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Padres Press Clips

Friday, June 15, 2018

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Padres have themselves, umpire to blame for loss to Braves SD Union Tribune Acee 2

Joey Lucchesi 'smooth' in four hitless innings for Storm SD Union Tribune Sanders 5

Padres leadership wise to build ties with MLB's 'in' crowd SD Union Tribune Miller 8

Padres notes: Hosmer's numbers; Ross quality not enough for first time SD Union Tribune Acee 11

Padres irked by HBP call, review in Atlanta loss MLB.com McElhaney 15

Myers, Franchy begin rehab assignments MLB.com McElhaney 17

5 reasons Padres are quietly interesting in '18 MLB.com Leitch 19

Margot among those poised for turnaround MLB.com Gilbert 22

Tough roster decisions in store for Padres Padres.com Center 24

Sanchez throws 7 scoreless innings, Braves top Padres 4-2 Associated Press AP 26

#PadresOnDeck: Lucchesi, Lawson Combine on 2-hit Shutout for FriarWire Center 28

A-Lake Elsinore; Other Rehab Results

This Day in Padres History — June 15 FriarWire Center 31

#PadresOnDeck: RHP Michel Baez, C Austin Allen top Padres’ FriarWire Center 32

Weekly Minor League Honor Roll

#PadresOnDeck: 9 Missions Named to AA-Texas League All-Star FriarWire Center 34

Team; Rea, Avila turn in Strong Starts

Padres’ Richard aims for second win over Braves in June FOX Sports STATS 37

Broadcaster Ted Enberg faces his First Father’s Day without his Sports Broadcast Journal Hoffarth 39

legendary dad, Dick Enberg

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Padres have themselves, umpire to blame for loss to Braves Kevin Acee

Andy Green knew his hitters left runs on the field and his pitcher made an error that added the final run in a 4-2 loss to the Braves on Thursday night.

Green also acknowledged both his first baseman and second baseman might have played differently to possibly prevent what ended up being the deciding run from scoring.

But there was something the Padres manager could not fathom.

And that was how in the world home plate umpire Mark Ripperger could think a pitch from Tyson Ross hit Tyler Flowers and how in 100 lifetimes whoever reviewed the play in New York did not overturn the bogus call.

“In those moments as a manager you’re not even sure why you have replay,” Green said. “It’s blatantly obvious it didn’t hit him. There is no situation it hit him. And it changes the game.”

The call in question came on an inside pitch that got away slightly from Ross but clearly did not hit Flowers – by Flowers’ on-field and postgame admissions – that Ripperger ruled had hit him in the hand.

As Padres catcher A.J. Ellis protested, Flowers stood at home plate without making any sort of earnest attempt toward first base and also turned to Ripperger.

“I told him I didn’t think it hit me,” the Braves catcher said later.

Green almost immediately called for review.

Not only did the replay appear to confirm the ball didn’t hit anything on the way to Ellis’ glove but it showed Flowers’ bottom hand was up from the bottom of the bat, meaning the ball could not have hit him.

But after a lengthy review, the call stood. The explanation was that there was not enough evidence to show the ball did not hit Flowers.

“Sure, they had enough evidence to overturn it,” Green said. “Every person in the stadium when they were laughing about it after the call didn’t get overturned had enough evidence to overturn. I think Tyler Flowers had enough evidence to overturn it because he knew he didn’t get hit by

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the pitch. Every single way you look at that one, they blew it. It cost us. To me that’s unacceptable.”

Left-hander Robbie Erlin was brought in to replace Ross, who had allowed three hits and two runs.

Johan Camargo singled to center field, moving Flowers to second. A wild pitch sent Flowers to third. Then Ender Inciarte hit a ground ball to first baseman Eric Hosmer that Hosmer held for an extended period while looking at Flowers at third. When Hosmer tossed the ball to second baseman Jose Pirela, who was covering the bag, Flowers took off for home.

After getting the out at first on a close play in which he had to contort his body to avoid Inciarte, Pirela hesitated to look back at the first base umpire instead of immediately turning and throwing home.

There is no guarantee Flowers wouldn’t have scored somehow had Hosmer or Pirela made different decisions, but neither was it the sharpest sequence.

That made it 3-0, the run being charged to Ross.

After Cimber got out of the inning with a ground out, the Padres offense made sure the call/replay would be a factor.

To that point, they had only an infield single in five at-bats with runners in scoring position, failing to score after Ellis’ lead-off double in the sixth inning and Franmil Reyes’ one-out double in the seventh.

But after two outs were made to start the eighth, Pirela and Cory Spangenberg singled to bring up Hosmer, who scored them both with a double down the right field line.

Hunter Renfroe hit a line drive to second baseman Ozzie Albies to end the inning.

The 3-2 score that could have been 2-2 only fueled Green.

“It took us a while to get fighting,” he said. “But (the hit-by-pitch call) turns out to be the go-ahead run. It changes the way we manage the bullpen. It changes the way we go after everything. So that’s frustrating – frustrating for a team that didn’t play very well but fought back at the end of the game to give us a chance. And Tyson threw a heck of a game for us today. You hope those things are gotten right. Because honestly, there is no excuse for that. You’ve got all day to get it right.”

Adam Cimber came in to start the eighth. He got two quick outs before a double by Freddie Freeman.

After an intentional walk to Nick Markakis, Cimber fielded a grounder by Flowers on the left side of the field but bobbled it and then rushed the throw, skipping it past Hosmer and allowing Freeman to score.

Green felt it never should have reached that point. He said in a tie game he would have brought in a left-hander – Brad Hand or Jose Castillo – to face the left-handed Freeman.

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“It does change who you use from a pitching standpoint, how aggressively you manage the bullpen,” Green said.

He wasn’t dismissing the 2-for-7 performance with runners in scoring position or Cimber’s error or any other sloppiness. The Padres had won 11 of 15 coming into Thursday by playing mostly superb defense and by leading the majors with a .321 batting average with runners in scoring position over that stretch.

They did not play winning baseball Thursday.

Green just felt they’d had a chance to win yanked from them.

“Frankly, I just don’t understand it,” he said. “It is plainly obvious to the rest of the world. There is no moment in time you think that might have hit him … There is no scenario where that’s even hard. That’s an extremely easy call.”

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Joey Lucchesi 'smooth' in four hitless innings for Storm Jeff Sanders

If Joey Lucchesi has anything to say about it, Padres manager Andy Green, at least in the short-term, might only have to plan for one more bullpen day.

With the rehabbing Austin Hedges behind the plate, the Padres’ left-handed rookie started his rehab assignment Thursday at high Single-A Lake Elsinore with six strikeouts over four hitless innings, an effort that just might lead to a quick return to the Padres’ rotation.

Maybe as soon as next week.

“It’s possible,” Green told reporters in Atlanta. “We’re going to see how Joey comes out of this one and decide if he needs another one. And a lot of that is not just how did he feel, but how did he throw, does he look ready to go back to the big leagues and pitch or does he need another outing at a higher level?”

Thursday’s results, at least, say Lucchesi is ready to return.

The 25-year-old needed only 43 pitches (32 strikes) to get through four innings, his first game action since straining his right hip last month.

His fastball sat 90-93 mph – and topped out at 96 mph, Lucchesi said referring to the Storm’s charting – and he regularly dropped an 80 mph “churve” in for both called strikes and whiffs against the Dodgers’ California League affiliate. His only hiccup was hitting Steve Berman with an 0-2 offering with two outs in the third inning.

“I felt smooth,” Lucchesi said. “I changed up my routine a little bit and got my hip feeling better. Obviously, that's what I'm dealing with, but I felt good. I felt like I was throwing harder and the results were really good.”

Lucchesi also fielded his position twice without hindrance, a big box to check as he makes his way back from the lower-body injury. He did report some soreness in his legs as he begins to rebuild his stamina.

“That's what I was worried about the most,” Lucchesi said. “Not even pitching – just fielding. I didn't feel anything. I'm happy about that.”

Lucchesi originally sustained the injury leading into his first spring training in the organization in 2017. It resurfaced with an awkward landing out of the stretch in his last start in San Diego,

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temporarily halting an eye-opening start that saw him post a 3.23 ERA, 48 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP through his first nine big league appearances (47 1/3 IP).

He was still feeling something in his legs after throwing to live hitters last week in Peoria, Ariz., necessitating at least a one-start rehab assignment over an immediate return to the rotation.

In his place, Robbie Erlin started one game before Green opted for bullpen days the last three times through the rotation. Left-hander Matt Strahm again is the favorite to start Sunday’s bullpen game in Atlanta.

Regular rest would allow Lucchesi to return to the rotation as soon as Tuesday against the A’s at Petco Park. Monday’s off-day also means the Padres don’t need a fifth starter until Saturday in San Francisco.

The Padres will consult with Lucchesi to determine if he will slot into the rotation somewhere in between or if he requires another minor league start to continue to build stamina, although a full-capacity pitch count may not be a necessity given the team’s use of bullpen days in his absence.

“I feel like I am (ready) and I want to (return),” Lucchesi said.

