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Padres Press Clips Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Article Source Author Page

Cashner sizzles, fires two-hit shutout at Phillies MLB.com Miller 2

Padres delaying Ross' next start MLB.com Miller 5

Padres' Kennedy, Phils' Burnett seeking strong finish MLB.com Lewis 7

Padres Return Home Hoping to Resume Petco Successes FriarWire Center 9

Cashner two-hits Phillies in shutout UT San Diego Lin 11

Tony Gwynn Jr. back at Petco UT San Diego Jenkins 14

Ross' next start pushed back UT San Diego Lin 16

On deck: Losses mounting for Burnett UT San Diego Sanders 18

Morning links: Pads still seeking no-no UT San Diego Lin 20

Cashner Lifts Padres Past Phillies, 1-0 Associated Press Paris 22

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Cashner sizzles, fires two-hit shutout at Phillies On humid night in San Diego, righty punches out seven By Scott Miller / Special to MLB.com | 9/16/2014 1:36 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- The weather here the past few days? Absolutely searing, several days' worth of record-

breaking heat.

Andrew Cashner on Monday night? Hotter yet.

Heater at 95 mph, swings, misses, changeup at 86, ground balls, zip, zip, zip, hitting one spot after another. In

just his fifth start after missing two months with a sore arm, he cut through the Phillies like an Olympic high-

diver through the surface of a pool.

In a 1-0 win on an 81-degree night (hey, high humidity, too), Cashner surrendered only two hits, and three

total baserunners.

Watching him, you bet Padres manager Bud Black saw no-hit stuff.

"Yeah, once you get into the middle part of the game with any pitcher, especially a guy like Cash, you're

thinking that," Black said. "To be quite honest, as a Padre, you're always thinking that."

That last bit was a nod to one of the strangest ongoing phenomenons in the Majors today: The Padres remain

the only organization in baseball never to have had a pitcher fire a no-hitter.

"Through the fourth, I thought I had a chance," Cashner said. "I felt I had enough to carry it all the way

through."

He zipped through eight innings on just 77 pitches, 59 strikes. In fact, he needed only five pitches to whiz

through the eighth. The deeper he went, the easier his degree of difficulty appeared to become.

For a guy who opened the season looking like an ace, closing it like one will go a long way toward

camouflaging a season's midsection lost to elbow soreness. Overall, he thought he had better stuff last Sept.

16 when he fired a one-hitter in a 1-0 win in Pittsburgh. Thought he had even better stuff than that in a 6-0 win

over Detroit this April.

But Monday against Philadelphia, he judged his offspeed stuff better than in either of those two games.

He had no-hit stuff, yes. But, alas, he lost any shot at history in the fifth when Phillies outfielderDomonic

Brown pulled the lowdown, dirty, rotten trick of daring to push a one-out bunt down the third-base line.

Of course, it was hard to blame Brown: The Phillies trailed 1-0 at the time. And the Padres went into a heavy

shift to defense Brown, putting three infielders between first and second base.

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Faced with an enormous, wide-open swatch of real estate toward the left side, what was Brown supposed to

do? So he did what a hungry guy does when he opens the fridge late at night and sees a huge hunk of cake.

He took it.

Cashner, fully aware that he hadn't allowed a hit, was hot.

"You can ask him what I thought of it," he said.

What did he say?

"We can't talk about that," Brown said in a smooth decision that would make any editor proud.

Though Brown said he probably would not have bunted had it been the ninth inning ("I'm swinging it"), who's

to say it's not the right move in a 1-0 game whether it's the fifth or the ninth? It's difficult to fault him. Play the

game, they regularly say in clubhouses. And so Brown was.

"This is baseball," Rene Rivera, Cashner's catcher, said. "If you're going to give a guy that side of the infield,

why not take your hit? That's the only bad thing about the shift."

Black agreed -- not that the shift is bad, but that it was hard to argue with Brown's strategy.

"He was an All-Star last year with a bunch of home runs and power [27 homers, 83 RBIs]," Black said of

Brown, who has only nine homers and 59 RBIs this year. "Our defensive metrics show we're going to shift on

this fellow."

Not knowing all of the specifics, Black surmised that Brown probably had decided that he simply didn't have a

good feel in the box against Cashner. Which would have put Brown with the majority, not the minority, of

Phillies on this night.

"There was more grumbling in the stands than in our dugout," Black said, brushing away any trace of

controversy in Brown's decision.

