Padres Press Clips Saturday, August 26, 2017

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In slugfest at Marlins Park, Padres can't overcome UT San Diego Lin 2 home runs by Stanton, Ozuna

Padres want to improve their plate discipline, but 'moving UT San Diego Lin 4 the needle' is difficult

Luis Urias headlines Padres' Texas League all-star selections UT San Diego Sanders 6

Asuaje's Miami homecoming one to remember MLB.com Pinak 7

'Big Daddy' homers, but Padres fall in Miami MLB.com Frisaro/Pinak 9

'Brotato' talks Players Weekend MLB.com Pinak 12

'El Flaco' faces Marlins in Players Weekend tilt MLB.com Pinak 13

Padres Players Weekend nicknames explained MLB.com Cassavell 14

Giancarlo Stanton crushes two home runs as Marlins Associated Press AP 19 rally past Padres

Padres On Deck: Wellman, Urías, Kennedy, Wingenter FriarWire Center 22 Honored by AA-Texas League

This Day in Padres History, 8/26 FriarWire Center 25

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In slugfest at Marlins Park, Padres can't overcome home runs by Stanton, Ozuna

Dennis Lin

Giancarlo Stanton ended each of his first two at-bats Friday with a prodigious blast. Inside Marlins Park, an awe-inspiring pursuit of history reached fever pitch. With August not yet over, Stanton had clinched his ninth multi-homer game of the season before the fourth inning.

San Diego’s roster has 10 such performances this year. Evidently, it takes a team to match the most fearsome slugger in . Given his supporting cast, he has recently appeared superhuman.

The Padres momentarily silenced the crowd here only to watch it roar back to life. After Stanton drew a walk in the seventh, Marcell Ozuna launched a three- homer, the winning blow in an 8- 6 decision.

A couple of early connections staggered the visiting team. Stanton boomed his 48th and 49th home runs of the season. He added a two-run and finished with five RBIs, matching a personal best.

As they had in winning a series at St. Louis, the Padres showed resilience.

Carlos Asuaje, who stands about nine inches shorter than Stanton, and Jabari Blash, roughly Stanton’s height, both homered in their Marlins Park debuts. Both players have roots in the area; Asuaje attended high school and college in nearby Fort Lauderdale, and Blash spent two seasons at Miami-Dade College.

With a runner on in the fourth, Asuaje sent a tracer out to right, driving in the Padres’ first runs of the game.

“It was a really good experience, really cool, and one I’ll remember for a while,” said Asuaje, who played in front of about 40 family members and friends.

Blash’s swat, which traveled an estimated 450 feet, capped a four-run inning that gave the Padres a 6-5 advantage, their first of the game.

“He’s not short on power,” manager said. “There’s really probably only one guy on the baseball field that’s got more pop than him, and he’s got 49 home runs.”

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Leadoff batter had opened the sixth with a single, one of his three on the night. Asuaje had followed with a double, and Jose Pirela had singled. Just before Blash went yard, recorded a sacrifice fly.

Marlins starter Adam Conley went from being perfect through three innings to exiting with one out in the sixth.

But the lead was short-lived. Dee Gordon sprinted to a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh. Kirby Yates threw ball four to Stanton. With one out, Ozuna unloaded on a 2-0 .

For the Marlins’ cleanup hitter, it was his 30th of the season. He bats in a lineup with few holes.

“Ozuna’s swung it really well this year,” Green said before the game. “(Christian) Yelich is formidable right in between those two guys. It’s hard to just walk Stanton, because he’s got a pure hitter hitting behind him, driving in runs, and if you put guys on base for a pure hitter, it ends up backfiring on you a lot of times.”

Declining to pitch around Stanton might have been part of a sound strategy, but the Padres failed miserably in execution. Stanton, who has homered 23 times since the All-Star break, offers minimal margin for error. On two occasions, San Diego left-hander Travis Wood missed his intended target.

Stanton ensured he paid dearly.

In the bottom of the first, he pummeled a 462-foot drive to left. The Marlins jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, he deposited a 395-foot solo shot beyond the wall in right-center.

“He’s good, he’s hot, you don’t want to pitch to him in certain situations, but you have to when nobody’s on and you have to when it’s just a guy on first base in the first inning,” Green said. “We missed those pitches. To his credit, he crushed them.”

Wood issued a two-out walk to Conley in the fourth, then yielded a single to Gordon. With the bases loaded, he had no choice but to pitch to Stanton, who ripped a double to left.

Wood finished with five innings of five-run ball.

Stanton, meantime, swung his way to the doorstep of a 50-homer season. Sixty, a number that hasn’t been seen since 2001, seems well within reach.

“It’s a great team over there, and he’s pretty hot right now,” Wood said. “He had his night, and if I could’ve found a way to get him out, we might’ve had a different outcome.” 3

Padres want to improve their plate discipline, but 'moving the needle' is difficult

Dennis Lin

As someone who did not get serious about baseball until his junior year of high school, Jabari Blash spent considerable time observing, and not swinging, while he stood inside the batter’s box.

“Coming up in A-ball with Seattle, I wasn’t really a good breaking-ball hitter,” the Padresoutfielder said. “So I just would take it, and I was always watching. Whenever I’d see the ball pop up (out of a ’s hand), I wouldn’t swing.

