Padres Press Clips Sunday, March 13, 2016

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1 Padres Press Clips Sunday, March 13, 2016 Article Source Author Page Cashner brings heat in hitless outing against Tribe MLB.com Brock 2 Myers hopes chat with dad awakens bat MLB.com Brock 4 Padres hope Rule 5 picks can boost bullpen, bench MLB.com Brock 5 A Padres fan thought she was just performing a pregame ceremony MLB.com Brock 7 Tinkering Cashner in command in Padres win UT San Diego Sanders 8 Green delivering unique messages to Padres UT San Diego Sanders 9 1

2 Cashner brings heat in hitless outing against Tribe - Corey Brock, MLB.com, March 12, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- Andrew Cashner tossed three hitless innings with five strikeouts before the Padres used a three-run eighth inning to claim a 6-3 Cactus League win over the Indians on Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex. Cleveland pitcher Danny Salazar wasn't too shabby either, striking out seven over four scoreless innings. Salazar, who struck out 195 hitters last season en route to winning 14 games, allowed three hits and no walks in his best start of Cactus League play. The right-hander used a steady dose of 95 mph fastballs to keep San Diego's offense in check, increasing his spring strikeout total to 14 over nine innings. "I was attacking everybody with my fastball and I came with my secondary stuff," Salazar said. "It wasn't easy. I was trying really hard to slow down when I was behind in the count to throw a strike. I was just trying to throw hard on the corners." Alex Dickerson had a two-run, opposite-field single in the sixth inning to give the Padres a 2-1 lead. Alexei Ramirez added a sacrifice fly in the inning to make it 3-1. The Indians got a home run from first baseman Jesus Aguilar in the fourth inning off Drew Pomeranz. James Ramsey added an RBI double in the seventh inning, cutting the lead to 3-2. Giovanny Urshela followed with an RBI double of his own to tie it. As for Salazar, it marked another fine performance for the right-hander, who gave up three runs on two hits in two innings against the Reds in his first start of spring. He bounced back with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Dodgers in his second outing. Derek Norris had two hits for the Padres, including a ground-rule double in the sixth. Jabari Blash drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth to break the tie and Jemile Weeks followed with a two-run single to make it 6-3. Two runners reached against Cashner in the first -- Will Venable on a dropped third strike and Robbie Grossman on a walk -- but the right-hander got Aguilar to ground into an inning-ending double play. Cashner retired the last seven hitters he faced. "I kind of abandoned the mechanics I had been working on with [pitching coach Darren Balsley]," said Cashner. "I abandoned them about two weeks ago. I went to some different mechanics in the middle of 2

3 my bullpen the other day, and I think that's what I'm going to stick with this whole year. My fastball doesn't leak on it. I felt like that was the best fastball command I've had since 2014." Next up for the Indians: The Indians have a split squad on Sunday. Michael Clevinger will start and throw three innings against the Royals followed by Trevor Bauer for four innings in Surprise. Josh Tomlin will start against Chase Anderson and the Brewers at home. Edinson Volquez will start for the Royals. Both games are scheduled to begin at 4:05 p.m. ET. Next up for the Padres: The Padres head to Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday for a 3:05 p.m. PT game against the Giants, their first meeting against their National League West Division rivals. Brandon Maurer makes his second start of the spring and is expected to go three innings. Maurer had a clean first inning the last time out against the D-backs on March 8 before allowing five runs in the second inning while getting just one out. The Padres are trying to get Maurer stretched out as he's making the conversion from reliever to starter. 3