He added: “Whatever they want to do. I feel good. I feel like, in reality, I can get a little stronger, but I think I’m good. And I was throwing harder, too.”

Hedges (elbow) caught seven innings, singled, doubled and logged a sacrifice fly off Dodgers rehabbing left-hander Rich Hill (4 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 10 Ks), improving his batting average to .500 through the first three games here.

The Padres’ catcher could move his rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso before he returns to the big league team, perhaps as soon as next week.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (33-34)

• Nashville 7, Chihuahuas 5: RHP Brett Kennedy (3.00) struck out seven and allowed one run on six hits and no walks in five innings in his return from the DL. The bullpen allowed six runs over the final four innings, with RHP Trey Wingenter (3-, 4.94) allowing three runs in 2/3 of an inning. C Brett Nicolas(.299) went 2-for-4, hit his 14th homer and drove in three runs. 2B Luis Urias (.269) went 2-for-5, doubled and drove in a run. RF Wil Myers (oblique) started his rehab assignment with an RBI double in four at-bats and LF Franchy Cordero (forearm) went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored to begin his.

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DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (42-24)

• Missions 2, Frisco 1: RHP Cal Quantrill (6-3, 3.94) struck out seven and allowed only one run on seven hits. He did not walk a batter. RHPs Jason Jester (4.31) and Rowan Wick (3.62) both struck out two in a scoreless frame. 1B Austin Allen(.318) hit his 15th homer, now tops in the system. DH Taylor Kohlwey (.242) doubled in a run.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (33-34)

• Storm 2, Rancho Cucamonga 0: RHP Reggie Lawson followed Lucchesi’s rehab start with five shutout inning in a win that moved the Storm into a first-place tie with the Quakes in the South Division. There are three games left in the first half. Lawson struck out six and scattered two hits and two walks in the piggy-back appearance. In addition to Hedges, SS Allen Cordoba (.083) continued his rehab assignment with two strikeouts in an 0-for-3 day.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (29-37)

• Bowling Green 7, TinCaps 2: LHP Osvaldo Hernandez (4-3, 2.73) struck out only one and allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk in five innings. DH Nick Feight(.192) drove in two runs on his first homer. CF Tirso Ornelas (.265) and 1B Jalen Washington (.258) had Fort Wayne’s other hits, both singles.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (7-4)

• Padres 7, White Sox 2: RF Cristian Heredia (.258) hit his second homer and 2B Luis Paez (.216) drove in three runs on three hits. RHP Jeferson Garcia (2.00) struck out six and allowed a run in four innings and RHP Eudi Asencio (9.95) struck out five and allowed a run in four innings in the win.

Transactions

• OF Jorge Ona was activated from Lake Elsinore’s disabled list. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his return.

• Kennedy was activated from El Paso’s disabled list.

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Padres leadership wise to build ties with MLB's 'in' crowd Bryce Miller

Much ink and bandwidth has been deployed to explain the youth-based, long-term strategy of the Padres. Little, in comparison, has been invested in peeling back the layers of a striking philosophical shift off the field.

For decades, the Padres were one of baseball’s far-flung, forgotten outposts — relegated to the world of bat-and-ball afterthought. They were detached, uninvolved, distant and, for far too many years, irrelevant.

Now, the Padres are knee-deep in baseball’s business. It’s purposeful. And it has already paid dividends.

When MLB recently announced it would join in the purchase of iconic sporting goods brand Rawlings with Seidler Equity Partners — founded by Padres Managing Partner Peter Seidler — the San Diego ties stretched to the baseball itself.

That follows Executive Chairman Ron Fowler, the right-hand man of Commissioner Rob Manfred during the last labor deal, picking up a spot on the league’s executive council and being tasked to reshape the game’s constitution that dates back to 1921.

Seidler sits on the ownership and investment councils, as well.

It’s a startling pivot from the out-of-sight, out-of-mind days of the Padres’ past.

“When we got involved with baseball, we weren’t even in with the ‘outs,’ ” Fowler put it this week. “We had no relationships in baseball in 2012. We weren’t on any committees. I think the biggest way of putting it, you have a seat at the table when being discussed and reviewed rather than a seat at the table when they’re being presented.

“Unless you’re on the inside, you had no idea what was going on in baseball until you got a letter telling you.”

Why does it matter how a team is considered and connected, beyond the reach of Fox Sports San Diego? It’s all about wins, losses and selling tickets, right?

Go back to 2016, for starters, when the Gaslamp Quarter was swamped with All-Star Gamefans. That hadn’t happened in nearly a quarter-century and was a first at Petco Park.

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Fowler and Seidler said they used all those meetings, phones calls and emails to beat a drum: San Diego wanted the All-Star Game.

The result: Those calls were returned, those messages read and those pleas acknowledged — landing the weekend that, according to a Union-Tribune story quoting economic experts, produced an estimated $70 million to $80 million worth of impact.

The ripples continue: The top marketing and sales executives from each of baseball’s 30 clubs will visit San Diego next week. Baseball’s prestigious winter meetings return next year.

They still need Christian Villaneuva, Manny Margot and Hunter Renfroe to get a better handle on the strike zone. They still need a healthy Wil Myers. They still need a pitching rotation that trots out a demoralizing No. 1 and intimidating No. 2.

There’s plenty of baseball work to do.

The Padres, though, clearly have thought about their evolution holistically.

“It very much helped us with the All-Star Game in 2016,” Fowler said. “We made it abundantly clear every time we talked to central baseball that we wanted to host. Plus, if you don’t know how the sausage is made, you just have to eat it when it’s done. But when you know how the sausage is made, you know how Boardwalk gets traded for Park Place and how deals get done, it’s very helpful.

“In sitting down and talking about it, we made the determination we needed better relationships with baseball.”

There are more subtle, difficult-to-measure impacts from strengthening those networks. The more prominent and consistent the seat at the table for the Padres, the more confident in-the-know agents are likely to feel about the organizations their players consider.

Money talks, of course. When situations feel similar, though, those other factors break ties and spark contract signatures.

For the Padres, it wasn’t always this way.

“I remember our first meeting with (then-)Commissioner Selig when we mentioned the All-Star Game,” Seidler said. “He told us, a lot of clubs want the All-Star Game and ‘Your interest is duly noted.’

“It was something of an eye-opener, but no surprise. It was clear that a lot of things happen in a professional sports league based on relationships. Day 1, August 2012, we were at the starting line. We had to get to know people and learn how things work.”

Seidler was unable to discuss the Rawlings deal, because governmental I’s still are being dotted with T’s yet to cross.

Be assured, however, that a brand-conscious giant like MLB only would enter into a direct business deal with someone it knows and trusts.

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“It’s completely linked to how we build the business side as well,” Seidler said. “As an example, if there’s a player in Australia who’s the next (Shohei) Ohtani and we want to know the rules, we know who to call at 245 Park Avenue so we have clear marching orders moving forward.

“You don’t build those relationships overnight.”

Fowler, meanwhile, is growing into one of the most connected power-brokers in the game.

Manfred lauded Fowler’s tireless work, going as far as to say no owner “had a bigger influence on the collective bargaining agreement (since Manfred became involved in 1989) than Ron.” Fowler visited each of the 29 clubs during the process.

Now, while working on re-tooling the game’s constitution, Fowler has deepened connections with Mets owner Fred Wilpon, Royals owner David Glass, Giants owner Larry Baer and Twins owner Jim Pohlad.

The pivot has been remarkable.

“(Former owner) John Moores was very involved for a while, then he became frustrated,” Fowler said. “I don’t know who got frustrated first, baseball with John or John with baseball.

“Then the situation with Jeff (Moorad, and a failed ownership bid), there were guys in baseball who didn’t want him to be an owner. So the Padres went probably seven years where it was, whatever we do, San Diego has to do. People didn’t pay attention to us.

“I’m not saying we carry the kind of clout some people do, but we have a seat at the table.”

Will all the hob-knobbing inflate batting averages and lower ERAs for the home team at Petco Park? No.

Does it matter? Without a doubt.

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Padres notes: Hosmer's numbers; Ross quality not enough for first time Kevin Acee

Remember when Eric Hosmer’s Padres career was off to a slow start?

On April 22, he was batting .241/.323/.398 and had hit two home runs in 93 plate appearances.

In the 195 plate appearances since then, including his two-run double in Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Braves, Hosmer is batting .312/.390/.520 with seven homers.

“He’s clearly our MVP from an offensive standpoint,” Andy Green said.

That’s why the Padres made him the highest-paid player in franchise history.

But to be sure, he’s as good as he ever has been at this point in any of his eight seasons.

Hosmer’s .368 overall on-base percentage is his second-highest ever through his first 67 games of a season, as are his.480 slugging percentage and nine homers. His 32 walks and 30 extra-base hits are the most he’s had at this point in any season.

Hosmer is also on pace for a more dubious career high. With 61 strikeouts, most through his team’s first 71 games in any season, he is on pace for 139, which would be seven more than he had in 2016.