“I got to see good ones and bad ones, and then I realized which ones I do swing at and which ones that I don’t. It’s definitely something that I developed, just from all this taking it and not swinging at it when I was young in my career.”

Habits formed as a fledgling professional have stuck. Blash strikes out roughly a third of the time, and on the Padres, he is not alone in that regard. The former Rule 5 draftee entered Friday’s series opener at Marlins Park batting .216 in 106 plate appearances. He also had a .340 on-base percentage and a 15 percent walk rate. Both numbers are well above team averages.

Plate discipline has been a season-long buzzword for one of the majors’ youngest rosters. For all his flaws, Blash has it. Many of his teammates struggle with it.

Whether that can be remedied, and to what extent, is debatable.

“The vast majority of people in baseball hold to the belief that it’s an inherent skill, that it’s very difficult to move the needle on,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “So when you’re trying to move the needle that way, you have to have the belief that you can, first of all. As somebody in development, not in scouting, somebody who has a team and an organization, you have to believe you can change who players are — to a degree.”

The Padres rank poorly in such categories as contact rate and swinging-strike percentage. They began Friday with a .300 on-base percentage, dead-last in the majors. That is nothing new; they finished 2016 at .299 (last), 2015 at .300 (last) and 2014 at .292 (last).

The personnel has changed to younger and less experienced, especially this year. Recognizing different pitch types, getting into favorable counts, laying off sliders in the dirt — such tasks have proved major challenges for several players the Padres hope are part of their next playoff team.

“I don’t think you’re ever going to take a 3 percent walk-rate guy and turn him into a 15 percent walk-rate guy,” Green said. “But if the 3 percent guy moves to 5 percent, the 8 percent moves to

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10 percent, those are attainable goals for each guy on the team. I don’t think we’ve moved the needle that well in that area this year.

“We believe if you make good pitch decisions, you can see it move, and we think you’ll move it more when you start trying to move it at the lower levels (of the minor leagues) first and bring guys through the system with that as something the organization highly values. Most of these guys came through the system where at that point in time it wasn’t a focal point in the organization, it wasn’t a talked-about focal point from a development standpoint. Now it is, so you hope you can move the needle from the bottom of the organization up.”

Around the majors, some players seem to have been genetically blessed with plate-discipline skills. For those who aren’t, sizable, lasting improvements at the highest level have been rare. The whole science remains nebulous, but the hope is, a constant drumbeat will spur at least some progress.

“You want to see it happen with (Manuel) Margot, you want to see it happen in , you want to see it happen in Hunter Renfroe, Cory Spangenberg, Wil Myers,” Green said. “You look at Manny from a leadoff perspective — if he wants to stay in the one-spot for a long time in the future, wants to be one of the best leadoff hitters in the game … base on balls has to be part of what he does. Because right now, his on-base percentage is almost solely driven by his batting average, and we’d like to see that gap between batting average and on-base get larger.

“I think things you constantly talk about they tend to value. When they value something they tend to get better at it. Now, can you move the needle in a huge fashion? That’s where the question is.”

Notable

• Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin remains day-to-day after jamming his throwing hand Wednesday, though Green said he was feeling better Friday.

• Right-hander Miguel Diaz (right forearm strain) was scheduled for four to five rehab innings with high Single-A Lake Elsinore on Friday night.

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Luis Urias headlines Padres' Texas League all-star selections

Jeff Sanders

Luis Urias has slowed ever so slightly since the All-Star break. The tail off did not bar the 20- year-old from earning a spot on the Texas League’s postseason all-star team.

Urias, right-handed starter Brett Kennedy and right-handed reliever were all named to the team, while San Antonio manager Phillip Wellman was named the Texas League Manager of the Year.

The circuit’s player of the year is Tulsa’s Matt Beaty and the pitcher of the year is Springfield’s Dakota Hudson.

Urias opened the season as the Texas League’s youngest player and earned a spot as the starting shortstop on the mid-season all-star team. The California League MVP a year ago, Urias is hitting .297/.397/.386 with three homers, 35 RBIs and more walks (63) than (57).

Ranked No. 37 among Baseball America’s top-100 prospects, Urias is hitting .266/.370/.318 since the all-sar break and .172/.294/.259 in August.

The 23-year-old Kennedy leads Padres minor leaguers with 12 wins, has fashioned a 3.65 ERA over 24 starts (130 2/3 IP), has struck out 129 and walked 34.

Wingenter, 23, leads the organization with 19 saves in 24 chances. He has struck out 61, fashioned a 2.18 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP and has limited opposing hitters to a .181 average over 45 1/3 innings.

The Missions won the South Division’s first half title and has a 2½-game lead on Midland for a second-half title. Their 73-56 overall record is tied with Springfield for the best in the Texas League.

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Asuaje's Miami homecoming one to remember

By Patrick Pinak / MLB.com

MIAMI -- Playing as a Major Leaguer for the first time in Miami since growing up in South Florida, Carlos Asuaje put together a night he won't soon forget in front of family and friends.

