Padres Press Clips Saturday, July 8, 2017
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Padres Press Clips Saturday, July 8, 2017 Article Source Author Page Austin Hedges lifts Padres over Phillies UT San Diego Lin 2 Padres try struggling Wil Myers in leadoff spot UT San Diego Lin 6 Storm's Javier Guerra continues hot second half UT San Diego Sanders 9 The Padres' Peter Seidler — just call him Mr. Nice Guy UT San Diego Bell 12 Past, present, future intertwine for Padres' Cal UT San Diego Sanders 14 Quantrill, Josh Naylor Hedges' two homers, late sac fly lift Padres MLB.com Zolecki/Cassavell 17 Lineup change pays dividends for offense MLB.com Cassavell 20 Friedrich shut down, may miss rest of '17 MLB.com Cassavell 22 Padres busy during International signing period MLB.com Cassavell 23 Under-the-radar Chacin aims to keep rolling MLB.com Cassavell 25 Austin Hedges leads Padres to 4-3 win over Phillies Associated Press AP 26 1 Austin Hedges lifts Padres over Phillies Dennis Lin On Wednesday afternoon, Austin Hedges had just begun taking swings inside a batting cage at Progressive Field when he felt the muscles in his neck stiffen. The restriction did not subside. Soon, he was on the trainer’s table. Two hours before game time, the Padres scratched their starting catcher from the lineup. Two nights later, Hedges made an emphatic return. He walloped the second pitch he saw. The seventh offering to Hedges met a similar fate. In a 4-3 victory at Citizens Bank Park, Hedges recorded the first multi-homer performance of his career, hammering a pair of solo blasts off Philadelphia starter Nick Pivetta. Additionally, he caught six strong innings from Clayton Richard before a rainstorm halted the game for 94 minutes. After play resumed and the Phillies erased a two-run deficit, Hedges went to bat in the ninth. He delivered again, lifting a sacrifice fly to center to drive in the go-ahead run. In the bottom half of the inning, closer Brandon Maurer struck out the side. The Padres celebrated their fourth win in five games, thanks in large part to the heroics of their starting catcher. “I really think catching at this level has to be the toughest thing in athletics,” Richard said. “When they’re able to do that at a high level behind the plate and do anything at the plate, it’s impressive. When he’s able to put together a night like tonight, it’s something special.” Friday supplied a memorable snapshot of Hedges’ two-way potential. Throughout this season, the 24- year-old had consistently drawn praise for his defense and handling of a pitching staff. In both departments, he had shown the acumen required from a franchise catcher. Meantime, questions about his offensive ability continue to linger. Hedges carried a .214 average and .258 on-base percentage into the Padres’ series opener against the Phillies. Over his last 38 at-bats, he had logged only six hits. But the ingredients for a more consistent threat exist. After Hedges unsuccessfully lobbied to play Thursday in Cleveland, he went to work with hitting coach Alan Zinter. 2 “It’s just a little bit more connected … using my whole body,” Hedges said. “At times, I think I only use my upper body and don’t use my legs.” “He’s been working hard in the cage,” manager Andy Green said. “He’s been scuffling a little bit lately. I’m sure the two days (off) helped him reboot the system.” Hedges’ home runs against Pivetta were his 12th and 13th of the year, tying him with Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees. Among major league catchers, only Kansas City’s Salvador Perez has gone deep more times. Friday, Hedges followed the example set by Jose Pirela. In the top of the first, the Padres left fielder continued his productivity, redirecting an elevated slider for a 450-foot home run off the facing of the second deck in left. In 27 games since being promoted from Triple-A, Pirela is hitting .300 with a .342 on-base percentage, 11 doubles, a triple and four home runs. “Jose Pirela’s been outstanding,” Green said. “That ball he hit was one of the hardest baseball’s I’ve seen hit all year. I think it was still going up when it went out.” Leading off the third, Hedges, like Pirela, connected with a slider that caught too much plate. The catcher’s first homer soared over the left-field wall. Richard yielded the Phillies’ first run when Tommy Joseph homered in the fourth, but that would be the only damage against the Padres starter. Over his six innings, Richard allowed five hits and a