Hosmer and hitting coach Matt Stairs dismiss any notion Hosmer has changed his swing or approach. But Stairs has a theory about the player who leads the Padres with 10 go-ahead RBIs, six game-winning RBIs and 44 runs created.

“He’s become the guy in the order that needs to do something special,” Stairs said. “Maybe trying to do too much, maybe swinging at pitches he usually doesn’t.”

The thinking is the team hitting better as a whole, which it has lately, and the eventual return of Wil Myers from the disabled list can’t hurt.

Outfield crunch coming Myers and fellow outfielder Franchy Cordero made their first rehab starts for Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Myers had an RBI double and scored a run in four at-bats. Cordero was 0-for-3, walked and scored.

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Cordero, on the DL since May 28 with a forearm strain, is expected to return before Myers, who could be in the minors as long as 20 days (the maximum allowed for a rehab assignment). It likely won’t be a much shorter stint, as he has been on the DL since April 29 with complications from a back strain and strained oblique.

“In my mind, Wil is going to take some time,” Green said. “He hasn’t played in well over a month. … He’s going to need some at-bats before he’s ready to go. So this isn’t imminent. We’re going to give him some time to find his rhythm.”

Green acknowledged there will eventually be a crunch in the outfield that will require some machinations.

“Both those guys are going to play on a pretty consistent basis,” Green said of Myers and Cordero. “… We’ll have to make some roster decisions as those guys get healthy.”

In that Matt Szczur turns 29 this year and has seven plate appearances this month, his continued employment is tenuous. The other move will come from among a group that includes Manuel Margot, Travis Jankowski, Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe.

Ross quality again Tyson Ross was as good Thursday as he had been in a while, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing three hits – one an infield dribbler, another a bouncer through the middle and another a solo home run by Ender Inciarte.

Just four of the 23 batters Ross faced got the ball to the outfield. His slider induced some of its usual awkward swings, his fastball had perhaps better than its normal life, and he mixed in an effective change-up more than usual.

Ross left after it was ruled he had hit Tyler Flowers, the first batter of the seventh inning. When Flowers ended up scoring, Ross (5-4) was charged with that run as well.

His first quality start since May 23 against the Nationals moved him into a tie with Clayton Richard for the team lead.

The Padres had won all of Ross’ previous quality starts. They were 10-3 in his starts and had won six straight.

“I felt good,” Ross said. “I threw the ball well. … I’d been grinding the last few starts. I wasn’t myself.”

Said Green: “Tyson was great. … He deserved a better fate.”

Margot rising, staying down Margot entered Thursday having gone 9-for-20 and raised his batting average 26 points (to .235) and his one-base percentage 21 points (to .295) during a six-game hitting streak.

He is working his way back to being the lead-off hitter he was at the start of the season and that the Padres envision long-term.

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Yet he batted seventh against the Braves, the 20th straight start and 29th time in his past 30 starts he has batted seventh or eighth.

“It’s just comfort,” Green said. “Letting a guy who has searched so hard for his stride this year, since he’s finally found it, not to change something again on him. Maybe the day comes here in short order, where he does go back to the top.

“For now, it’s let him be back in the seventh and eighth spot, where he’s been and started to swing the bat well. He’s been a run producer for us recently down there and had some hits for us.”

Margot was 3-for-4 with an RBI triple and a run scored on Wednesday in St. Louis and had four runs and four RBIs in his past nine starts. He went 0-for-4 Thursday against the Braves.

An ascension to the top likely won’t take long if Margot continues to hit near his recent level and if Jankowski’s struggles continue. Jankowski was batting .326 with a .396 OBP on May 28 but has nine hits and three walks in his past 49 plate appearances and is down to .285/.347 on the season.

Spangenberg hits second Another hitter who was scuffling is not only getting more chance to play lately but on Thursday was in the No.2 spot in the order for the second straight game.

Cory Spangenberg had struck out nine times in his past 18 at-bats and was hitting .172 on June 2. He had 44 at-bats over the previous 5½ weeks.

He got into the June 3 game against the Reds in place of Christian Villanueva, who fouled a ball of his ankle in the first inning.

Spangenberg hit a home run in that game, homered and tripled the next day and has nine hits in 28 at-bats since then. He was 2-for-4 and scored a run on Wednesday and on Thursday got his only hit in four at-bats with a single in the ninth inning. He ended up scoring for the fifth straight game and for the ninth time in 10 games.

“He can be a catalyst,” Green said. “His speed can play a certain way other guys on the team’s speed can’t play. He’s having some success. We’ll ride that success as long as we can and give him the opportunity to do it.”

Extra bases Before Ross walked Ozzie Albies in the fifth inning, Padres pitchers had gone 32 innings without issuing a walk. That tied a franchise record set in 1971.

Thursday was the Padres’ eighth straight loss in Atlanta. They were swept in a four-game series last year and a three-game series in 2016. The franchise record for consecutive losses in Atlanta is nine, achieved twice, over the 1977 and ‘78 seasons and again in 1980.

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The Padres are a major league-worst 5-18 in series openers and 28-20 in every other games this season. They are also 2-25 in games in which they score two or fewer runs. Their 27 such games are third-most in the majors.

A.J. Ellis doubled and singled on Thursday and has at least one hit in nine of his past 11 starts. He is 12-for-35 in that span.

Jose Pirela was 2-for-4 and has at least one hit in eight straight starts.

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Padres irked by HBP call, review in Atlanta loss Controversial ruling helps negate strong start by Ross. 14th, 2018 By Tori McElhaney MLB.com Jun. 14th, 2018

ATLANTA -- Manager Andy Green and the Padres can pinpoint the exact moment the game fully turned in the Braves' favor in San Diego's 4-2 loss to Atlanta at SunTrust Park on Thursday night.

The moment in question came on a controversial call in the seventh inning. Braves catcher Tyler Flowerswas ruled to have been hit by a Tyson Ross pitch on the hand to lead off the frame. The Padres challenged the call, but the ruling on the field stood, putting Flowers on first. A few batters later, Flowers scored on Ender Inciarte's groundout to first base, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead.

"Flowers said probably five times that he wasn't hit," Green said. "The replay said he wasn't hit. It's those moments as a manager that you aren't even sure why you have replay. It was blatantly obvious that it didn't hit him."

. 14th, 2018

After the pitch, catcher A.J. Ellis said Flowers "instantaneously" said he was not hit by the pitch. After the game, however, Flowers said the pitch did hit something.

"I told [home-plate umpire Mark Ripperger] I didn't think it hit me," Flowers recalled. "The more I thought about it sitting there and then seeing the replay, I know it hit something. It might have been me. I wear so many guards and stuff, it might have nicked one of those."

Regardless of whether or not the pitch hit Flowers, the Padres believe the call altered the trajectory of the game.

"It changes the way we manage the bullpen. It changes the way we go after everything. That's frustrating," Green said. "It's frustrating for a team that didn't play very well but fought back at the end of the game to give us a chance."

Despite the call and the Braves' ensuing three-run lead, the Padres' offense wouldn't go quietly. San Diego answered with two runs in the top of the eighth on Eric Hosmer's hard ground ball down the right-field line with two outs.

2018

Ross, the Padres' starter, was dealt the loss despite recording a quality start. The right-hander allowed three runs on three hits and a walk, with four K's, in his six innings of work.

With the loss, the Padres' streak of wins in Ross' starts came to an end. They had won six consecutive games in which Ross started, dating back to May 7.

Braves starter Anibal Sanchez kept the Padres off the scoreboard through seven innings, as they registered just four hits against him.

. 14th, 2018

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"We weren't able to muster much offensively," Green said. "It took us seven innings to really get going."

After the Padres cut the deficit to a run in the top of the 8th, the Braves were gifted again with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Flowers tapped a slow roller to Padres reliever Adam Cimber, who fielded the ball but made an errant throw to first, allowing Freddie Freeman to score a Braves insurance run.

The Braves first struck with two outs in the bottom of the third, when Ozzie Albies doubled to center to score Inciarte. Two innings later, Inciarte smacked a 1-0 cutter deep to right field for a solo home run.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY The Padres' offense had a good opportunity to get on the board against Sanchez and the Braves in the top of the sixth, when they had runners on first and third with one out. But Sanchez induced consecutive infield popouts from Cory Spangenberg and Hosmer.

. 14th, 2018

"We had the opportunity there with first and third and the heart of our order up," Green said, "[We] didn't cash in."

SOUND SMART With Ross' walk of Albies in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Padres' three-game streak without surrendering a walk was snapped. The Padres went 32 consecutive innings without issuing a walk, tying a franchise record that had stood undisturbed since July 1971.

HE SAID IT "Any person in the stadium, they're laughing after the call. It didn't get overturned because there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it. I think Flowers had enough evidence to overturn it, because he knew he didn't get hit by the pitch. ... That cost us. To me, that's unacceptable because you have all day to get that one right." -- Green, on the Flowers hit-by-pitch call

UP NEXT Clayton Richard follows up a superb outing in his last start with Friday night's bout vs. the Braves at SunTrust Park at 4:35 p.m. PT. The Padres' southpaw took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Marlins on Sunday. The Braves will counter with right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who has posted a 6.19 ERA in his past three starts.

