Padres Press Clips Thursday, July 9, 2015

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Padres swept by Pirates, lose fifth straight UT San Diego Lin 2

Upton day-to-day with sore oblique UT San Diego Lin 5

Padres, Preller prepared to sell and buy UT San Diego Lin 7

Minors: Needy strong in return to AA UT San Diego Sanders 10

Friar talk: Padres’ skid hits five games UT San Diego Sanders 12

Padres looking for positives during losing skid MLB.com Brock 13

Cashner solid, but Padres lose 5th straight MLB.com Brock/Singer 15

Upton sits with a sore left oblique MLB.com Brock 18

Luebke gets good news after MRI on left elbow MLB.com McGonigal 20

Kennedy, Padres finish up 1st half with series vs. Rangers MLB.com McGonigal 21

Padres swept by Pirates, lose 5th in a row Associated Press Barnes 23

Justin Upton day-to-day, not expected to go on DL for Padres ESPN.com ESPN news services 24

On deck: Padres to visit UT San Diego Sanders 25

Santiago, Templeton elected to Pads HOF UT San Diego Lin 26

Yale Rosen, Michael Gettys power -A teams to wins Padres.com Center 28

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Padres swept by Pirates, lose fifth straight Pittsburgh comes back, again, to beat San Diego By Dennis Lin | 6:54 p.m. July 8, 2015 | Updated, 8:09 p.m.

PITTSBURGH — Somewhat lost in the Padres' general malaise over the last three weeks, their pitching has provided a half-glimpse of what this team could and has failed to be. It continued Wednesday at PNC Park ... until it didn't. The Padres led for six innings, were overtaken and eventually lost, 5-2 to the Pirates, suffering both a sweep and a fifth consecutive defeat.

Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner one- the Pirates through six innings, but he faltered in the eighth after issuing a two-out walk.

Gregory Polanco, who had supplied the decisive hit in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Padres, singled off the top of the right-field wall to give Pittsburgh the go-ahead . Cashner walked off the field after 7 2/3 innings of mixed results. Brandon Maurer, arguably the Padres' most promising young pitcher, walked the first batter he faced before allowing consecutive singles.

That put the Pirates ahead, 5-2. A half-inning later, it was over.

In each of their last five games, the Padres (39-48) have scored first but rarely again. During that stretch, they have been out-scored 15-7. And in the last three of those games, the Pirates (50-34) notched the winning run in the eighth inning or later.

In a reverse of the first few weeks of the season, when they were allowing a lot of runs but scoring even more, the Padres are stressing their arms while their bats come up empty at the plate.

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"We did not execute offensively at the end," interim manager Pat Murphy said after the Padres recorded another 0-for-5 showing with runners in scoring position. "And our relief pitching is getting tired. ... You think things are going well, and they come up with every big hit."

In the bottom of the seventh, Pirates second baseman Neil Walker led off with a . It was just the Pirates' second hit of the night. Walker scored on a grounder's choice, tying the game at 2-all.

"When you face good teams, when good teams are going, they get their breaks," said Cashner, who surrendered four runs on three hits and two walks. "The numbers don't show it, but this road trip we've played, in my opinion, the best baseball we've played all season. We just haven't had the breaks go our way."

For as well as they've pitched, here is what the numbers show: The Padres are third- to-last in the majors in OPS. Wednesday, after Justin Upton was scratched with oblique soreness, Murphy moved Alexi Amarista, a .212 hitter, into the two-hole. Amarista went 0-for-4.

Murphy also batted catcher Derek Norris leadoff for the third consecutive game. Norris went 1-for-5, dropping his average to .240. In the bottom of the eighth, he took a relay throw to the plate off his right knee, Travis Ishikawa slid past him for the go- ahead run and Norris doubled over in pain. He would remain in the game.

"Derek's tough. He's going to tell you he's all right, no matter what," Murphy said. "I respect him for that. I think he'll be pretty sore tomorrow. He said his knee popped a little bit. That's always scary to hear, but he wanted to continue. It looked like he was moving OK at the end."

Padres opened the scoring with a to center in the top of the first. It was his seventh homer of the season and his sixth since June 6, though his batting average remains under .250.

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The Padres got to Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton again in the second. drew a one-out walk, and Melvin Upton Jr. drove him in with a double. San Diego had a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Jung-Ho Kang led off with a double. After advancing to third on a groundout, he scored on a sacrifice fly, halving the Pirates' deficit.

The Padres finished with five hits, striking out nine times.

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Upton day-to-day with sore oblique Padres left fielder scratched from Wednesday's lineup By Dennis Lin | 4:46 p.m. July 8, 2015

PITTSBURGH — Padres left fielder Justin Upton was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with left oblique soreness and is considered day-to-day. The soreness first arose from a catch Upton made during the Padres' series in St. Louis. He may have re-aggravated the oblique Tuesday at PNC Park, a game in which he leaped to rob Andrew McCutchen of a two-run homer and recorded an outfield assist with a strong throw to second base.