4 Myers hopes chat with dad awakens bat First baseman breaks out of 0-for-14 funk with two hits Friday vs. White Sox - Corey Brock, MLB.com, March 12, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- It may sound funny, but the best at-bat Wil Myers had Friday, and maybe his best at-bat of spring, came in the first inning when he grounded into a double play. Come again? "That first at-bat sort of set me up. I think I saw nine pitches and those are the at-bats I like to have," Myers said. "I feel like that got me locked in the rest of the day." Myers, who after bouncing into that double play against the White Sox was 0-for-spring, making him hitless in his first 14 at-bats, finished with a flurry, as he lined a single to center field in the fourth inning and then doubled in the sixth. How did it feel to wake up Saturday with a batting average? "It's awesome," Myers said, smiling. Myers, who is now hitting.118, was in Saturday's lineup against the Indians at the Peoria Sports Complex. Before Friday's game, Myers had a conversation with his father, Eric, who helped him get his mind right. "I was starting to get fed up with it. I know it's Spring Training, but I'm tired of making outs," Myers said. "So I talked to my dad two days ago and he told me to pretend it's Game 7 of the World Series and just to get in there and battle. I did that and had some success." Myers said that as the hitless at-bats increased, so did his frustration, which caused him to get away from the process that has led him to be successful in the past. "It's one of those things where you can get really caught up in the trap of Spring Training, trying to feel for everything. That's what I got caught up in, instead of just getting out there and competing in the box," Myers said. "I think I was worried about getting my timing back and feeling back instead of just competing in the box. My approach still isn't quite there, but I was able to put some good swings on some good pitches and got a few hits." 4

5 Padres hope Rule 5 picks can boost bullpen, bench - Corey Brock, MLB.com, March 12, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- By the time the Padres got to Nashville for the Winter Meetings in December, the market for relief pitching was well on its way to being set. And the sticker shock for the Padres and, likely man other teams, was distressing. "The price of relief pitching was through the roof," said Padres first-year manager Andy Green. "When you looked up, there were three-year [contracts] for $16-$17 million going to guys who are typically average relievers." Tony Sipp got a three-year deal worth $18 million from the Astros this offseason. Former Padres relief pitcher Shawn Kelley got three years and $15 million from the Nationals, while Antonio Bastardo $12 million over two years from the Mets. So the Padres, looking for relief help, went in a different direction -- plucking four players in the Rule 5 Draft, including three pitchers, right-handers Luis Perdomo, Blake Smith and Josh Martin. Outfielder Jabari Blash was the lone position player. Perdomo is the 12th-ranked Padres prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, and Blash is No. 16 on the list. "If you take three of them [pitchers], it increases the chances of one of them may hit," Green said. "I think the market dictates it to some degree. So if one of them hits, we've basically paid $100,000 for a guy we control for six years. "That's just good business. It makes sense." All four have seen early playing time in spring, which makes sense as the Padres are trying to see if any of the four are possibilities to crack the Opening Day 25-man roster. If not, and they don't remain on the roster for the entire season, these players have to be offered back to their original team. Can the Padres carry all four? No way. Three may even be steep. Two of them? That's hard to say. Generally, it's easier to keep a Rule 5 pitcher than a position players, as bench jobs can be precious. And consider this one: No team has ever carried four Rule 5 players for an entire season. The 2003 Tigers are the only team to carry three. 5

6 How have the players fared in camp thus far? This is what Green had to say about Blash, Perdomo, Martin and Smith (statistics through Friday): Blash (.125, one home run, five walks nine strikeouts: "You can see the power potential. But the thing that's impressed me is even though he hasn't hit his stride yet offensively, when he has struggled, he still takes his walks. He's put together quality at-bats and hasn't chased too much out of the strike zone. He's shown some plate discipline. I think he's done a solid job in camp, but I don't think he's hit his stride yet," Green said. Perdomo (14.40 ERA, 5 innings, 12 hits): "I thought we saw a substantial uptick in his stuff from his first outing to his second. I think there was a little bit of anxiety. But we saw the downhill plane a little more last time. He showed good bottom on his changeup and got good chases with it. He's still a young guy who definitely factors into the mix. He's still in that [competition] for the fifth starter spot, he might be a long guy, maybe pitch an inning out of the bullpen." Smith (9.00 ERA, 3 innings, 6 hits): "I don't think he's hit his stride yet. We talk about his pitch mix. I think he's held his curveball back too much. It's a plus-plus curveball. He's used his fastball to get to two strikes and finish with the curveball. It's not working as much at the Major League level. He's going to have to introduce that pitch earlier." Martin (3 1/3 scoreless innings, three strikeouts): "Martin has been good. We've moved him over to the other side of the rubber and that has allowed him to get to the glove side a little better. It's another plusplus curveball. He's got a good look in his eye on the mound. It's a live arm. The ball is hopping. We are pleased with his early returns." 6

