Padres Press Clips Friday, September 22, 2017
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Padres Press Clips Friday, September 22, 2017 Article Source Author Page Richard, Villanueva help Padres shut out Rockies UT San Diego Lin 2 Pirela's season ended by finger injury UT San Diego Lin 4 Shortstops to watch in the Padres' farm system UT San Diego Sanders 6 Padres to extend netting at Petco Park UT San Diego Lin 9 September a good month for Hunter Renfroe UT San Diego Sanders 11 Faulk, Padres set for Celebrate San Diego Tailgate UT San Diego Sanders 13 Richard keeps Rox off balance in strong start MLB.com Cassavell/Harding 15 Villanueva's big league dreams coming true MLB.com Ruiz 17 Lyles aims to rebound, free on Facebook MLB.com Ruiz 19 Petco to expand netting for next season MLB.com Cassavell 21 Pirela's season ends due to finger injury MLB.com Ruiz 24 Four MLB teams announce plans for more safety netting Washington Post Bieler 26 after young girl’s injury It's time now for major league teams to expand netting to LA Times Elliott 28 protect fans as much as possible Richard, Padres hand Rockies 4th straight loss, 3-0 Associated Press AP 31 This Day in Padres History, 9/22 Friar Wire Center 34 1 Richard, Villanueva help Padres shut out Rockies Dennis Lin A clubhouse leader and a newcomer who’d traveled a long road himself carried the Padres to a 3-0 victory over Colorado on Thursday. One day after signing a two-year contract extension, Clayton Richard showed his durability. For the seventh time this season, a Padres starting pitcher recorded at least one out in the eighth inning. Six of those starts belong to Richard. The 34-year-old left-hander worked 7 1/3 innings, shutting out the Rockies in that span. He struck out eight batters, scattering seven hits and a walk. He walked off the field to a standing ovation. “He leads us,” catcher Austin Hedges said. “Whatever he does on the mound is a bonus. Having him in the clubhouse, on the plane, on the bus, everywhere, he’s awesome. He’s the best.” Though an error precipitated his exit, Richard also received on-field support. It came in the form of three double plays and, on offense, another impactful game by Christian Villanueva. The third baseman, making his third major league start, homered for the second time in as many nights. He belted a fifth-inning shot, giving Richard a 1-0 lead. He singled in the sixth, making it 3-0. “It’s amazing,” Villanueva said through an interpreter. “I had my family here seeing me. Also, helping the team win, it’s really unforgettable.” Until this week, Villanueva had spent all eight of his professional seasons in the minor leagues. Injuries and depth charts had prevented the 26-year-old, once a well-regarded prospect, from reaching the highest level. Monday, with less than two weeks left in a rebuilding season, the Padres gave him a chance. So far, Villanueva has proven a worthy call-up. “He’s been fun to watch,” manager Andy Green said. “The swing, just looking at it, it looks right. It plays. It’s got some buggy whip to it. There’s clearly power there. … There’s a long line of people that believe very strongly in him and our scouts do, as well. We’re pleased to give him an opportunity and even more pleased to watch him take advantage of it.” 2 On Wednesday, Villanueva launched one of the Padres’ five home runs in a record-setting loss at Petco Park. Thursday arrived and Villanueva found himself in the lineup again, facing another left-hander. Colorado’s Tyler Anderson traded zeroes with Richard for four innings. Leading off the bottom of the fifth, Villanueva hammered an 0-2 change-up, sending a drive to the upper deck in left. Anderson retired the next three batters. The Rockies pitcher encountered more traffic in the sixth. Manuel Margot singled, took second on a bunt and stole third. Wil Myers walked, and Hunter Renfroe ripped a sacrifice fly to left. Yangervis Solarte singled. Up came Villanueva. This time, the rookie pounced on the first pitch, lashing a single to left. Myers scored, and the Padres took a three-run lead. Richard pitched into the eighth, when he gave up a one-out single. Solarte booted a ground ball at short, allowing another runner to reach. Kirby Yates took over for Richard. The reliever waged a 12-pitch battle with DJ LeMahieu, winning it with strike three. A force out ensued. “That LeMahieu matchup with Kirby Yates was a really good matchup, really good battle,” Green said. “Kirby did a tremendous job.” Brad Hand struck out the side in the ninth, joining Trevor Hoffman as the only relievers in Padres history with back-to-back 100-strikeout seasons. Richard collected his eighth win of the year, in his club-leading 31st start. With one left to go, he needs 7 2/3 innings to finish with 200. “It does mean something, and I feel like whether I get it or not, it doesn’t change how my year went,” Richard said. “I set out, and all starting pitchers set out, to end the year with that. … You get to that mark, it means that you’re doing something right consistently.” 