Upton attempted to take batting practice before Wednesday's game, but still feeling soreness, he was soon replaced in left field by Will Venable.

"We were hoping he was (ready to start), but we don't want to risk anything," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "He felt it in his oblique and nursed it yesterday a little bit.

"We just decided, precautionary, that this wasn't the best day to go. Hurts us a bunch, but that's part of it."

Murphy said he did not expect Upton would go on the disabled list. The Padres have an off day Thursday before beginning a three-game series in Texas.

"I don't foresee that right now, the way it is right this second, but we don't want to re- aggravate it," he said. "That's part of the thinking for keeping him out today. We've got a day off tomorrow, and hopefully that can be the end of it."

The All-Star Game will be played Tuesday in Cincinnati, and Upton is the Padres' lone representative.

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Positive diagnosis

Cory Luebke has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, a positive diagnosis after the Padres left-hander underwent an MRI in San Diego on Tuesday. Luebke will rest and be re-evaluated Monday, Murphy said.

Luebke, attempting to return from a second Tommy John surgery, had felt elbow discomfort after a June 30 rehab appearance with -A El Paso.

"The ligament was still intact," Murphy said. "It's good news ... given what he's been through and what it could be."

Notable

• Left-hander Frank Garces was optioned to El Paso on Wednesday, while right- hander Dale Thayer (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day DL. Garces threw two innings and 43 pitches in Tuesday's rain-delayed loss. • Padres starter Tyson Ross, who pitched just two innings before the rain began Tuesday, will pitch again Sunday at Texas. After having their bullpen taxed, the Padres temporarily moved Odrisamer Desapigne to a long-relief role Wednesday, using Thursday's off day to skip Despaigne's turn in the rotation.

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Padres, Preller prepared to sell and buy Change, not fire sale, coming as trade deadline approaches By Dennis Lin | 3 p.m. July 8, 2015 | Updated, 9:02 p.m. PITTSBURGH — As it was in the offseason, predicting exactly what Padres General Manager A.J. Preller will do next remains an exercise in futility. This much, however, is clear:

• The Padres' key decision-makers realize it is getting extremely late to make a run up the standings. • Still, even as a majority of Preller's winter splashes haven't panned out, they feel as strongly as ever about their first-year GM. • In short, the next few weeks could be nearly as interesting as last December. "We think he's done an outstanding job," Padres president and CEO Mike Dee told the Union-Tribune. "The major league club is one part of it; it's a big part of it. We all wish we were winning more games, but listen, you've got to swing to hit, and (Preller) took a big swing this season with this team. "This was a franchise that was stuck in neutral for the last 10 years, so I give A.J. a lot of credit for rolling to the dice to see if we could add to this year's team to compete, to compete with this group, and I think we still may. If we don't, then we'll reassess and reshuffle the deck and see if we can find a different chemistry, a different combination, that can improve the roster."

Realistically, the latter direction is more probable. At 39-48, the Padres are foundering precisely where they were a year ago.

"We're way disappointed in this year to date," Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler said Wednesday. "We've been evaluating the team very closely. ... We fully hope that they're going to play better for the remainder of the season."

To reach the postseason, the Padres would have to play roughly .650 baseball the rest of the way. FanGraphs.com projects the odds of that happening at 3 percent.

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"For every game we don't gain on .500, that doesn't bode well for that .647 number," Fowler added.

A franchise in desperate need of stability, San Diego won't undergo a massive shift from the aggressive direction it adopted in the offseason. But even in the absence of a teardown, Preller has full latitude to make moves by the deadline, and judging by his level of offseason activity, the Padres easily could be one of the most active teams before August.

"We've got a lot of our scouting group on the road, seeing players we could add to the mix," Preller said this week while evaluating the big-league club at PNC Park. "Then we're also considering situations where we kind of change the look of the club a little bit. ... The biggest thing we preach to our scouts is to just be prepared for all different scenarios."

Sources indicate the Padres are prepared to sell and buy simultaneously. Free-agents- to-be Justin Upton, Ian Kennedy, Joaquin Benoit and Will Venable are obvious trade candidates. Club-controllable pitchers Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross intrigue many teams, while closer Craig Kimbrel has pitched just twice in July. Meantime, the Padres continue to be on the prowl for such commodities as an everyday shortstop, more balance for a right-handed-heavy offense and young, major league-ready talent in general.

"It's obviously not where we want to be," Preller said of the Padres' current position. "We were hoping that we'd be in a better place in the standings and just in general playing better, more consistent baseball. We've seen flashes of it early in the year. The offense had some explosive moments; we put some runs on the board in a hurry. The pitching wasn't as good at that time. Now it's kind of a flip, vice versa."

Even so, Preller wasn't ready to concede the season.