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Myers, Franchy begin rehab assignments Plus injury updates on Lucchesi, Hedges2018 By Tori McElhaney MLB.com Jun. 14th, 2018

ATLANTA -- While the Padres have had their best five-series stretch in recent years, they have a few big names close to rejoining the team.

Outfielders Franchy Cordero and Wil Myers began their rehab assignments for Triple-A El Paso on Thursday, while Joey Lucchesi made the start for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore, with rehabbing Austin Hedges behind the plate.

Cordero and Myers both played six innings, leaving the game in the top of the seventh. Cordero, playing in left field, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk while Myers, playing in right field, went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and strikeout.

Meanwhile, Lucchesi and Hedges were lights-out with Lake Elsinore. The lefty Lucchesi went four innings without surrendering a hit, tallying six strikeouts. Hedges went 2-2 with a double and a sacrifice fly before being taken out in the eighth inning.

Cordero has been on the 10-day disabled list since May 28 due to a right forearm strain, while Myers is working to return from a strained left oblique he sustained in April.

"We've got guys out in all of our affiliates right now," Padres manager Andy Green said. "We have a lot of bodies out getting healthy, which is a good thing, guys we've missed and look forward to getting back."

22nd, 2018

The plan once these players return, especially the outfield duo of Cordero and Myers, is still up in the air. With five outfielders on the Padres' active roster, changes will have to be made.

"[Cordero and Myers] will be given an opportunity to play on a pretty consistent basis, but you also want to make sure they're healthy and that [we aren't] pushing them too fast or too soon," Green said. "We'll have to make some roster decisions, but those decisions will come as those guys get healthy."

Cordero could be back relatively quickly. Myers, however, could need a little more work on the rehab assignment.

"He's missed well over a month, hasn't played since April, so he is going to need some at-bats before he's ready to go," Green said. "So this isn't imminent, we aren't going to see him in a couple of days. We need to give him some time to find his rhythm and check in with him after every game."

This gives the current set of outfielders on the active roster more time to make their case. Manuel Margot, in particular, has made a strong case, hitting .450 in his last six games while hitting toward the bottom of the lineup.

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"Letting a guy who has searched so hard for his stride this year, and now that he has finally found it, he'll stay down in that seven or eight [spot]," Green said. "He's starting to swing the bat well. He's been a run producer for us down there and has had some big hits for us."

For the season, Cordero has hit .237 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 40 games, while Myers has hit .300 with a homer and three RBIs in 10 games.

Meanwhile, Lucchesi has been out due to a right hip strain, and Hedges is rehabbing from right (throwing) elbow tendinitis. They both expect to return soon, possibly as early as next week, according to Green.

"We are going to see how Joey comes out in this one, then decide if he needs another one," Green said. "With him, it's not just how did he feel, but also how did he throw, does he look ready to go back to the big leagues and pitch, does he need another outing at maybe a higher level?"

. 28th, 2018

For Hedges it's a bit more simple.

"If things go well today, he'll have a day off tomorrow, then play three in a row," Green said. "Then we'll try to catch him back-to-back games, then move forward from there."

The Padres will take a day-to-day approach with all four returning players.

"We kind of have their path drawn up, but it's going to be every single night checking in to see how they feel and how they perform and give them the opportunity to move to how they are feeling," Green said.

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5 reasons Padres are quietly interesting in '18 NL West club boasts elite bullpen, top farm system, innovative skipper and intriguing talent By Will Leitch MLB.com @williamfleitch Jun. 14th, 2018

The best way to describe how difficult -- how relentless -- it has been to be a fan of the San Diego Padres over the last 10-12 years is to note that the one moment the Padres had the unfocused attention of the baseball world is probably the franchise's most self-destructive decision.

That moment was the 2015 offseason spending spree that then-new general manager A.J. Preller kicked off, trading for (deep breath) Matt Kemp and Justin Upton and Wil Myers and Derek Norris and Brandon Maurer and Will Middlebrooks, and then signing James Shields, who at the time was the most enticing free agent pitcher remaining. He finished it off by trading for Craig Kimbrel, because at that point, why not? The Padres had been a mostly nondescript, conservative, not entirely relevant team for far too long, and Preller, an ambitious, hotshot thirty-something wunderkind, wanted to shake things up. So he went nuts. It was Prellerpalooza. It was the most that many of us had thought about the Padres in years. It was a blast.

And it did not work. It quite definitively did not work. The 2015 Padres were worse than they were in 2014, and it was obvious from the get-go. You can see what Preller was thinking: This franchise is moribund and stagnant, so I'll blow it up and see what happens. What happened was the Padres were still bad and not any more exciting on the field. So it is to Preller's credit that he recognized Prellerpalooza was a bust and rather than doubling down on it, he took down the rafters, canceled the next tour and retreated. You had to admire it. Teams are constantly tearing down and building for the future. Preller, in his first days on the job, took one big giant swing. He missed. But he shot his shot. And when that didn't work, he started over. Some GMs start over immediately. You have to love that he went for it.

5th, 2018

So, we are now in Season Three of the Post-Prellerpalooza Padres Reconstruction, and we've all gone back to ignoring the Padres like we have for the previous decade, but guess what? The Padres are quietly sort of interesting! After winning two out of three on the road against a listless Cardinals team that seems to be entering into some sort of midlife malaise, the Padres, wouldn't you know it, are starting to make a little noise. They're still in last place in the tough National League West, but they're only a game behind the Giants and a game-and-a-half behind the Rockies, a team that was in first place a week ago. They have a better record than the Mets, the Twins and the Blue Jays -- three teams that considered themselves contenders heading into this year. They're 22-17 since May 1. The Padres aren't half bad!

It's a little early for the Padres to start calling themselves contenders, even in the muck that is the NL West. But they currently have the highest winning percentage of Preller's reign, with one of the youngest teams in the sport and MLB Pipeline's top farm system in the game. It certainly looks like Preller and company are starting to get this ship turned around. Let's take a look at five things the Padres are doing right this season, and how they may portend to a better future ... and maybe another Prellerpalooza someday.

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1. The bullpen: If you want to see why the Padres are rising and, say, the Cardinals are fading, look at their series this week. The Cardinals' bullpen has been racked by injuries and mismanagement, to the point that there are only two relievers manager Mike Matheny trusts, and one of them is 21 years old. Meanwhile, the Padres on Tuesday threw out a bullpen game for the third time in three weeks ... and the relievers were fantastic, even taking a perfect game into the sixth inning. Wednesday, they threw three more shutout innings to hold on for their second 4-2 win in a row. Brad Hand has been the standout -- and could be some handy trade bait next month -- but the Padres have options everywhere, from veterans like Craig Stammenand Kirby Yates (who has given up three runs in 27 innings) to youngsters like Adam Cimber and Jose Castillo, who struck out all four batters he faced Thursday. The Padres throw a ton of different looks at you, and the supposedly vaunted Cardinals lineup was befuddled all three games of the series.

, 2018

2. Eric Hosmer: Remember when everyone was making fun of the Padres for supposedly overspending on Hosmer. Well, he's off to the best start of his career, entering Thursday with a .370 on-base percentage, playing his usual mean first base and even upping his walk rate. Hosmer might not be a superstar, but he's an undeniable plus in a lineup, and, more importantly, he's a constant: The Padres are in the process of introducing a ton of new players to their roster, so having a guy who puts up a 135 OPS+ without sweating too much, turns out, to be rather handy.

. 13th, 2018

3. Organizational depth: The Padres do have the best farm system in the game, but their major contributors this year haven't necessarily been those top prospects. They're just guys who have hung around the system long enough to improve and eventually break through, even if they didn't do it until their mid or late 20s. Christian Villanueva is a stealth Rookie of the Year Award candidate; Travis Jankowskiand Hunter Renfroe have contributed in the outfield; Joey Lucchesi, before he got hurt, was probably their best starter and Jordan Lyles has had his moments both as a starter and a reliever. None of these guys are stars, but they have been positive contributors for minimal cost. They are signs of a healthy system and a franchise that knows what it's doing. And none of the stars of 2019, the reason the farm system is ranked so high, are even here yet.

. 10th, 2018

4. They're finding strange, intriguing talent in unusual places: Franchy Cordero (before he went on the disabled list) doesn't just have a great baseball name; he also, as my colleague Mike Petriello put it, has the speed of Dee Gordon and the power of Joey Gallo, even if he hasn't figured out the plate discipline yet. Franmil Reyes has massive, almost terrifying power. Luis Perdomo has a blazing fastball and a weird ability to hit triples. Eric Lauer has picked off a baserunner in five consecutive games. (The Padres are on pace to break the all-time record for pickoffs, actually.) The Padres are widely considered to have one of the most innovative, creative front offices, and you can see it in their ability to find quirky talents where many teams wouldn't even think to look.

