Padres Press Clips Sunday, September 20, 2015

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Erlin struggles early and Padres can't rebound MLB.com Brock/Perkins 2

Padres like what they've seen from Edwards MLB.com Brock 5

Shields seeks 13th win in finale vs. Rockies MLB.com Perkins 7

Murphy's 1st big league hits help Rockies beat Padres 10-2 Associated Press AP 8

Routed by Rockies, Padres reach season low UT San Diego Lin 9

Edwards settling in with Padres UT San Diego Lin 11

Renfroe finds his fire in El Paso UT San Diego Maffei 13

Padres-Rockies Preview Associated Press Bechtold 15

Q&A: Padres starter Andrew Cashner UT San Diego Sanders 17

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Erlin struggles early and Padres can't rebound By Corey Brock and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | 1:15 AM ET

DENVER -- Tom Murphy had his first three Major League hits, including a home , andNolan Arenado had two hits and knocked in two runs Saturday night, as the Rockies got off to a fast start on their way to a 10-2 victory over the Padres at Coors Field.

Arenado knocked in runs Nos. 113 and 114 with RBI singles in the first two off Padres Robbie Erlin, who was making his first big league start of the season. Erlin allowed seven runs on nine hits in three-plus innings.

Colorado pitcher Yohan Flande left after 2 2/3 innings when he was struck on the left knee by a line drive. He was diagnosed with a contusion of the left patellar tendon. Reliever Christian Bergman followed by allowing one run in 3 1/3 innings to get the victory. He even got a and walked.

"That's what he's been real good at, coming in in those types of situations and putting up zeros," Rockies Walt Weiss said of Bergman. "That was big for us. You lose your starter that early in the game, that's usually a tough situation. But Bergy came in and settled things down."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED It mattered to Murphy: Murphy, the Rockies catcher, notched his first career hit and RBI, capping a four-run first- rally with a run-scoring, two-out to left. The first five Rockies to the plate reached base on four singles and a walk before DJ LeMahieu grounded into a play. Murphy's single plated Carlos Gonzalez from third to give the Rockies a 4-0 lead. Murphy connected for his second hit in the fifth inning, driving a leadoff homer over the center-field fence, and also singled in the eighth.

"That's something I'll never forget for sure," Murphy said of the homer. "He threw me three sliders in a row. The third one I sat on it and he just left it up with 0-2. I thought off the bat it was [going out]. I knew I hit it pretty well."

Where there's a Wil: Wil Myers had his second multi-hit game in as many nights, as he had a double and two singles. It was his third multi-hit game since coming off the disabled list on Sept. 4. His double in the third inning off Flande was his 13th of the season, one shy of what he had last season with the Rays. 2

Rock-solid relief: Bergman set the tone for a big night from the Rockies' , stifling the Padres with men on second and third, then throwing three more innings of one-run ball. He was followed by Gonzalez Germen, Simon Castro, and Jason Gurka, and the four relievers combined for 6 1/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits a walk while striking out 10.

"For the most part the success of the bullpen parallels our success here as of late," Weiss said. "Our bullpen is really showing up well here lately. It's an extremely young bullpen, so it's good to see those guys perform."

Leaning right: It's no secret that Padres' shortstop Jedd Gyorko is a pull hitter. His first 14 home runs of the season have either gone to left field or straight-away-center field. But his to right field in the sixth inning was his first opposite-field shot. He has hit 13 of his 15 home runs since July 3.

"He's close to taking another step. That ability to hit the ball to all fields even with power will set him apart a little bit," said Padres interim manager Pat Murphy. "That was a nice thing to see. He's a great competitor and has a great mind for the game."

QUOTABLE "A bright spot for us today was seeing Casey get out there and pitch and throwing that breaking ball the way he did. It was impressive. He's still not where he used to be but I think he's approaching it. I think he's gaining confidence." -- Murphy on Casey Kelly pitching in the big leagues for the first time since 2012. Kelly allowed one run over two innings of relief.