"I still think that this team, especially the way we've pitched the last few weeks, you could make the case that we're going to get to the finish line in a way that can be competitive," he said. "I think we have some components that can help us get there. We've got to improve a lot of areas; we need a more consistent offensive approach and 8 attack. ... I think in a lot of ways the team will tell us as we get going, and I think we get a better sense of where we stand in the next 10 days, two weeks."

But if the Padres don't go on their long-awaited winning streak by then - and, to date, they've yet to show signs of real consistency - Preller may be forced to do more selling than buying. Certainly, the farm system, depleted during the Padres' offseason revamping, could use restocking.

Whichever direction Preller chooses, he'll have strong backing from the the owners, who've been enamored with Preller's tireless approach to player development and scouting, both stateside and abroad.

"We're ecstatic with the collaborative environment, the creativity, the will to win, the competitive nature," Dee said. "Some of the things we've done to this point haven't worked out, but we'll jump right back on it and keep swinging."

While the Padres currently have more than $60 million committed for 2016 to just four players - Kimbrel, Matt Kemp, James Shields and Melvin Upton Jr. - sources say they are prepared to be active in free agency. That would suggest that, after San Diego opened this season with a club-record $109 payroll, another substantial hike is possible.

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Minors: Needy strong in return to AA Recapping Wednesday's Padres minor league games By Jeff Sanders | 8 a.m. July 9, 2015

Sometimes a step back can help you take the next stop forward. That's the path James Needy is taking with a return to Double-A San Antonio, where he turned in seven shutout innings in a 2-0 win over Springfield on Wednesday after posting a 7.17 ERA over his first 16 starts in the . Needy struck out three and scattered four hits, all singles.

Right-hander Tayron Guerrero (3.06) converted his ninth save with two in the ninth, Diego Goris (.261) hit his second homer and Jose Rondon (.224) tripled in a run on three hits for the Missions (36-46).

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (43-43)

• Albuquerque 6, Chihuahuas 4: RHP Colin Rea (10.13) allowed a run on two hits and two walks in three innings in his second start for El Paso and RHP (1-3, 10.59) allowed four runs (three earned) in two innings. 1B Jake Goebbert (.290) drove in three runs on two hits, including a triple. HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (35-48)

• Storm 11, High Desert 6: 1B Yale Rosen (.205) hit two homers, No. 6 and 7, and drove in four runs. SS Chase Jensen (.379) hit his second homer, DH Ryan Miller (.303) hit his third and RF Nick Schulz (.242) hit his fifth of the season. LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (41-41)

• TinCaps 3, South Bend 1: CF Michael Gettys (.239) hit his fifth homer and LF Edwin Moreno (.291) went 3-for-3, which included his second homer. RHP Ernesto Montas (8-5, 3.21) struck out six and allowed one run in six innings.

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SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (10-11)

• Dust Devils 9, Salem-Keizer 7: DH Jose Carlos Urena (.273) hit his second homer and drove in three runs and 1B Ty France (.263), C Austin Allen (.186) and RF Mason Smith (.250) all had two hits. Only one of the five runs allowed by RHP Walker Lockett (2-0, 2.42) over five innings was earned, while RHP Trevor Megill (4.50) struck out four and allowed a run in two innings for his first save. ROOKIE DSL PADRES (14-20)

• DSL Orioles 8, DSL Padres 4: LHP Eduardo Solano (0-2, 3.81) allowed five runs (four earned) in three innings. RF Jaffe Garcia (.288) went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. ROOKIE AZL PADRES (6-9)

• AZL Padres 5, AZL D-backs 2: 1B Brad Zunica went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a double and two runs scored in his pro debut and SS Westhers Magdaleno (.308) drove in two runs. RHP Joel Linares (1-0, 4.08) struck out seven and allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings.

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Friar talk: Padres' skid hits five games The latest Padres news, notes and links By Jeff Sanders | 5 a.m. July 9, 2015 The Padres finally have a five-game streak to speak of. This is not one to brag about.

In dropping a 5-2 decision to the Pirates on Wednesday, the Padres slipped a season- high nine games and headed into the off-day on a five-game skid that's sure turn up the heat on A.J. Preller as he decides whether to be buyers or sellers.

More likely, Union-Tribune beat writer Dennis Lin reports, the Padres will do both concurrently ahead of the July 31 deadline.

In other Padres news, Justin Upton was out of the lineup with a sore left oblique, Cory Luebke has positive news or his sore left elbow and the team will bypass Odrisamer Despaigne to give Tyson Ross an extra start on Sunday.

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Padres looking for positives during losing skid By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | 12:01 AM ET PITTSBURGH -- Andrew Cashner is well aware of how this looks from the outside -- a five-game losing skid on the road with the Padres losing leads late, fitful endings that might appear to be demoralizing to fans and other from afar. But that's not the case, Cashner insisted after the Padres lost to the Pirates on Wednesday at PNC Park, 5- 2 -- a game where San Diego held a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning.

