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Home , Carlos Quentin, Dick Enberg, Donavan Tate, ESPN Deportes Radio, Josh Byrnes, Mark Grant (baseball)

Padres Press Clips Thursday, July 16, 2015

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Padres a success on Fox UT Maffei 2

Trade ? Not a great idea UT San Diego Sanders 5

Minors: Federowicz homers for TinCaps UT San Diego Sanders 7

Friar talk: Was Josh Byrnes right all along? UT San Diego Sanders 9

Padres look to find their groove in second half MLB.com Brock 12

Ortega excited to broadcast 2016 ASG to the world Padres.com Center 15

My argument for Myers as Padres’ MVP Padres.com Center 18

El Paso’s Decker represents Padres in Triple-A All- Game Padres.com Center 20

Justin Upton says he believes Padres can turn around poor season ESPN.com Crasnick 21

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Padres a success on Fox Team's TV ratings are way up despite its first-half struggles By John Maffei | 4 p.m. July 15, 2015 This isn't the season Padres management envisioned.

Major changes on the field haven't translated to victories, and the team finds itself eight games under .500, in fourth place in the NL West and 10 games behind the first-place Dodgers.

Perplexing numbers at best.

But while the team struggles on the field, ratings on San Diego are up - way up - from last year.

Through the season's first 90 games, the Padres are averaging a 4.86 rating on FSSD. In San Diego, that averages about 51,000 households, up 56 percent from last season.

"Our ratings are up dramatically, as well as for all the ancillary programs - Padres Social Hour, the postgame show, SD Live and Padres POV," said Henry Ford, executive vice president/general manager of Fox Sports San Diego.

"Ratings for SD Live are up 50 percent and the Social Hour is up 80 percent."

Only Kansas City (12.69). St. Louis (10.17), Detroit (7.68), Pittsburgh (7.61), Seattle (6.29), Boston (5.98) and Baltimore (5.71) have better average TV numbers than the Padres.

Only Houston (up 347 percent), Kansas City (119) and the Cubs (100) have improved more from last season than the Padres.

Padres telecasts boasted better numbers in San Diego than the NBA Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and The Players Championship.

Since the start of the season, FSSD's 4.86 rating for Padres games is better than KFMB (CBS Channel 8), which is averaging a 3.77, KNSD (NBC Channel 39), which is at 3.58, and KGTV (ABC Channel 10), which is at 2.71.

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But why?

Why are more people watching this Padres team which is only one game better than last year's team that was 40-50 after 90 games?

Is it the addition of Matt Kemp, , Will Middlebrooks, James Shields and Derek Norris?

"I think it's a little bit of everything," Ford said. "The team has some big-name players.

"We've been around for a while now, we're fully distributed, and people know where to find us."

Research shows Padres games sit between a 4.5-4.9 rating. If the Padres are playing a big series - like the Dodgers or Giants - those numbers will spike as high as 6.2.

The April 24 game - a Friday night home contest against the Dodgers - did a season high 7.18 rating.

If the team is on the road for 4:15 p.m. starts or even fall behind early, the numbers can fall to 3.7 or so.

Part of the attraction for viewers is the quality of the telecasts.

Jeff Byle, FSSD's executive producer, continually cranks out network quality telecasts.

And the broadcast team of and are first rate.

The recent addition of Mark Sweeney to home games, making it a three-man booth, has been huge. Sweeney and Grant provide a nice hitter- perspective.

Sure Enberg, who will enter the broadcast section of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown later this month, misses some plays and botches some names.

And Grant can get silly, especially when the Padres fall behind early.

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But, believe me, I get every MLB game on the Extra Innings package. I've seen every team and heard all the broadcasters.

Enberg, Grant and Sweeney are among the best in the business.

"The second half of the season holds some promise," said Ford. "And honestly, if the team gets on a roll, puts together a winning streak after the All-Star break, you could see some phenomenal numbers."

===

Remember when?

In the old days - 1984 and 1998 - when the Padres were winning pennants and playing in the , Cox Channel 4 did ratings numbers in double figures. At times reaching 13s.

Padres fans were starved for a winner in 1984.

And even in 1998, there was far less competition for the TV audience.

Remember when most homes got just CBS, NBC and ABC, and cable was something foreign?