7 A Padres fan thought she was just performing a pregame ceremony... until her boyfriend proposed - Corey Brock, MLB.com, March 12, 2016 Not terribly long after they first started dating, Liddy Loree made one humble request of her boyfriend, Donavan Jones, in the event he decided to pop the question. "Whatever you do," Loree said Saturday, "don't put me on the scoreboard." Jones held up to his part of the bargain... well, mostly. Before the Indians-Padres game on Saturday, he asked Loree, his girlfriend of two years, to marry him. And though the proposal happened on the field, in front of a nearly sold-out crowd, they did manage to escape the wandering eye of the scoreboard camera. Here's how it happened: Loree and Jones are in Arizona for the annual Padres Spring Weekend, an event for corporate partners and their friends. Jones, who said that he has been plotting this proposal since October, got a little help with his plan. Eddie Quinn, the Padres' manager of partnership services, offered his assistance in leading Liddy and Jones on the field. Quinn very sneakily told Liddy that two people were needed to yell "Play ball" into a microphone before the first pitch. Liddy was skeptical. "I didn't know why they would need two people to do that," she said. Standing near home plate, Jones dropped to one knee to ask Loree to marry him. Getting the words out wasn't easy. "I couldn't breathe," Jones said, smiling. Loree and Jones have known each other for three years. She's a New York native who used to root for the Mets and detested the Dodgers. Jones, who is a San Diego native, has been a Padres fan for as long as he can remember. The two were first introduced to each other by friends who knew they shared a common bond. "Baseball brought us together," Loree said. 7

8 Tinkering Cashner in command in Padres win Right-hander up to five scoreless innings this spring after holding Indians hitless - Jeff Sanders, UT San Diego, March 12, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. As results go, Andrew Cashner could not have expected much better than Saturday s 45-pitch outing in a 6-3 win over the Indians. Pushing his fastball up to 96 mph in his second Cactus League start, the 29-year-old right-hander struck out five and walked one over three scoreless innings. He continued to mix in change-ups and sliders, but noted spot-on fastball command as a key to a hitless outing in which he retired the final seven batters he faced and fetched four groundouts, including an inning-ending double play to erase a four-pitch walk in the first inning. I felt good, Cashner said. I felt like I had good tilt on my fastball. If I can repeat that this whole season, it's going to be a fun season. For me, everything starts with my fastball command. If I can command my fastball, everything goes off of that. Another minor adjustment Coming out of my stretch more square going to home plate, he said appears to have inched Cashner forward. I kind of abandoned the mechanics I'd been working on with (pitching coach Darren Balsley) about two weeks ago and went to some different mechanics in my bullpen the other day, said Cashner, who is up to five scoreless innings this spring. That's what I'm going to stick with this whole year. My fastball doesn't leak on it. I felt like that was the best fastball command I've had since Three true outcomes In 22 plate appearances, Rule 5 outfielder Jabari Blash has managed one impressive opposite-field homer and one single. He s also tied for the major league-lead in both walks (six) and strikeouts (11). The hulking, 6-foot-5 Blash fanned in the third and fifth innings Saturday, flew out to deep center field and then pushed across the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in eighth inning. He's shown a lot of plate discipline, Green said. He hasn't quite squared up the ball the way probably as consistently as he'd like, but I think that's coming. It's good to see the plate discipline and the positive at-bats even when you're not hitting your stride. Notable In competition for a back-of-the-rotation spot, LHP Drew Pomeranz s only mistake in two innings following Cashner was Jesus Aguilar s two-out homer in the fourth. Outside that blast, Pomeranz induced five groundouts, struck out one and threw 15 of his 25 pitches for strikes. RHP Philip Humber pitched a scoreless sixth and RHP Blake Smith earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. DH Alex Dickerson (.182) drove in his first runs of the spring with a two-run single in the sixth inning. C Derek Norris (.333) also doubled in a run in a two-hit game and 2B Jemile Weeks (.467) came off the bench with a two-run single in a three-run eighth. 8