"I was kind of upset I didn't get the bunts down. After that I knew I was slashing. I just wanted to make sure I did something productive. I wanted to stay inside the ball and put the ball in play. I just went up the middle. Myers was saying at first that's the best at-bat he's seen from a pitcher. I was telling him I was hitting them off my thumb. Whatever gets it done." -- Bergman on his fourth inning single after fouling off six pitches. It was his second career hit, and his first since June 9, 2014, snapping an 0-for-26 hitless streak

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS It was another slow start for the Padres. They allowed four runs in the first inning and have been outscored, 97-84, in the first frame this season. That's more runs than they've allowed in any other inning this season.

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LONG ROAD BACK Kelly allowed one run in two innings of relief for the Padres, his first appearance in the big leagues since Sept. 27, 2012. He missed all of 2013 after having Tommy John surgery and was limited to 20 1/3 innings a year ago in the Minor Leagues. He spent this past season with Double-A San Antonio, regaining his lost innings while rebuilding his endurance.

"It was good to get back out there and get the adrenaline throwing and get some work in. I don't think about my elbow at all [anymore] … it's just about executing my pitch," Kelly said.

WHAT'S NEXT Padres: James Shields (12-6, 3.80) gets the start in the final game of the series against the Rockies at 1:10 p.m. PT. Shields has a 4.44 ERA in 16 road starts this season. This will be his fifth start of the season against the Rockies. He's 3-0 with a 5.24 ERA in those starts.

Rockies: Kyle Kendrick is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts since returning from the DL (right- shoulder inflammation), and in his last two starts he won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Kendrick has struggled to adapt to Coors Field, posting a 2-5 record with a 6.91 ERA over 11 home starts in his first season with the Rockies.

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Padres like what they've seen from Edwards Reliever has been a bright spot in struggling bullpen

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | September 19th, 2015

DENVER -- During a month where the Padres' bullpen has struggled mightily with a 6.31 ERA, newcomer Jon Edwards continues to shine.

Edwards, obtained from the Rangers on Aug. 21 for Will Venable, struck out the side in the eighth inning of Friday's 7-4 loss to the Rockies on 14 pitches.

"I think he's in a good spot," said Padres interim manager Pat Murphy.

In five appearances since joining the Padres from Triple-A El Paso on Sept. 2, the right-hander has allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings with three hits, five walks and eight .

Edwards -- who showed a hard slider and a fastball that ran as high as 97 mph on Friday -- had eight walks in six innings with the Rangers earlier this season but he has worked with the coaching staff since his arrival on his command.

"I think early on, walks and things like that have hurt. As long as I'm attacking hitters and staying aggressive, I feel pretty good about it," Edwards said.

Pitching Darren Balsley has talked to Edwards about "finishing his pitches," which is a fundamental pitching mechanic that some occasionally run astray of. This helps him gain a better control point. So far, it's worked.

In a small sample size with the Padres, Edwards is throwing more strikes and his command has been good.

"I'm trying to keep that mentality, attacking guys with fastballs early in the count. That's important for me. When I've done that, I've had a lot of success," he said. "The coaches have given me some good advice that's going to help me to do that more consistently." 5

With relievers Joaquin Benoit and Shawn Kelley set to become free agents after this season, the organization is taking a long look at Edwards to see if he can be a fit for 2016.

"He's got a huge ceiling," Balsley said.

For now, Edwards is trying his best not to worry about next season or where he might fit.

"I feel the expectations I have for myself are to go out and do the best I can. I'm not trying to put too much pressure on myself," he said.

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Shields seeks 13th win in finale vs. Rockies By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | September 19th, 2015

The Rockies and Padres are both far from the hope of early April, but each team will send its Opening Day starter to the mound Sunday as Colorado looks for a series sweep.

Colorado's Kyle Kendrick struggled throughout the season before going on the disabled list with right- shoulder inflammation. He is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts since returning from the DL, and in his last two starts he won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Kendrick has struggled to adapt to Coors Field, posting a 2-5 record with a 6.91 ERA over 11 home starts in his first season with the Rockies.

James Shields has been a consistent ace all season for San Diego, notching a team-high 12 wins with a 3.80 ERA. He has gotten through at least five innings in all but one start, and has pitched into the sixth in 27 of his 31 starts.

Three things to know about this game

• Padres catcher Derek Norris has 10 doubles against the Rockies this season, a franchise record for the most doubles by a player against any one opponent. Norris has 12 extra-base hits against Colorado this season.