Now most homes get more than 100 channels on TV. Plus, there is the Internet, cell phones, twitter, Facebook and more to pull audiences away.

"It's hard to get your head around those numbers from '84 and '98," Ford said. "Certainly, the fans embraced those teams.

"But we have a larger audience now, although our ratings numbers aren't in double figures.

"I think we're on the path to get there, though."

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Trade James Shields? Not a great idea The latest news, notes and rumors around the NL West By Jeff Sanders | noon July 15, 2015 Of the Padres' owned big money over the next few years, two are virtually untradeable – Matt Kemp ($73 million between '16-'19) and Melvin Upton ($33.1 between '16-'17) – and another (Jedd Gyorko's $33 million between '16-'19) would represent a decidedly buy-low opportunity for other teams.

The other two long-term commitments – James Shields ($65 million between '16-'18) and ($25.5 million between '16-'17) – could net interesting returns, although moving Shields might shoot the Padres in the foot at the same time.

Not that that is stopping A.J. Preller from at least considering the possibility.

According to , the Padres have asked other teams about possible interest in Shields, who has an opt-out clause after the . While the Dodgers and Cubs could certainly use the dependability that the 33-year- old would infuse in a World Series-hopeful rotation, the Padres should tread carefully here.

Signing Shields to a back-loaded, four-year, $75 million deal in February signaled that the Padres were indeed serious about turning this franchise into a perennial contender. Peddling him away five months into that pact would send mixed messages to the next class of free agents asked to consider the Padres as a long-term home.

AROUND THE NL WEST

• Troy Tulowitzki is healthy again. He is producing again, too, penning a .364/.419/.564 batting line with eight homers and 31 RBIs over his last 36 games to reignite rumors that the Rockies may finally try to cash in their biggest (and most expensive) trade piece. The All-Star , however, reiterated the he's a Rockie this week in Cincinnati. "I take a lot of pride in staying in one

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organization," Tulowitzki told the Times. "My favorite player was . He stayed with one organization his entire career. I think there is something special to that. Not too many guys get to do it in this day and age. It would be cool, when I am done playing, to say that I did that." • One reason the Dodgers are expected to make a move for a starting pitcher: Dodgers starters not named Clayton Kershaw, , Brett Anderson or Brandon McCarthy (injured) have a 4.53 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP, according to the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. The Dodgers are 16-16 in those games. • The Diamondbacks are going down to the wire with top draft pick . • 's future with the Giants is up in the air.

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Minors: Federowicz homers for TinCaps Recapping Wednesday's Padres games By Jeff Sanders | 8 a.m. July 16, 2015

His knee healthy, Tim Federowicz appears to be getting his timing down, too.

The Padres' rehabbing homered and drove in two runs in low Single-A Fort Wayne's 4-1 win over Lake County on Wednesday. The DH in this game, Federowicz also singled in four at-bats and is 3-for-11 through the first three games of what should be a lengthy rehab assignment. Acquired in December from the Dodgers alongside Matt Kemp, Federowicz has been out of action since injuring his knee in March.

Luis Urias (.472), (.240) and Jose Ruiz all had two hits.

Left-hander Thomas Dorminy (7-6, 3.90) threw six shutout innings and right-hander Colby Blueburg struck out a batter in the ninth to convert his 13th save.

TRIPLE-A ALL-STAR GAME

• 4, Pacific Coast League 3: The lone Padres' farmhand in the game, Cody Decker started at DH for the PCL and singled and walked in his lone plate appearances. The International League rallied for three runs in the ninth to win the game. DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (39-50)

• Midland 6, Missions 4: LF Yeison Asencio (.290) drove in two runs on two hits, including a double, and RF (.262) went 2-for-5 with a double. RHP Bryan Rodriguez (4-11, 4.73) allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings.

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HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (36-53)

• Visalia 6, Storm 4 (13): RHP Matthew Shepherd (5.20) struck out six and allowed two runs in six innings. 3B Gabriel Quintana (.245) went 2-for-6 with a double and two runs scored and LF Donavan Tate (.212) went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks. SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (15-12)

• Dust Devils 8, Spokane 4: C Austin Allen (.219) and LF Jose Carlos Urena (.302) each doubled in three runs. LHP Elvin Liriano (2-0, 1.20) struck out two over 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. ROOKIE DSL PADRES (16-24)

• DSL Reds 9, DSL Padres 1: LHP Cristian Machuca (1-1, 2.78) allowed four runs in four innings. 3B Manuel Vizcaino (.196) went 3-for-3 with an RBI. ROOKIE AZL PADRES (8-12)

• AZL Reds 4, AZL Padres 1: RHP Joel Linares (1-1, 4.18) allowed three runs in six innings. Jhonatan Pena (.269) doubled for the Padres' lone extra-base hit.

