Padres Press Clips Saturday, June 17, 2017

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Padres’ Yangervis Solarte redefines what it means to be FOX Sports Gardner 2 a dad this Father’s Day following his wife’s death

Padres fall to Brewers on 10th-inning walk-off home run UT San Diego Sanders 7

Tony Gwynn Jr. calls Padres game on anniversary of UT San Diego Lin 11 father's death

Every Sunday at Padres games is Father's Day UT San Diego Acee 13

Talking with ... Padres reliever Phil Maton UT San Diego Sanders 18

Adrian Morejon finally debuts in Tri-City loss UT San Diego Sanders 22

Double-A San Antonio clinches first-half title UT San Diego Sanders 24

'Qualcomm' Stadium no longer exists — now what? UT San Diego Krasovic 27

Lamet looks to bounce back on road vs. Crew MLB.com Mason 29

Padres hit 3 homers but drop opener to Crew MLB.com McCalvy/Mason 31

Diaz sees improvement in second start MLB.com Mason 34

Weaver throws simulated game MLB.com Mason 36

Mayo: Padres' Gore could be quick to bigs MLB.com Mayo 37

Morejon makes debut with Dust Devils MLB.com Rosenbaum 39

Padres On Deck: LHP Adrian Morejon Makes Pro Friar Wire Center 41 Debut at Tri-City

Padres On Deck: Division Champs San Antonio Send Friar Wire Center 44 5 to All-Star Game

Padres’ Yangervis Solarte redefines what it means to be a dad this Father’s Day following his wife’s death

By: Sam Gardner

When Yangervis Solarte left the San Diego Padres in September to care for his wife, Yuliett, in the final days before her death from cancer at the age of 31, the then-third- year infielder was hitting .284 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs, all career highs.

Ordinarily, such stats would be afterthoughts in the wake of a devastating loss, but for Solarte, the latter number in particular kept returning the forefront of his mind as he and his three daughters, Yanliett, Yuliett and Yulianna, mourned mother Yuliett’s passing.

“She always liked the number seven, for the seven days that God created,”Solarte told FOX Sports by phone during a recent Padres homestand. “So we always set this goal of 70 RBIs in a season. That’s something I was always striving for, pushing for. So I decided come back (to try to get to 70).

“It wasn’t for me,” Solarte continued, speaking through Padres team translator David Longley. “I was destroyed at the time. I was really torn up. But I wanted to do it for her.”

Brokenhearted, Solarte returned to the Padres after an eight-game absence on Sept. 24, one week after Yuliett’s death, and ripped a pinch-hit single to left field in his first at-bat back. The following day, the one-time New York Yankee was in the starting lineup against the San Francisco Giants and had an RBI single in the fifth inning of a 4-3 Padres win.

Three games later, in a loss to the L.A. Dodgers, Solarte reached his magic number of 70 with a ninth-inning RBI double. And then in the team’s penultimate game, the 29-year-old drove in one more, bringing his RBI total to 71 — an empty accomplishment in the eyes of some, but one of immense importance to Solarte as he tried to make sense of life without his best friend.

“Everything was for her,” Solarte said. “She always told me that whether she dies or doesn’t die, I can’t stop playing. Because all the goals I set for myself, they were for our daughters, and I had to be able to assure their future. So no matter what happens, (she said) I need to continue to play.”

“I know how cathartic baseball is for him and how much being on a field means to him and meant to his wife,” Padres manager Andy Green added during a recent phone conversation. “They talked about goals they had, and he went out and accomplished those goals. … And I think the joy of playing the game he’s loved since he was a little kid helps in the healing as well.”

*****

The first sign of bad news came late in the 2015 season, Solarte’s first full campaign in San Diego after a 2014 trade saw him switch coasts and join his first National League club shortly after the All-Star break.

Yangervis and Yuliett’s youngest daughter, Yulianna, had been born more than two months before her expected due date. Soon after, doctors determined the cause of Yuliett’s early labor: cancerous tumors in Yuliett’s liver.

During the subsequent offseason, Solarte did his best to balance the responsibilities of caring for his wife and each of his daughters, often relying on his mother, Yanmili, for assistance. (Yangervis’ name is a combination of the names of his mother and his father, Gervis.) But as spring training neared, Yuliett was insistent that Yangervis pack up and leave for Arizona.

“I didn’t really have a choice,” Solarte said. “I had to keep going.”

Initially, the Padres did not publicize Yuliett’s condition, but privately, Green, then in his first year with the team, was surprised and impressed by Solarte’s dedication amid such turmoil — to say nothing of his production on the field.

“To see the maturity with which he handled it was mind boggling,” said Green, a former major leaguer and a father of three girls. “I know, myself, if I was in that situation, I wouldn’t have been able to come to the park and compete. I wouldn’t have been able to come to the park and produce the way he did last year.

“He was playing with so much more on his shoulders than any other man in baseball last year,” Green added. “And he handled it with class and with excellence.”

If you ask Solarte, however, overcoming obstacles was par for the course.

An unheralded prospect out of Venezuela, Solarte spent eight years in the minors, shuffling between farm systems with the Twins, Rangers and Yankees before making his big league debut. At one point, struggling to just pay rent, Solarte had to rely on the help of his uncle, 11-year major leaguer Roger Cedeno, to buy a car, as injuries kept him off the field for almost the entire 2009 season. 3

Eventually, after reaching the majors, Solarte was able to buy a house. And before the start of the 2015 season, with his life finally stable, he and Yuliett got married in a ceremony near their South Florida home. At the time, they never could have anticipated the challenges ahead, but throughout Solarte’s career, the goal remained the same: Securing a future for their daughters.

With that in mind, Solarte signed an agreement last summer with Fantex, a sort of athlete stock exchange, which paid Solarte $3.15 million up front in exchange for 11 percent of his future earnings. In some ways, the deal was a gamble — particularly if Solarte becomes a superstar — but it was one Yuliett, knowing her time was limited, urged him to make for the sake of their daughters.

“I got the contract so she could be calm and know that we had some security,” said Solarte, who wanted Yuliett to focus instead on enjoying what time she had left and savoring moments with their kids. “So to know that we could feel good about our daughters and set them up for the future, that was the motivation, and she supported that.”

Meanwhile, the stoic Solarte was raking on the field amid the most unthinkable of circumstances.

“Baseball was a reprieve for him,” Green said. “It was his escape from what he was going through, and it was an opportunity to be around guys that loved him. So he could show that raw emotion on the baseball field that he wanted to show in life.

“As much as he was hurting, he still brought a smile to the clubhouse every day, and there were days I’d look at him and just be blown away by it,” Green said. “There would be days when you could tell he just needed a slow moment, but 99 percent of the time he was the same person he’s always been, and I think people were really blessed by that.”

Then in January, Solarte’s persistence in the face of unthinkable tragedy paid off in the form of a two-year extension with the Padres that included club options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. If he plays out the entire deal, it could be worth a reported $20 million.

“He went out, year after year, and fought through the minors until his opportunity came, and even with all he was enduring last year, he secured a future for his family,” Green said. “So it’s very gratifying, as a manager, to see good people succeed, and he’s at the top of the list of good people.”

*****

Solarte’s first full season without Yuliett by his side got off to an inauspicious start. A May slump left his batting average at .226 through 45 games before a recent hot 4 streak — he’s posted a .325/.417/.494 slash line with four homers and 15 RBIs over his past 22 games through Friday — brought his numbers more in line with his output from previous seasons.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that Solarte’s turnaround lined up with the end of the school year and the arrival of his daughters in San Diego after spending the early part of the season in Florida with their grandmother — a surge you could say his manager saw coming.

“I can’t imagine being away from my girls for as long as he’s had to be away from his,” Green said in late May, prior to the girls’ arrival. “There will be moments when he walks through the clubhouse and he’s FaceTiming his oldest daughter and he’s talking to her and doing whatever he can to stay connected to his girls. So I know when they show up here it’s going to be a shot of life to him.”

Similarly, Solarte has remained a shot of life in the Padres clubhouse, where his infectious personality has always rubbed off on his teammates.

“He doesn’t know what quiet is,” Green said of Solarte. “He’s life, he’s energy, and when he brings his energy to the ballpark it rubs off on other people and makes it a happier place.