Donning simply his last name on his Players Weekend jersey, the Padres' second baseman -- who played baseball at nearby St. Thomas Aquinas High School and Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale -- launched a two-run home run and a double in San Diego's 8-6 loss to the Marlins on Friday night at Marlins Park.

Only a few years ago, Asuaje was attending Marlins Park as a fan while still in college. He said he watched a lot of Marlins games, and fondly recalled watching the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes.

"It was the first time playing in Miami and in front of a crowd like that," Asuaje said. "It was a really good experience, really cool and one I'll always remember, probably."

Asuaje's homecoming party kicked off in a big way in his second at-bat, when he yanked the first pitch he saw from Adam Conley over the right-field fence for his third homer of the season.

The long ball breathed some life back into the Padres' dugout in the fourth inning after Giancarlo Stanton's two early homers put Miami on top, 3-0.

"Obviously, a great experience in front of friends and family and the home crowd," Asuaje said. "Especially in that situation to put us back in the game in a hurry. I was excited about that."

Asuaje also played a big part in San Diego's four-run sixth inning that staked the Padres to a 6-5 lead. The 5-foot-9 lefty drilled a double to center off Conley and later came around on Wil Myers' sacrifice fly.

Despite the 40 or so family and friends Asuaje estimated were there for him -- including his parents, his sister, aunts, uncles, friends and old coaches -- Asuaje, who is honoring his father on his jersey patch this weekend, said he never felt nervous.

He did, however, want to win in front of his biggest supporters. That much was even apparent to Padres manager Andy Green.

"I know it's big for him," Green said. "I know he wanted to win today playing in front of his hometown people in Miami and hitting the home run and hitting the double the other way."

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Not all was lost. Asuaje, one of the pieces acquired from Boston in the trade in 2015, showcased yet again why he deserves to be batting second. The 25-year-old is hitting .297 through 55 games this year and is 14-for-38 (.368) over his last 10 games.

Green, meanwhile, has no intention of messing with him.

"I don't worry about him at all," Green said. "Of any player I have, I don't spend much time thinking about him. He shows up to play every single day. He gives you the same quality at-bats every day."

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'Big Daddy' homers, but Padres fall in Miami

By Joe Frisaro and Patrick Pinak / MLB.com

MIAMI -- Containing Giancarlo Stanton, aka "Cruz" on Players Weekend, is a tough assignment for any pitching staff at the moment. The Marlins' lineup is doubly tough when Marcell Ozuna, "The Big Bear," gets into the act.

Stanton blasted two home runs and drove in five on Friday night, increasing his MLB-leading homer total to 49. But it was Ozuna's three-run shot in the seventh inning that rallied the Marlins to an 8-6 victory over San Diego at Marlins Park. With the win, the Marlins (64-63) are above .500 for the first time since being 10-9 on April 26, and 4 1/2 games out of the second Wild Card spot.

"This is something with Big G -- he's fueled this run, for sure," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "After the break, he's just been on a tear. The good thing about O -- we talked about O last year, the second half wasn't very good. Him and I talked about it, and I told him, I was going to stay on him, because he just got out of his game."

Stanton and Ozuna accounted for all eight of Miami's runs.

"Give Ozuna everything he needs, man," Stanton said of his teammate. "I was proud of him for that at-bat. That's a baseball player's at-bat, a very smart at-bat."

The Padres rallied from two deficits on a pair of two-run homers. In the fourth inning, Carlos Asuaje connected off Miami starter Adam Conley, and San Diego grabbed a 6-5 lead in the sixth on Jabari Blash's two-run homer off Dustin McGowan ("D-Mac"), capping a four-run inning. Blash is going by "Big Daddy" for Players Weekend.

"The plus side for us is you see a gritty team that keeps fighting back," Padres manager Andy Green said. "You look up and you've got young guys at the top of the batting order getting big hit after big hit."

On Dominican Republic Heritage Night, Ozuna celebrated his 30th homer of the season, which came off Kirby Yates, aka "Kirbs," with one out in the seventh inning. The All-Star outfielder now has a career-high 101 RBIs.

"I felt like I was playing Dominican winter ball in the seventh inning," Ozuna said. "The crowd was yelling at me like, 'It's time now.'"

No matter what name is on the back of his jersey, the home run show continues for Stanton, who now has 16 in the month of August, one short of the National League record shared by Sammy Sosa (2001) and Willie Mays (1965). 9

Stanton connected on each of his first two at-bats, with his two-run laser in the first inning tracked by Statcast™ at 118.2 mph, making it his hardest hit home run of the season. The distance was 462 feet. In the third inning, he went opposite field for a solo shot, that had an exit speed of 104.8 mph and a distance of 395 feet. In the fourth inning, he added a two-run double, batting with the bases loaded.

"He's hot. You don't wanna pitch to him in certain situations but you have to when nobody's on and you have to when there's just a guy on first base in the first inning," Green said. "I think we missed those pitches. To his credit, he crushed them."

Statcast™ tracked Blash's home run at 450 feet, his personal high, and tied for San Diego's fifth longest this year.

