Padres Press Clips Saturday, June 30, 2018 Article Source Author Page Padres bumble, Lauer stumbles in loss to Pirates SD Union Tribune Acee 2 Padres notes: Cordero leaning toward surgery, rotation talk SD Union Tribune Sanders 4 Andres Munoz jumps from Tri-City to San Antonio SD Union Tribune Sanders 6 Kirby Yates is Padres' next best reliever SD Union Tribune Acee 8 Lauer's stellar stretch ends in loss to Pirates MLB.com Cassavell 11 Cordero likely opting to undergo elbow surgery MLB.com Woo 13 As their big-league offense continues to struggle, Padres push plate The Athletic Lin 15 discipline throughout the organization Musgrove pitches 7 strong innings to beat hometown Padres Associated Press AP 18 1 Padres bumble, Lauer stumbles in loss to Pirates Kevin Acee Eric Lauer was battling on Friday. The Pirates. His teammates. Himself, at times. The Pirates ended up winning 6-3. Lauer (3-5) was not terrible, but he had his worst start of the six he made this month. The 23-year-old rookie, who entered June with a 7.67 ERA over 29 1/3 innings over his first seven starts, had a 2.28 ERA over 27 2/3 innings in five starts this month. He didn’t have the consistently sharp command that had seen him through those recent starts, as he allowed a career-high nine hits and labored at times during the 92-pitch outing. But it didn’t have to be as bad as it ended up. “There were good pitches made – a lot of good pitches made – and then there were mistakes over the middle,” manager Andy Green said. “And I don't think we helped him out defensively. It's been a team that's played well defensively throughout the course of the season. We didn't make a lot of plays for him today.” After two two-out singles in the first inning, Lauer and catcher Austin Hedges got mixed up on a pitch that allowed the Pirates’ first run to score on a passed ball. Hedges clearly expected a breaking ball that didn’t break but instead bounced off his glove and to the wall as Josh Bell ran home. The Pirates scored four runs on four hits in the third inning. Just two of the runs were earned due to a rare Freddy Galvis error (on a flip to second base that pulled Cory Spangenberg off the bag). Jordy Mercer led off the fourth inning with a home run. “I didn’t execute a couple pitches,” Lauer said. “I didn’t think they were hitting the ball especially hard. … I definitely could have been better. The result could have been better.” The Padres got seven hits off Grossmont High graduate Joe Musgrove, who threw seven scoreless innings. Musgrove (3-3) had allowed 16 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings in losing three of his past four starts. The Padres ended up out-hitting the Pirates 12-11. 2 All but two of the Padres’ 12 total hits would come after they were down 6-0, and few were consequential. They scored two runs off Pirates reliever Steven Brault, also a Grossmont alumnus, in the eighth inning. Christian Villanueva’s RBI single, which made it 5-2, was the Padres’ first hit in nine at- bats with a runner in scoring position. The previous batter, Cory Spangenberg, drove in the Padres’ first run on a ground out. Manuel Margot would make the Padres 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position with a single that scored Hunter Renfroe from third. The Padres have a paltry .285 on-base percentage and are hitting a measly .202 (17-for-84) with runners in scoring position over their past 12 games, 10 of those being losses. They have scored 21 runs in those losses. “I don't think we were very clean early in the game,” Green said. “And we did what we've done recently, which is show a lot of fight late. It was just a little too late.” 3 Padres notes: Cordero leaning toward surgery, rotation talk Jeff Sanders Franchy Cordero very well may have played his last game of the 2018 season. The 23-year-old Dominican reserves the right to change his mind, but Padresmanager Andy Green on Friday said Cordero is leaning toward surgery to remove the bone spur in the back of his right (throwing) elbow. Such procedures require about 12 weeks of rehab, which would wipe out the rest of this season. The alternative is resting for a month and giving it a go, but Cordero had already tried that path once when he had to pull himself out of a rehab game at Triple-A El Paso earlier this month. “I think it's knowing he's going to have to take care of it at some point in time and knowing he gave it rest already and still felt it after he gave it rest,” Green said. “ … I think he started thinking, ‘If I felt it after waiting a few weeks why am I not going to feel it after a month?’ That's the thought process right now.” Cordero was hitting .237/.307/.439 with seven homers and 19 RBIs when a balky elbow sent him to the DL in late May. He’d slugged .552 in April, continuing a hot streak that extended back to his MVP winter ball performance in the Dominican Republic before the injury began to impact the quality of his at-bats. Waiting for offseason surgery would cost him valuable at-bats this winter. “The one thing I'll say is he used winter ball very constructively last year,” Green said. “He grew. He got better. He was the MVP of that league down there. He played incredibly well and I think he used that as a springboard into our season and came out really good.” Green added: “I think his numbers fell off at the end because of what he was battling through. If you take that last week, week-and-a-half off his numbers it was a really, really good sophomore campaign for him.” Rotation management Thursday’s off-day allowed the Padres to keep rookie left-hander Eric Lauer on regular rest on Friday instead of recalling an injury replacement for right-hander Jordan Lyles(elbow). A second off-day on Monday would present another opportunity to remain in a four-man rotation in the short-term, but Green said the Padres would likely insert another arm before Lauer’s next turn. 4 Lyles is a long shot, although he resumed throwing Friday afternoon without incident. “Jordan would technically be able to be reinserted into the rotation, but that’s all predicated on how he feels,” Green said. “ … We pulled him because he was feeling something. Just because you’re structurally fine doesn’t mean you may not have some soreness or residual stuff to deal with.” Green said he also is leaning against a bullpen day, which points toward a minor league call-up. Right-hander Luis Perdomo – who is 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA, 58 strikeouts and a 1.08 WHIP in 11 starts (69 2/3 IP) at Triple-A El Paso – likely tops the Padres’ choices. He last pitched Wednesday, which would put him on seven days’ rest when Lauer’s turn comes up again next Wednesday in Oakland. “We felt based on where we are right now (Lauer) was fine on regular rest (Friday),” Green said. “(We’re) more than likely looking to re-insert someone before his next start so it gives him an extra day the next time. Joey Lucchesi hasn't been stretched or stressed recently from a pitch count perspective. We controlled his pitch count last time at 70. He didn't need the extra rest and Tyson (Ross) is feeling strong. With the two off days, we feel like we can grab that extra day of rest the next time around.” 5 Andres Munoz jumps from Tri-City to San Antonio Jeff Sanders Andres Munoz, who turned 19 in January, was the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League, an annual offseason prospect showcase. Now he’s among the youngest in the Texas League. The intriguing Mexican right-hander on Friday was promoted from short-season Tri-City all the way to Double-A San Antonio before the Missons’ 4-3 win in 10 innings at Northwest Arkansas. An elbow injury had delayed Munoz’s season until the start of Tri-City’s season earlier this month. There, Munoz – who pairs a fastball that hits 100 mph with a mid-80s slider – struck out nine batters in 5 2/3 hitless innings to warrant bypassing the California League. Munoz, who originally signed for $700,000 in July 2015, went 3-0 with a 3.81 ERA, 38 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP in 26 innings split last year between the Northwest and Midwest leagues. Munoz did not pitch Friday. Right-hander Jesse Scholtens (2.47) struck out five and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings before the bullpen combined for one unearned run over four innings. Ty France (.252) went 2-for-5 with his 11th homer and Fernando Tatis Jr. (.279) went 2-for- 3 with two walks, his 13th steal and a run scored. San Antonio is 5-3 in the second half and 47-31 overall. TRIPLE-A EL PASO (42-39) • Albuquerque 10, Chihuahuas 3: RHP Walker Lockett (3-7, 4.98) allowed eight runs – three earned – in 3 2/3 innings.