“He brings joy with him and people feed off that,” Green continued. “If anybody is our heart and soul from an energy perspective, it’s him, and it’s been him for the past couple of years, even with all that he’s been through. And I’m sure that he brings that life, that heart and that soul to his daughters, as well.”

Of course, there’s nothing that can replace a mother’s bond with her kids, but as Father’s Day approaches, Solarte says he’s more focused on redefining what it means to be a dad and being the best inspiration he can be for his girls.

“It’s been really hard,” Solarte said. “And I think for the two older girls, especially, they are 6 and 5 years old and they always ask for their mom. They see a picture of her or something that reminds them of her, and I have to navigate that. And I find myself thinking, ‘What if she was here? What would she do?’

“I’ve learned a lot in terms of trying to keep them upbeat and energetic, distracting them in a positive way,” continued Solarte, whose recent activities with his daughters include visits to Dave and Busters and a trip to the Milwaukee Zoo while the team was in town visiting the Brewers. “And I think them being that age helps in a way. I think if they were 10 years old it would have been a bigger blow … but I still try to fill their days so they don’t have down time to question things or have the possibility of feeling sad.”

And while it’s not perfect, and it’s certainly not the life Solarte envisioned for himself and his family, he’ll continue to persevere, just as he always has.

“He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t think about what’s missing,” Green said. “I think he always thinks about who there is to love and what there is to do. As hard as it is and as much as his heart hurts, and as much as it hurts for his three girls to be raised without their mom, I think he’s inclined to talk about his mom being a part of their life and his mother-in-law and sister-in-law being a part and helping out with the family and whatever it takes to move forward. And I think that’s how Yuliett would have wanted it.”

Padres fall to Brewers on 10th-inning walk-off home run

Dennis Lin

Wil Myers had been in a weeks-long rut. Miguel Diaz was coming off his first major league start, a brief outing in which he threw more balls than strikes. Before Friday’s series opener at Miller Park, Padres manager Andy Green described what he hoped to see from both players.

For Myers, it was “just one swing that locks him back in,” Green said. “If he takes that one swing where he drives it out to right-center, he usually settles back down and then starts driving runs in.”

For Diaz, it was greater control: “He’s got good stuff, so he just has to be in the strike zone.”

In a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, before Eric Thames boomed a walk-off home run, the Padres received some mixed results that extended beyond their best hitter and their least experienced pitcher.

Myers launched a three-run homer his first time up, two at-bats before Hunter Renfroe also took Junior Guerra deep. Diaz, who was facing his former organization, pumped strikes for the first three innings, the only damage coming on a solo shot by Travis Shaw. The San Diego bullpen mostly frustrated the Brewers.

But after Guerra was staggered in the top of the first, the Padres failed to knock him from the game. They did not collect another hit until Yangervis Solarte homered in the eighth. Shortly after that tie-breaking swat, Brewers catcher Manny Piña made it 5-5 with a homer of his own.

A three-run lead had disappeared in the bottom of the fourth, when Diaz’s control wavered and his cushion disappeared.

Following a leadoff walk, the Rule 5 draftee induced a ground ball to Myers, who fired to second base for a force out. No one, however, covered first. A runner reached on the fielder’s choice. Diaz then allowed a single by Piña before throwing a pitch into Broxton’s wheelhouse.

The resulting drive flew into the left-field seats for a three-run, game-tying homer. The next batter, Lewis Brinson tripled. Craig Stammen replaced Diaz on the mound. Just as he had six days earlier, when he inherited a bases-loaded jam from Diaz, Stammen stopped the bleeding. The veteran reliever made a behind-the-back stop of a comebacker, then threw home to beat Brinson. He induced a fly out to end the inning.

Diaz’s final line — 3 1/3 innings, five hits, four runs, a walk, five strikeouts — contained improvements from his previous start, when he was fortunate not to yield a run while recording only six outs. This time, the right-hander threw 43 of 66 pitches for strikes.

“I thought he was better,” Green said. “I thought he was in the strike zone more. ... You go to the fourth inning, it all kind of falls apart because he doesn’t cover first base on the double-play ball. That’s something where it really doesn’t matter what level you played at last year — there’s got to be some urgency to get over there.”

Diaz, speaking through an interpreter, said: “I had a chance (to cover first). I think what happened there is I got a little hung up, a little confused, because off the bat, I thought that Solarte was going to get the ball, but it ended up being Wil. But I did have a chance.”

Guerra threw 27 pitches in the first. An error and a walk preceded Myers’ blast to center. Renfroe crushed a ball to left. The home run was his 15th of the season, giving him the team lead as well as a new franchise record for first-half homers by a rookie.

“That felt good right there,” Myers said of his 13th long ball of the season, and just his second since mid-May. “My swing’s started to feel pretty good over the last couple 8 days. I know I’m close. It’s just one of those things where sometimes it lasts longer than you want, but you just keep showing up.”

The Padres did not muster a follow-up to their early fence-clearers. Guerra began dispatching the visiting offense with ease. The Brewers starter completed six innings. The Padres did not advance another runner past second until Solarte jogged around the bases in the eighth.

“I thought we took walks against Junior Guerra well, but there was a number of times we’re putting his curveball in play,” Green said. “That’s probably not the pitch that we want to put in play, and we’re doing it in early in the count. That’s where we got in trouble from the second through the sixth inning.”

Added Myers: “Maybe it was one of those things where we scored the runs and we felt comfortable. … Maybe it’s one of those things where some of the older guys, including myself, remind guys that ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep going. We’ve got to keep adding on.’”

Meanwhile, Stammen, Phil Maton and Brad Hand had kept the Brewers from accomplishing much. After Diaz’s exit, the three relievers combined for four scoreless innings of work.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hand, who had worked the seventh, struck out Shaw with his 15th pitch. Green lifted Hand, setting up a righty-on-righty matchup.

The move backfired. Piña redirected Yates’ second pitch for a game-tying home run.

“With Brad, it’s just a matter of not wanting to push him too far,” Green said. “Shaw has been crushing right-handed pitching, so sending Brad back out to get one more batter in the eighth was an easy decision. And then I think you saw how Kirby matched up well with the next two hitters, throwing fastballs by them. He made a mistake with the slider (to Piña).”

The first batter in the bottom of the 10th pummeled a 1-1 fastball from Ryan Buchter. A skyscraping drive soared toward the wall in left-center. Allen Cordoba and Franchy Cordero converged near the barrier. Cordoba leapt. The ball narrowly eluded his

9 glove, bouncing above the yellow home-run line. The Brewers spilled out of the dugout to celebrate Thames’ game-winner.

“You’d love to see (the ball) brought back,” Green said. “It’s clearly not an easy play. Home runs aren’t easy things to rob. But it was a makeable play.”

Tony Gwynn Jr. calls Padres game on anniversary of father's death Dennis Lin

On Friday, Tony Gwynn Jr. returned to Miller Park, the stadium he once called home. He embraced old friends and relived memories of his first three seasons in the majors. Then, sitting beside Padres play-by-play announcer Ted Leitner, he called a game on the three-year anniversary of his father’s passing.

“I was on (Twitter) earlier today, saw some of the tributes, and I realized I shouldn’t be on it very much today, because it was going to make it more difficult,” Gwynn Jr. said before his first broadcast of a Padres road game. “Coming to the baseball field in general on this day is already hard enough, but my dad would tell me you have a job to do, so you’ve got to do it.”

ADVERTISING

Tony Gwynn died of salivary gland cancer on June 16, 2014. Gwynn Jr. played his final big-league game that September.

This spring, he joined the Padres’ broadcast crew. He knew all along he would be on the road for this series. Fox Sports San Diego play-by-play man Don Orsillo will call Saturday’s Red Sox-Astros game for Fox. Jesse Agler, Leitner’s usual partner, is in the television booth for Padres-Brewers.

“I really enjoy the radio,” Gwynn Jr. said. “I think it’s a little more natural for me. It’s just like having a conversation about what you’re watching. Having both Jesse and Ted there, who are so willing to give help and answer questions that I have, has made that transition so easy.”

Although Gwynn Jr. had never broadcast games before this year, he has, in a sense, come full circle. Long before his playing career, which would include two seasons in San Diego, he spent many a night next to the radio while a family friend narrated the action.