walk. “First couple innings, he was as good as he’s been,” Hedges said. “He lost a little bit command later, but he’s such a good competitor that we made an adjustment and he made an adjustment and was able to give us six great innings.” Hedges padded the lead in the fifth. This time, he stayed back on a 97 mph heater from Pivetta before unleashing a well-timed cut. An opposite-field drive cleared the right-field fence, giving the Padres a 3-1 advantage. Richard, who threw a total of 82 pitches, would have gone deeper into the game had it not been for a lengthy seventh-inning stretch. After the pitcher struck out to end the top of the seventh, the skies opened. The grounds crew took the field at 8:14 p.m. EDT. 3 The game recommenced at 9:48 p.m. The break seemed to have benefited the Phillies. The home team put runners on second and third, with one out, against Phil Maton. The rookie reliever yielded an RBI groundout as the Phillies pulled to within one run. Green summoned All-Star lefty Brad Hand from the bullpen. Freddy Galvis greeted Hand with a game- tying single. The Padres mustered a decisive response in the ninth. Cory Spangenberg cracked a leadoff single. With one out, he dashed to third on a single by Carlos Asuaje. After a failed attempt at safety squeeze, Hedges came through another way. “I should’ve got the safety squeeze down,” Hedges said. “But to still go out and win the at-bat — that’s tough to do sometimes after you screw up what you’re supposed to do — to still go back in and grind, get that sac fly, I was very pleased.” Painful ricochet In the sixth, right fielder Hunter Renfroe absorbed a pitch that ricocheted off his left forearm and hit a finger on his right hand. Renfroe doubled over in pain before convincing the training staff to allow him to stay in the game. He was replaced by Matt Szczur before the bottom of the ninth. “He was staying out there as long as he possibly can,” Green said. “I think it’s hard for him to even throw right now with his finger the way it is.” Green added that Renfroe will be re-evaluated Saturday. “I don’t think anybody thinks it’s broken,” Green said. “The way it hit him, it just kind of clipped him pretty good.” Immediate dividends Swapping lineup assignments with Pirela, first baseman Wil Myers batted leadoff for the first time this season and notched his first three-hit game since April. Myers doubled, singled and surprised the Phillies when he bunted for his final hit. 4 “We probably should’ve gotten to that point sooner (batting Myers leadoff), but there’s so much confidence in him getting going in the three-hole,” Green said. “Good look for him. We’ll go right back to it (Saturday). “You put him in the one-hole, and he starts bunting and running, some of the different aspects of his game. He’s capable of doing a lot more than people give him credit for.” 5 Padres try struggling Wil Myers in leadoff spot Dennis Lin Lacking more conventional options, the Padres put Wil Myers atop their lineup 51 times in 2015. In a season disrupted by wrist injuries and surgery, he logged a .271/.343/.459 slash line from the leadoff spot. On Friday, for the first time in 2017, Myers returned to batting first. The hope, according to Myers and manager Andy Green, was that a different perspective would foster better results. The Padres’ first baseman and usual three-hole bat entered their series at Citizens Bank Park with just one hit and one walk over his last 20 plate appearances. In one concerning stretch, he struck out nine consecutive times. “Change of scenery is sometimes nice and sometimes necessary,” Green said, “and we thought it would be a good one for him.” Left fielder Jose Pirela, who had batted .302/.345/.509 since his early-June promotion, switched places with Myers, moving down to No. 3 in the order. “I’m pretty excited about it,” said Myers, who started in the top slot only twice last season. “Back in 2015, I really enjoyed hitting leadoff. … I’ve struggled over the last month-and-a-half, so this is something that could really kickstart it and get going again. “I can definitely hit leadoff, I have the speed to do it and I think, with the way Pirela’s been hitting, it’s maybe a good idea to put him right there at three.” Myers ambushed pitchers in April, hitting .310/.325/.593 with 16 extra-base hits. Since then, opponents have adjusted while Myers has yet to find consistency. He began Friday hitting .251 with a .326 on-base percentage and the fifth-most strikeouts in the majors.