"He's not short on power," Green said. "There's really probably one guy on the baseball field that's got more pop than him and he's got 49 home runs. Jabari's got a ton of pop."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

The Big Bear attacks: With one swing, Ozuna achieved two personal records -- and also gave the Marlins a two-run lead in the process. On a 2-0 offering from Yates, Ozuna blasted No. 30, projected by Statcast™ at 425 feet with an exit speed of 107.4 mph. He also topped 100 RBIs for the first time, and rallied the Marlins from a run down to two in front.

"My wife yesterday, she made a good dinner in my room and gave me a surprise last night when we landed here," Ozuna said. "She was thinking if you do it, the 30, you earn it. We did it tonight."

Stanton stays in yard, but scores two: After surrendering home runs to Stanton his first two times up, Padres starter Travis Wood ("Woody") faced the slugger with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. An already tense situation for Wood got even more complicated when he fell behind, 3-0, in the count. Stanton, on a 3-1 pitch, lined a two-run double to left, putting Miami ahead, 5-2. The five RBIs matched a career high in a game for Stanton, now done five times.

"We have a good team plan on how to attack this guy every night, and try not to stray far from it," Stanton said. "It's been working. We've needed runs late too. So, just chip away."

"Execute pitches. That's about it," Wood said. "If you execute your pitches, it makes him work. But if you miss, he's not gonna miss it."

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QUOTABLE "We've had this energy before, periodically. But this is different in the sense, we're all kind of playing our own game. No one is trying to be a different player than what they are, and everyone is mastering their craft, and trying to help the team win, individually." -- Stanton, on the Marlins' successful run

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Stanton has 105 RBIs, matching his career high (previously set in 2014). With Ozuna at 101 RBIs, this is the first time the Marlins have had two players top 100 RBIs since 2009 -- Hanley Ramirez (106) and Jorge Cantu (100).

WHAT'S NEXT Padres: (7-5, 4.84) will look to build on his strong August when he takes the ball for Saturday's 4:10 p.m. PT game in Miami. Known as "El Flaco" for Players Weekend, Lamet is 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 22 1/3 frames this month.

Marlins: Odrisamer Despaigne (0-1, 4.42), aka "Mili Pino" for Players Weekend, gets the start on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET against the Padres. It will be Despaigne's 11th appearance and second start.

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'Brotato' talks Players Weekend

By Patrick Pinak / MLB.com

MIAMI -- When Brad Hand arrived to the visitors' clubhouse at Marlins Park on Friday, he wasn't known as Brad. Instead, his teammates called him by the nickname on his Players Weekend jersey: "Brotato."

"It's just kind of a joke that me and a few other bullpen guys would always call each other brotato, brotein shake, you know, stuff like that," the All-Star reliever said. "Couldn't think of anything else, so I just put that on it."

Players Weekend takes place Friday through Sunday, offering Major Leaguers a chance to showcase their personalities by spicing up their jerseys, cleats, bats and other gear. San Diego's uniforms feature navy blue jerseys with yellow sleeves and numbers and a fully yellow cap, as well.

But for Hand, who had his fellow teammates cracking up at his nickname, this weekend is more than just jokes -- it allowed him a chance to thank his father. The patch on his right sleeve reads "DAD."

"My dad helped me a lot throughout my baseball career and he always coached me," Hand said. "I could've put my mom on there, too, because she was always supporting me and all that."

One of Hand's favorite memories on the diamond with his father growing up in Minnesota? Bruising his legs during batting practice.

"He would always throw me BP when I was a kid," Hand said. "I just remember being on the field, he would throw to me and there was no L-screen or anything. So I would hit him with line drives a few times right in the shin. But he was always there to do whatever he could to help."

• Padres' Players Weekend gear available at MLBShop.com

As for the nicknames, "Brotato" was given some competition for funniest nickname. Jabari Blash's "Big Daddy" jersey was a hit among Padres players, Hand being one of them.

Still, Hand felt his moniker took the cake.

"We didn't really have any creative ones on the team," Hand joked. "Kind of a disappointed showing from the Pads. But we've got a few good ones."

Added Padres manager Andy Green, who said "Brotato" was his favorite: "I don't really quite know what it means, but it's got the interesting factor, for sure."

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'El Flaco' faces Marlins in Players Weekend tilt

By Patrick Pinak / MLB.com

The Marlins continue their late season push for the National League Wild Card, and the Giancarlo Stanton show continues, during Players Weekend as Miami takes on the Padres for the second of three games on Saturday at Marlins Park.

Stanton, aka "Cruz," is on a long ball pace like no other, and he seemed to take a liking to his customized jersey and gear for Players Weekend on Friday night, the first of three days the event will run.

Stanton belted homers Nos. 48 and 49, and could become the first NL player to reach 50 homers since Prince Fielder in 2007. The slugger has 16 long balls this month, one shy of the NL August record set by Willie Mays in 1965 and Sammy Sosa in 2001.

Odrisamer Despaigne (0-1, 4.42), aka "Mili-Pino," will take the ball for the Marlins against his former team. Despaigne was signed by San Diego as an amateur free agent in 2014 and was with the Padres from 2014-15. The right-hander has made two career appearances against the Friars, posting 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

San Diego's Dinelson Lamet (7-5, 4.84), aka "El Flaco," will hope to build on his solid August. In four starts, the right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 22 1/3 frames.