“I probably subconsciously became interested in broadcasting from listening to the games when (Leitner) was doing my dad’s games,” Gwynn Jr. said. “When I was broadcasting my imaginary games in the living room when I was a little kid, his voice was the voice that I was trying to emulate, not even knowing I was trying to emulate it.

“From phrasing to how he sees the game, when I wasn’t at the game, that was how I saw the game. To actually be sitting next to him during the game, hearing some of the same things I heard when I was little, it gives me goosebumps.”

Notable

• Padres right-hander Jered Weaver (left hip inflammation) pitched three innings in a simulated game at Miller Park before Friday’s game. “He said he feels pretty good,” manager Andy Green said. “We’ll check in (Saturday) and make sure he’s still feeling pretty good before we make any type of determination on what the next step is.” • Right-hander Trevor Cahill (right shoulder strain) threw another bullpen session Friday. Green said Cahill is moving toward a simulated game or a rehab outing. • Center fielder Manuel Margot (right calf strain) is scheduled to run the bases Saturday. If that goes well, the next step would be a rehab assignment. • According to MLB.com draft expert Jim Callis, the Padres signed their eighth- round selection, Faulkner University shortstop Olivier Basabe, for an under-slot bonus of $60,000. The slot value for the No. 228 pick is $172,000.

Every Sunday at Padres games is Father's Day.

Kevin Acee

The national anthem was being sung as the happiest father and son in the ballpark slowly walked to their seats.

Yes, it is often dangerous, sometimes lazy and even unfair to label with absolutes.

Best. Brightest. Happiest. Really? How do we know?

Baseball, in its more than a century as our pastime, has given countless memories to fathers and sons. At Petco Park on a recent sunshine-y Sunday, there were undoubtedly other fathers and sons sharing a special time they will possibly remember as long as their memories live.

But to say Scott Mortland and his son, Gregory, were the most joyful of all, each in their own way, is almost indisputable.

Father enjoying watching the game he loves being played by the team he has cheered for since they arrived in town almost 50 years ago. His only son enjoying watching the crowd, touching as many of those in it as he possibly can, waiting for that fourth- inning popcorn.

The two so clearly enjoying each other.

“If we had not found this ... “ Scott said.

And what he leaves unsaid is almost too painful to comprehend.

There is no overstating the importance of the love between a father and son. For some, the connection is never forged. Even in the best such rapports, there are instances it is difficult to relate, and the precious commodity of time together is a challenge to come by.

The relationship between Scott and Gregory can often be best described as a fight for survival. 13

You see, Gregory is mentally disabled. He is 21 years old and doesn’t speak, signs just a little, needs continual care from the morning diaper change to when he falls asleep tuckered out from his nearly constant wandering throughout the day.

He is a happy kid. Outgoing.

But there are the occasional tantrums. Scott and Evelyn Mortland have both borne the scars at various times that come when Gregory is tired and frustrated and has no other way to express himself besides getting physical.

It is Scott who a few years ago retired from his software business and took over full- time care of Gregory, the youngest of the Mortland’s four adopted children.

There have been some “very, very difficult times,” Scott said.

He is candid but not dramatic. He shares briefly, in spurts, a few of the more traumatic experiences with Gregory. Conversely, he’ll talk for minutes without breathing about Gregory’s beautiful heart and how much love he has brought the entire family.

You don’t need the entire story to connect the dots.

Scott is 57. Evelyn is a cancer survivor. Their oldest daughter is getting married at the end of the summer. Their adopted son could be in a group home for special needs adults. He’s not.

Scott loves his son with a vigor that defies words. And not just because it has to.

Seeing them at a baseball game is all it takes to know why and how.

They arrive just before first pitch.

As they walked in on a recent Sunday, Gregory smiling the entire time as his father guided him behind the row of seats leading to their spot at the end. A few times, Scott tugged gently to pull Gregory closer as they passed people.

Gregory’s seat is at the very end. Scott to his right. Just before they sat, Gregory saw their friend, Ron, and touched him on the arm. A gentle tug by Scott.

Shortly after they sat down, an usher passed by to say hello. Gregory grabbed his hand.

As Gregory sat cross-legged, another usher approached, and Gregory waved and reached out to grab his hand. Gregory uncrossed his legs. He touched his father’s face.

The thing that stands out in watching their interaction is the seemingly involuntary fluidity with which Scott repeatedly reaches out to soothe Gregory, who stops fidgeting only to watch the crowd for seconds at a time. Sometimes he is stimulated by something longer, but in those first few innings there is one thing clearly predominant in his mind.

He knows the sign for “popcorn” and “eat.” Those start almost immediately, Gregory leaning in, getting six inches from Scott’s face, in his view. Gregory touching his chin to let Scott know he wants to eat. Scott holding up two fingers, affirming to Gregory that they will get popcorn.

Gregory leans back.

Gregory will occasionally reach out, across his father, to Ron. Scott will gently, practically without moving, guide Gregory back.

After almost every time his father does this – in some way correcting or guiding him – Gregory will hug Scott, who will peck his son on the cheek. Gregory will sit back smiling.

The process will start over in a matter of seconds. The reaching, the touching, the signing. The correction, the hug, the kiss, the smile. Scott talks to Ron, cheers the action on the field, pays attention to his son.

Seeing all this, interacting with Gregory, sticks with you.

A warmth radiates from him. And from Scott. Each has their unique gregariousness. 15

Yet you also leave them wondering how in the world Scott puts up with this constancy of motion and neediness hour after hour, day after day.

It is then that you know even more why this is where they are happiest, where the father is allowed to share his love of baseball with his son.

“He’s very stimulated by people, and he likes to be on the go,” Scott said. “… He feels the energy of it. He doesn’t pay much attention to the game. I don’t think he knows what is happening in the game. You can tell he just loves where he is."

It was on a whim that Scott decided to take Gregory to a Padres game in 2010. Besides getting through days the best they could – Scott often driving Gregory around in the darkness before dawn to calm him, walking around their Carlsbad neighborhood for exercise and the stimulus Gregory craves – father and son didn’t have much to truly share.

Scott and his mom split half-season tickets for years before she passed away in 2008. Scott kept the tickets, but taking Gregory seemed like more of a difficulty than it might be worth. Scott is sensitively alert to how Gregory is affecting other people, in that Gregory is highly social, and his interaction is in the form of touching. He checks people’s pockets, feels their faces, reaches for their hands.

It is all done with a smile and inquisitive look that is far from threatening. But it is up close, and it is continual.

"Nine times out of 10 – 9½ times out of 10 – people love it,” Scott said. “However, they don't want to be poked for a couple hours."

He decided some time in 2010, though, to take Gregory to a game in their seats along the right field line. His plan was to “see if we can get through an inning, whatever he can do.”

There was a lot of touching. There was popcorn. Gregory lasted almost the entire nine innings.

Some eight seasons later – and seat switches that eventually led them to the ADA section below the press box – Sunday home games have turned into their special time.

Those other fathers and sons at Petco Park for the finale of the Padres series with Arizona last month probably talked about the players on the field. Maybe they played catch on the grass near Tony Gwynn’s statue. Some dads perhaps shared a little history about the Padres or the D-Backs. Because that’s what dads do with their sons at baseball games.

The father and son that never have and never will do those things were happiest of all.

Talking with ... Padres reliever Phil Maton

Jeff Sanders

Phil Maton made his major league debut Sunday, nearly two years to the date the Padres’ made him a 20th-round draft pick as a college senior out of Louisiana Tech. On Tuesday, he was shopping with his brother Nick in La Jolla when he learned the Phillies drafted the younger Maton as a shortstop in the seventh round. Yes, that’s the kind of thing a brother will hear about from time to time.

Union-Tribune: You made your major league debut Sunday. Your younger brother Nick was drafted Tuesday. Kind of a crazy week for the Maton family, isn’t it?

Maton: Yeah, even my dad has my youngest brother, Jacob, at a baseball tournament right now. I’ll get to see him in Chicago. But yeah Nick got drafted (Tuesday) and that was really cool. He knew it was coming and finally got the call. It was a really good experience to get to do that with him.

U-T: What was it like for you to see him get drafted having been through it yourself?