Cashner sees something different.

"When you face good teams, when good teams are going [well], they get the breaks," Cashner said. "The numbers don't show it, but on this road trip, in my opinion, we have played the best baseball we have all season.

"We just haven't had the breaks go our way."

Nor have they hit much, scoring seven runs in the five losses.

After winning the first two games of this 10-game road trip in St. Louis, the Padres have lost the last five games, including Wednesday's game, the finishing blow in getting swept by the Pirates.

Not that there's much shame in losing to the Cardinals and Pirates, the only teams in baseball with 50 or more victories this season.

But that doesn't make losing any easier to digest for the Padres (39-48), who have dipped nine games below .500 for the first time this season. "It's tough, there's no doubt about it," said Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorkosaid. "It's like the same game happened three times in a row the way it played out.

"We're a good team. We've played good baseball. Just because we haven't won these games doesn't mean we're playing bad. If we keep playing like this, the wins will start piling up."

Consider this: In four of these five losses, the Padres have taken a lead into the fifth inning.

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"It's the little things we haven't done right lately and the breaks have gone the other way," Cashner said. Cashner allowed four runs in 7 2/3 innings, though he was rolling early. He allowed a run in the second inning and then retired 15 consecutive hitters before Neil Walkerdoubled to start the seventh inning. His sinker was moving inside and out and he was efficient, throwing 68 pitches over the first six innings.

"The whole night, I made pitches," Cashner said. The Pirates tied the game in the seventh inning and then pushed across three runs during the eighth inning after Cashner got two quick outs before walking Travis Ishikawa that kick started Pittsburgh's offense.

It's a tough time to be sure, said interim manager Pat Murphy, who is doing his part to help keep the morale of the team up during this trying time.

"I think all of us have that responsibility, and I think they have that responsibility to each other to know that this happens in baseball," Murphy said. "They've all been through this before. It's unfortunate. We don't want it to be happening right now.

"We have to reinforce in each other and reassure each other that we believe, so we can move forward and start winning some ballgames."

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Cashner solid, but Padres lose 5th straight By Corey Brock and Tom Singer / MLB.com | July 8th, 2015 PITTSBURGH -- Apparently, individual heroics are also eligible for replay review.Gregory Polanco's RBI single with two outs in the eighth snapped a 2-2 tie Wednesday night at PNC Park as the Pirates went on to a 5-2 win over San Diego -- the night after his RBI double with two outs in the eighth had given the Bucs a 3-2 win over the Padres.

Polanco's drive off the right-field Clemente Wall drove in Travis Ishikawa, who had drawn a two-out walk off hard-luck right-hander Andrew Cashner, who took a two-hitter into the eighth inning, but could not stop the Padres' losing streak, which is now at five.

"That's baseball. That's why you've got to play the whole game, wait for an opening and try to take advantage," said Andrew McCutchen, whose RBI single drove in the middle run of the three-run rally and extended his personal-best hitting streak to 15 games.

The Bucs set the stage for a critical four-game series with Central leading St. Louis Cardinals by running their winning streak to five. They completed their 10th series sweep of the season, and in this one each of their wins came in the last at-bat.

The Pirates' Charlie Morton tendered his sixth quality start out of nine, allowing two runs in six innings. He allowed five hits and four walks -- two of them in the second cashed in for a run by the Padres on Melvin Upton Jr.'s RBI double. Matt Kemphad homered for the Friars in the first.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Kemp heating up? After hitting one home run in his first 220 at-bats of the season, Kemp now has six home runs in his last 113 at-bats, with the latest long ball coming in the first inning off Morton on a 1-2 fastball to center field.

Little ball, big payoff: Manufacturing runs has not been a Pittsburgh staple in recent years, but with their power production dramatically down, the Pirates are getting good at it. They had only two hits off Cashner in seven innings, but also two runs, scored on a sacrifice fly by Pedro Alvarez in the second and on an infield grounder by Francisco Cervelli in the seventh.

"Cashner was tough. We weren't getting a lot of good pitches to hit," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We needed [small ball] tonight, we didn't have much of a safety net. Guys we had on, we had to find a way to move them. We did some smart hitting, some gritty hitting."

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Steel City, strong arm: The last time that Cashner started a game at PNC Park, he tossed a complete- game, one-hitter (Sept. 16, 2013). He was on top of his game Wednesday, retiring 15 hitters at one point before Neil Walker's double to start the seventh inning.

"I thought he had as good of an outing as I've seen in a while," San Diego interim manager Pat Murphy said. "He knows he's on his way to being a really good Major League pitcher for a long time. It was a matter of maturity, and what he wanted to do."

A walk-on hero: Ishikawa probably didn't know it at the time, but his first contribution to the Pirates turned into a big one. The ex-Giants player, picked up on waivers over the weekend, drew an innocuous two-out walk in the eighth inning of a 2-2 tie off Cashner. Only it wasn't so innocuous as it was followed by three run-scoring hits as the Bucs pulled away.

