.”

“I wish we had more netting,” said Denorfia. “I’m strongly in favor of more netting,” said Headley.

“I’ve watched a game from behind the netting,” said Venable. “It doesn’t ruin the view of the game. And it

protects the fans.”

Venable said he has never lined a foul ball into the stands that injured a fan. But he did have the end of a

broken bat fly into the stands and hit a fan.

“I was sick the moment it happened,” said Venable. “I know some of my concentration that at-bat was lost.”

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Andriese 5-0 with 2.19 ERA for Double-A Missions By Bill Center, U-T San Diego

In a minor league system armed with the likes of Matt Wisler, Max Fried, Joe Ross, Burch Smith, Donn Roach

and Jose De Paula, Matt Andriese has been pitching under the radar gun – literally and figuratively.

Andriese can throw fastballs up to 95 miles an hour.

Can, but doesn’t particularly want to.

“I’m more of a sinker ball pitcher,” the 23-year-old right-hander said earlier this week. “I’m more worried about

command than velocity. I’m trying to get outs as soon as possible.”

Getting outs is something that the Redlands native and UC Riverside product has been doing with regularity

this season with Double-A San Antonio.

While Andriese is not as well known as fellow Missions starters Smith (who is currently with the Padres),

Roach, De Paula and the recently promoted Wisler plus relievers Matt Stites and Kevin Quackenbush, he is

simply one of the best pitchers in the Texas League.

After seven starts, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Andriese is 5-0 with a 2.19 earned run average. He has allowed 27

hits and seven walks in 37 innings with 34 strikeouts. He ranks third in the Texas League in runners reached

base per inning (0.92) right behind Smith. Andriese is tied for the league lead in wins and not out of the top 10

in any vital statistic.

“The San Antonio staff is crazy good and Andriese ranks with the best,” said Randy Smith, the Padres vice

president of player development.

Andriese said everyone on the San Antonio staff received a boost last week when Burch Smith was promoted

to the Padres.

“It was very encouraging,” said Andriese. “It’s good to know you are working your way ahead . . . that how

close you really are if you keep advancing.”

Andriese views himself as a hybrid pitcher.

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“I’m a little of both a contact pitcher and a strikeout pitcher,” he said. “I added a cutter last year to go with the

fastball, curve and changeup. I’ll work with my fastball from 88 to 93. I can go for the strikeout when I need it,

but I like ground balls.”

Andriese was 10-8 at Single-A Lake Elsinore last year with a 3.58 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 146 innings. He

was 5-1 at short-season Single-A after signing in 2011 with a 1.51 ERA.

Although Smith (1.15) is with the Padres, De Paula (2.89) and Roach (3.06) also rank among the Texas

League’s ERA leaders. After going 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA in six starts with Lake Elsinore, Wisler allowed three

runs on two hits and three walks over five innings Sunday in his debut with the Missions. He gave up a two-

run homer in the first.

Around the farm:

Triple-A Tucson (18-18): After a slow start, the T-Padres have played their way back to .500. Some keys are

2B Dean Anna (.333, five homers, 19 RBIs), OF Dan Robertson (.326, .404 on-base pct., 28 runs scored) and

OF Travis Buck (.275-4-23). Former Padre Tim Stauffer (2-2, 3.53 ERA) allowed one run on five hits over

seven innings in his most recent start. Thad Weber is 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA while left-hander Robbie Erlin is 3-

0 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts.

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Wisler wins Double-A debut

By Bill Center, U-T San Deigo

Matt Wisler made his Double-A debut Sunday afternoon for the San Antonio Missions.

The 20-year-old right-hander allowed a two-run homer in the first en route to allowing three runs over five

innings.

Wisler as credited with the win in San Antonio’s 8-3 win over Midland. He allowed three runs on two hits and

three walks over five innings. He had six strikeouts.

Prior to being promoted to Double-A, Wisler was 2-1 with a 2.03 earned run average in six starts for Single-A

Lake Elsinore. He had allowed 22 hits and six walks with 28 strikeouts in 31 innings. Single-A hitters batted

.196 against Wisler.

Around the farm:

Triple-A Tucson (19-18): T-PADRES 7, Round Rock 6 – Rocky Gale had a walk-off single as Tucson scored

five runs in the bottom of the ninth against former Padre reliever Cory Burns. Second baseman Jonathan

Galvez (.286) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Designated hitter Justin Miller was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

Third baseman Gregorio Petit (.319) was 2-for-4. Right-handed starter Sean O’Sullivan (4.19 ERA) allowed

four unearned runs on six hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out two. Right-handed reliever

Brandon Kloess (4.05 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts over three innings.