Maton: It was a lot less stressful than the scenario I had. I didn’t even know if I was going to go for a while. Getting to see him get the phone call, get all that figured out, it was awesome to see him do that.

U-T: You were a 20th-round pick. He’s a seventh-round pick. Have you heard about that yet from him?

Maton: Oh yeah. He texted me a little bit ago and said I’m a lot richer than you now. It’s just fun stuff. We never really competed against each other – more worked out together and push each other. It’s a really good thing we have.

U-T: Backing up to when you were drafted in the 20th round. You were a college senior. It was a third time for you waiting for that call. Can’t imagine it’s much fun at that point, is it?

Maton: No, it was one of those things where I didn’t really know what was going on. I got a call the second day that I might go in the 10th round. It didn’t end up happening. I kind of sat around for 10 rounds the next day and didn’t really hear anything. I finally got the call in the 20th and it was just a big relief. It was a relief more than anything that I got a shot.

U-T: The Padres will have drafted guys with similar profiles as yours this week – senior signees. What’s the advice for guys like that?

Maton: Gosh, just keep your head down and keep working. Anything can happen. Someone can get hurt. Something happens in the organization and you can shoot up a level or two. You just have to push yourself every day to make sure that when that happens it’s your name that they call to go up. Be ready to go.

U-T: You did that from the get-go in 2015. Did you even surprise yourself?

Maton: Absolutely. There’s always that doubt when you get drafted – can I compete at this level. Once you get those first couple pitches out of the way, it’s the same game. Guys are a little better. You just have to trust yourself and trust that your stuff is good enough to get guys out. Once I got over that hump, I got into the development phase of trying to get a little better every day. The pieces fell together.

U-T: When was the first time you heard the term “spin rate?”

Maton: I think it was that summer after I got drafted. At the time I didn’t think much of it. It was just one of those things – “Oh, that’s cool, but I don’t know how it helps me at all.” It more just explained things as to why I was able to pitch up in the strike zone as well as I could.

U-T: So you’re saying your younger brother, Jacob, who is a pitcher, if he wants to know how to improve his spin rate, can you tell him how to do it?

Maton: Shoot, I don’t think anyone knows how to do that. I just try to throw the ball as hard as I can. That’s what happens. I couldn’t tell you. It’s one of those things where you’ve drawn a lucky card and that’s how it is. Everything I’ve told him is do what you need to do to become the best pitcher you can possibly be and he’s shaping up to be really good. I’m looking forward to next year to seeing what happens with him.

U-T: Is he going to beat yours and Nick’s draft position?

Maton: The sky’s the limit for him. He’s already my size in high school. He’s got something special coming for him. If he keeps working hard, does everything the right way, I think anything can happen with him.

U-T: So the Maton family is an athletic family. How did your parents juggle getting everyone to all their practices and games and whatnot?

Maton: Yeah, even my other brother is a distance track guy at Southeast Missouri State. He didn’t draw the baseball card like we did, but he’s an excellent runner. But I don’t know how my parents did it. We’d have a baseball game here or a track meet there. They were busy. I have no idea how they did it, especially with my dad coaching travel baseball. They got us to everything. They did not miss much. It was incredible how they were able to come to all our stuff.

U-T: So you don’t know how to teach spin rate. What about your extension on the mound?

Maton: It’s not something I put a focus on. I’ve always tried to get down the mound as far as I can. It’s just evolved into getting used to the feeling of getting as far down the mound as I can and then releasing the baseball. It’s not something I put a complete focus on, but it’s definitely important for my mechanics. Just to gain that ground on the hitter helps me out.

U-T: The way you described acclimating to pro ball in your draft year – the pieces falling together after trusting your stuff. Is that how you expect to acclimate to the majors?

Maton: That’s exactly right. That first pitch the other day was absolutely nerve- wracking. I just didn’t want to hit him. Once I got that pitch in there, it was, alright, it’s the same game. What do I need to do now to execute these pitches to get these guys out. There’s obviously a much smaller margin for error here but in the end of the day it’s the same game.

U-T: Can you even remember the scouting report in a moment like that?

Maton: Oh no, I got on the mound and blanked. I feel bad. (Doug Bochtler) told me everything I needed to know before I went in the game and I got on the mound I didn’t remember one word of it or who was up. It was just a rush.

Adrian Morejon finally debuts in Tri-City loss

Jeff Sanders

Adrian Morejon made his professional debut Friday night in the Northwest League. It was brief but solid.

The 18-year-old Cuban struck out one allowed his one run on a solo homer in three innings in short-season Tri-City’s 8-6 loss at Salem-Keizer, Morejon’s first action since signing for a club-record $11 million last July.

Morejon allowed two other hits in the start, both singles.

Morejon was ranked fifth in the system by Baseball America to start the season. A shoulder injury in camp prevented him from having a chance to open the season with low Single-A Fort Wayne.

RHP Emmanuel Clase (0-1, 13.50) allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings in relief.

Center fielder Tre Carter (.375) went 2-for-4 with a homer, a triple, two RBIs and a walk as the Dust Devils fell to 1-1.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (34-34)

• Chihuahuas 9, Tacoma 3: RHPs Christian Bethancourt (9.88) and Carter Capps (6.00) each pitched a scoreless frame after RHP Matt Magill (4-4, 4.08) allowed two runs on six hits and four walks in five innings in the win. C Tony Cruz homered twice and drove in four runs and 3B Christian Villanueva (.307) drove in three runs and hit his eighth homer. 3B Ryan Schimpf (.190) went 0- for-5 with three strikeouts.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (39-28)

• Frisco 4, Missions 2: All-Star RHP Michael Kelly (6-2, 2.86) tied a season-high with four earned runs allowed on six hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. Fellow All-Star Jose Rondon (.296) drove in two runs and hit his third homer and DH Franmil Reyes (.290) doubled in four at-bats, the Missions’ only other extra-base hit. INF Luis Urias was out of the lineup a second straight day after getting hit by a pitch on the elbow.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (34-34)

• Storm 3, Stockton 0: RHPs Trevor Frank (2-1, 2.30) and Zech Lemond (2.63) each turned in two scoreless frames after LHP Eric Lauer (2.15) struck out six over five shutout innings in a no-decision. C Kyle Overstreet (.310) doubled in three runs in the eighth inning to cap a two-hit day.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (24-44)

• Dayton 4, TinCaps 1: LHP Logan Allen (4-4, 2.02) struck out five and allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings in the loss. 3B Hudson Potts (.225) tripled and scored a run and DH Brad Zunica (.238) singled, Fort Wayne’s lone hits.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (6-6)

• Reds 8, Padres 7: RHP Martin Carrasco (1.29) allowed two runs on seven hits and no walks in five innings in the start. LF Danny Tovar (.235) drove in three runs on two hits, including a triple, and 3B Luis Guzman (.265) went 3-for-4 with a triple. C Blinger Perez (.217) went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two walks.

Double-A San Antonio clinches first-half title

Jeff Sanders

A year ago, Double-A San Antonio limped to the worst record among all Padres affiliates. The script has flipped in 2017 for San Diego’s Texas League affiliate.

Alberth Martinez and Nick Torres homered on Thursday as the Missions wrapped up a first-half title – and a playoff berth – with a 6-4 win over host Frisco.

With the win, the Missions (39-27) have a 5 ½ game lead in the South Division and are five wins better than the circuit’s next-best team.

Torres (.245) also singled and drove in three runs on his fifth homer. Meantime, Martinez (.277) drove in two runs and third baseman Ty France (.336) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored.

Right-hander Brett Kennedy (6-3, 3.95) struck out three and allowed four runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Left Brad Wieck (3.00) struck out one in the ninth to secure his fourth save.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (33-34)

• Chihuahuas 5, Tacoma 1: DH Ryan Schimpf (.250) went 2-for-4 with his second homer and CF Rafael Ortega (.315) and LF Nick Buss (.379) went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. RHP Cesar Vargas (1-0, 0.00) turned in a perfect 1 2/3 innings in relief for the win after RHP Zach Lee (5.32) allowed a run on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings in the start.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (33-34) 24

• Storm 9, Stockton 2: RHP Jesse Scholtens (3-1 2.61) struck out seven and allowed two runs on five – two homers – and no walks in a complete game. RF Edwin Moreno (.288) doubled, hit his third homer and drove in two runs, 1B Josh Naylor (.309) went 3-for-5 with a double and DH Kyle Overstreet (.289) went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (24-43)

• Lake County 7, TinCaps 3: RHP Ronald Bolanos (4.56) struck out five, allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings and was in line for the win when RHP Blake Rogers (2-2, 5.40) allowed five runs in 2/3 of an inning. C Marcus Greene Jr. (.280) went 2-for-4 with his fifth homer and three RBIs and SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (.260) and 1B Brad Zunica (.236) both had two hits.

SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (1-0)

• Dust Devils 10, Salem-Keizer 4: RF Luis Asuncion (.600) homered and went 3- for-5 with a double, Josh Magee (.400) doubled, tripled and drove in four runs in five at-bats and 2B Justin Lopez (.400), C Steve Bean (.400) and DH Boomer White (.400) all had two hits. RHP Austin Smith (1-0, 0.00) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win after RHP Emmanuel Ramirez (4.76) struck out five and allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the start.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (6-5)

• Reds 5, Padres 4: LHP Carlos Valenzuela (4.15) struck out eight and allowed two runs – one earned – in five innings. SS Bryan Torres (.341) went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and DH Gilberto Vizcarra (.231) went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Notable

• 2B Luis Urias was out of the San Antonio lineup a day after taking a pitch off the elbow forced him out of the game. He will be reevaluated Friday. • RHP Jim McDade was transferred from Fort Wayne to Tri-City as RHP Wilmer Torres was activated from Fort Wayne’s disabled list.

'Qualcomm' Stadium no longer exists — now what?.

Tom Krasovic

The Chargers have left the building.

And the stadium in Mission Valley is now a stadium with no name.

The Qualcomm naming rights expired this week on the venue, which opened in August 1967 with a Chargers exhibition against the Detroit Lions.

“A new name for the stadium has not yet been determined,” city spokesman Scott Robinson told me, and the U-T’s David Garrick reports the Q signs will stay up.

It’ll be up to the city’s Real Estate Assets Department to recommend a new name, Robinson said.

My suggestion: San Diego Stadium.

San Diego Stadium is what it was called after San Diego voters overwhelmingly approved a stadium measure in 1972.

Former San Diego Union sports columnist Jack Murphy advocated for the San Diego Stadium appellation, although his own name was added later in honor of his efforts to bring the Los Angeles Chargers and major league baseball to San Diego.

San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium was the venue’s name when, per Robinson, Qualcomm paid the city $18 million in a lump sum payment for the rights as part of the stadium expansion in 1997.

Qualcomm also provided $55,000 in matching funds for the creation of the Jack Murphy statue.

Former Chargers executive Jim Steeg has said the team should have taken the naming rights to the stadium and resold them, estimating that Team Spanos could have garnered up to $6 million annually on the 20-year deal.

"That was one of the stupidest things the Chargers ever did," Steeg said two years ago.

Steeg called the pact, for Qualcomm, "one of the best naming rights deals in the history of mankind."

The negotiator of the deal for Qualcomm was Steve Altman, who is a member of group that created the “SoccerCity” initiative that proposes a dense mixed development and soccer-first stadium for the site.

“That was about my only exposure to politics in San Diego,” Altman told me on Feb. 20, “and I tell people it was the most difficult deal I ever worked on.

“It was a great deal,” he said. “We started out trying to (develop) a consumer brand, but when we got out of the phone business, it was mostly name recognition.”

Altman is no longer with the company but said it’s possible that Qualcomm would consider regaining the naming rights.

Robinson said the city “does not comment on any potential or active negotiations.”

So, what we have, San Diego, is Jack Murphy Field inside the venue formerly known as: San Diego Stadium, San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium, and formerly home to the San Diego Padres and San Diego Chargers.

The lone tenant now is the San Diego State football Aztecs, whose lease generates only about $150,000 per year for the city.

So, the old place is a money loser for San Diego, although one savings is the $1 million per year spent on firefighters and police officers on Chargers game days.

San Diego Stadium 2.0 has this going for it: The playing surface is still known as Jack Murphy Field.

Lamet looks to bounce back on road vs. Crew By Carson Mason / MLB.com The Brewers are hoping Chase Anderson's second start against the Padres on Saturday won't end like the first.

Anderson threw a no-decision May 15 in San Diego, allowing four earned runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Brewers lost in extra innings when Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run walk-off homer.

Padres starter Dinelson Lamet has yet to face the Brewers. He will take the mound for his fifth start of the season and third on the road on Saturday.

When the Brewers last visited San Diego, they were second in the National League Central behind the Cardinals. Now, they stand alone in first place, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell is mostly concerned with his team's quality of play instead of the standings.

"I think we're worried more about how we're playing," Counsell said. "That's what's more important. Just how we have bounced back from adversity and tough things. Guys have responded. That's I think the focus and where I'm getting the most enjoyment out of this year is how we've responded to some difficult situations."

Anderson has been great for the Brewers over his last four starts. He has allowed just one earned run over his last 27 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.83 on the season in the process. Things to know about this game

• Lamet is holding right-handers to a .138 (4-for-29) average this season, while lefties are hitting .333 (15- for-45) against him. He has pitched five innings in three of his five career starts, allowing seven runs in each of his last two outings.

• With a 108.6-mph exit velocity and a 29-degree launch angle, Keon Broxton's homer Thursday night at St. Louis traveled a Statcast-projected 489 feet, the second longest in MLB this season. It also ranks as the longest of the Statcast Era at Busch Stadium or by a Brewers player, besting Ryan Braun's record (474 ft., May 25, 2015). Broxton's previous high for projected distance on a home run was 439 ft. on June 11.

• Renfroe's 15 homers this season are the most by a Padres rookie in franchise history before the All-Star break. He set the record with solo homer in the first inning of the opener against the Brewers on Friday. Nate Colbert (1969) previously held the record with 14 before the break.

Padres hit 3 homers but drop opener to Crew By Adam McCalvy and Carson Mason / MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- Welcome to warm summer nights at Miller Park, where the baseball flies.

The Padres and Brewers combined for seven home runs on Friday, and the one that came closest to not clearing the fence was the biggest of all. Eric Thames got just enough of aRyan Buchter pitch in the 10th for a walk-off solo shot for a 6-5 Brewers win, capping a night when every run was scored via the longball.

It was the second straight last at-bat win for the Brewers, who won in St. Louis 24 hours earlier on Thames' two-run homer in the top of the ninth. And it was their second walk-off at home, though the other featured a more unconventional finish when Ryan Braun scored on a wild pitch to beat the Cubs on April 7.

"The Padres can swing it, they swing hard," Thames said. "And we bring the bats, too. I feel like that's the way this series will be." Thames on key HRs in two games Thames' homer was his 19th this season to keep pace with the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and the Reds' Joey Votto for the National League lead.

"I think it's catchable. I think you'd love to see it caught and brought back," said Padres manager Andy Green. "It's clearly not an easy play, because home runs are not easy things to rob, but it was a makeable play." The night's other home runs were mostly of the no-doubt variety. Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe homered in the Padres' four-run first inning, but Brewers starter Junior Guerra did not allow another hit while working through the end of the sixth. His solid work allowed the Brewers to tie the game in the fourth against former Milwaukee pitching prospect Miguel Diaz, the Rule 5 Draft pick who made his second Major League start. • Diaz sees improvement in second start Solarte's go-ahead solo home run Travis Shaw pounded a solo home run in the second inning and Keon Broxton stayed hot with a three-run homer in the fourth for a 4-4 tie that stood into the eighth, when Yangervis Solarte connected with a cutter from Brewers reliever Jacob Barnes in Barnes' NL-leading 36th appearance.

San Diego's lead didn't last. Brewers catcher Manny Pina greeted Padres reliever Kirby Yates with a tying solo shot leading off the bottom of the eighth. Pina's solo homer ties the game MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Four-spot: The game began badly for Guerra and the Brewers when Jose Pirela's leadoff line drive fooled Broxton in center field, who overran the ball and was charged with an error. With Guerra pitching from the stretch, the Padres pounced, putting another runner on base via Franchy Cordero's walk, before Myers hammered an 0-1 fastball off the batter's eye in center field for a quick, 3-0 lead. Renfroe's solo shot came two batters later to make it 4-0.