"We don't have anyone on base, we got two outs and we're in the eighth inning," said Hurdle, setting the stage for Ishikawa's full-count walk. "Real big. It got us in motion, and we had some good at-bats after that."

QUOTABLE "They played so well for so long, and it just goes to show how our guy persevered. They stayed the course, kept taking care of today's game, and it has gotten us here." -- Hurdle, on the pace-setting Cardinals and his own Pirates, who have gone 32-12 since May 22 while gaining little ground on the division leaders -- whom they get to face head-on Thursday.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Justin Upton (46 RBIs), Derek Norris (45) and Kemp (45 after his home run Wednesday) have 40 or more RBIs this season. The Padres are only the second team in the National League to have three players with 40 or more RBIs. The Reds are the other.

On the near-anniversary of their first series sweep of 2014 (July 4-6 versus Philadelphia) the Pirates completed their 10th sweep of this season, the most in the Majors.

CAN'T HOLD ON The Padres have scored first in each of their last five games -- two against the Cardinals and these three against the Pirates -- only to lose all five games.

Murphy said the onus falls on everyone in the clubhouse to maintain positivity despite the recent outcomes. 16

"I think they have that responsibility to each other to know that this happens in baseball," Murphy said. "They've all been through it before."

WHAT'S NEXT Padres: The Padres are off on Thursday before opening a three-game series on the road against the Rangers at 5:05 p.m. PT on Friday. Ian Kennedy gets the start. He has a 3.54 ERA in seven road starts this season and a 2.63 ERA in his last seven overall starts.

Pirates: After chasing the Cardinals from afar for two months, the Bucs get a chance to deal with them hands on in the opener of a four-game PNC Park series on Thursday. Lefty Jeff Locke will get the ball first for the 7:05 p.m. ET match.

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Upton sits with a sore left oblique By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | July 8th, 2015 PITTSBURGH -- Left fielder and All-Star Justin Upton was scratched from Wednesday's lineup against the Pirates because of a sore left oblique. Upton, who robbed the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen of a two-run home run with an over-the-fence catch Tuesday, told interim manager Pat Murphy that first felt soreness in the oblique last weekend after making a difficult catch during a series in St. Louis.

He tried to take batting practice in the cage at PNC Park before the game, but still was sore.

"We were hoping he was [ready to start], but we don't want to risk anything. He felt it in his oblique and nursed it yesterday a little bit," Murphy said.

"We just decided, precautionary, that this wasn't the best day to go. Hurts us a bunch, but that's part of it."

Murphy said Upton mentioned that he might have re-aggravated his oblique during Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Pirates, though he wasn't sure if it came on the catch of McCutchen's ball.

Upton, who Monday was named as a reserve to the National League All-Star team, is currently considered day to day. Murphy is hopeful that won't lead him to a disabled list stint.

"I don't foresee that right now. But we don't want to reaggravate it," Murphy said. "That's part of the thinking for keeping him out today. We've got a day off tomorrow, and hopefully that can be the end of it."

Upton is hitting .259 with 14 home runs, 46 RBIs and 16 stolen bases -- leading the Padres in all three categories.

The Padres are off on Thursday before opening a three-game series on the road against the Rangers. He'll get Thursday to rest the oblique. The first half ends following Sunday's game.

Murphy didn't know if this injury would keep Upton from playing in Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile in Cincinnati.

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ROSTER MOVE Prior to the game, the Padres reinstated right-handed pitcher Dale Thayer and optioned lefty Frank Garces to Triple-A El Paso. Thayer has been on the disabled list with a strain of his right shoulder since June 17. He made on Minor League rehabilitation appearance last Saturday for Double-A San Antonio. Garces had a 3.81 ERA in 31 games but has allowed five earned runs in his last eight appearances.

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Luebke gets good news after MRI on left elbow By John McGonigal / MLB.com | July 8th, 2015 PITTSBURGH -- Left-handed pitcher Cory Luebke, who has already endured two Tommy John surgeries, got good news Wednesday regarding his elbow from an MRI performed a day earlier.

Luebke, who returned to San Diego from a rehabilitation stint with Triple-A El Paso after feeling discomfort in his left elbow, was diagnosed with a flexor strain -- a determination that's welcomed by Padres interim manager Pat Murphy and the organization.

"The ligament was still intact," Murphy said. "It's good news...given what he's been through and what it could be."

After an MRI and examination by team doctor Heinz Hoenecke on Tuesday, Luebke will have five days of rest before team doctors check in with him to resume rehab activities.

Luebke, 30, who hasn't pitched in a Major League game since April 27, 2012, apparently dodged a blow in that the integrity of his ulnar collateral ligament was good.

He underwent his first reconstructive surgery on his left elbow in May 2012, and needed a revision in February 2014 after already making it far into his rehabilitation program.