Three things to know about this game

• Yet again, Stanton did what he does best on Friday -- clobber a homer like few others can. Facing the Padres at Marlins Park, he launched a 118.2-mph shot out to left field, the first of his two, for a projected distance of 462 feet. It was Stanton's hardest-hit home run this year, his third- hardest since Statcast debuted in 2015 and his 15th of at least 115 mph during that time. That ranks first in MLB.

• Stanton's home run surge is unlike any we've seen recently. Over his last 44 games, he's clobbered a whopping 28 home runs. He also became the first player in the Majors to hit 12-plus homers in back-to-back months in 15 years. The last to accomplish that feat was Alex Rodriguez in 2002.

• Jose Pirela, aka "Aguila Negra," has enjoyed a productive season at the plate for the Padres, batting .302 over 281 plate appearances. One thing that has helped him achieve that success has been his ability to hit breaking balls. While the Padres as a team rank near the bottom of MLB in slugging against sliders and curves, Pirela leads the squad in that category.

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Padres Players Weekend nicknames explained

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

The Padres get festive in Miami this weekend, where they will celebrate 's inaugural Players Weekend.

The event, which takes place Friday through Sunday, allows players to show their individual flair and allows fans to get to know them better. All clubs will wear non-traditional alternate uniforms, with the Padres sporting blue jerseys with yellow sleeves and numbers. Players will wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys and a patch to recognize a person or persons who aided their career.

Here's a breakdown of the Padres nicknames and patches. (Both were optional, and some players will simply wear their own last name on their jersey.)

Carlos Asuaje: "Asuaje" Tribute patch: Dad -- Joel Asuaje was Carlos' "first coach, teacher, role model." It was a no- brainer for Carlos to use his patch to recognize his father.

Buddy Baumann: "George" Baumann flipped the Players Weekend script a bit. He spends his whole life living by the nickname "Buddy." Instead, he'll don "George," the name on his birth certificate, on the back of his Players Weekend jersey. Tribute patch: Dad -- Baumann recalled his father getting off work, coming home and heading straight to the backyard to play ball. Baumann also credits his dad for his work ethic. "He was always a tireless worker, and now, he's obviously been my biggest supporter," Baumann said. "He motivated me, and he drove me."

Jabari Blash: "Big Daddy" Given his size, "Big Daddy" just seemed to fit Blash's 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame. Blash doesn't go by the nickname regularly, but he picked it mostly because he felt his teammates and fans would enjoy seeing it across the back of his jersey. Tribute patch: Darren Canton -- Canton was the founder of "Future Stars," a youth baseball organization in Blash's native St. Thomas. "He revived baseball and that culture back home, and he's the reason that I'm still playing baseball," Blash said.

Carter Capps: "Capps"

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Jhoulys Chacin: "Makina" When he pitched in Colorado, Chacin's teammates began referring to him as "Chacin the Machine." "Makina," phonetic spelling for the Spanish equivalent, "maquina," stuck. Tribute patch: Abuela Maria -- With both of Chacin's parents working, his grandmother, Maria, went everywhere with him -- "in baseball and in life," Chacin said. Maria passed away in 2013, and Chacin briefly left his team to return to his family. He returned in Miami and pitched seven innings of two-run ball in a win over the Marlins, a win he dedicated to Abuela Maria.

Dusty Coleman: "D-Man" Coleman's father's softball buddies began calling him "D-Man" when he was about 5 years old. The nickname stuck throughout Little League and into the Majors. Coleman, who is best known for his defensive prowess at shortstop, has certainly lived up to it. Tribute patch: Family -- Coleman, a 30-year-old rookie, credits his family for sticking with him during his nine seasons in the Minor Leagues. In particular, he points to his 2010 campaign, which he missed because of injury. His wife and family provided constant encouragement to keep working toward his big league dream.

Allen Cordoba: "Coso" A family friend went by the name Coso, and he was extremely influential in Cordoba's baseball career. The two were practically inseparable, so Cordoba began going by the name "Coso Jr." Tribute patch: Alishka -- Cordoba's tribute patch is for Alishka, which will be the name for his first daughter.

Brad Hand: "Brotato" Hand often uses "bro" as a prefix for other nicknames to refer to his teammates. "Brotato" is one of his favorites. Tribute patch: Dad -- Hand's father was his coach throughout Little League, and Hand fondly remembers the time they spent together, with his father throwing batting practice in their native Minnesota.

Austin Hedges: "Hedgey" Few in the Padres clubhouse call Hedges directly by his first or last name, instead preferring to simply add a "Y." Whether it's spelled "Hedgey" or "Hedgy" depends who you ask. Tribute patch: Pat Bulger -- Bulger, one of Hedges' first youth baseball coaches, lost his battle

15 with cancer when Hedges was 12 years old. Hedges maintains that he still feels Bulger's impact today.