Whatever your feeling, and Cashner admitted he was angry, the key thing for the right-hander was even that

couldn't knock him off of his game. Cashner got the next batter, Freddy Galvis, to sky a popup to second

base. Perhaps still exuberant from his bit of daredevilry just moments earlier, Brown got such a great jump

while attempting to steal on the pitch that he was already around second base and, thus, was easily doubled

off.

The only other baserunner Cashner allowed came when Marlon Byrd cracked a leadoff single in the eighth,

the one solid hit obtained by the Phillies all night. That, though, was erased almost instantaneously when Byrd

attempted to tag and advance when Brown followed with a fly ball to right.Seth Smith fired a strike to nail Byrd

at second.

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That was the final baserunner Cashner allowed. He blew 96 mph cheese past a completely overmatched

Galvis for strike three to start the ninth, then watched shortstop Alexi Amarista short-hop a scorching one-

hopper from Grady Sizemore to start a beautiful play for the second out of the inning.

"It doesn't get any better than that," an appreciative Cashner said.

He zipped through eight innings on just 77 pitches, 59 strikes. In fact, he needed only five pitches to whiz

through the eighth. The deeper he went, the easier his degree of difficulty appeared to become.

"Fastball, slider, changeup," Black said. "You saw 92 to 97, movement with his fastball. You saw his slider, a

couple of curveballs to [Cody] Asche.

"He pitched. With Cash and Rene and Darrin [Balsley, Padres' pitching coach], what they talk about at 5

o'clock, that's pretty good stuff."

How good was Cashner on this night? Bottom of the second inning, Rivera on third with two out following a

leadoff double, the pitcher ripped a ground ball toward third that ate up Asche for an E5. That's how Rivera

scored the only run.

"If I'm pitching, I don't know, that could have gone either way," Cashner said. "If I'm pitching, I'd like it to be an

error. But if I'm hitting, I'd like it to be a hit. I squared it up pretty well."

It was the only moment all night that Cashner couldn't have it every way he wanted it.

Overall, it also was the 17th consecutive start in which Cashner has allowed two or fewer runs at Petco Park,

his own personal playpen, dating back to last June 11. It is a franchise record, surpassing Randy Jones' 14

consecutive games from Sept. 2, 1977 through June 24, 1978.

Cashner finished with 92 pitches, 68 for strikes. Sizzling.

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Padres delaying Ross' next start

By Scott Miller / Special to MLB.com | September 15, 2014

SAN DIEGO -- Innings stacking up and season running out, the Padres said Monday they will delay

ace Tyson Ross' next start. Comeback left-handerRobbie Erlin instead will face the Phillies in Thursday

night's series finale here.

"He was a little sore coming out of his last start," manager Bud Black said. "General soreness in his arm."

Black was not specific as to shoulder, elbow or what. Pressed, the manager said Ross is "just tired. He's

tired from pitching a lot. He's made every start. His bullpen sessions have been quality. The feeling is let's

not pitch him right now."

Ross is up to a career-high 195 2/3 innings pitched this summer, 44 1/3 beyond his career high from 2012

(73 1/3 innings pitched with Oakland that summer, 78 1/3 innings pitched for Triple-A Sacramento). His

31 starts were tied for the NL lead on Monday.

Were the Padres to keep him in line Thursday and beyond, Ross had a chance to reach 34 starts, which

would tie the club's high since Kevin Brown reached 35 in 1998.

"It's been a great season for me," Ross said. "Obviously, one of my best.

"I've logged a lot of innings. I'm looking forward to getting a little rest and watching Robbie pitch

Thursday. He's definitely earned it. He made the team out of Spring Training. He's worked his butt off."

Erlin opened the season in the bullpen, but after one appearance made eight consecutive starts for the

Padres until landing on the disabled list on May 22 with elbow soreness. He was out until August and is

3-4 with a 4.53 ERA this season.

In his past two starts, Ross has surrendered seven earned runs, 12 hits, six walks and has struck out 11

over 8 2/3 innings.

"I don't think Tyson looked tired," Black said of Ross' weekend start in Arizona. "Even though his stuff

played out velocity-wise, he just wasn't crisp. His ball/strike ratio was not where it usually is with Tyson."

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In three innings, Ross threw 58 pitches, only 33 for strikes.

Ross said that reaching 200 innings is not necessarily a goal for him.

"It's just a number," he said. "I've worked hard all season. I wanted to go out there every five days and put

my best foot forward. I've done it all season. Whenever my season ends, that's it.

"I've worked hard, and I'm going to come out and do the same thing next year."

Black was non-committal as to when Ross' next start will be, just saying he expected Ross to start again

before the season ends.