"We score a lot of runs from the home run, but we'll get better at that," Myers said. "We're kind of an all- or-nothing team right now offensively. But we'll continue to get better. We're young right now, but we'll just keep going and learn from it." Renfroe's solo home run Back to even, but that's all: It didn't fly 489 feet, like Broxton's blast at Busch Stadium a day earlier, but his 425-foot, three-run home run off a 96-mph Diaz fastball was impressive enough. It tied the game at 4, and when top Brewers prospect Lewis Brinson followed with a triple for his first Miller Park hit, it prompted a call for Padres reliever Craig Stammen. He promptly turned in the game's first defensive gem, making a behind-the-back snare of Orlando Arcia's comebacker and throwing home to prevent the Brewers from taking the lead.

"That play behind the back was really special," Green said. "It looked great. … Got out of that situation. It kept us tied at that point. He's done a really good job for us in that role." Stammen's fantastic glove play Arcia's arm: Arcia helped Jared Hughes deal a scoreless top of the 10th with a remarkable defensive play of his own. The Brewers' shortstop ranged into the hole to make a sliding stop of Renfroe's grounder and threw to first for the inning-ending out. "It was a momentum-turner," Hughes said. "That play changed the game." More > Arcia's terrific defensive play SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Renfroe's 15th home run set a Padres record for a rookie before the All-Star break. Nate Colbert hit 14 homers before the break in 1969, and he turned out pretty good, topping 20 homers in five straight seasons from '69-'73 and making a trio of NL All-Star teams. WHAT'S NEXT Padres: Dinelson Lamet gets the ball for his fifth start this season at 1:10 p.m. PT on Saturday. The right- hander hopes to bounce back after allowing seven runs in each of his last two outings. He's holding right- handed batters to a .138 average, while lefties are hitting .333 against him.

Brewers: Chase Anderson will face the Padres for the second time this season at 3:10 p.m. CT. He earned a no-decision at Petco Park on May 15, allowing four earned runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. But the Brewers lost that game in extras when Renfroe hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning.

Diaz sees improvement in second start Rule 5 pick goes 3 1/3 against former organization

By Carson Mason / MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- Miguel Diaz's start against his former organization was his longest of the season, but it was cut short at the hands of Brewers sluggers Travis Shaw and Keon Broxton. In the Padres' 6-5 extra-innings loss at Miller Park on Friday, the rookie right-hander struck out five and allowed four earned runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings, including a solo home run to Shaw in the second inning and Broxton's three-run game-tying homer in the fourth. The outing lasted 1 1/3 innings longer than his first career start on June 10, when he lost command in the third inning and was taken out with the bases loaded.

"I had more rhythm, and I felt like I was getting strike one in against guys. I think there was some movement change and some rhythm change. Pretty big difference from last start to this start," Diaz said. "I think it's definitely a productive step. [Padres manager Andy Green] let me throw some more pitches and go deeper in the game. I was definitely more under control. The only thing is that last inning and that happens in baseball." Diaz's adverse fourth inning started with a leadoff walk to Domingo Santana. In the next at-bat, Shaw weakly grounded out to first -- a ball that could've easily been turned for a double play, but Diaz didn't cover first and Shaw reached on a force out. Manny Pina followed with a single to left-center and Broxton cashed in with a 425-foot three-run homer on a 2-2 pitch.

"You go to the fourth inning, and it all falls apart because he doesn't cover first base on a double-play ball," Green said. "That's something, like it really doesn't matter what level you played at last year, like there's got to be some urgency to get over there. If he gets that double-play ball right there, there's two outs nobody on base, it doesn't lead to the three-run home run. It kind of changes the whole context of the game and you're scrapping and fighting to the end otherwise."

Diaz was frustrated with himself for failing to cover first, but also said there was some confusion on the play.

"I think what happened there is I just got a little hung up, a little confused, because off the bat I thought [Yangervis] Solarte was going to get the ball, but it ended up being Wil [Myers], so I did have a chance," Diaz said.

The 22-year-old spent 2012-16 in the Brewers' farm system before the Padres selected him with the first pick of the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. Diaz peaked at No. 21 on MLBPipeline.com's rankings of the Brewers prospects and was left unprotected because he never threw a pitch above the Class A level.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said he didn't spend much time with Diaz, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2016, but believes he has the arm of a Major League starter.

"He's got a very good arm," Counsell said. "They have a couple of players that have made a huge jump from a low level in the Minor Leagues to playing Major League Baseball, and you give them a lot of credit for doing that and sticking with them and developing them, and they've had some success doing it, too."

Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who strained his right hamstring warming up for what was supposed to be his Major League debut this week, never played with Diaz but met him in Spring Training.

"The language barrier made it a little tough, but you could tell he was a nice guy," Woodruff said. "And the stuff -- the stuff spoke for itself."

Weaver throws simulated game Cahill, Margot also progress toward big league returns

By Carson Mason / MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- Padres pitcher Jered Weaver took a step towards returning to a Major League mound at Miller Park on Friday.

Weaver threw three innings in a simulated game and felt good afterwards, according to Padres manager Andy Green. Weaver was placed on the 10-day disabled list with left hip inflammation on May 20, but Green and the Padres are making sure they don't rush his return.

"We're going to check in tomorrow and make sure he's still feeling good before we make any type of determination on what the next step is," Green said. "You don't want to react hastily after a sim game. If he needs another sim game, if he needs a rehab outing after that, we'll make a determination after we talk to him." Cahill's and Margot's next steps Right-hander Trevor Cahill, who is on the 10-day DL with a lower back strain, has a three-inning simulated game in his future, Green said. Cahill threw a bullpen session Friday, but the next step for him will not take place during the Padres' three-game series in Milwaukee. It will either happen when the Padres play the Cubs in Chicago from June 19-21 or with a Minor League affiliate.

"He felt good in his bullpen, too. I think he's moving forward," Green said. "He's got a couple more days with us. Then he's going to go back and, hopefully, either throw a sim game or look for a rehab start." Center fielder Manuel Margot, who is on the 10-day DL with a strained right calf, is making strides toward beginning a rehab assignment. Margot is scheduled to run the bases Saturday and the details of his rehab assignment will be determined then if everything goes well, Green said.

"He felt good doing all of his work today," Green said. "He hit early, ran all over the place. Our strength coach Brett McCabe said he felt really good, so we're hoping after [Saturday] if he clears the bases, we'll determine when his rehab stint will start."

Mayo: Padres' Gore could be quick to bigs By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com One of the things that has made the MLB Draft more intriguing to the casual fan is how quickly players go from draftee to big leaguer. It seems that every year, players zip through their farm system and start making contributions on a big league roster.

No one from the 2016 Draft class has made it all the way up yet, though reliever Zack Burdi, the No. 26 pick of the White Sox who was listed as the top candidate to be the quickest to the big leagues a year ago, is in Triple-A. The class of 2015, however, is already making some noise, with four players from the top 10 of that first round -- the Braves' Dansby Swanson, the Astros' Alex Bregman, the Red Sox's Andrew Benintendi and the Cubs' Ian Happ -- making things happen on 25-man rosters, as is fourth-rounder Paul DeJong of the Cardinals. White Sox right-hander Carson Fulmer, also from that top 10, made it to the big leagues in 2016, and is currently in Triple-A.

Koda Glover, taken in the eighth round by the Nationals, has pitched out of the bullpen in 2016 and this season for Washington and right-handed reliever Ben Taylor, a seventh-rounder, has done the same for the Red Sox this year, giving the '15 Draft eight players who have made it up to the highest level.