Dinelson Lamet: "El Flaco" One of Lamet's childhood friends gave him the nickname "El Flaco." Lamet was skinny as a child, and the word skinny literally translates to "flaco." Tribute patch: Dios, Mi Madre, Francis, Aldo, Kerbin, Urena, Genaro -- Lamet took the opportunity to tribute a number of his family members and the people who helped him hone his skills while he was growing up in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Manuel Margot: "Yoandry" There isn't much behind Margot's nickname -- other than it's a family name he's been called for years. That family nickname seeped into the Padres' clubhouse and into Players Weekend. Tribute patch: Diamond Manuel -- Margot's tribute patch is dedicated to his son, Diamond, who was born last month. Margot followed Diamond's birth by winning National League Player of the Week honors the following week, prompting several Padres to reference his "dad strength."

Phil Maton: "Maton" Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Maton was quick to thank his parents for their "unwavering" support. "Bad games, good games, they were always there," Maton said.

Wil Myers: "Myers" Tribute patch: Parents -- Myers' parents have been there for him every step of the way, including his first big league callup on Fathers Day 2013 -- a particularly special moment for the family.

Luis Perdomo: "Perdomo" Tribute patch: Dad and Mom -- Perdomo credits his parents for keeping him grounded and focused on baseball as he grew up in Santo Domingo

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Jose Pirela: "Aguila Negra" Pirela is something of a Winter Ball star playing for Aguilas del Zulia in Venezuela. The team's announcer has taken to calling him "Aguila Negra," which translates to "Black Eagle." Tribute patch: Eglee Machado -- Eglee Machado is Pirela's mother, whom he says has meant "everything" to his baseball career.

Clayton Richard: "Richard" Tribute patch: Casey and Taylor -- Casey and Taylor are Richard's sisters, and he's quick to note, "They've been as much a part of my baseball career as anybody." After a rough game, Richard said, no one was quicker to lift his spirits than Casey and Taylor.

Hector Sanchez: "Sanchez" Tribute patch: Familia -- Sanchez was quick to thank his parents for everything they meant to him as a young ballplayer. Now, he says, his wife and son "are everything, my motivation every day to do what I do, to be successful."

Cory Spangenberg: "Spangy" In the Padres clubhouse, few use the moniker "Cory." Instead, since his 2014 callup, Spangenberg has been known almost exclusively as "Spangy." Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Spangenberg credits his parents for pushing him to become the ballplayer he is today, particularly noting the time and sacrifice they put into his youth baseball travels.

Yangervis Solarte: "Pituki" Solarte goes by a number of different nicknames. But "Pituki" is one of his favorites. It's also the name used by the young Latin players in the clubhouse when they refer to him. Solarte prefers "El Famosa Pituki" or, if he's in charge of the music, "DJ Pituki."

Craig Stammen: "Trig" Growing up in Ohio, Stammen developed the nickname "Trigger," given to him by one of his friend's fathers. Over the years, it was shortened to "Trig." Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Stammen was extremely eager to tribute his parents, given the significant commitment time-wise and financially to his youth baseball experience. "They let me 17 play every sport I wanted to play, paid for all the gas, paid for all the teams, so I'm very appreciative of how they raised me," Stammen said.

Matt Szczur: "Szczur" Tribute patch: Mom and Dad, Brother -- Some of Szczur's fondest childhood memories are playing catch in the backyard with his family. He called it "an honor" to be able to represent them with his tribute patch.

Luis Torrens: "Churro" In the Torrens family "Churro" is a nickname passed down three generations. Luis' grandfather used it for Luis' father. Then his father used it to refer to Luis as a child. Tribute patch: Dad and Mom -- Torrens recognized his father, the original "Churro," along with his mother, for the influence they had on his career as a young ballplayer.

Jose Torres: "Torres" Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Torres said his parents have influenced his career "in every way." His dad, in particular, served as something of a personal trainer in his development and still helps him during the offseason.

Travis Wood: "Woody" Long ago, Wood was given a "Y" at the end of his name -- as ballplayers often do. It quickly stuck. Tribute patch: My family -- It was Wood's parents who taught him how to play baseball, when he was young. Now Wood has a family of his own. "They've pushed me to be better as a player and have always been by my side," he said.

Kirby Yates: "Kirbs" As far back as he can remember, Yates' friends and family have shortened his first name to "Kirbs." Tribute patch: Ohana -- A Hawaii native, Yates opted for the Hawaiian word for "family" on his tribute patch. "In Hawaii, that's one of the things you learn at a young age, that family is No. 1, regardless of anything else," Yates said.

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Giancarlo Stanton crushes two home runs as Marlins rally past Padres

Associated Press

MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton kept connecting.

Leading a dugout celebration following the ' latest go-ahead hit, Stanton slapped Marcell Ozuna repeatedly atop the head. The pounding from baseball's most prodigious slugger had to hurt, right?

"It made me feel great," Ozuna said with a grin.

Lately, the Marlins are feeling no pain. Stanton homered twice Friday night, increasing his major- league-leading total to 49, and Ozuna's three-run homer capped a comeback as Miami climbed above .500 for the first time since April by beating San Diego 8-6.

Stanton had his ninth multihomer game this season, the most in the majors since Jose Bautista totaled nine with Toronto in 2010. Stanton's home run total is the highest in the National League since Prince Fielder hit 50 for Milwaukee in 2007 -- and the Marlins still have 35 games to play.

