Padres Press Clips Thursday, May 22, 2014 Article Source Author Page Padres are shut out for eighth time this season MLB.com Miller 2 Play stands after Twins challenge call vs. Padres MLB.com Miller 5 Roach to get second start, filling in for Cashner MLB.com Miller 6 Cubs open set in Renteria's old stomping grounds MLB.com Muskat 7 Jones, Nelson to represent Padres at Draft MLB.com Miller 10 Padres lead the Majors in close games MLB.com Miller 11 Black tries Alonso in cleanup spot MLB.com Miller 12 Grandal takes responsibility for wild pitches MLB.com Miller 13 Kennedy’s Home vs. Away Anomaly FriarWire Center 14 NLCS Victory over Cubs Capped Historic 1984 Season FriarWire Center 16 From the Farm, 5/20/14: Peterson off Fast in El Paso FriarWire Center 18 Again, Padres' bats can't support Ross UT San Diego Sanders 19 Padres' Roach preparing for second start UT San Diego Sanders 21 Mound visits: More than a walk in the park UT San Diego Lin 23 Minors: Another rocky start for Wisler UT San Diego Lin 26 Morning links: 'Filthy' Ross loves Petco UT San Diego Sanders 27 Pregame: Rivera has pop to go with glove UT San Diego Sanders 28 Padres waste Ross' outing in 2-0 loss to Twins Associated Press AP 29 Geer 's Passion Still Motivates Him SAMissions.com Turner 32 1 Padres are shut out for eighth time this season Ross strikes out eight in strong outing, but takes loss By Scott Miller / Special to MLB.com | 5/22/2014 12:58 AM ET SAN DIEGO -- If things keep going the way they're going, the Padres offensive numbers are going to go from bad to invisible. In a season that has given new meaning to the term "sluggish offense," the Padres were shut out for the eighth time in 47 games Wednesday night. This time, it was Minnesota's Phil Hughes who looked like Cy Young over seven innings in a 2-0 blanking. You see those numbers, and then you listen to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire's assessment of the starting pitcher: "He was filthy. He was nasty. The ball was coming out of his hand. He had a great slider, as advertised, and threw some good changeups, too. My hitters said he has that breaking ball and changeup, but it's hard to sit on them because you have to respect that fastball." Yes, Hughes was good in becoming the latest hurler to blank the Padres. But Gardenhire was speaking about Padres starter Tyson Ross. That's life for the Padres these days. Night after night, they're pitching well enough to win. Night after night, they'd have difficulty, because their bats are so silent. "I've been here for some offensive struggles," third baseman Chase Headley said. "It certainly feels like this one is as tough as we've experienced." Headley, the Padres' No. 3 hitter, came into the game hitting .194. Their No. 4 hitter, Yonder Alonso, was hitting .193. Their No. 5 hitter, Jedd Gyorko, was hitting .163. Yes, Hughes was good, but the Padres put runners on base in five of seven innings against him. They just could not string together enough hits, or produce a timely hit, to push a run across the plate. They had chances. Multiple chances. Seth Smith, consistently the bright light in the midst of a season-long offensive blackout, cracked a one-out single in the third and Headley followed with another base knock. But Alonso, batting cleanup because, as manager Bud Black said before the game, he had hit the ball hard a couple of times Tuesday night, popped to center to end the inning. 2 They put the first two batters on base to start the sixth right after the Twins scored in the top of the inning. But Gyorko grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice, Will Venable followed with his second strikeout of the game and Cameron Maybin ended the inning with a bouncer that the Twins turned into a 6-4 fielder's choice. "That would have been the inning to get him," Headley said. It was swift, quiet and familiar. Ross became the latest Padres starter to pitch well enough to deserve a better fate. He worked seven innings -- the sixth time in his past eight starts he's lasted seven or more -- and allowed just one run and three hits. He fanned eight and walked three. But one of those walks --Joe Mauer in the sixth -- scored. Even the slightest mistake these days tends to ruin the night for the Padres. "He was as good as I've seen him in awhile," Headley said of Ross. "He was really good." And yet ... "His slider was nasty," Venable said. "He pitched real well. "We're sorry we couldn't get him any runs." The eight shutouts suffered by the Padres is