Glover and Taylor are examples of college relievers who weren't necessarily on anyone's radars when they were drafted, but were able to help out in a hurry. There are undoubtedly similar diamonds in the rough in this year's class, the types you won't realize they are big league ready until they're there. Some of the early-round players do look like they could make quick work of the Minor Leagues. Typically, you look at college pitchers to be quick risers, and there are two on the list below. But like the 2015 Draft class, the advanced college bats could be the ones to get there in greater numbers, so there are three hitters on the list. Finally, we'll throw in one high school arm who could, assuming health, get there faster than you'd think. 1. J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, Astros (Round 1, No. 15 overall) There's no indication that the Astros will do this with the North Carolina right-hander, but Bukauskas is the kind of arm who could contribute in a hurry if they put him in the bullpen. That's not to say he can't start long-term, but if Houston wanted to shorten him up for his first summer, his fastball-slider (especially that slider) combination could help its big league bullpen before the season is over. The Astros have the best record in baseball and a situation like Chris Sale with the White Sox in 2010 could be fun to watch. 2. Kyle Wright, RHP, Braves (Round 1, No. 5 overall) The Vanderbilt ace is a great combination of ceiling and floor that could mean a quick ride up to Atlanta - - especially after it was reported that he is close to a deal. His stuff is electric enough to get upper-level 37 hitters up now and his advanced feel for pitching should allow him to handle rapid promotion. The Braves don't shy away from moving arms quickly with a pair of teenagers and a 20-year-old currently in Double- A. Wright could join them sooner rather than later. 3. Pavin Smith, 1B, D-backs (Round 1, No. 7 overall) Advanced college bats are the types that can handle aggressive assignments in the Minors and quick promotions, and it would be tough to find one more advanced than Smith's. The Virginia standout finished with more walks (100) than strikeouts (75) in his career. He set career highs in average, OBP and SLG in his junior year and could hit the ground running in the pro game. Paul Goldschmidt is a free agent following the 2018 season, just saying. 4. Adam Haseley, OF, Phillies (Round 1, No. 8 overall) Haseley pulled off the same feat as his Virginia teammate, finishing with 111 walks and 103 strikeouts. He truly broke out this spring, with a .390/.491/.659 line. And he put up those numbers while also serving as a part of the Cavaliers' rotation. As a pro, he'll be focusing on hitting only and could take off as a result. Phillies draft OF Haseley No. 8 5. Brendan McKay, 1B, Rays (Round 1, No. 4 overall) While McKay will get a chance to continue to both hit and pitch this summer, he will eventually turn his complete focus to swinging the bat soon thereafter. His approach and swing say he should move fairly quickly, though a need to work on his defensive craft could slow him a tiny bit. Mayo, O'Dowd on McKay 6. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Padres (Round 1, No. 3 overall) Every once in a while, a high school draftee moves a lot more quickly than expected. Clayton Kershaw made his big league debut at age 20, less than two years after he was drafted out of high school. Gore is often compared to Kershaw. Yes, it's an unfair comp, but Gore's present stuff, with more to come, along with his outstanding feel for pitching could lead to a Kershaw-esque ride up the Padres' ladder.

Morejon makes debut with Dust Devils

By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com

Pitchers in the Pacific Coast League are quickly learning that Ryan McMahon is a threat to do damage each time he steps to the plate.

The Rockies' No. 5 prospect recorded a career-high seven RBIs behind his second straight two-homer game on Friday for Triple-A Albuquerque. He ultimately fell a triple short of the cycle, finishing 5-for-6 with two home runs, two doubles and three runs scored. However, not even McMahon's big performance was enough to keep the Isotopes from falling to Fresno, 15-14. Completing his cycle certainly appeared to be on McMahon's mind when he came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning. After working the count full, the 22-year-old third baseman was caught between second and third base as he attempted to stretch his two-out, RBI double to right field into a triple. He struck out swinging in the eighth inning, snapping a streak of nine straight at-bats with a hit going back to Wednesday.

McMahon's first home run, a two-run shot to left-center field in the third inning, marked his third straight game with a homer. He then made it consecutive multi-homer games in the bottom of the ninth when he connected on a three-run blast to center field.

After hitting a pair of homers on Thursday as part 4-for-4, four-RBI performance, McMahon has now tallied all five of his Triple-A home runs in his last three games. Overall, he's gone deep 11 times in 63 contests this season between the Double- and Triple-A levels.

What's more, McMahon has hit safely in 10 straight games for the Isotopes, eight of which have been of the multi-hit variety, and he owns a .448 average with a 1.313 OPS and 17 RBIs in 13 games since being promoted from Double-A. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Friday • No. 1 overall prospect Yoan Moncada (White Sox No. 1) reached based six times for Triple-A Charlotte, going 4-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored and four RBIs out of the leadoff spot. One of those hits was his eighth home run, a three-run shot in the fifth inning, and he's now recorded multiple hits in two of his past three contests. • No. 2 overall prospect Gleyber Torres (Yankees' No. 1) went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's victory over Buffalo. Clint Frazier (Yankees' No. 2, No. 18 overall) also contributed with a three-run homer, his 12th of the season, while right-hander Domingo Acevedo 39

(Yankees' No. 12) allowed one earned run on three hits in seven innings to record the win in his Triple-A debut. • No. 16 overall prospect Willy Adames (Rays' No. 1) banged out a pair of run-scoring doubles in a 3- for-4 performance for Triple-A Durham. After a relatively slow start to his season, the 21-year-old shortstop is batting .392/.508/.627 with seven extra-base hits in 14 games this month. • Making his United States debut, No. 91 overall prospect Adrian Morejon (Padres' No. 3) allowed a home run to the first batter he faced but yielded just two singles over three scoreless frames the rest of the way for short-season Class A Tri-City. Signed for $11 million last July, the precocious 18-year-old lefty has the potential to develop into a frontline starter in the big leagues. • A day removed from going 6-for-7 with five RBIs, No. 100 overall prospect Bo Bichette (Blue Jays' No. 5) came right back to go 2-for-5 with a double and a steal in Class A Lansing's loss against West Michigan. Thanks to five multi-hit efforts in his last five games, the 19-year-old shortstop continues to pace the Midwest League in all three triple-slash categories, at .400/.466/.644, through 55 games. • Royals No. 4 prospect Scott Blewett matched his career high as he struck out 10 over six scoreless innings in a win for Class A Advanced Wilmington. He threw 90 pitches (58 strikes) in the outing, allowing two hits and three walks. He owns a 4.00 ERA in 72 innings (13 starts) this season.

"I just attacked the zone, didn't try to do too much, went right at them," Blewett told MiLB.com. "I faced most of these guys the last two years when they were in Greenville and this is the second time I've faced them this year, so I had a game plan and executed it." • Padres No. 8 prospect Eric Lauer tossed five scoreless innings for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore to lower his California League-leading ERA to 2.15. He scattered six hits and struck out six while throwing 52 of his 73 pitches for strikes. He owns a 76-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 62 2/3 frames (11 starts) this season. • Dylan Cozens and Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies Nos. 9 and 13 prospects, respectively, both went deep, scored two runs and went 2-for-4 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley's loss against Syracuse. They are tied for the International League lead with 15 homers each. • Phillies No. 25 prospect JoJo Romero set a career high with 10 strikeouts as he completed eight scoreless innings for Class A Lakewood for the second time this season. The 20-year-old southpaw scattered four hits, generated eight ground-ball outs and did not issue a walk, throwing 65 of his 89 pitches for strikes in the outing. He lowered his ERA to 2.01 with the performance, and he's registered 76 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings (12 starts) while holding hitters to a .217 average.

Padres On Deck: LHP Adrian Morejon Makes Pro Debut at Tri-City AAA-El Paso, A-Lake Elsinore win to reach .500

By Bill Center

Adrian Morejon throws a pitch at Padres spring training in Peoria, Arizona

Left-hander Adrian Morejon, the Padres’ third-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, made his professional debut Friday night for short-season Single-A Tri- City.

The 18-year-old Cuban allowed a run on three hits with a strikeout over three innings.

Elsewhere in the Padres’ system, both Triple-A El Paso and Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore reached .500 at 34–34 with wins while five members of the Storm prepared to play in the June 20 California League All-Star Game.

One of those All-Star selections led three Storm pitchers to an eight-hit, 3–0 shutout over Stockton at The Diamond.

Starting left-hander Eric Lauer allowed six hits with six strikeouts over five scoreless innings to lower his earned run average to 2.15. Right-handers Zech Lemond (2.63 ERA) and Trevor Frank (2–1, 2.30) each allowed a hit with a strikeout over two innings to complete the shutout.