Said Ross: "I'm planning on it."

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Padres' Kennedy, Phils' Burnett seeking strong finish Philadephia veteran righty hasn't decide yet on 2015 return By Adam Lewis / MLB.com | 9/16/2014 2:17 AM ET

Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy (10-13, 3.77 ERA) will be happy to know he isn't facing the Dodgers at

Petco Park on Tuesday, when San Diego continues its four-game series against the Phillies.

Even when the 6-foot, 190-pound, Southern California native pitches well against L.A., he hasn't had much

success, going 0-3 with a 4.00 ERA in six starts this year versus San Diego's National League West foe.

That too was the case in his last outing, when he battled through six innings and allowed three runs, but got

outdueled by right-hander Dan Haren in a 4-0 loss.

"I thought he threw the ball fine, good velocity, good tight slider, good change," manager Bud Black said of

Kennedy. "I thought overall he pitched well enough to win on given nights. Kept us in the game, threw pitches

in the seventh inning in a pitchers' duel. He got outpitched by their guy, and we didn't hit their guy."

Kennedy has worked six or more innings in 21 of his 30 starts this season. He has 189 strikeouts, which is

ranked 13th in NL.

At 181 1/3 innings pitched, Kennedy is exactly at his 2013 total right now. He worked 208 1/3 frames in 2012

and 222 in 2011.

On Tuesday he turns his attention to the Phillies, who will counter with right-hander A.J. Burnett (8-16, 4.34

ERA). It's been a tough year for the talented veteran. His last time out he dropped a 4-1 decision to his former

club, the Pirates, allowing four runs over six innings.

The loss came with an unenviable distinction: Burnett is the first Phillies pitcher to lose 16 games or more in a

season since Mark Leiter was tagged for 17 losses in 1997.

Burnett, 37, hasn't announced whether he plans to retire after the season, but with Tuesday's start, the 2015

player option in his contract jumps to $12.75 million.

Padres: Benoit On the mend

Closer Joaquin Benoit, who has been sidelined with shouder discomfort, threw a bullpen Sunday and,

assuming all went well Monday, will likely throw another bullpen Tuesday.

"He's getting closer," manager Bud Black said.

Benoit said he had "normal soreness" after his Sunday bullpen session, which is another step forward. He's

only pitched once since Aug. 24, and not at all since Aug. 26.

In 2014, Benoit is 4-2 with a 1.58 ERA and nine saves over 50 appearances.

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Phillies: Papelbon suspended

Closer Jonathan Papelbon was suspended seven games and fined by Major League Baseball on Monday

after making an obscene gesture Sunday while walking off the mound after blowing a three-run lead against

the Marlins at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

Papelbon apologized Monday via a statement from his agent, while maintaining "it was not my intent

whatsoever to insult the fans of Philadelphia." He also said he didn't plan to appeal his suspension.

The gesture got him ejected by umpire Joe West. Papelbon then confronted West face-to-face and made

contact with the longtime umpire before West shoved him away.

Manager Ryne Sandberg met with Papelbon on Monday and was asked if he believed him.

"That's not my job or position to believe him," Sandberg said. "As we are right now, he's our closer. … All I

can base it on is what he told me and he had no intentions of that being toward the fans. It's not my position or

my spot to make any judgment on that, but just to listen to him."

Worth noting

• The Padres are 41-31 at Petco Park this season and 22-8 at home since June 29.

• The Phillies lost the series opener, 1-0, on Monday, even though right-hander Jerome Williams allowed one

unearned over 7 2/3 innings.

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Padres Return Home Hoping to Resume Petco Successes By Bill Center

The Padres return to Petco Park Monday night to open their final homestand of the season – a 10-game session

featuring four games with the Philadelphia Phillies followed by three each with division rivals San Francisco and

Colorado.

Seven of the season’s final 10 games will be against the Giants, who still have a shot at overtaking the Dodgers

in the race for the National League West title and lead the wildcard race.

The Padres were 6-4 on their last homestand and took series against the playoff-contending Brewers and

Dodgers. The Padres are 16-6 at home since the All-Star break and their overall 40-31 home record at Petco

Park is tied for the fifth-best home winning percentage in the National League and tied for the ninth-best home

mark in the Major Leagues.

The final series will open with four games against the Phillies. The Giants will be in town for three games next

weekend and the home season ends with three games against Colorado Sept. 22-24.

The Padres annual Shirts-off-their-Backs event benefitting the Padres Foundation will be held on Tuesday (Sept.

23) with approximately 44 fans receiving game-worn jerseys off the backs of Padres players and coaches.