22nd, 2018

5. They're keeping it loose and flexible: Manager Andy Green has already received plenty of plaudits for inventiveness as a manager, and he's had to pedal as fast as he can this year, considering injuries to Myers, Austin Hedges, Dinelson Lamet and other players the Padres were counting on. This has led to a kitchen-sink approach, including having your starter be

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"bullpen" three times in three weeks. (And having it work!) The Padres are a team that is clearly open to anything, and Green is the manager who is making it work.

. 12th, 2018

Look, the Padres aren't making the playoffs this year. Fangraphs gives them 0.8 percent odds. But they're better, and they're interesting, and they're improving, and for a team that has Fernando Tatis Jr. and MacKenzie Gore and Luis Urias and Cal Quantrill and Michel Baez and Adrian Morejon coming, along with whatever other gems are hanging around their system, they're already in a good place. Preller made a huge splash when he took over the Padres, and it was a high-profile flop. He has been a lot quieter since then. And that quiet approach is starting to pay benefits. The Padres aren't there yet. But they're coming. We're going to be talking about the Padres a lot more over the next five years. This is just the start.

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Margot among those poised for turnaround By Steve Gilbert MLB.com @SteveGilbertMLB Jun. 14th, 2018

The length of a baseball season -- yes, it's a cliche that it's a marathon and not a sprint -- lends itself to ups and downs for both teams and individuals.

A bad week, or even a bad month, can be wiped away over time, and even the best players and teams go through stretches of bad play.

A look at the National League West is a perfect example. The D-backs had a red-hot April, but they went ice cold at the plate in May while the Dodgers and Giants surged.

Heading into Thursday, the entire NL West is separated by just 5 1/2 games. This division is likely to be decided late in the season, and each team has players who started off slow and will be counted on to rebound for their club to play into October.

9th, 2018

D-backs: Paul Goldschmidt Arizona had seen Goldschmidt struggle before, but never for a prolonged period of time like he did to open this season.

The five-time All-Star was hitting .198 on May 22. On the team's recent road trip to San Francisco and Denver, Goldschmidt went on a tear. Over the final five games of the six-game trip, he hit .682 with an OPS of 2.311.

Goldschmidt won't stay that hot, but he has shortened up his swing and he has seven-plus years of big league stats that say he's going to be just fine.

. 9th, 2018

Dodgers: Cody Bellinger Bellinger famously said "bring it on" when asked in Spring Training if he was worried that NL clubs would exploit him this year the way the Astros did in the World Series.

But that's exactly what happened. He's been benched by the manager for not hustling, then for not hitting, and he's tinkered with his setup and swing, and his OPS is about 150 points lower than last year.

He has shown signs recently of snapping out of it, homering in four straight games last week. His average exit velocity is right in line with his mark from last year, and he's simply too good of a hitter to not be able to turn things around.

. 13th, 2018

Giants: Evan Longoria While some called for San Francisco to begin a rebuilding project after last season, the team instead acquired veterans to compete for the postseason this year. One of those was Longoria, who was expected to be a big part of the Giants' lineup.

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The 32-year-old third baseman got off to a slow start at the plate, which came on the heels of a down 2017 season. Looking a little deeper, though, there are some signs that Longoria can find his way back to being the player who received votes in the American League MVP race two years ago.

Longoria's hard-hit rate of 40 percent is just under what it was a couple of years ago, and the exit velocity on his balls in play this year is almost 5-mph faster. In other words, he's hitting the ball harder than last year but doesn't have the results to show for it.

13th, 2018

Padres: Manuel Margot After a strong 2017 campaign that saw Margot finish sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, the Padres expected big things out of their second-year center fielder and former top prospect. He got off to an abysmal start, however, posting a .556 OPS in April and a .583 mark in May.

Margot could be turning a corner, however, and it's likely the result of a swing change. Always an aggressive hitter, Margot was asked to work on keeping his center of gravity back when he swings. He's been making the adjustment on the fly, and thus far he's seen success with it.

18th, 2018

Rockies: Bryan Shaw When Colorado pried right-handed setup man Shaw away from the Indians with a three-year, $27 million free-agent deal last offseason, it seemed like as sure a thing as you can get from a reliever.

From 2014-17, Shaw had ERA+ totals of 151, 146, 140 and 134, and his consistency was one of his biggest assets.

It's that track record, along with some mechanical issues the coaching staff have identified, that lead the organization to believe that he'll be able to right the ship and find a way to locate his pitches better.

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Tough roster decisions in store for Padres Notes on team performance, Lauer, Castillo, Hand, Margot, Spangenberg By Bill Center San Diego Padres Jun. 14th, 2018

When Joey Lucchesi starts for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore Thursday night, the Padres will have seven players from their disabled list on active rehab assignments. Catcher Austin Hedges and infielder-outfielder Allen Cordoba started their rehab assignments with Lake Elsinore on Tuesday night.

And right-handed starter Colin Rea allowed no runs with four walks and five strikeouts over 4 2/3 hitless innings for Double-A San Antonio Wednesday night in his best rehab outing. Right-handed reliever Phil Maton is also rehabbing with the Missions.

But the improving health of the Padres' injured players creates a bigger problem. How do they all fit on the 25-man roster when they are ready to return?

The Padres are 24-19 with Raffy Lopez and A.J. Ellis sharing the catching duties since Hedges went on the disabled list on April 30 with right elbow tendinitis.

Lucchesi figures to go back into the rotation, although the Padres have won two of their last three "bullpen starts" in Lucchesi's spot in the rotation. Rea's situation is less clear.

Cordoba, who spent the entire 2017 season with the Padres as a Rule 5 Draft pick, will most likely be optioned.

Maton has options left and with the Padres' bullpen already at nine relievers and pitching exceptionally well as of late, it is possible for Maton to be back with Triple-A El Paso until needed.

Which brings us to the two outfielders, Myers (out since April 28 with a left oblique strain) and Cordero (out since May 28 with a forearm strain).

And that's where it really gets interesting. The Padres already have five outfielders in Manuel Margot, Travis Jankowski, Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes and Matt Szczur. They won't be carrying six. And Myers and Cordero were both starters earlier in the season. NOTEBOOK

• The Padres are 25-20 over their last 25 games despite going 1-13 in the first 14 games of their last 14 series. But they are 10-4 in the second games of those series, 11-3 in the thirds games and 3-0 in the finale of the three four-game series they've played since the end of April. • The Padres didn't issue a walk during the three-game series against the Cardinals, marking the first time in club history the team did not issue a walk in a three-game series. The Padres have gone 28 straight innings without issuing a walk, the fifth-longest walkless streak in franchise history. The Padres have also won five straight series, the longest such streak since 2010.

• Eric Lauer picked off a runner for a franchise-record fifth straight game Wednesday night. He leads the National League with seven pick-offs this season. Lauer is 2-1 over his last three

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starts with a 3.45 earned run average. He went from walking seven during his June 8 start to issuing no walks for the first time in his 10 Major League starts Wednesday.

• Jose Castillo has faced 14 Major League batters in his career and has struck out nine, including the last five. He struck out all four Cardinals he faced in relief of Eric Lauer Wednesday night. Castillo is one of five pitchers, including teammate Brad Hand, to strike out all four hitters they've faced in a single appearance this season.

• Manuel Margot is 9-for-20 with a double, a triple and a walk during a six-game hitting streak, which is one game shy of the longest streak in his career. He is 19-for-49 (.413) since May 23 with five doubles and a triple with eight walks for a .474 on-base percentage - raising his batting average from .189 to .235.

• Brad Hand recorded his National League-leading 21st save Wednesday, tying his single-season high set last year. Hand has successfully converted 15 straight save opportunities since May 1 and the Padres are 19-0 in his last 19 appearances.

• Cory Spangenberg is 6-for-16 over a four-game hitting streak with a homer, two RBIs and a run scored in each game. He is 11-for-32 (.344) over his last nine games with two triples and three homers for six RBIs and eight runs scored.

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Sanchez throws 7 scoreless innings, Braves top Padres 4-2 8:43 PM PT

Associated Press

ATLANTA -- Another strong effort from Anibal Sanchez has the first-place Atlanta Braves facing a sudden surplus of starting pitchers. Sanchez allowed only four hits in seven scoreless innings, Ender Inciartehomered and scored two runs and the Braves, helped by a strange replay ruling, beat the San Diego Padres 4-2 on Thursday night.

The Braves (40-28) moved 12 games over .500 for the first time since ending the 2013 season on top of the NL East. They haven't been back to the playoffs since 2013, but now they're again leading the division.

Sanchez has won two straight starts. With the emergence of rookie Mike Soroka and the expected return of Julio Teheran from the DL this weekend, Braves manager Brian Snitker could soon face difficult decisions in his rotation.

"We've got a good problem because we've got more starters than we can probably use right now," Snitker said. "That's something that not a lot of teams can say. So it's going to be some tough decisions going forward."

Sanchez (3-0) did not walk a batter as he earned his first win in six career starts against San Diego. The 34-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.93 in seven games, including six starts. He signed with Atlanta in spring training following his release from Minnesota.