• Nolan Arenado hits Shields at a merciless .588 clip (10-for-17) with a double, three homers and five RBIs.

• Pitcher Casey Kelly was up and throwing in the bullpen on Friday and could conceivably pitch in relief in the next day or so. Kelly will make his first Major League start since Sept. 27, 2012, on Friday at Petco Park against the D-backs.

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Murphy's 1st big league hits help Rockies beat Padres 10-2

Associated Press

DENVER -- Tom Murphy had an RBI single and a home run -- his first major league hits -- and Colorado overcame the loss of Yohan Flandeafter he was struck in the left leg by a line drive and the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 10-2 on Saturday night.

Charlie Blackmon had three hits, including an RBI single, and scored three times, and Nolan Arenado singled twice to drive in two runs for Colorado, which has won six of its last nine games.

Jedd Gyorko homered and doubled and Justin Upton had an RBI single for San Diego.

Christian Bergman (3-0) pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-run relief after coming on in the third inning to replace Flande, who was hit in the left knee area by a line drive hit by Gyorko, who had a double.

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Routed by Rockies, Padres reach season low

By Dennis Lin | 8:16 p.m. Sept. 19, 2015 | Updated, 8:56 p.m.

DENVER — The Padres used four pitchers in one inning on Saturday, which, on the surface, isn't as rare as it sounds. After all, this was a September game played at Coors Field.

The problem: It was the bottom of the fourth.

Robbie Erlin recorded only nine outs in his first major league start in a year, the bullpen continued to implode and Rockies baserunners wore out the dirt in a 10-2 rout that plunged the Padres to a new season low.

Eleven games under .500, the Padres (69-80) guaranteed themselves a losing series with one of their most listless performances yet. An aggressively reconstructed club certainly had its share of doubters in April, but few envisioned San Diego would sink to these depths.

"Disappointed," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "After a good Arizona road series win, to have this happen, it hurts."

The game felt effectively over in the first inning. Erlin, the first left-hander to start for the Padres since he took the mound for their 2014 finale, was blitzed in the game's most formidable environment for pitchers.

It was not all the venue, not nearly.

Charlie Blackmon opened the bottom of the first with a single. Jose Reyes laid down a bunt, beat Erlin's throw and kept going when the ball sailed wide of Wil Myers' glove. Nolan Arenado singled. Carlos Gonzalez singled. Wilin Rosario walked, loading the bases. D.J. LeMahieu grounded into a double play as a run scored from third. Tom Murphy, 0-for-8 as a major leaguer, singled for his first career hit.

By the time the dust had cleared, Erlin was staring at a 4-0 deficit. It grew to 5-0 in the second, when he surrendered a two-out single.

"He's pitched here before and been in the big leagues," Murphy said. "I don't think the ballpark played into it that much. He just didn't hit his spots, and they ambushed him early. He didn't give up too many hard-hit balls early, but once you have that inning, you've got to shut them down. Didn't happen tonight."

In the top of the third, Jedd Gyorko's two-out comebacker off the left knee of Rockies starter Yohan Flande, the ball rolling all the way into left-field foul territory. As Gyorko went to second

9 base for a double, Flande doubled over in pain. The left-hander promptly exited the game with a patellar-tendon contusion and was replaced by Christian Bergman.

After a 1-2-3 inning, Erlin allowed a double to open the bottom of the fourth, then lost a prolonged at-bat to Bergman, who fouled off each of the first six pitches before singling to center. It was the pitcher's second career hit.

That was it for Erlin, a finesse lefty who'd fallen off the radar this year before re-emerging with a strong finish to the Triple-A season. Saturday, his stock took an immediate hit.

His final line: three-plus innings, nine hits, seven runs, one walk, two strikeouts.

Erlin, who threw 55 pitches, figures to get at least another chance; he is currently scheduled to start next Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Padres bullpen, which entered the game with a 6.31 ERA in September, buckled again. Odrisamer Despaigne, who relieved Erlin, gave up a run-scoring single, recorded an out and issued a walk. Lefty specialist Marc Rzepczynski made a brief cameo, inducing a sacrificing fly. Rockies first baseman Wilin Rosario legged out an infield single off Marcos Mateo, driving in another run. At the end of four, the Rockies had an 8-1 lead.