Stanton is on pace to finish with 63 homers.

"I'm not worried about homers," he said. "I just want to hit the ball hard and be in a position to strike when they give me a pitch, because it's going to get less and less, and I've got to be ready for that."

He had five RBIs to increase his season total to 105, both matching career-highs.

Led by their All-Star right fielder, the Marlins (64-63) have recovered from a 14-27 start to join the NL wild-card chase. They've won 11 of their past 14 games, and the latest victory thrilled a lively crowd of 22,489, which gave Stanton a standing ovation after his second homer and booed when he was walked in the seventh.

Two batters later, Ozuna homered off Kirby Yates (3-5) to increase his RBI total to a career-best 101.

Leading the jubilant reception for Ozuna was Stanton, who said he didn't hold back when pounding on his teammate.

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"Nah, you give Ozuna everything," Stanton said. "I was proud of him for that at-bat. That's a baseball player's at-bat, a very smart at-bat. You've got to be able to download all the info and capitalize, which he did."

Carlos Asuaje and Jabari Blash hit two-run homers for the Padres.

Stanton's first swing of the night sent a pitch to the left-field concourse, traveling an estimated 462 feet to give Miami a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Dee Gordon rounded the bases ahead of Stanton, shaking his head with a grin of amazement at his teammate's shot.

The Marlins slugger barely cleared the wall -- and the glove of a leaping Blash in right field -- in the third inning for his 16th home run in August. He has 23 homers since the All-Star break.

"It has been incredible," manager Don Mattingly said. "He has fueled this run. Since the break he has been a terror."

Stanton also made a diving catch in right field in the second to rob Blash of a hit.

The Padres held Stanton to a two-out, two-run double in the fourth, which put Miami ahead 5-2. All three of his hits came off Travis Wood.

"I missed a couple of pitches, especially to Stanton," Wood said. "If you miss, he's not going to miss it."

Blash's fourth home run of the year off Dustin McGowan (8-1) capped a four-run sixth for the Padres to put them ahead 6-5.

Brad Ziegler pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save of the season, all this month.

LOTS OF CLOUT

The Marlins have outscored opponents 41-30 in their past five wins.

"We're swinging the bats good right now," Mattingly said. "I don't think you can do this over a long period. I'd like to have some different style of games."

NICKNAME GAME

With players around the majors wearing nicknames on the back of their jerseys this weekend, Stanton chose "Cruz," which is what his mother calls him. Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton is his full name.

TRAINER'S ROOM

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Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (tired arm) began a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League and threw 12 pitches. The Marlins hope Chen, 1B Justin Bour(right oblique) and 3B Martin Prado (right knee) will return sometime in September, Mattingly said.

UP NEXT

Stanton tries for homer No. 50 on Saturday against RHP Dinelson Lamet (7-5, 4.84). RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (0-1, 4.42) makes his second start of the year for Miami.

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Padres On Deck: Wellman, Urías, Kennedy, Wingenter Honored by AA-Texas League

De Los Santos, Diaz, Margevicius turn in strong starts; Reyes homers again

By Bill Center

Phillip Wellman was named Manager of the Year and shortstop-second baseman Luis Urías and right-handed pitchers Brett Kennedy and Trey Wingenter were named to the Double-A Texas League’s post-season All-Star Team Friday.

The are 74–66 under Wellman and headed to a sweep of the league’s first and second-half South Division titles.

Urías, 20, is hitting .299 with a .400 on-base percentage with 64 walks against 58 strikeouts. He has 19 doubles, four triples and three homers with 35 RBIs and 74 runs scored. Urías leads the Texas League in on-base percentage and ranks second in runs scored, third in walks and seventh in batting average. Urías is the Padres’ third-ranked prospect.

Kennedy, 23, has a 12–7 record and 3.65 in 24 starts with a 1.20 WHIP (hits and walks allowed per inning), 129 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings against 34 walks. He leads the Texas League in wins and is sixth in WHIP and ninth in ERA.

Wingenter, 23, is 2–0 with 19 saves and a 2.18 ERA in 46 appearances. The 6-foot-7 Wingenter leads the league in saves and has 61 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings with a 1.06 WHIP and a .181 opponents’ batting average. He also has the lowest WHIP among relievers.

The Missions defeated Corpus Christi 4–1 Friday as right-handed starter Enyel De Los Santos (10–5, 3.69 ERA), the Padres’ №13 prospect, allowed a run on four hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over seven innings. Right fielder Franmil Reyes hit his third, game-winning homer in a span of four games.

Elsewhere in the Padres system:

— Rehabbing Rule 5 rookie right-hander Miguel Diaz allowed a run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in four innings with Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore.

— Six-foot-8 Cuban right-hander Michel Baez (6–2, 2.61 ERA) allowed two runs on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts in six innings for Single-A Fort Wayne as the TinCaps moved into a two-game lead in the race for the final playoff spot in the Midwest League. Baez is the Padres’ №7 prospect.