Scratcher tickets will be on sale throughout the final homestand with all proceeds going to the Padres

Foundation.

The Shirts-off-their-Backs ceremony will be held after the penultimate home game this year rather than the

final home game because the Padres are traveling after the Sept. 24 home finale. Over the past 14 seasons, the

Shirts-off-their-Backs program has raised more than $568,000 for community outreach programs through the

Padres Foundation.

Friday night’s opener of the Giants series will be preceded by the third and final Beerfest tasting event of the

season. Almost 20 local breweries will be represented with regular-sized beers priced at $5 using Friar Funds

exclusively. Fans can buy Friar Funds at multiple locations with the first pour scheduled for 5:10 p.m.

The rock band O.A.R. will perform after Saturday’s game against the Giants. Admission is free with a ticket to

the 5:40 game.

PADRES PUZZLER: Right-hander Tyson Ross has pitched 195 2/3 innings this season. What is the Padres

record for most innings pitched in a season?

VINCENT’S STREAK ENDS: Right-hander Nick Vincent’s run of 23 1/3 straight scoreless innings ended in

Arizona on Sunday when he gave up three runs in a third of an inning. Until Sunday, Vincent hadn’t allowed a

run since he returned to the bullpen on July 23 after missing five weeks on the disabled list with shoulder

fatigue. During the streak, Vincent allowed 13 hits and three walks with 26 strikeouts in 25 appearances.

Vincent’s streak was the longest active streak in the National League and the longest by a Padre since Kevin

Correia also pitched 23 1/3 straight scoreless innings in 2009 (Sept. 14-Oct. 2). Vincent’s streak was the

longest by a Padres reliever since right-hander Cla Meredith worked a franchise-record 33 2/3 straight

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scoreless innings in 2006 (July 18-Sept. 12). And his 25 straight appearances without allowing a run is the

second-longest in franchise history to Meredith’s run of 28 straight scoreless appearances in 2006.

GYORKO’S STRONG FINISH: Second baseman Jedd Gyorko has hit in five straight games (7-for-21 with a

homer, two doubles and three RBIs) and seven of the last eight (11-for-32 with four doubles, a homer and five

RBIs). While his .207 batting average is still below expectations, it is at his highest since the season started.

Gyorko has raised his average 43 points in 42 games since returning from the disabled list July 28. He had

missed the previous 44 games with plantar fasciitis.

GRANDAL ALSO FINISHING STRONG: Catcher-first baseman Yasmani Grandal has hit safely in 13 of his

last 16 starts, going 18-for-62 (.290) with four doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored to boost his

season average from .203 to .216.

AMARISTA’S SEPTEMBER RALLY: Shortstop Alexi Amarista is 6-for-18 while hitting safely in four of his last

five games with three RBIs. He had gone 0-for-17 in the five previous games. Overall, the 5-foot-5, 150-

pounder is 10-for-46 (.217) with five RBIs this September after hitting a collective .135 the past two

Septembers and .115 in September of 2014.

PADRES PUZZLER ANSWER: Randy Jones pitched a Major League-leading 315 1/3 innings in 1976. The next

highest total in franchise history was 285 innings by Jones in 1975.

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Cashner two-hits Phillies in shutout Padres right-hander shakes off unexpected bunt single to throw a beauty By Dennis Lin9:20 p.m.Sept. 15, 2014Updated10:26 p.m.

The infield shift has embedded itself in today’s game, an analytics-driven development amid a

sport steeped in unwritten rules. Unsurprisingly, there have been occasions in which it has

evoked a pointed response.

In the top of the fifth inning Monday at a mostly empty Petco Park, the boos seemed to echo.

Andrew Cashner had not allowed a hit … until now.

It was not Cashner they were booing. No, the Padres right-hander had been brilliant, recalling

the one-hitter he threw earlier this season.

It was Domonic Brown they were booing. The Phillies outfielder, one of six left-handed batters in

the visitors’ lineup, had pushed the ball down the third-base line, to a spot devoid of defenders.

He stood on first base, the owner of a bunt single, the proprietor of Philadelphia’s first hit, the

target of the home crowd’s scorn.

In the Padres’ eventual, 1-0 victory, this was the moment that would inevitably make its way into

the highlights. And that was a pity, considering Cashner’s complete-game, two-hitter, his seven

strikeouts, his complete control over a start in a season quickly approaching its end.

"Right from the start," Padres manager Bud Black said, "you could see he was on."