"He's been a man on a mission," catcher Tyler Flowers said. Sanchez outpitched Tyson Ross (5-4), who allowed only three hits and three runs in six-plus innings. Ozzie Albies added a run-scoring double for Atlanta. Inciarte, who singled and scored in the third, had two hits. Atlanta led 3-0 before Eric Hosmer's double off Dan Winkler in the eighth drove in Jose Pirela and Cory Spangenberg, cutting the lead to one run. Freddie Freeman doubled and scored on Adam Cimber's throwing error on Flowers' grounder in the bottom of the eighth to cap the scoring. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.

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The Padres were upset a video review affirmed the ruling from home plate umpire Mark Ripperger that Flowers was hit by a pitch from Sanchez in the seventh. The review lasted 2 minutes, 39 seconds.

Flowers said he told Ripperger he didn't think he was hit by the pitch.

"The more I thought about it sitting there, and then seeing the replay, I know it hit something," Flowers said. "It might have been me. I don't know. I wear so many guards and stuff, it might have been one of those."

TV replays seemed to show the ball didn't hit Flowers or his bat.

San Diego manager Andy Green said the call changed the game because Flowers scored on Inciarte's groundout against Robbie Erlin. "In those moments as a manager I'm not even sure why you have replay," Green said. "I mean, it's blatantly obvious it didn't hit him. There's no situation where that hit him and it changed the game. ... Every single way you look at that one they blew it and that cost us."

Inciarte pulled a pitch from Ross over the first level of right-field seats and into the open doors of a restaurant in the fifth. It was Inciarte's fifth homer and his first since May 15.

Sanchez escaped sixth-inning trouble after the Padres had runners on first and third with one out, following a double by A.J. Ellis and an infield single by Pirela. Spangenberg and Hosmer ended the inning with infield popups.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Teheran (right thumb contusion) is on track to come off the DL and start on Sunday after throwing a bullpen session with no problems. Teheran has been out since June 5. ... Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. (left knee sprain) hit before the game. He is expected to run the bases at a moderate pace on Friday and then give the knee a more strenuous test on Saturday. SLOW STARTERS

The Padres fell to 5-18 in series openers this season, the worst mark in the National League. Despite those poor starts, San Diego has won five straight series.

RARE WALK

Ross went four innings without a walk before putting Albies on base with two outs in the fifth. It ended a stretch of 32 innings without a walk for San Diego pitchers, matching the longest streak in franchise history from July 28-31, 1971.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Clayton Richard will start Friday night's second game of the series. He is 4-2 with a 3.04 ERA in his last seven starts. Braves: RHP Brandon McCarthy was announced as Friday night's starter.

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#PadresOnDeck: Lucchesi,

Lawson Combine on 2-hit

Shutout for A-Lake Elsinore;

Other Rehab Results By Bill Center

Five starting pitchers in the Padres family, led by rehabbing left-hander Joey Lucchesi, turned in excellent games Thursday night.

Lucchesi teamed with right-hander Reggie Lawson to pitch a two-hit shutout for Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore.

Other strong starts were turned in by right-handers Brett Kennedy (Triple-A El Paso) and Cal Quantrill (Double-A San Antonio) and left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez with Single-A Fort Wayne.

The recap:

— Lucchesi, 25, who has been on the Padres’ disabled list since May 15 with a strained glute muscle, made his rehab debut with the Storm and allowed only a hit-batter in four otherwise perfect innings with six strikeouts. He threw 43 pitches with 32 going for strikes.

— Lawson, 20, the Padres’ 29th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, followed Lucchesi and allowed two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in five innings to get credit for the win (5–2) and lower his earned run average to 2.61.

— Kennedy, 23, returned from the Chihuahuas’ disabled list to allow one run on six hits and no walks with seven strikeouts over five innings, lowering his ERA to 3.00.

— Quantrill, 23, the Padres’ №4 prospect, allowed one run on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings to improve to 6–3 while lowering his ERA to 3.94.

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— Hernandez, 21, gave up four runs (but only one earned) on eight hits and a walk in five innings. The Cuban (4–3) lowered his ERA to 2.25.

Three other Padres joined Lucchesi on rehab assignments Thursday:

— Catcher Austin Hedges (.500) was 2-for-2 with a double, a RBI and a run scored for Lake Elsinore.

— Outfielders Wil Myers (1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI) and Franchy Cordero (0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored) started their rehab assignments with El Paso.

Leaders among the Padres’ Top-30 position prospects Thursday:

— Catcher Austin Allen, 24, the Padres’ №26 prospect, hit his 15th homer in four at-bats for San Antonio, where he is hitting .318.

— Second baseman Luis Urías, 21, the Padres’ №3 prospect, was 2-for-5 with a double and a RBI for El Paso to raise his batting average to .269.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (33–34): Nashville 7, CHIHUAHUAS 5 — C Brett Nicholas(.299) was 2-for-4 with his 14th homer and three RBIs. CF Auston Bousfield(.252) was 2-for-3. DH Shane Peterson (.253) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. 1B Allen Craig (.272) was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. RHP Jesse Scholtens (8.56 ERA) followed Kennedy and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk with a strikeout in two innings. RHP Trey Wingenter (3–3, 4.94) allowed three runs on a hit and two walks in two-thirds of an inning to suffer the loss. LHP Tyler Webb (2.55) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (42–24): Missions 2, FRISCO 1 — The win lowered San Antonio’s magic number to three in the race for the Texas League’s first-half South Division title. RHPs Jason Jester (4.31 ERA) and Rowan Wick(3.62, third save) followed Quantrill with each giving up a hit with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. DH Taylor Kohlwey (.242) had a RBI double in three at-bats. RF Rod Boykin (.226) was 1-for-3 with a run scored. CF Michael Gettys (.264) had a double in three at-bats. C Webster Rivas was 1-for-4.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (33–34): STORM 2, Rancho Cucamonga 0 — The win moved Lake Elsinore into a tie for the California League South lead with three games remaining in the race for the first-half title. LF Nate Easley (.238) backed Hedges, going 1-for-3 with a run scored. 2B Eguy Rosario (.250) was 1-for-3 with a stolen base. CF Edward Olivares(.265) had a double in four at-bats.

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SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (29–37): BOWLING GREEN 7, TinCaps 2 — DH Nick Feight (.192) hit a two-run homer in four at-bats. CF Tirso Ornelas (.265) was 1-for-3 with a walk. 1B Jalen Washington (.258) was 1-for-3. RHP Caleb Boushley (3.03) followed Hernandez and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in two innings. LHP Ben Sheckler (3.83) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (7–4): PADRES 7, White Sox 2 — RF Cristian Heredia (.256) homered in three at-bats. 2B Luis Paez (.216) was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. LF Victor Nova (.350) was 1-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and three runs scored. Starting RHP Jeferson Garcia (2.00 ERA) allowed a run on four hits and no walks with six strikeouts in four innings.

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This Day in Padres History —

 June 15 By Bill Center

June 15, 1983 — Ed Whitsonallows only three hits and an unearned run in a complete game as the Padres defeat the Reds 3–1 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

June 15, 1990 — Center fielder Joe Carter hits a two-run homer in the top of the 13th to give the Padres a 3–1 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

June 15, 1996 — Center fielder Steve Finley hits a two-run homer in the sixth to lead the Padres to a 2–1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

June 15, 2015 — Bud Black fired after 8 ½ seasons as the Padres manager. He was the 16th manager in Padres history with the second-longest tenure.

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#PadresOnDeck: RHP Michel

Baez, C Austin Allen top Padres’

Weekly Minor League Honor Roll By Bill Center

Lake Elsinore right-handed starter Michel Baez and three other pitchers join Double-A catcher Austin Allen as the Padres On Deck Players of the Week from the Padres’ minor league system.

Baez, a 6-foot-8, 22-year-old from Cuba, was honored as the Advanced Single-A California League Pitcher of the Week last week. The other pitchers on the Padres weekly honor roll are left-handed Triple-A starter Dillon Overton, Luis Patiño from Fort Wayne and Miguel Rondon from the Dominican Summer League.

The Padres On Deck Players of the Week:

Left-handed starter Dillon Overton (Triple-A El Paso) — The 26-year-old, 6-foot-2, 175-pounder won both his starts last week while allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over 14 innings for the Chihuahuas. That is both a 0.64 earned run average and WHIP. Between Double-A San Antonio and El Paso, Overton is 4–2 on the season with a 2.58 ERA in 14 games (seven starts) with a 1.01 WHIP and a .202 opponents’ batting average.

Catcher Austin Allen (Double-A San Antonio) — Allen, 24, is ranked the Padres’ №27 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He was 7-for-20 last week with two doubles, two homers, a sacrifice fly, four RBIs and three runs scored for a .381 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage for a 1.131 OPS. Allen ranks first in the Texas League in slugging percentage (.608), second in home runs (14), third in OPS (.985) and fifth in batting (.327).