Mateo surrendered a solo home run, Murphy's second big-league hit, in the fifth.

Gyorko swatted an opposite-field homer in the sixth, putting a small dent in the Rockies' lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Padres right-hander Casey Kelly took the mound for his first major league appearance since Sept. 27, 2012. Before the game, Murphy said Kelly might be available out of the bullpen ahead of his scheduled start Friday in San Diego. Murphy added it likely would be in an emergency capacity.

Saturday qualified. Kelly pitched around a one-out single to hang a scoreless inning. He allowed a run in the eighth. In his big-league return from Tommy John surgery, he finished with five hits allowed, three strikeouts and 38 pitches.

"It was good to get back out there and get the adrenaline flowing and get some work in," Kelly said. "I don’t think about my elbow at all. It’s just about executing my pitch."

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Edwards settling in with Padres For the first time in his big-league career, reliever strikes out the side

By Dennis Lin | 4:13 p.m. Sept. 19, 2015

DENVER — Barely a month has passed since the Padres' most recent , but for two months of Will Venable, it appears they've gotten an intriguing return.

While minor league catcher Marcus Greene Jr. is recovering from Tommy John surgery, the other player acquired from Texas, Jon Edwards, already has shown flashes of legitimate major league impact. In the eighth inning of the Padres' 7-4 loss to the Rockies on Friday, the converted struck out the side for the first time in his budding career as a reliever.

Edwards' 25th big-league appearance was, in fact, the first full, clean inning of his career. He didn't allow a hit or a walk. He threw 14 pitches consisting of a fastball that touched 97 mph and a sharp slider, inducing three swings-and-misses with each offering.

Small sample aside, Edwards has settled in nicely since his Padres debut on Sept. 4, when he allowed a run on three hits and a walk. Since, he has made four scoreless, one-inning appearances.

"I think he's in a good spot," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "He had a taste of the big leagues, (averaged) a walk per inning, things weren't perfect. Came over to us, a little nervous in his first outing. But the stuff is there. There's a lot more than stuff to make a pitcher good, especially in that role, but he's a guy that we're going to consider at least throwing in some games that are ."

At 6-feet-5, Edwards has little trouble generating downhill angle. Command has been his main challenge, no surprise considering he began his transition to pitching only four years ago. In 11 1/3 innings between the Rangers and the Padres this season, he has recorded 14 strikeouts but also 13 walks.

"He fights his command intermittently," an evaluator said recently. "Will flash an above-average breaking ball but has not harnessed it completely or learned to repeat it yet."

The evaluator noted Edwards was still early in his development as a pitcher, adding that the 27- year-old "has a chance to be a solid middle reliever with more mound time."

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Middle relief, coincidentally, has been the Padres' most glaring weakness this month. With Brandon Maurer and Shawn Kelley both out, San Diego relievers repeatedly have been nicked in the sixth and seventh innings. The latest example arrived in the bottom of the seventh Friday, with Jay Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski and Nick Vincent combining to allow three runs on three hits and two walks.

"We're learning about these guys that we haven't seen much of or the guys that have been doing well 50 percent of the time," Murphy said. "That's not good enough. You have to be a little more consistent."

That could mean more opportunity for Edwards, who will continue to have growing pains but already has shown the ability to get big-league outs. Notable

 Before he starts Friday against Arizona, Padres right-hander Casey Kelly will be available out of the bullpen, though perhaps only in an emergency capacity, Murphy said. Kelly got up in the bullpen during Friday's loss but did not enter the game.  As the Padres ease him into the majors, center fielder and 2016 leadoff candidate Travis Jankowski has started just once atop the order. Meanwhile, he's batted ninth 13 times and eighth twice. With Wil Myers having made 11 of 14 starts at the leadoff spot since his return from wrist surgery, Murphy said it was unlikely Jankowski would reappear there before the end of the season. "I bet you don’t see it, but I wouldn’t say definitely not," Murphy said. "There might be a day Myers isn’t in there, and that might be the day."

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Renfroe finds his fire in El Paso Young outfielder finishes the minor league season strong in Triple-A

By John Maffei | 11:07 a.m. Sept. 19, 2015 | Updated, 4 p.m.

It was easy to see the warts on Hunter Renfroe.