Brown had gotten creative against the shift: three defenders on the right side of the infield, a

positioning based on the tendencies of the opposition’s hitter.

It is, too, a positioning that makes plenty of statistical sense. Even baseball’s purists have

seemingly acquiesced. Rare has become the game in which neither side so much as hints at

shifting.

Brown is a strapping, 6-foot-5 outfielder in the midst of a terrible season, but a strapping, 6-foot-

5 outfielder nonetheless. The bunt would not appear to be his forte.

But he pulled off the task anyway, and for a few moments, Cashner huffed around the mound,

staring at Brown.

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Asked after the game if he thought he had no-hit stuff, Cashner said, "Once I got through the

fourth, I thought I had a chance. And I thought my stuff was good enough to carry through the

ninth."

Of Brown's bold move, Cashner only offered, "You can ask him what I thought of it." He was

smirking as he said it.

Said Padres catcher Rene Rivera: "If you're gonna give a guy that side of the infield, why not?

Take your hit. That's the only bad thing about playing the shift, you're gonna give a side to a

guy. I think it was good thinking by him."

Said Black: "Our defensive metrics show we shift on this fellow. ... He might not have had a

great feeling against Cash, so he's playing. 1-0 game in the fifth, that's OK."

Regardless of varying sentiments about the play, Cashner shook it off. He induced a popout

from the next batter, Wil Nieves. Brown, who had begun to attempt a steal, was doubled off first.

Thus ended a seven-pitch frame for Cashner, who cruised from the beginning. He needed just

40 pitches to get through four innings, not allowing a baserunner until he walked Chase Utley in

the fourth. Cashner would not walk another batter.

Marlon Byrd led off the top of the eighth with a single up the middle, but on Brown’s ensuing

flyout to right, Seth Smith fired a seed to second, beating Byrd to complete the double play.

In all, Cashner would need just 92 pitches to seal the shutout. Afterward, he praised his

defense, which turned in a few gems, including shortstop Alexi Amarista's stop of a scorching

grounder in the top of the ninth.

"From the get-go," Cashner said, "my goal was to keep the ball down."

He succeeded with remarkable efficiency. This was his most tantalizing performance since April

11, when he one-hit the Tigers at Petco Park.

"You saw the movement with the fastball, you saw the slider, you saw a couple curveballs,"

Black said. "There weren't many pitches that were mislocated.

"The guy on the other side probably helped, because it was back-and-forth, it was a fast game,"

Black added of Phillies starter Jerome Williams, who threw 7 2/3 innings, allowing only an

unearned run. "Williams worked fast. Cash worked fast. The defenses were on their toes."

Cashner needed just one run, a scarce commodity for the Padres, to record his second

consecutive win, a scarce commodity for Cashner. In the bottom of the second, after Rivera had

ripped a leadoff double, the catcher scored from third when Phillies third baseman Cody Asche

failed to handle a sharply struck grounder.

The batter: Cashner, swinging away on an 0-2 count.

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"I squared it up well," Cashner said, "but it doesn't matter if it's a hit or an error as long as we get

the win."

For the record, it was an error.

It would provide the only run the Padres needed as they took the opener of their final

homestand of the season. Attendance was generously announced at 17,558 -- a pity, for

Cashner had thrown a beauty.

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Tony Gwynn Jr. back at Petco By Chris Jenkins8:12 p.m.Sept. 15, 2014

As did his father and beloved namesake, Tony Gwynn Jr. pursues his profession in front of

thousands in person, not to mention the millions more watching on television. In most of the

hours between games, too, he’s surrounded by teammates on the field, in the dugout, then on

planes and buses.

And then he closes the door to his hotel room or apartment. And it hits him. Right between the

eyes that still haven’t run out of tears.

“It’s my least favorite part right now, being by myself,” said Gwynn, seated in front of a locker in

the visiting clubhouse at Petco Park on Monday afternoon. “That’s a lot tougher, being alone

and up with your thoughts. Your thoughts aren’t always good things. They can be painful.”

This road trip to his native San Diego, obviously, is both different and better. Gwynn, 31, a

former Padres outfielder who was a September call-up with with the Philadelphia Phillies, will

get to stay in his own home in Poway and bask in the embrace of his wife and three daughters,

perhaps get to play a few innings against the Padres. And yet, even more obviously, this

working homecoming is sure to be extremely difficult.