Right-handed starter Michel Baez (Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore) — Ranked the Padres №5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Baez was honored by the California League for his start June 5 at Inland Empire. Baez allowed one hit and no walks with eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings. Baez has a 2.84 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP over eight starts this season. He is 2–1 in his last three starts with a 1.06 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP.

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Right-handed starter Luis Patiño (Single-A Fort Wayne) — The 6-foot, 170-pound, 18-year-old from Colombia joined the Padres’ Top-30 prospect list this week in the №24 spot. Last Saturday he pitched five hitless innings, issuing three walks while striking out four. He has a 3.22 ERA in five starts with 23 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. Over his last three starts, Patiño has allowed one unearned run on nine hits and four walks with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Right-handed starter Miguel Rondon (Single-A Dominican Summer League) — The 5-foot-11, 150-pound, 17-year-old Rondon from Venezuela made two starts in the first week of the DSL and allowed one unearned run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in seven innings. That’s a 0.00 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP.

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#PadresOnDeck: 9 Missions

Named to AA-Texas League All-

Star Team; Rea, Avila turn in

Strong Starts By Bill Center

Nine members of the division-leading San Antonio Missions were named Wednesday to the South Division team for the Double-A Texas League All-Star Game (June 26 in Midland) while right-hander Colin Rea turned in his best performance while on his rehab assignment with San Antonio.

Five of the nine Missions headed to the Texas League All-Star Game are members of the Padres’ Top-30 prospect list selected by MLB Pipeline — shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (№1), right-handed starting pitcher Cal Quantrill (№4), left-handed starting pitcher Logan Allen (№8), left fielder Josh Naylor (№13) and catcher Austin Allen (№26).

Also going from San Antonio are relief pitchers Brad Wieck and Rowan Wick, third baseman Ty France and infielder River Stevens.

Meanwhile Rea, 27, allowed no hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings with the Missions to lower his earned run average with San Antonio to 6.43.

And right-hander Pedro Avilastruck out 10 while allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings for Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore.

And six Top-30 prospects had at least two hits.

Avila, 24, ranked the Padres’ №24 prospect by MLB Pipeline, lowered his ERA to 4.08 at Single-A Fort Wayne, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Among the hitters:

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— Center fielder Jeisson Rosario, 18, the Padres’ №16 prospect, was 3-for-8 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in a doubleheader with Single-A Fort Wayne to raise his batting average to .276.

— Third baseman Luis Almanzar, 18, the Padres’ №24 prospect, was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base and is hitting .241 for Fort Wayne.

— Center fielder Edward Olivares, 22, was 2-for-5 with a home run for Lake Elsinore and is hitting .266.

— Center fielder Michael Gettys, 22, the Padres’ №27 prospect, was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored to raise his batting average to .263 at San Antonio.

— Second baseman Luis Urías (.266) was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double to raise his batting average at Triple-A El Paso to .266.

Catcher Austin Hedges (.333) was 1-for-4 as the designated hitter in his second rehab outing with Lake Elsinore.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (33–33): CHIHUAHUAS 7, Nashville 6 — SS Javy Guerra(.205), backed Urías, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. C Brett Nicholas (.295) homered in three at-bats with a walk and two runs scored. DH Nick Schulz(.245) had a double in two at-bats with two walks, a RBI and a run scored. 3B Carlos Asuaje (.314) was 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs. 1B Allen Craig(.275) had a RBI single in five at-bats. RF Forrestt Allday (.244) was 0-for-3 with a walk, a sacrifice fly and a run scored. CF Auston Bousfield (.240) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Starting RHP Walker Lockett (5.12 ERA) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings. RHP Kazuhisa Makita (2.84) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings. LHP Tyler Webb (2.20) allowed two hits and a walk with a strikeout in one-third of a scoreless inning. LHP Kyle McGrath (2–2, 3.86) struck out the only hitter he faced to get credit for the win.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (41–24): Missions 3, FRISCO 1 (10 innings) — DH Taylor Kohlway (.237) backed Gettys, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a RBI. 1B Kyle Overstreet (.274) was 2-for-5 with a double and a RBI. Tatis Jr. (.280) was 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored. Austin Allen (.319) was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Naylor (.318) had a double in five at-bats. RHP T.J. Weir (4.50 ERA) followed Rea and allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. RHP Eric Yardley (1–0, 1.83) allowed a hit and three walks in two scoreless innings to get credit for the win. LHP Wieck (2.16) pitched a perfect inning to get his ninth save.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (32–34): RANCHO CUCAMONGA 4, Storm 3 — RHP Emmanuel Ramirez (4.37 ERA) followed Avila and gave up two hits with three

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strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings. RHP Dauris Valdez(0–3, 3.95) allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout in an inning to suffer the loss. 2B Eguy Rosario (.249) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. 3B Hudson Potts (.270) was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. C Luis Torrens (.287) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (29–36): TinCaps 4–3, BOWLING GREEN 3–4 — LF Robbie Podorsky (.311) was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in the two games. DH Justin Lopez (.239) was 2-for-6 with two runs scored. SS Gabriel Arias (.212) homered in three at-bats. RF Tirso Ornelas (.264) was 1-for-6 with a walk and a run scored. 1B Jalen Washington (.256) was 2-for-5 with a walk and a RBI. 2B Esteury Ruiz (.252) was 1-for-7 with a walk, a stolen base, a RBI and a run scored. LHP Tom Cosgrove (5.03 ERA) started the second game and allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in six innings. RHP Evan Miller (1–2, 1.71) allowed a run on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss. Starting RHP Mason Thompson (5.44) allowed an unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts in three innings in the first game. LHP Fred Schlichtholz (9.00) allowed an unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Korey Anderson (1–0, 9.00) allowed a run on two hits in an inning. LHP Travis Radke (1.80) struck out two in a perfect inning to earn his eighth save.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (6–4): PADRES 16, Diamondbacks-1 5 — SS Yeisson Santana (.286) was 2-for-4 with a triple, two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored. LF Cristian Heredia (.259) was 3-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and a run scored. 3B Victor Nova (.333) was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.

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Padres’ Richard aims for second win over Braves in June STATSJun 15, 2018 at 12:15p ET

ATLANTA — Backed by four home runs, veteran San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard finally got his first career victory over the Atlanta Braves on June 4 in San Diego.

Now comes the hard part, though, as Richard tries to follow up that victory with one in Atlanta, where both he and the Padres have struggled.

Richard is 0-5 on the road against the Braves, going 0-4 with a 7.52 ERA in five games at Turner Field and losing last April during the first series at new SunTrust Park while giving up nine hits, including two homers, and four runs in six innings.

The Braves’ 4-2 victory over the Padres in the series opener Thursday night was their eighth straight at home over San Diego and 13th in the past 15 games against the Padres.

Atlanta, meanwhile, has lost 12 of its past 15 games in San Diego.

Richard (5-6, 4.40 ERA) is pitching well at home or on the road going into Friday night’s start against the National League East-leading Braves (40-28).

The 34-year-old former college quarterback carried a no-hitter through two outs in the seventh inning at Miami on Sunday and has pitched at least seven innings in six of his past seven starts while lowering his ERA by nearly two runs since early May.

It had been tentatively lined up for Richard to face the Braves’ Julio Teheran, who left early in the 11-4 Padres victory at San Diego on June 4 because of a right thumb contusion.

Brandon McCarthy (5-3, 5.03) will start opposite Richard, though, with Teheran now penciled in to come off the 10-day disabled list Sunday and face the Padres (33-38) in the series finale.

“He threw a good bullpen and he was fine,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Teheran. “The plan will be, unless something comes up from now until then, for him to start of Sunday.”

Teheran gave up three homers and then was pulled after facing one batter in the fifth inning at San Diego before the Padres battered the Braves’ bullpen in a seven-run sixth.

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Given the nice cushion, Richard worked seven innings and gave up six hits and three runs in his first career victory over the Braves.

“You go from making sure you are executing pitches to making sure you are throwing strikes,” Richard said afterward. “It’s fun to have those types of games.”

Richard, not the offense, was the story on Sunday in Miami. The Padres are the only major league team to never throw a no-hit game.

Tyson Ross and Jordan Lyles took no-hitters into the eighth inning this season before Richard made it to the seventh, though.

“He’s such a contact-oriented pitcher that those aren’t really the guys that profile to get no-hitters very often,” Padres manager Andy Green said of Richard.

While Richard has turned his season around, veteran left-hander McCarthy has been heading the other way for the Braves.

McCarthy was 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA in April but gave up 14 runs in his first two starts of May and lasted just 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles a week ago.

The 6-foot-8 McCarthy, acquired from Los Angeles in an offseason trade, has enjoyed success in his career against San Diego, though. He is 8-1 with a 3.73 ERA in 11 appearances, including 10 starts.