The organization's first-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2013, the outfielder strikes out way too much - 132 times, once every 3.7 at-bats.

He doesn't walk much 37 times. And he doesn't steal bases for a guy with speed - five in six attempts.

But what caught the attention of rival scouts was Renfroe seemed to be going through the motions at Double-A San Antonio.

"He wasn't lazy, but his body language gave you the impression he was disinterested," said one pro scout. "You can see the talent, but something was missing."

Renfroe played 112 games for San Antonio, hitting .259 with 22 doubles, 14 homers and 54 RBIs.

But a late-season promotion to Triple-A El Paso seemed to stoke his fire.

"He looked like a different guy," the scout said. "He was playing with passion, playing with a purpose. He looked like a guy who can play in the big leagues."

In 21 games with El Paso, Renfore hit .333 with six homers, five doubles, a pair of triples and 24 RBIs. More importantly, he struckout just 20 times in 90 at-bats.

"Hunter was having an up-and-down season," said Sam Geaney, the Padres director of player development. "But with injuries and call ups to the big leagues, he got an opportunity with El Paso.

"He got a chance to play for a team that was fighting for a playoff spot.

"We were really happy with the way he played the second half of the season. And the fact he got nearly 700 at-bats is a great deal."

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Around the farm

El Paso: The Chihuahuas lost their best-of-five first-round playoff series 3-1 to Fresno. The Chihuahuas were down two games to none, won 6-4 to keep the series alive, then lost 7-4. Renfroe drove in all four runs in the final loss, hitting a pair of homers. RHP Casey Kelly was the loser, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings.

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Fort Wayne: The TinCaps lost their best-of three playoff series 2-0 to West Michigan. RHP Ernesto Montas, who was 12-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 24 starts for the TinCaps, went 4 2/3 innings, allowing both runs in a 2-1 loss in the deciding game.

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Tri-City: The Dust Devils lost their best-of-three playoff series 2-1 to Hillsboro. Relievers Brett Kennedy, Elvin Liriano, Wilson Santos and Phil Maton combined for eight innings of relief in the team's only win.

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Instructional League: The Padres invited 58 players to a three-week session in Arizona. The top guys are pitchers Ryan Butler, Elliott Morris, Austin Smith and Jacob Nix (Smith and Nix were the top two picks in the June draft), infielders Ty France, Ruddy Giron, Peter Van Gansen and Josh Van Meter and Michael Gettys, Franchy Cordero and Nick Torres.

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Arizona Fall League: Pitchers Ryan Butler, Michael Dimock, Elliott Morris and Eric Yardley, infielders Fernando Perez and Gabe Quintana and outfielder Travis Jankowski are scheduled to play for the Peoria. The season starts Oct. 13.

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Padres-Rockies Preview By TAYLOR BECHTOLD (STATS Writer)11 hours agoAP - Sports

James Shields hoped to be pitching for a contender when he joined the San Diego Padres, but now he's resigned to achieving what he believes is an important milestone.

As he moves closer to the 200-inning mark, the right-hander will try to win his sixth consecutive decision against the NL West-worst Colorado Rockies on Sunday at Coors Field.

Shields (12-6, 3.80 ERA) was one of several players - along with Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks - San Diego added during a quick offseason rebuild.

The Padres (69-80) then opted to keep things together at the trade deadline despite being eight games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Now they're simply playing out the string since being officially eliminated from postseason contention.

That hasn't stopped Shields from pitching well down the stretch. He's reached 200 strikeouts for the third time in his career and is 10 2-3 innings from hitting 200 for a ninth straight season.

"The strikeouts mean something to me, but not really; I'm more of an innings guy," he told MLB's official website. "I like the 200 innings every year. I feel like if you go deep into games and throw a lot of innings, your strikeouts are going to be there."

Shields has gone 3-0 with a 3.24 ERA over his last four starts after allowing one run over seven innings in Monday's 10-3 win at Arizona. The veteran insists he's ready to go after getting hit on the right forearm by a grounder just before the end of the seventh.

Shields is 5-0 with a 4.08 ERA in six meetings with the Rockies over the past two seasons.

He'll have to be careful with Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, who have the second- and third- most home runs in the NL, respectively. Arenado is 10 for 17 with three homers when facing Shields, while Gonzalez has gone 8 for 19 with two longballs.