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— Left-hander (3–0, 1.50 ERA), the Padres’ seventh-round pick in this June’s draft, allowed three hits and no walks with three strikeouts over five scoreless innings for short- season Single-A Tri-City.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (65–66) — The Chihuahuas’ scheduled game against Sacramento Friday night in El Paso was rained out. There is a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday with El Paso entering the night a half-game out of first in the ’s Pacific South division.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (33–27, 74–56) — MISSIONS 4, Corpus Christi 1: RHP Yimmi Brasoban (2.84 ERA) followed De Los Santos and had a in two perfect innings. Reyes (.261) was 1-for-4 with his 22nd homer, a two-run shot in the first. 1B Josh Naylor (.259) was 2- for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Urías (.299) was 2-for-4 with a walk. DH Noah Perio (.274) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a RBI. LF Nick Torres (.262) was 1-for-3 with a walk. 3B Javier Guerra (.193) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. SS Fernando Tatis Jr.(.118) was 0-for-4 with a RBI and a stolen base.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (25–36, 60–71) — STORM 5, Lancaster 3: RHP Adrian De Horta (3–1, 4.89 ERA) followed Diaz and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four innings to get the win. RHP Colby Blueberg (2.68) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning to get his ninth save. LF Rod Boykin (.311) was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a double and a run scored. SS Ruddy Giron(.229) was 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, two runs scored and a RBI. 1BFernando Perez (.297) had two doubles in four at-bats with a RBI. RF River Stevens (.315) was 2-for-4 with a steal and a RBI. 3B Carlos Belen (.237) was 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitcher and a run scored. C Austin Allen(.287) was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (38–23, 64–67) — TinCaps 11, LANSING 3: RHP Jim McDade (3.93 ERA) followed Baez and allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout over three innings for his second save. 1B G.K. Young (.248) was 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk and three runs scored. CF Buddy Reed(.224) was 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks, a stolen base, two RBIs and three runs scored. RF Jack Suwinski (.217) was 3-for-5 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. C Chandler Seagle (.150) was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. SS Gabriel Arias (.222) was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza (.225) was 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two RBIs. LF Nate Easley (.260) was 1-for-5 with a steal, a RBI and a runscored.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI CITY (18–13, 37–31) — Dust Devils 4, SPOKANE 0: Five pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout. RHP Elliot Ashbeck (2.08 ERA) followed Margevicius and allowed a hit with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. RHP Mark Zimmerman (0.90) allowed a hit and a walk in one-third of a scoreless inning. LHP Travis Radke (1.76) got the final 23 two outs in the eighth. RHP Trevor Megill (1.06) pitched a perfect ninth. LFJosh Magee (.221) was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored. DHRobbie Podorsky (.299) was 1-for-4 with a stolen base, a RBI and a run scored. RF Luis Asuncion (.274) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a RBI. 1B Bryant Aragon (.217) doubled in four at-bats with a run scored. 2B Kelvin Melean (.232) was 0-for-3 with two walks, two stolen bases and a run scored.

ARIZONA ROOKIE LEAGUE PADRES-1 (8–12, 23–26) — ANGELS 5, Padres-1 5: RHP Greg Lambert (.222) had a two-run double in four at-bats. DH Blinger Perez (.375) was 1-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. CF Jeisson Rosario (.300) was 1-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored. SS Jonny Homza (.231) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a RBI. 3B Denzell Gowdy (.213) was 1-for- 3 with a walk and a run scored. 1B Jason Pineda (.236) was 0-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored. PH Agustin Ruiz (.200) was 1-for-1 with a run scored. LF Christopher Bono (.179) was 1-for-3. Starting LHP Dan Dallas (12.86 ERA) struck out two in a perfect inning. RHP Michell Miliano (0–3, 8.18) allowed four runs (two earned) on two hits and four walks with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. LHP Eduardo Solano (5.47) allowed a run on two hits and two walks in two innings. RHP Dominic Taccolini(8.31) gave up a hit and a walk with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. RHP Jonathan Guzman (5.11) allowed a run on two hits with two strikeouts in an inning.

ARIZONA ROOKIE LEAGUE PADRES-2 (13–7, 28–19) — The Padres-2 were off Friday night.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (24–46) — White Sox 8, PADRES 4: Starting RHP Ramon Pena (0–3, 6.21 ERA) allowed seven runs on four hits, five walks, three wild pitches and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings to take the loss. SS Tucupita Marcano (.205) was 2-for-4 with a and a run scored. RF Yordi Francisco (.277) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a double. LF Edward Burgos (.167) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. C Juan Vasquez(.154) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. DH Gilberto Vizcarra (.225) was 1-for-3 with a RBI. 3B Elvis Sabala (.208) was 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.

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This Day in Padres History, 8/26

Mumphrey’s big, extended day; Brian Giles acquired in trade

By Bill Center

Aug. 26, 1980 — Willie Montanez and Jerry Mumphrey have run-scoring hits in the top of the 18th as the Padres defeat the Mets 8–6 at Shea Stadium in New York. Mumphrey is 5-for-9 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Aug. 26, 2003 — The Padres acquire outfielder Brian Giles from the in exchange for left-handed pitcher Oliver Perez and outfielder Jason Bay.

Aug. 26, 2015 — Left fielder Justin Upton hits two home runs and drives in three runs as the Padres defeat the Nationals 6–5 in Washington, D.C.

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