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Broadcaster Ted Enberg faces his

First Father’s Day without his

legendary dad, Dick Enberg Sunday will bring powerful moments for the 30 year-old son of longtime

sportscasting giant who passed suddenly last December

By Tom Hoffarth 06/13/2018

For the last paragraph in the last chapter of his new book, “Being Ted Williams: Growing Up With A Baseball Idol,” esteemed sports broadcaster and poet Dick Enberg wrote:

“This year, the centennial of Ted Williams, will also see the 30th birthday of the first son Barbara and I welcomed into this world. His name is Ted Enberg.”

After a couple hundred pages of explaining his admiration and connection to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer, this was Dick Enberg’s big reveal: He revered Ted Williams so much that he named his sixth and final child after him.

Ted Enberg picks up the story from here:

“From what I’ve heard from my parents, there was never a question in Dad’s mind that, once they knew they were having a boy, that my name would be Ted. Mom says that it wasn’t even up for discussion. I’m certainly proud to share a first name after Ted Williams and a last name after Dick Enberg. But, there was a little pressure put on me with both names.

“I got the draft copy of ‘Being Ted Williams’ shortly after my Dad had passed away and I sat down and read the book cover to cover in a day. In regards to the last page, I was shocked to discover that I was even in the book. My Dad never mentioned anything to me about it.

“When I got to that part, I was blanketing the pages with tears. It was so powerful and so kind. I just hope to make him proud.”

This first Father’s Day without his Dad will no doubt bring more powerful moments of reflection for Ted Enberg, who turned 30 on March 14, less than three months after Dick Enberg’s passing on Dec. 21 at his home in La Jolla, Calif., which came just a couple weeks shy of his 83rd birthday.

On that December morning, Ted flew into San Diego and was going to surprise his dad with a visit. As Ted landed and was still seated in the plane, his mother, Barbara, waiting in Boston for Dick to arrive on a scheduled flight, called to tell him the news.

“It’s all surreal,” Ted recalled. “It was the worst moment of my life. He had all these plans. He just filled out his 2018 calendar.”

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The relationship between Dick and Ted evolved into much more over the last few years. Ted decided to give sports broadcasting a try, making Dick his obvious mentor, biggest supporter and someone to pass on his secrets of success. Over the course of his 60-year Emmy Award-winning broadcasting career, Enberg had three children with his first wife Jeri – two boys and a girl. He had two daughters with his second wife Barbara before the arrival of Ted – the only one of the six who showed an interest in finding a career in the sports business.

Ted, who lives with his fiancé Sara in Palo Alto, Calif. – their wedding is scheduled for this September — has been doing play-by-play assignments for Stanford University. He parlayed that into picking up games at the nearby Pac 12 Network. Just this spring he landed his first assignment, softball, for ESPN.

Ted Enberg explains more about his dad’s book – a fine Father’s Day gift unto itself – and the ways he wants to remember his dad.

Q: You father didn’t like the word “retirement” and had all these things that he wanted to do once he decided his five-year run doing games for the San Diego Padres was enough – start a podcast, get back into teaching, continue showings of his play. He told us that getting this book written and published was just one of them. Why do you think it was important for him to do this book?

A: Retirement didn’t slow Dad down at all. He was looking forward to an induction in the Boxing Hall of Fame. He had going to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown this summer on his calendar and he would have been thrilled to know that Trevor Hoffman will be inducted this year. Dad also continued to look for producers and theaters for the performance of the play he had written about his friend and colleague, Coach Al McGuire.

But the book on Williams was a special passion project that he was actively working on. Dad was very much a kid at heart when he talked about Ted Williams. I think early childhood memories surfaced for him while he was writing this book. He always felt it was so important for young people to have heroes. The heroes may not be perfect, but he felt that having heroes gave kids permission to dream big. The formula worked for him as a young Midwestern farm kid; and he wanted to pass it on to others.

Q: There’s a headline of a story about you in the San Diego Union-Tribune recently that reads, “I couldn’t have asked for a better father.” What’s behind a statement like that? What validates that kind of thought?

A: Life with a dad like Dick Enberg meant growing up going to the French Open and Wimbledon during summer vacation each year. Those times were very special. Dad gave me opportunities to attend many professional sports events, including the Olympics. As a kid, it wasn’t always easy having him gone so much. But when Dad was home, he provided the best coaching advice on baseball, tennis, soccer or whatever sport I was playing at the time. He loved goofy puns and recited them often — usually to the grimaces of me and my sisters. He would do play-by-play calls around the house while we were doing something ordinary like feeding the dog or pouring a glass of milk. And sometimes he even threw in an ‘Oh, my!’ In the past few years he had spent a lot of time reviewing my early tapes and giving me career advice.

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Q: There was that day in late September, 2016, when you got to join your dad in the Petco Park broadcast booth to call an inning with him. It was his final Padres’ home game. What lingering images or memories do you have of that?

A: I was nervous about it. When I found out that it was going to happen I don’t think I slept leading up to it. I felt like I was going to throw up. It was on live TV… Dodgers and Padres and here I am sitting next to my Dad calling a big league game. It was unreal. The San Diego Padres and Fox Sports were the ones who reached out to me so I’m so grateful to them that they set that up for my Dad.

Q: Among the things you’ve picked up for your dad is the production of a podcast called “Sound of Success” for PodcastOne. He was able to record six episodes before his passing, and you’ve made sure it continues by adding to that. Is the podcast one of the great platforms that you can do to channel his enthusiasm and energy?

A: Lately, I’ve been watching and listening to as many of Dad’s sports videos as I can. There is over 50 years of archival materials in his library. I can’t view some of it without taking it to an A/V studio because he doesn’t just have DVDs — over the years, the broadcasts were formatted on VCR, Beta, three-quarter inch tape, two-inch tape, audio reel to reel … It’s been a challenge getting things moved over to a hard drive. I’ve been enjoying the viewing, but it takes a lot of time. In regards to the podcast, we had previously recorded episodes with my Dad and guests that I wanted to make sure came out onto the airwaves. He has some unbelievable recordings that will be coming out every Thursday on the podcast. Getting these episodes done wasn’t going to happen unless I really got on board and continued them. It’s a huge honor. PodcastOne believed in me and wanted to see it continue. He put so much time into it, and now I can see that. I didn’t want it to go away and be forgotten. There were some great interviews done, from athletes to billionaires to coaches – about how all of them found their success. The common thread that keeps popping up in all of them is that they’ve given back and been of service to others in some way.

Q: What has the Enberg name meant to you, pros and maybe cons, in working in the sports broadcast industry?

A: As the son of Dick Enberg, the sportscasting bar was always very high for me. From a very early age, I was constantly asked if I wanted to be a sportscaster. For many years, I wasn’t sure I wanted to take on the challenge. Eventually, I realized this was something I needed to try. But I had to prove myself before Dad would offer me any help. He wanted to wait and make sure I was totally committed to this career. Eventually, he saw that I was serious and he started encouraging me more. He mentored me over the past couple of years, before his passing. I’m so grateful to have had that very special time with him. I am new at broadcasting only three years in. I know there are heavy expectations and I am working hard every day to earn the name. The Enberg name is very intimidating but in a good way. In sports broadcasting, when I think of Enberg, I think of my Dad and anything positive you could ever hope to achieve on a professional level. On a personal level it means never give up and work hard. The Enberg name in sports represents excellence. The con for it is that excellence is expected from me right out of the gate. That I will be perfect and not make mistakes. I realize I have to learn and grow and that is part of the journey, learn and grow from the mistakes and failures but don’t dwell on the successes because you are only as good as your last broadcast.

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Q: So why did you pick this career, or did it eventually pick you?

A: I always knew I wanted to do something in the field of sports, but I wasn’t really sure what that would be. Previously, I had worked in sales for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and for DC United soccer. Various family friends had been encouraging me to follow in my Dad’s footsteps…..and finally, as an adult, I started to think about it. As I started thinking about it out loud to my girlfriend, Sara, she finally said: ‘Stop talking about it and just go offer your play-by-play services for free to the high school football team across the street.’ She promised that if I tried it once, she wouldn’t keep asking me again. We were living in DC at the time. So I went over to the school and asked them if they would try me out calling a football game. After one broadcast, I knew I was hooked. Last month I got my first assignment for ESPN – the NCAA regional softball games in Eugene, Ore. It was seven games in about 72 hours. Very intense. Doing a doubleheader on a weekend is one thing, but …At Stanford, I’m doing women’s swimming with Katie Ledecky one day, a water polo match the next, soccer and baseball and basketball …they’ve been so good to me. My two older brothers were more musically inclined, so dad gave up on encouraging them to go into broadcasting. My sisters work in marketing and public relations, married with young children, so that keeps them very busy. Christmas vacations are the one time we can all get together for some sports activities: Tennis, hiking, ping pong, swimming or a run on the beach. My entire extended family loves an active lifestyle and we can all get pretty competitive.

Q: The most memorable advice he gave you in a critique about how you did a game?

A: “Don’t get in the way of the game.” And you can never be over prepared for a broadcast.

Q: What are your Father’s Day plans?

A: I’m sure I will be spending Father’s Day continuing preparations for the Sound of Success podcast and keeping up with a lot of sports events. I know my Dad would be smiling down, knowing that I was working on my sports career.