Luebke last appeared in a game on June 30, and was throwing one inning every three days during rehab work, beginning with Advanced Lake Elsinore on June 13.

In seven total Minor League outings this year with Lake Elsinore, Double-A San Antonio and El Paso, Luebke has a 3.86 ERA in seven innings while yielding three hits and four walks. He's 10-12 with a 3.25 ERA in 55 appearances -- 25 starts -- for San Diego from 2010-12.

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Kennedy, Padres finish up 1st half with series vs. Range By John McGonigal / MLB.com | July 8th, 2015 After a decade with the Rangers organization, San Diego general manager A.J. Preller will see his club visit his roots as the Padres finish off the first half of the season with a three-game series in Texas.

Preller, who was hired in 2004 by Texas as its Director of International and Professional Scouting, worked his way up to assistant general manager before joining San Diego in August 2014.

Key 2014-15 offseason acquisitions by Preller -- the likes of 2015 All-Star Justin Upton and Matt Kemp - - will be on display against Rangers starter Wandy Rodriguez.

Opposite Rodriguez will be Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is 4-8 with a 4.84 ERA on the season. Things to know for this game

• Despite Kennedy's overall iffy numbers, the 30-year-old has performed substantially better on the road this season than at home.

His ERA in seven road starts is 3.54, while at Petco Park he owns a 6.18 ERA in eight outings.

• Conversely, Rodriguez has struggled mightily at home this year. In six starts at Globe Life Park in Arlington, he carries an 0-4 record and 7.42 ERA.

After his last start, Rodriguez said he wasn't comfortable with the home mound, so he threw off the hill in his side session this week rather than the bullpen.

"More than anything else it is a matter of him being comfortable on the mound," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. At least he did something about it."

• Rangers designated hitter has a mixed history against Kennedy.

In 14 at-bats -- most of any current Texas player -- Fielder has four hits off Kennedy, including two home runs, a double and four RBIs. However, the left-handed power threat also has seven strikeouts in those occasions facing the righty.

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Padres swept by Pirates, lose 5th in a row NATE BARNES AP JUL 09, 2015 12:01p ET PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The led in each of the three games they played in Pittsburgh. They lost all three.

On Wednesday, the Pirates scored three runs in the eighth inning after Andrew Cashner had given up two hits in his first seven innings. Pittsburgh won 5-2 and completed a club record-tying 10th sweep of the season.

"We're playing teams that know how to win and teams that have won," San Diego manager Pat Murphy said. "Give them credit first."

San Diego took a 2-0 in the second inning and didn't score in the next seven.

"You think things are going well and they come up with every big hit," Murphy said. "That's a credit to them and the game they played and how clutch they were."

Cashner (3-10) carried a one-hitter into the sixth and was one out away from completing eight innings of two-hit baseball

Then he walked Travis Ishikawa, recently acquired by the Pirates on waivers after San Francisco designated him for assignment last week. Gregory Polanco, Andrew McCutchen and Jung Ho Kang followed with RBI singles to knock Cashner out of the game.

"We had no one on base with two outs, it was big," manager Clint Hurdle said of Ishikawa's walk. "He has some experience in that area and got some good looks."

The Pirates scored all three of their runs in the eighth with two outs as they finally wore down the opposing pitcher.

Cashner attributed the winless trip to Pittsburgh to the "breaks" of the game just not going San Diego's way.

"When good teams are going they get their breaks," Cashner said. "I think we've actually -- the numbers don't show it, this road trip -- we've played, in my opinion, the best baseball we've played all season."

Brandon Maurer allowed Cashner's inherited runners to score and Cashner was charged for four runs in 7 2/3 innings. 22

"He had basically a two-hitter going into the eighth and we had a couple defensive plays that could've been made that led to that first run," Murphy said. "I thought he had as good an outing as I've seen in a while."

Deolis Guerra (2-0) retired all six batters in the seventh and eighth for the win. Antonio Bastardo worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the season.

Matt Kemp sent his seventh home run of the year into center field for an early 1-0 San Diego lead. The Padres struck again in the second when Will Venable walked with one out and scored on Melvin Upton Jr.'s double off the center-field wall.

After allowing two runs in the first two innings, Charlie Morton settled in and held the Padres to two runs and five hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out five.

RIP TARP MAN Grounds crew member Matt Gerhardt was swallowed by the tarp Tuesday night when a gust of wind swelled beneath the covering and enveloped him as he attempted to tamp it down. After McCutchen, Polanco and other Pirates personnel helped rescue Gerhardt and secure the tarp, Gerhardt's co-workers had some fun with him.

Before Wednesday's game they drew an outline of a body in the dirt near third base, the same location Gerhardt was caught in the tarp. Alongside the outline read "RIP TARP MAN" and "7.7.2015", the date of Tuesday's game.