Arenado and Gonzalez each knocked in two runs and Charlie Blackmon had three hits in Saturday's 10-2 win. Rookie catcher Tom Murphy went 3 for 5 with his first big-league home run after going 0 for 8 over his previous three games.

''Each game you're here, you get a little more comfortable," Murphy said.

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The Rockies (63-85) have hit .344 and averaged 6.6 runs while winning five of seven at home. They'll likely need to continue that production with Kyle Kendrick on the mound as they go after their first sweep since taking four in a row from visiting Atlanta from July 9-12.

The right-hander's 6.91 ERA at home is MLB's second highest among those with at least 10 starts there. He's also 1-1 with a 6.88 ERA while allowing five homers in three starts against the Padres.

Kendrick (6-12, 6.15), though, has pitched better since missing a month due to shoulder inflammation. He's gone 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in his last three starts with both victories coming on the road.

Upton is batting .367 with three homers in 30 lifetime at-bats versus Kendrick.

Myers went 2 for 3 with a double Saturday and Jedd Gyorko had his 15th homer and a double. Myers has gone 8 for 16 in his last four games versus Colorado.

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Q&A: Padres starter Andrew Cashner On his dog Lyndsey, her training and looking for an out-pitch

By Jeff Sanders | 1 p.m. Sept. 19, 2015

On some days, Lyndsey – Andrew Cashner’s 4-year-old yellow Labrador retriever – is the most popular being in the Padres’ post-game interview room. The 29-year-old right-hander let us in on the secret to training a good dog (hint: hire someone!), why they’re inseparable and his thoughts on his season to date.

 Question: We see you before most games either working out with Lyndsey on the field or working with her – calls and such. Tell us about her and her training.  Answer: I started having her trained I think my first year here with the Padres. I didn’t have her for a little bit out here because I sent her back to dog school. … My buddy Kirk Wichman did all the training with her in out of Hidden Lake Retrievers (in Anderson, Texas). But she’s pretty much bonded to me. She’s been my go-to partner everywhere I go.

 Q: Really, we don’t even notice her unless she hears you in the clubhouse.  A: Yeah, she really doesn’t say much, but if she hears my voice and she starts yelping.

 Q: Why Labs?  A: You know, when I was 10 or 11, we got a black lab and we ended up breeding her. She had puppies and I got to keep two of the puppies. She’s my fourth lab and I got another one this July, another yellow lab. I’ve had them all. It gets tougher and tougher every time one passes away. It’s definitely tough when they go on, but it’s a chance to get another dog and have another new bond.

 Q: And that’s a working dog for you, right?  A: Yeah, we do a lot of hunting together and I travel all over, whether it’s going up to Canada together or North Dakota. She’s my traveling partner.

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 Q: What’s her best day on a hunt?  A: There was a week span where we hunted four different birds. It was pretty cool getting to watch her hunt four different animals – ducks, pheasant, quail and dove. Getting to see her do that within a week of her never hunting something before, it was pretty cool to see.

 Q: And her worst day?  A: Some days she doesn’t want to mind, but she doesn’t really have any bad days. She’s a pretty good dog. She loves to work.

 Q: On to your season – you’ve toyed with a new change-up, a new slider. We know a pitcher is always looking to get better, but is that indicative of kind of searching for something?  A: No, I wouldn’t necessarily say “searching.” I think that’s a bad word. I think it’s looking for an out pitch, but since I started throwing this new slider I definitely think it’s another pitch to go with my fastball. I just think the biggest thing is I’ve struggled to repeat my mechanics. I’m walking more guys, not commanding the strike zone like I want to and I’m capable of. If you really look at it, a couple different plays or a couple different games, it’s a totally different season. It’s not as bad as what people think it is, but you’re only as good as your last pitch.

 Q: How can you finish on a strong note?  A: I think for me, it’s just making every start from here on out. I think, as a rotation, we set out in the beginning of the year to try to get 1,000 innings and I think we’ll come short because we’ve had B-Mo (Brandon Morrow) go down and the fifth spot has been toyed with. I think as a starting group, we’ve all stayed healthy. We haven’t met the expectations that we’ve asked of ourselves, but we’ve been healthy and we’ve made every start. As a man, that’s a lot of respect.

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