3 Pirela's season ended by finger injury Dennis Lin Padres left fielder Jose Pirela has been shut down for the rest of the season because of a sprained left pinky finger. Pirela, who suffered the injury in a headfirst slide Sept. 10, will continue shagging fly balls during batting practice but will not continue taking swings. After doing so Wednesday, Pirela’s finger “swelled up a little bit,” manager Andy Green said. “We have no anticipation of him hitting anymore or trying to make it back in the last 10 days (of the season),” Green said. “In an ideal timeline, he might’ve been able to make it back for the last two games. When we looked at it, it’s just not worth it.” Pirela, 27, signed a minor league deal last December. After being promoted from Triple-A El Paso in June, he anchored the Padres’ offense, hitting .288 with a .347 on-base percentage, 25 doubles and 10 home runs. Given his breakout season, Pirela is expected to enter next spring as the favorite to start in left field. Other candidates could include Alex Dickerson, Travis Jankowski and Franchy Cordero. “He’s definitely at the front of the line,” Green said of Pirela. Defensive focus In Wednesday’s loss to Arizona, his third game back from a monthlong demotion to Triple-A, right fielder Hunter Renfroe became the first Padres player to hit three home runs in a game since Phil Nevin in 2001. Renfroe increased his season total to 24 home runs, tying the Padres rookie record Nate Colbert set in 1969. Green, however, opted to focus on a defensive play from the game, noting that Renfroe had gotten a particularly timely jump on a fly ball. In addition to his approach at the plate, Renfroe’s defense had been one reason the Padres optioned him to El Paso last month. “That was a considerable difference from anything I’d seen at any point in time this season,” Green said. “I’d seen balls go five miles off his bat before. I want the day-in, day-out focus, I want the consistency of the at-bats, and that’s only going to be measured over time.” Renfroe entered Thursday hitting .340 with a 1.142 on-base-plus-slugging percentage against lefties. He was hitting just .199 with a .630 OPS against righties. 4 Two of Wednesday’s home runs came against left-hander Robbie Ray. The last was off right- hander Braden Shipley. “The consistency of the quality of at-bats against righties is what we’d love to see continue to improve,” Green said. Notable Reliever Jose Valdez and infielder Dusty Coleman cleared waivers and were outrighted to El Paso. Both players had been designated for assignment this week. 5 Shortstops to watch in the Padres' farm system Jeff Sanders Since Everth Cabrera’s 2013 All-Star campaign and subsequent fall from grace, the Padres have called on the likes of Alexi Amarista, Clint Barmes, Alexei Ramirez, Erick Aybar – and so, so many others – as stop-gaps in their quest to develop the next homegrown shortstop. Those days are nearing an end. Not only is the Padres’ top prospect now a shortstop – hello, Fernando Tatis Jr. – he’s an 18-year-old phenom with power, speed and charisma out the ears and he shot from the low minors all the way to Double-A in his first full year in pro ball. Better yet, A.J. Preller’s love for up-the-middle talent has waves of young shortstops bubbling up behind Tatis, giving the Padres plenty of assets in an important currency. Here’s a rundown of the shortstops to know in the Padres’ farm system and how they fared in 2017: 1. Fernando Tatis Jr. • Age: 18 • Team(s): Low Single-A Fort Wayne, Double-A San Antonio • 2017 stats: .278 avg., .379 OBP, .498 SLG, 22 HRs, 75 RBIs, 84 runs, 32 steals, 141 strikeouts (131 games, 486 at-bats) • Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds • Bats/Throws: R/R • How acquired: Trade with White Sox in June 2016 • Need to know: While MLB.com ranks Tatis – the son of a former major leaguer – the fourth-best prospect in an improving farm system, Tatis Jr.