a Major League high. The Padres also rank last in the majors in batting average (.221 entering the game), on-base percentage (.279), OPS (.629) and runs scored (142). It is evident that faces are getting longer and tempers are getting shorter, as you would expect, given offensive futility that now is stretching to nearly two months. "We're trying to get ready for a game," Venable said. "We're not getting angry about anything. … We lost a game. It sucks." Out of answers at this point, the Padres have no choice but to plod forward, pressing every button in this downward elevator. "We've got another opportunity tomorrow," Venable said. "Show up and go to work. That's it. Isolating each game … we don't connect everything together. We didn't hit well today. We hope we do tomorrow. It's as simple as that." Venable, who now is down to .196, is only interested in Thursday's series opener against the Cubs. 3 "We're all working hard as a team to get it going," he said. "I know from the outside the offense is not doing what it is supposed to be doing. I know we haven't produced like we should. "I don't feel like there's a team slump. What has happened, what hasn't happened, you could sit and talk about it all day. We just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other." And walk before you run. Jog before you sprint. It's coming, one of these days. Isn't it? 4 Play stands after Twins challenge call vs. Padres By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com | 5/21/2014 11:59 P.M. ET SAN DIEGO -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire issued and lost his second challenge in as many days on Wednesday night against the Padres. Gardenhire's challenge came in the eighth inning after Chris Parmelee grounded out to second baseman Jedd Gyorko to end the inning. First-base umpire Andy Fletcher ruled Parmelee out on a close play, and Gardenhire asked for the play to be reviewed. After a review that lasted one minute and 18 seconds, the call stood and Parmelee was out at first base to end the inning. It was the ninth challenge issued by Gardenhire this season with four of those calls getting overturned via replay. Gardenhire also lost a challenge on Tuesday, when he asked for a replay review of a close play at first base involving Aaron Hicks on a sacrifice bunt. 5 Roach to get second start, filling in for Cashner By Scott Miller / Special to MLB.com | 5/21/2014 7:57 P.M. ET SAN DIEGO - Rookie Donn Roachwill make his second spot start for injured Andrew Cashner on Saturday against the Cubs. In his first outing on Sunday in Colorado, he surrendered four earned runs in three innings while walking two. The hope is that maybe in his second start, he will be a little more calm. "He caught a break there with the first two hitters," manager Bud Black said. "He was a little bit erratic with the walks, and Rene [Rivera] picked him up." Roach walked both Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson to start the game … and Rivera nailed both of them attempting to steal. "Hopefully strike one," Black said regarding what he wants to see from Roach against the Cubs. "Throwing his fastball for strikes. That didn't happen the other day. Hopefully, we'll see more consistency throwing the ball over the plate, working ahead and not beating himself." 6 Cubs open set in Renteria's old stomping grounds Ex-Padres bench coach starts Arrieta opposite Stults at Petco Park By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com | 5/22/2014 1:37 AM ET Rick Renteria spent six seasons on the Padres' Major League coaching staff, most recently as the bench coach. On Thursday, he'll be back at Petco Park for the first time ever as the visiting manager. Renteria, 52, leads the Cubs into a four-game series against the Friars. He first joined the San Diego organization as a coach in 2003 with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore, and managed in the team's farm system from 2004-07. Although he still has strong ties to members of the Padres' current staff -- including manager Bud Black, who communicates regularly via text messages -- Renteria downplayed his homecoming. "For me, it's another road trip," the Cubs manager said. "I have some really good friends there who I'll be happy to see for a quick moment to say hello, and then it's on -- it's Cubs against the Padres." Renteria will not take advantage of the West Coast swing to sleep in his own bed in his home in Temecula, Calif., but will stay with the team at its downtown hotel.