UP NEXT Padres: San Diego is off Thursday, then finishes its 10-game road trip with a three-game series in Texas. RHP Ian Kennedy(4-8, 4.84 ERA) matches up with Rangers LHP Wandy Rodriguez (5-4, 4.23).

Pirates: Pittsburgh's 10-game homestand concludes with a four-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals, who lead the Pirates in the NL Central. LHP Jeff Locke (5-4, 4.15 ERA) pitches against St. Louis RHP Carlos Martinez (9-3, 2.70).

TRAINER'S ROOM Padres: LF Justin Upton was scratched from the lineup Wednesday with soreness in his side. Pirates: 3B Josh Harrison (thumb) underwent surgery on his left thumb to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament Wednesday and will miss seven weeks.

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Justin Upton day-to-day, not expected to go on DL for Padres ESPN.com news services

Outfielder Justin Upton is day-to-day for the San Diego Padres with oblique soreness.

The NL All-Star missed Wednesday's 5-2 loss to thePittsburgh Pirates. He felt soreness in his side in a weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals, then reaggravated the injury Tuesday against the Pirates. "We were hoping he was [ready to start], but we don't want to risk anything," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy told reporters Wednesday. "He felt it in his oblique and nursed it yesterday a little bit.

"We just decided, precautionary, that this wasn't the best day to go. Hurts us a bunch, but that's part of it."

Upton is hitting .259 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs in his first season with San Diego.

Murphy said Upton is not expected to go on the disabled list. The Padres have three games remaining before the All-Star break.

"I don't foresee that right now, the way it is right this second, but we don't want to reaggravate it," Murphy told reporters. "That's part of the thinking for keeping him out today. We've got a day off tomorrow, and hopefully that can be the end of it."

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On deck: Padres to visit Texas Rangers Rangers flirting with contention a year after last-place finish in AL West By Jeff Sanders | 10 a.m. July 9, 2015 Padres at Texas Rangers • After an off-day on Thursday, the Padres re-enter interleague play against the Texas Rangers, rookie General Manager A.J. Preller's previous employer. A year removed from a last-place finish in the AL West, the Rangers are flirting with contention, buoyed by Prince Fielder's healthy return to action. Fielder missed most of 2014 with a neck injury but will represent the Rangers in the All-Star Game after driving in 50 runs through his first 82 games. GAME 1

• Friday, 5:05 p.m.: Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.84) vs. Rangers LHP Wandy Rodriguez (5-4, 4.23) GAME 2

• Saturday, 6:05 p.m.: Padres RHP James Shields (7-3, 3.88) vs. Rangers RHP Colby Lewis (8-4, 4.83) GAME 3

• Sunday, 12:05 p.m.: Padres RHP Tyson Ross (5-7, 3.56) vs. Rangers RHP Yovani Gallardo (7-7, 2.67)

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Santiago, Templeton elected to Pads HOF Catcher and shortstop will be 10th and 11 members of club Hall of Fame By Dennis Lin | 10:48 a.m. July 9, 2015 Amid ongoing efforts to reconnect with their history, the Padres on Thursday announced and have been elected to the club's Hall of Fame. Santiago and Templeton will be the 10th and 11th members of the Padres Hall of Fame, joining , Nate Colbert, , , , , , and .

Santiago and Templeton's elections were made in conjunction with the San Diego chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America , local sports media and the Padres front office. The induction ceremony will take place during a pregame ceremony at Petco Park on Aug. 8, before the Padres host the Phillies.

"This is a well-deserved honor for Benito and Garry, who each played integral roles during their time in San Diego - both on and off the field," Padres resident and CEO Mike Dee said in a release. "Their induction into the Padres Hall of Fame will solidify their places in Padres history. Our efforts to showcase the organization's history throughout Petco Park will come to life next year, when the new Hall of Fame location opens, coinciding with the return of MLB's All-Star Game to San Diego."

Santiago, 50, will be the first catcher in the Padres Hall of Fame. A five-time All-Star, he debuted with San Diego in 1986 and was unanimously named National League Rookie of the Year in 1987, the first such award in franchise history.

Santiago played seven of his 20 major league seasons for the Padres, hitting .264 with 85 home runs and 375 RBIs from 1986-92. The Puerto Rican native won four Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Gloves in his career, all with San Diego.

Signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent in 1982, Santiago ranks among the franchise's catching leaders in most offensive categories. He is first in home runs,

26 triples and runs scored; second in RBIs, games, hits doubles and at-bats; and third in walks. He has the highest caught-stealing percentage (31.2%) of any Padres catcher.

Santiago's four starts for the NL All-Star team are the second-most starts at the Midsummer Classic in franchise history, behind Tony Gwynn's 12 starts. Santiago's three Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers also rank second in franchise history, behind Gwynn's five Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers.

Templeton, 59, will be the first shortstop inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame. He played 10 of 16 seasons with San Diego from 1982-91, batting .252 with 43 home runs and 427 RBIs over 1,286 games for the Padres.