Cancer victim Tony Gwynn Sr. will have been gone exactly three months, to the day, on

Tuesday. Tony Gwynn Jr., whose father had asked him not to leave the Phillies for even what

turned out to be the last few days of the Hall of Famer’s life, is back at the ballpark with the

official address of "19 Tony Gwynn Drive." He can look out from the Phils dugout and see the

his father’s retired No. 19 atop the batter’s eye. From the batter’s box, you can see the bronzed

image of Tony Sr.’s trademark swing atop the hill at the Park at the Park.

“His statue’s out there,” said Gwynn, his personality and voice so reminiscent of Tony Sr. “His

name’s my name and number’s the same one on my back.”

After attending the family’s memorial service at his and his father's alma mater, San Diego

State, Tony returned to the Phillies and missed the public commemoration ceremony for Tony

Sr. at Petco Park. Watching replays and reading accounts of it, he said, “opened the floodgates

of tears.”

In his first plate appearance with the Phillies, Tony Jr. was welcomed back from bereavement

leave on June 24 with a heart-rending standing ovation from the fans at Citizens Bank Park.

“That was powerful,” said Gwynn, who didn't play in a 1-0 loss to the Padres on Monday night.

“Since then everybody I’ve talked to – coaches, scouts, fans – has a story to share of how my

dad impacted their life in some big or small way. That’s been therapeutic for me.

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“Hearing and seeing the words of what he meant to people – as a person – were so moving. But

it’s helped. Nothing can fill that hole that’s going to be there for the rest of my life, but it’s

helped.”

Playing with the knowledge that his father’s health was in decline over the season’s first two-

plus months, Gwynn was struggling mightily at the plate, batting just .155. Designated for

assignment in mid-July, he was told by the Phils that he could re-sign with them and play Triple-

A ball for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, but he first returned to San Diego to help attend to the

Gwynns’ family grief.

“I’d missed my mom at such an important time, missed my wife and kids,” he said. “I think when

anyone goes through the loss of a father or a parent, you begin to question what you’re doing. I

know I certainly did. I asked myself, “Do I need to be playing baseball right now? Do

I really need to be playing baseball?’

“But I knew deep down what my dad would want me to do. That was to keep playing as long as I

have the ability and the health to do it.”

His return to Triple-A proved to be a good thing. Playing on an everyday basis for the first time,

he was able to re-immerse himself in the game that he and his father loved. Problem was, part

of their ritual was also the post-game phone conversations, the hours of baseball talk and

laughter shared from 2,000 miles apart.

“When you’re by yourself, you tend to dwell on the past a lot,” said Gwynn. “When I’m with the

guys, or with my family and friends, I try my best to focus on the now. I have so many memories

of my dad, I’ll never not have something positive to think about my dad. But for the sake of

grieving, for the sake of continuing on, I have to focus on now.”

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Ross' next start pushed back Padres' All-Star right-hander experiencing 'general soreness' after last start By Dennis Lin6:28 p.m.Sept. 15, 2014

With less than two weeks left this season, the finish line has come into view for Tyson Ross. In

his first full year as a major league starter, the Padres right-hander has been a breakout arm

and a first-time All-Star, a distinction validated by what had become weeks of ace-like

consistency.

But Ross, who long ago blew past his previous high for innings, has faltered of late. And the

Padres, who have already seen right-hander Andrew Cashner hampered by injury this season,

have decided to taper his remaining workload.

Ross, who had been scheduled to start Thursday against the Phillies, will now have his turn

pushed back “a few days,” Padres manager Bud Black said Monday. Left-hander Robbie Erlin

will start the series finale at Petco Park.

“He’s just a little sore coming out of his last start, with general soreness in the arm,” Black said

of Ross. “We talked about it (Sunday) morning in Arizona. He felt as though it would probably be

a good thing, and I agreed.

“His bullpen sessions have been quality. We just feel as though ‘let’s not push him right now.’”

Ross had his shortest start of the season Saturday, going just three innings at Chase Field. He

allowed six runs, four earned, on five hits and two walks. He struck out four while throwing 58

pitches.

“Even though his stuff played out as normal -- the velocity, the slider -- he just wasn’t crisp,”

Black said. “The ball-strike ratio was not where it usually is for Tyson. There was a wild pitch in

there. There were just some indicators that showed us he was tiring.”

Ross, 27, has made 31 starts thus far, totaling 195 2/3 innings and 195 strikeouts. The victim of

meager run support, he is 13-14 with a 2.81 ERA.

His previous high for innings was 151 2/3 in 2012, when he pitched for both the Athletics’ big-

league club and their Triple-A affiliate.

This year’s innings have been significantly higher-leverage.

“When you don’t score at a high rate, most games are close,” Black said.