Catcher Kyle Overstreet (.310, 2-for-4) accounted for all three Lake Elsinore runs with a bases-loaded double in the eighth. 2B Peter Van Gansen (.239) was 2-for-4. 1B Josh Naylor (.307) was 0-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored. Center fielder Michael Gettys (.264) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Right fielder Edwin Moreno (.287) was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Lake Elsinore players contingent on the South team in the California League All- Star Game next Tuesday in Visalia will be starting pitchers Lauer, Joey Lucchesi and Cal Quantrill, closer Colby Blueberg and Naylor.

Eric Lauer delivers a pitch for the Storm

Lauer has a 2–4 record with the lowest ERA in the California League plus the sixth- lowest WHIP (1.18) and the seventh-most strikeouts (76). The left-handed Lucchesi is 5–3 and ranks second in the California League in WHIP (0.96), tied for second in strikeouts (86 in 66 2/3 innings) and third in ERA (2.43). Quantrill is 3–5 with the 12th-best ERA (3.86).

Blueberg is 5–2 with seven saves, a 1.70 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Naylor is hitting .307 with seven homers and 40 RBIs, which is tied for ninth despite missing nearly a month with facial fractures.

At El Paso, catcher Tony Cruz (.312) was 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored as the Chihuahuas defeated Tacoma 6–3.

First baseman Christian Villanueva (.307) was 1-for-3 with a homer, two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored. Second baseman Carlos Asuaje (.239) was 1- for-3 with a triple and two walks with two runs scored. Right fielder Jabari Blash (.270) was 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and a RBI. Shortstop Diego Goris (.274) was 1-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

Right-handed starter Matt Magill (4–4, 4.08 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings. RHP Christian Bethancourt (9.88) pitched a perfect inning. Right-hander Adam Cimber (5.09) allowed a run on a hit with three strikeouts in two innings. Right- hander Carter Capps (6.00) allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning.

Around the Farm:

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (39–28) — FRISCO 5, Missions 2: SS Jose Rondon (.296) was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. CF Auston Bousfield (.213) was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. 2B Luis Urías missed a second straight start after being hit on the left elbow with a pitch. Starting RHP Michael Kelly (6–2, 2.86 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. LHP Kyle McGrath (3.48) pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings. RHP Yimmi Brasoban (0.00) allowed two hits and a walk in a scoreless inning. RHP Charles Nading (1.53) allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (24–43) — DAYTON 4, TinCaps 1: Starting LHP Logan Allen (4–4, 2.02 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts in five innings. RHP Nick Monroe (7.20) allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings. RHP Wilmer Torres (4.09) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning. RHP David Bednar (2.08) stuck out the side in a perfect inning. 3B Hudson Potts (.225) was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. DH Brad Zunica (.238) was 1-for-3.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (1–1) — SALEM-KEIZER 8, Dust Devils 6: CF Tre Carter (.375) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run for two RBIs and two runs scored. DH Boomer White (.333) was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. 1B Bryant Aragon (.333) was 1-for-2 with two walks, a RBI and a run scored. SS Luis Almanzar (.125) was 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. RHP Andres Munoz allowed two runs on a hit and two walks with two strikeouts in an inning. RHP Emmanuel Clase (0–1) allowed five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. RHP Jordan Guerrero walked two in two-thirds of a scoreless inning.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (6–6) — REDS 8, Padres 7: LF Danny Tovar (.235) was 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. 3B Luis Guzman (.265) was 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. C Blinger Perez (.217) was 1-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored. RF Yordi Francisco (.289) was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Starting RHP Martin Carrasco (1.29 ERA) allowed two runs on seven hits with a strikeout in five innings. RHP Edwuin Bencomo (0–1) allowed three runs on two hits and two walks with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.

Padres On Deck: Division Champs San Antonio Send 5 to All-Star Game 2B Luis Urías earns start in Texas League All- Star Game

By Bill Center Double-A San Antonio clinched the Texas League’s first half South Division title Thursday night on the same day that five Missions were named to play in the Texas League All-Star Game on June 27.

Nineteen-year-old second baseman Luis Urías (.314 batting average, .417 on-base percentage) will start for the South.

Other Missions on the South team are shortstop Jose Rondon (.296 with a .346 on-base percentage) and right-handed pitchers Michael Kelly (6–1, 2.55 earned run average in 13 starts), Eric Yardley (3–0 with a 2.25 ERA and four saves) and Trey Wingenter (2–0 with a 2.35 ERA, four saves and 31 strikeouts in 23 innings).

Meanwhile, the Missions scored a 6–4 win at Frisco Thursday to improve to 39–27 and clinch the first-half division title and a berth in the post-season playoffs.

Left fielder Nick Torres (.245) was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for San Antonio. Designated hitter Alberth Martinez (.277) had a two-run homer in four at-bats. Third baseman Ty France (.336) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Right fielder Franmil Reyes (.290) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Rondon was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Starting right-hander Brett Kennedy (6–3, 3.95 ERA) allowed four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to get the win. Yardley struck out one in 1 1/3 perfect innings. Left-hander Brad Wieck (3.00) struck out one in a perfect inning to get his fourth save.

There was other news in the Padres system Thursday.

— Short-season Single-A Tri-City opened the Northwest League season with a 10–4 win at Salem-Keizer.

— Right-hander Jesse Scholtens (3–1, 2.61 ERA) threw a complete game in Lake Elsinore’s 9–2 win over Stockton at The Diamond. Scholtens, 23, allowed two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. The ninth-round pick in the 2016 draft threw 112 pitches (75 strikes) over the nine innings.

— Ryan Schimpf hit his second homer for Triple-A El Paso.

There was also movement in the Padres system Thursday. Infielder River Stevens was transferred from El Paso to San Antonio. Right-handed pitcher Wilmer Torres was activated from the seven-day disabled list at Single-A Fort Wayne and right-handed pitcher Jim McDade was transferred from Fort Wayne to Tri-City.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (33–34) — CHIHUAHUAS 5, Tacoma 1: Schimpf (.250) was 2- for-4. LF Nick Buss (.379) was 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. CF Rafael Ortega (.315) was 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored. C Hector Sanchez (.250) was 1-for-3 with a RBI. RF Jabari Blash (.267) was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Starting RHP Zach Lee (5.32 ERA) allowed a run on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Cesar Vargas (1–0, 0.00) struck out one in a perfect 1 2/3 innings to get the win. RHP Rafael De Paula (5.63) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Logan Bawcom (3.00) struck out four in two perfect innings.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (33–34) — STORM 9, Stockton 2: RF Edwin Moreno (.288) had a double and a home in four at-bats for two RBIs and three runs scored. 1B Josh Naylor (.309) was 3-for-5 with a double. CF Michael Gettys (.263) was 2-for-5 with two doubles, a RBI and two runs scored. DH Kyle Overstreet (.263) was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. 2B Peter Van Gansen (.231) was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. LF Tyler Selesky (.333) was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored. 3B Ruddy Giron (.236) was 2- for-5 with a double.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (24–43) — LAKE COUNTY 7, TinCaps 3: C Marcus Greene Jr. (.280) was 2-for-3 with a three-run homer. SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (.260) was 2-for-3 with two walks. 1B Brad Zunica (.236) was 2-for-4 with a

45 walk and a run scored. 2B Nate Easley (.180) was 1-for-3 with a walk. Starting RHP Ronald Bolanos (4.56 ERA) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. RHP Blake Rogers (2–2, 5.40) allowed five runs on four hits and a walk with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning to suffer the loss. RHP Diomer Lopez (5.32) allowed a hit in two-thirds of a scoreless inning.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (1–0) — Dust Devils 10, SALEM-KEIZER 4: LF Josh Magee had a double and triple in five at-bats for four RBIs and a run scored. RF Luis Asuncion was 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, a stolen base and two runs scored. DH Boomer White was 2-for-5 with a double, a RBI and three runs scored. 2B Justin Lopez was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. C Steve Bean was 2- for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored. Starting RHP Emmanuel Ramirez allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. RHP Austin Smith allowed two hits with a strikeout in 1 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win. RHP Mark Zimmerman allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Evan Miller pitched a perfect ninth.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (6–5) — Reds 5, PADRES 4: Starting LHP Carlos Valenzuela (4.15) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with eight strikeouts in five innings. SS Bryan Torres (.341) was 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored. DH Gilberto Vizcarra (.231) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. 3B Elvis Sabala (.333) was 0-for-2 with three walks.