Acquired by the Padres in the six-player trade in 1981 that sent Ozzie Smith to the Cardinals, Templeton ranks second to Gwynn among franchise leaders in games played, at-bats, hits and doubles. He ranks fourth in triples, seventh in RBIs and eighth in runs scored. He was an NL All-Star and team MVP in 1985 and a Silver Slugger in 1984. His .965 at shortstop with the Padres is the best in franchise history.

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Yale Rosen, Michael Gettys power Single-A teams to wins Yale Rosen, Michael Gettys power Single-A teams to wins

By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | 12:40 PM ET

First baseman Yale Rosen hit two of Lake Elsinore's five homers and center fielder Michael Gettys went 2-for-4 with a homer to extend his season-best hitting streak to eight games as both of the Padres Single-A affiliates scored wins Wednesday night.

Rosen (.205), 22, the Padres' 11th-round pick in2014, was 2-for-4 with four RBIs as high Single-A Lake Elsinore (35-48) powered its way to an 11-6 win at High Desert.

Gettys (.239), 19, the Padres' second-round pick in 2014, hit the game's first pitch for his fifth homer as the low Single-A TinCaps (41-41) continued their hot streak with a 3-1 win over South Bend in Fort Wayne. Gettys was 2- for-4 Wednesday and is 14-for-34 (.412) during his streak.

Right-handed starter Ernesto Montas (8-5, 3.21 ) allowed one run on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts over six innings as the TinCaps improved to 13-8 over the last 21 games. Fort Wayne's pitching staff has a 1.94 ERA during the run. Montas is the first pitcher in the Padres' system to reach eight wins this season.

Left-handed reliever Kyle McGrath (2.64 ERA) struck out three in two perfect innings and has not allowed a run since June 4. Right-hander Jimmy Brasoban (2.17) allowed a hit with a in a scoreless inning to pick up his third save. He hasn't allowed a run when relieving since May 19.

Left fielder Edwin Moreno (.291) was 3-for-3 with a triple, his fifth homer, two walks and two runs scored for Fort Wayne.

Shortstop Chase Jensen (.379) was 3-for-4 with his second homer and two runs scored for Lake Elsinore. Right fielder Nick Schulz (.242) was 2-for-4 with his fifth homer, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. Catcher Ryan Miller (.303) hit a two-run homer in five at-bats.

Starting left-hander Brad Wieck (6.00 ERA) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in four innings. Right-hander Bryan Verbitsky (1-1, 8.10) allowed two hits in two scoreless innings.

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AROUND THE FARM:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (43-43): Albuquerque 6, CHIHUAHUAS 4 - Starting RHP Colin Rea (10.13 ERA) allowed a run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts in three innings. RHP Aaron Northcraft (1-3, 10.59) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks with a strikeout in two innings. LHP Eury De La Rosa (5.17) allowed a hit with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. 1B-RF Jake Goebbert (.290) was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and three RBIs. C Jason Hagerty (.293) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. 2B Casey McElroy (.277) was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (36-46): MISSIONS 2, Springfield 0 - Starting RHP James Needy and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout. Needy, a product of Santana High, allowed four hits with three strikeouts in his first start since returning from El Paso. LHP Brandon Alger (4.80) had a strikeout in a perfect inning. RHP Tayron Guerrero (3.06) struck out two in a perfect ninth for his ninth save. SS Jose Rondon (.224) was 3-for-4 with a triple and a RBI. 2B Diego Goris (.261) homered in four at-bats. C Griff Erickson (.224), Westview High, was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (10-11): Dust Devils 9, SALEM-KEIZER 7 - Starting RHP Walker Lockett (2-0, 2.42 ERA) allowed five runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five innings. LHP Trevor Megill allowed a run on two hits with four strikeouts in two innings to get his first save. DH Jose Carlos Urena (.273) hit a homer with a walk in four at-bats with three RBIs and two runs scored. 1B Ty France from San Diego State (.263) had two doubles in four at-bats. C Austin Allen (.186) was 2-for-5 with a run. RF Mason Smith (.250) was 2-for-5 with a run. CF Rod Boykin (.197) was 1-for-4 with a steal, a RBI and two runs scored.

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (6-9): PADRES 5, Diamondbacks 2 - Starting RHP Joel Linares (1-0, 4.08 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in six innings. RHP Elliot Ashbeck (2.08) allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings to get his second save. OF Aldemar Burgos (.295) was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a steal with a run scored. 1B Brad Zunica was 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. DH Bryant Aragon (.455) had two doubles in four at-bats with a RBI.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (14-20): Orioles 8, PADRES 4 - Starting LHP Eduardo Solano (0-2, 3.81 ERA) allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts with three innings. RHP Adonis Diaz (3.78) allowed four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in five scoreless innings. RF Jaffe Garcia (.288) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

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