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On Sept. 7, in his second-to-last appearance, Ross had his franchise-record streak of

consecutive quality starts snapped at 14. In 5 2/3 innings at Coors Field, he allowed three runs

while throwing 116 pitches.

That start had been pushed back a day after he threw 115 pitches in his Sept. 1 start.

Over his last two starts, a stretch spanning 8 2/3 innings, he has allowed nine runs, seven

earned, on 12 hits and six walks. As Black noted, Ross’ velocity has not dipped. (According to

PITCHf/x info, his fastball has been about a mph higher than his season average, a potential

sign of overthrowing.)

Black said the club would assess the timing of Ross’ next start as the week went on. Had he

remained on schedule, he would have made three more starts, including the season finale in

San Francisco.

Now, it seems he will make, at most, two more starts.

Asked if there was a possibility Ross would be shut down, Black said, “There’s a chance for

everything, but that’s not our desire.”

Erlin, who missed two-and-a-half months with elbow soreness, will be making his first start since

May 17.

Notable

Shortstop Everth Cabrera, who was arrested Sept. 5 on suspicion of driving under the influence

of marijuana, is working with the Padres’ instructional league group in Arizona. Black said he

was hopeful Cabrera could rejoin the Padres at some point during this final homestand. Cabrera

has been on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain since Aug. 10.

The isoBLOX padded pitcher’s cap worn June 21 by left-hander Alex Torres has been added to

the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Today’s Game” exhibit. Torres, who’s worn

the cap in every appearance since that first game, remains the only major league pitcher to

have donned the protective headwear.

Outfielder Will Venable (back) returned to the lineup Monday, batting eighth and playing center

field.

Monday’s ceremonial first pitch was thrown by former Yankees outfielder Irv Noren, a friend and

former teammate of the late Jerry Coleman. Coleman, who died Jan. 5, would have celebrated

his 90th birthday on Sunday. The Padres on Sunday unveiled updates to Coleman’s statue near

the East Village gate, including a higher pedestal and new panels depicting the stages of

Coleman’s career as a war hero, player and broadcaster.

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On deck: Losses mounting for Burnett Phillies starter has lost 16 games; Padres' Ian Kennedy has lost last two starts By Jeff Sanders11 a.m.Sept. 16, 2014

Phillies at Padres

Tuesday: 7:10 p.m. | Game 2 of 4

On the air: FSSD; 1090-AM; 860-AM (Spanish)

Probable pitchers

Phillies RHP A.J. Burnett (8-16, 4.34 ERA)

Burnett had run off nine straight years with at least 10 wins when the Phillies inked him to a $15

million deal for 2014. While he’s still two wins shy of that mark this year, he has accomplished

some notoriety of a different kind. In allowing four runs in six innings in a loss to the Pirates on

Sept. 11, Burnett became the first Phillies pitcher to lose 16 games since Mark Leiter lost 17 in

1997. Burnett is also tied for the MLB lead in losses with the Padres’ Eric Stults and the

Dodgers’ Kevin Correia. He did, however, manage to beat the Padres in June in Philadelphia,

allowing two runs over 7 1/3 innings. Burnett is 3-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 10 starts in his career

against the Padres, which includes that nine-walk no-hitter in 2001 while with the Marlins.

Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (10-13, 3.77 ERA)

Kennedy was matched up against Burnett when the Padres dropped a 5-2 decision on June 10.

Three of the five runs he allowed in seven innings crossed the plate on a home run from

OF Marlon Byrd, who remained in Philadelphia despite rumors that he was headed out of town

at the trading deadline. In six career starts against the Phillies, Kennedy is 2-2 with a 3.15 ERA,

26 strikeouts and eight walks in 40 innings. Current Phillies hitters have a .255/.297/.391 batting

line against Kennedy, who has lost his last two starts to the Diamondbacks and Dodgers (7 ER,

11 1/3 IP).

Looking ahead

Wednesday: 7:10 p.m. | TV: FSSD

Padres LHP Cole Hamels (8-7, 2.51) at Padres LHP Eric Stults (7-16, 4.49)

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Thursday: 6:10 p.m. | TV: FSSD

Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (9-12, 4.72) at Padres RHP Tyson Ross (13-14, 2.81)

20

Morning links: Pads still seeking no-no After Andrew Cashner's two-hitter Monday, Padres still without a no-hitter By Dennis Lin7 a.m.Sept. 16, 2014

Andrew Cashner threw the third complete-game shutout of his career Monday. This time, it was

a two-hit dominance of the Phillies.

Afterward, Cashner was asked how he thought this latest performance compared to his April 11

one-hitter against the Tigers.