Right-handed reliever Nick Vincent (2-3, 5.51 ERA) picked up the win with a walk and a strikeout in a hitless

inning.

Double-A San Antonio (19-17): MISSIONS 8, Midland 3 – First baseman Kalian Sams (.429 in his first week)

drove in three runs with his fourth homer. Second baseman Adam Buschini was 3-for-4 with a double and two

runs scored. Third baseman Jake Blackwood (.309) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Left-handed

reliever Chris Rearick (0.90 ERA) followed Wisler and struck out four in two perfect innings. Right-hander

Robert Lara (5.40 ERA) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in two shutout innings.

High Single-A Lake Elsinore (12-24): Rancho Cucamonga 8, STORM 0 – Right-handed starter James

Needy (0-1, 3.23 ERA), of Santana High, took the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk with four

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strikeouts over five innings. Right-hander Matt Lollis (1.29 ERA) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning. Third

baseman Chris Burke was 2-for-3 with a double.

Low Single-A Fort Wayne (21-13): TIN CAPS 13, Dayton 7 – Catcher Rodney Daal Was 4-fo4-4 with two

homers and a double for three runs scored and four RBIs. First baseman Luis Tejada had a homer and a

triple in five at-bats with three RBIs and two runs scored. Left fielder Jeremy Baltz was 2-for-6 with a double

and three RBIs. Center fielder Alberth Martinez was 2-for-5 with a steal, two RBIs and two runs scored. And

third baseman Gabriel Quintana (.312) was 2-for-6 with a double and two runs scored. Right-handed starter

Ruben Mejia (2-3, 2.70 ERA) allowed one run on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts over 5 1/3

innings.

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Padres stuggle offensively in 3rd straight loss

Associated Press

Alexi Amarista homered and Will Venable extended his hitting streak to seven games. Outside of that, little

went right offensively for San Diego in another close loss.

The Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Padres with a 4-2 victory Sunday. It's the fourth

time they've swept been this season, compared to five all of last year.

Manager Bud Black watched his team lose leads in each game. Adding to the frustration: San Diego struck

out 38 times, their highest total in a three-game series since fanning 40 times against the New York Yankees

from June 17-19, 2008.

"We had some opportunities and couldn't get the big hit, and they did," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We

just couldn't mount any sustained offense."

Roberto Hernandez (2-4) pitched six innings, giving up five hits and two runs.

Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth inning for his 11th save.

The Rays trailed 2-1 in the sixth when Evan Longoria, who hit a winning two-run homer with two outs in the

ninth Saturday night, led off with a double. Rodriguez hit a tying single off Eric Stults (3-3), moved up on a wild

pitch by Brad Brach and scored on Escobar's double for a 3-2 lead.

Loney, hitting .456 in his last 24 games, connected for his third homer of the season in the eighth off Dale

Thayer.

"They were three well-played close games that didn't go our way," Black said. "They got the big hit last night

in the ninth. Escobar got a big hit today. So, a couple of pitches back, we win two out of three."

Longoria scored twice. He walked in the second and headed home on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Jose

Molina.

Yonder Alonso tied it for the Padres with an RBI single in the fourth. Amarista's second home run of the

season put the Padres ahead 2-1 in the fifth.

Stults pitched 5 1-3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits and a season-high five walks.

"That's not my game. For me, I have to attack the strike zone," Stults said.

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"He hung in there," Black said. "He battled his command a little bit. Ball-strike ratio wasn't great. He sort of

found it a little bit in the fourth and fifth, but it just looked as though he wasn't making his pitches as we've

seen him."

The Padres finished with six hits. They were robbed on excellent defensive plays by Sam Fuld in center field,

Escobar at short and Matt Joyce in right field.

San Diego hit five homers in the series, the most the team's had in a three-game set this season, and the

Padres led in all three games.

"That happens. It's tough. When you play 162 games, you're not going to keep every single lead. But I'll take

our guys when we have a lead," the manager said. "It just didn't happen this series."

NOTES: RHP Burch Smith, who pitched only 1 1-3 innings for the Padres in his major league debut Saturday

night, will start at home next weekend against Washington. Black said he plans to use "the same rotation for

the foreseeable future." ... Rays CF Desmond Jennings was out of the lineup for a third straight day. The

Rays have acknowledged no injury for Jennings, who is on a seven-game hitting streak. . . Amarista's home

run was the Padres' 19th in 14 games. They hit only 12 in their first 23 games.