9 Green delivering unique messages to Padres Leadership, team-building a focus as non-baseball speakers visit camp - Jeff Sanders, UT San Diego, March 12, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. Individually, the players A.J. Preller threw into the Padres clubhouse a year ago were accustomed to winning. Matt Kemp won Gold Gloves, MVP votes and a handful of division titles under a Hollywood microscope. James Shields won pennants and big games against all sorts of odds in Tampa Bay and Kansas City, as did Derek Norris as a member of three straight playoff-qualifying teams that ranked in the bottom third in spending. Too, the Upton brothers, Craig Kimbrel and Wil Myers all experienced team success to varying degrees in their careers. The sum of those parts, however, didn t quite add up as hoped. A lot of guys came from winners and everyone was wondering why this team wasn't winning, Shields said. Well you have to figure out how to put it all together. It starts in spring training every year. It s about quite a bit more than PFPs, fungos and bunting drills, too. As much as Andy Green has pushed the team through traditional fundamentals this spring, the rookie manager s desire to enrich team culture took a new turn as he lightened the early-morning workload this week in place of a trio of speakers. Coupled with the integration of mental workshops, the change of pace further emphasized the significance of team-building and ownership of processes and end-goals. The catch? Not one of the speakers an author who works with both corporations and sports teams and two former U.S. Navy SEALs played the game. When they're coming in here, they're not trying to correlate their message to baseball, said Norris, noting the speakers had been unlike any others who d visited his camps as a member of the Nationals, Athletics and last year with the Padres. They re leaving the correlations up to us. The Navy SEAL that came in here (Friday) never said, We fight as a team you guys can do the same. What (Andy) is doing is trying to send a positive message to a lot of different ways and I think a lot of people like it. The third speaker Jason Redman, a former U.S Navy SEAL who founded the non-profit Wounded Wear visited camp Saturday. A day earlier, retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander Jocko Willink addressed the team after leadership/teamwork guru Jon Gordon stopping by the clubhouse Tuesday. On the recommendation of strength coach Brett McCabe, right-hander Tyson Ross happened to read books by Willink and Gordon before even learning they d visit camp. The Padres Opening Day starter anticipated the message to resonating with a group that muddled through much of It's just about team-building, Ross said. Last year we had an entirely new team and there's some new faces this year. I think some of the returning players got to know each other a little bit as the season went 9

10 on, some of the ups and downs. It's a growth process, but in camp for a second time with a bunch of the core guys, we're continuing to grow, learn each other and trust each other. Added second baseman Cory Spangenberg: Andy's started a culture change. It starts at the top and works its way down. He's done a great job so far. The players now have to do a good job of receiving what he has to say, what these speakers have to say and creating our own culture. After the talks, both introspection and discussion spilled onto the field during stretching and even during the dugout during games, Norris said. While precisely how to apply this week s messages isn t clearly defined leading by example, as Norris prefers, vocally or in other ways that wasn t the point, either. The culture Green hopes to establish is an ever-evolving process, Norris said, one that should call to everyone in one form or another as the Padres look to correct last year s missteps. When you look at teams that go to the postseason, they've got a lot of comradery; they ve spent time together, Norris said. I think that's the most important thing. When you play with people for a while, you develop that comradery. Sometimes throwing bunch a different guys from different teams together Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn t. I don't think anyone looks at (last year) as a failure. It's a learning adjustment. We're taking that into this year, and hopefully we can turn it around and have a productive year. 10