"I definitely thought I had better stuff against Detroit, but I thought I did a better job (Monday) of

pitching ahead and keeping guys off balance," he said. "I threw a lot of curveballs tonight and

change-ups down in the zone. I was able to locate my fastball tonight to both sides of the plate."

Asked what he meant by "better stuff against Detroit," Cashner said, "I would just say sharper

stuff. I thought in previous starts my fastball maybe had more run on it, but I thought (Monday) I

located it better down in the zone."

Interestingly, Padres catcher Rene Rivera had a slightly different take.

"I thought it was similar. Maybe a little better," Rivera said. "His change-up was outstanding. We

didn't throw many sliders. We threw more curveballs. His fastball, he was really spotting it."

Cashner's other one-hit shutout came last Sept. 16 against the Pirates.

When taken in context, that start might have been the most impressive of the three. It was

thrown in September, on the road, against a playoff team.

The April start at Petco Park was similar, as it came against one of the American League's most

impressive lineups.

Monday's start was made at the expense of a bumbling, last-place Phillies club. But it was still a

magnificent outing.

That's three times now that Cashner has narrowly missed throwing a no-hitter, something the

Padres, after 45-plus years, still lack in their franchise's history.

"It's gonna happen at some point," Padres manager Bud Black said with a smile.

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More Cashner notes

With 92 pitches thrown Monday, Cashner tied for the seventh-fewest pitches in a nine-inning,

complete-game effort in Padres history. Andy Ashby has the lowest total, with 75 pitches on July

5, 1998.

Cashner's 92 pitches tied for the second-fewest in Padres history during a complete-game

shutout, behind only Clay Hensley's 91 pitches on May 14, 2006.

Cashner has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 17 consecutive starts at home since last June

11, a franchise record. During that stretch at Petco Park, Cashner is 5-6 with a 1.39 ERA.

Over his last 23 overall starts since last Aug. 19, Cashner has pitched to a 1.80 ERA, the

second-best mark in the majors, trailing only Clayton Kershaw (1.74 ERA).

In today's U-T

While Cashner is looking to finish his season, which was interrupted by injury, with a flourish,

the Padres are slowing down Tyson Ross. The All-Star will have his next start pushed back.

Three months after the death of his father, Tony Gwynn Jr. has returned to Petco Park.

22

Cashner Lifts Padres Past Phillies, 1-0 SAN DIEGO — Sep 16, 2014, 1:51 AM ET By JAY PARIS Associated Press

Andrew Cashner pitched a two-hitter for his third career shutout and the San Diego Padres scored on Cody Asche's fielding error in the second inning Monday night to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0.

Cashner (4-7) allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked one in winning for the second straight time after going winless since April 16 against Colorado. Cashner has a franchise-best 17 straight home starts where he's allowed two or fewer earned runs.

Jerome Williams (3-2) limited the Padres to an unearned run, three hits and two walks in 7 2-3 innings.

The Padres scored in the second, when Rene Rivera opened the inning with a double. He scored when Cashner hit a hard grounder to Asche at third. Asche tried to backhand the ball, but was unable to do more than knock it down in drawing the error.

Cashner, who blanked the Tigers on April 11, retired the first 11 batters before Chase Utley walked.

Cashner had a no-hitter going until Dominic Brown bunted safely down the third-base line with one out in the fifth, with the Padres deploying a shift on the left-handed hitter.

Brown got a long look from Cashner after he reached first. Wil Nieves followed with a pop up to Jedd Gyorko, with Brown running on the pitch.

Brown was doubled off when he neglected to re-touch second returning to first base.

The Phillies threatened in the seventh when Marlon Byrd singled and tried to advance to second on a flyout. Byrd was thrown out for the Padres' second double play in four innings.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: RHP Joaquin Benoit (sore right shoulder) took Monday off after throwing on Sunday. Benoit could throw again on Tuesday. Manager Bud Black said it was important to Benoit to return before the year is over. "You want to end the season competing," Black said. . RHP Tyson Ross will skip his start on Thursday for "general arm soreness," Black said. He will be replaced in the rotation by LHP Robbie Erlin.

Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins remains out of the lineup with a strained left hamstring. Rollins is increasing his baseball activities, according to manager Ryne Sandberg.

UP NEXT

Phillies RHP A.J. Burnett (8-16, 4.34 ERA) will try for his second win this season against the Padres when he faces RHP Ian Kennedy (10-13, 3.77). Kennedy has pitched at least six innings in 21 of his 30 starts this year.