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Friar talk: Was Josh Byrnes right all along? Padres ripe for second guessing as they head toward another losing season By Jeff Sanders | 5 a.m. July 16, 2015 Maybe, just maybe, Josh Byrnes was on the right path all along. Sure, it's much easier to type that today as the Padres prepare for the second half of this season, the revamped team sitting eight games under .500, 10 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and buried behind six teams in the wild-card races.

Perhaps as easy as it was to get swept up into A.J. Preller's whirlwind offseason.

Matt Kemp one day. Wil Myers the next. Then Derek Norris, Justin Upton, James Shields and finally Craig Kimbrel.

This was something to behold. This, however flawed it lined up, was something to get excited about. This was something that other franchises did. This ultimately set the franchise back if you to buy into every word of Rany Jazayerli's compelling piece at .com – Teardown Artist: How General Manager A.J. Preller destroyed the San Diego in a matter of months: "Less than a year ago, Preller inherited an organization with a promising future, a team with enough talent to finish near .500 last season, and potential franchise talents like (Joe) Ross and (Matt) Wisler and (Trea) Turner in the minors. Today, the Padres are a bad team saddled with bad contracts and no farm system. It’s hard to do this much damage this quickly without the use of heavy artillery.

Preller is expected to reverse course any day now; players like Justin Upton could be traded away for prospects by the time the season resumes after the All-Star break. But you can’t rebuild a franchise as fast as you can torch it. Preller isn’t getting nearly as much talent in a sell-off as he gave up in his reckless attempt to remodel his roster. He equated name recognition with talent and paid the price. Perhaps, presumably chastened, he will return to what he was known for in Texas, and try to patiently

9 fashion young talent into a potential contender. The shame of it is that when he was hired in San Diego, he already had both."

Indeed, it's easy to imagine how much better off the Padres might be with Yasmani Grandal in the middle of the lineup instead of Matt Kemp, to wonder how often Turner might wind up on third base with every ball he lined into an alley, to envision and Wisler competing to replace Ian Kennedy in the rotation next spring.

They're fair questions, too.

Eighteen months ago, the Padres were a chic dark horse pick in the . Then a no-name offense built around the brittle Carlos Quentin failed miserably, new ownership demanded answers and Byrnes took the fall 2 1/2 years into his plan to slowly build this small-market franchise into relevant organization.

The fruit of some of that labor is paying off in other locales: Grandal is an All-Star, is finally living up to that extension and several prospects included in Preller's deals – the lot of them drafted under Byrnes and previous G.M. 's watch – are coming of age with other teams. Figures, right? The team that never develops homegrown talent was doing just that when Preller decided to move it for big league talent.

That's soooo Padres. The lesson to pull away from all of this – whether you believe Preller torched this team's future, as Jazayerli wrote about at length, or if he simply rolled snake eyes with each of his exciting yet risky gambles – is there are no shortcuts in this game.

Byrnes poured an extra $22 million into the 2014 product. Then Preller, shifting minor league assets to the major league product and spreading out debt, added another $18 million to push the Padres over the $100 million mark for the first time in franchise history.

A big number for a small-time franchise, to be sure. But in the grand scheme of things, the Padres' $108 million payroll still ranks near the bottom third of the league,

10 with a good portion of those dollars (Kemp and Melvin Upton) underperforming as the Padres' playoff odds shrink to under 2 percent.

Sound familiar?

It should.

Yet Preller's story is no more written than Byrnes' was at the time of his dismissal. To wholly buy into Jazayerli's assertion that Preller's moves have left this franchise in ruin dismisses what the Padres' cavalier general manager will still have on his roster after July 31.

The wrist finally addressed surgically, Myers is still only 24 years old. Kemp is still only a year removed from his MVP-caliber second half. Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner still have talented arms capable of either frontlining a rotation or yielding interesting returns on the market. Norris is still an All-Star-caliber catcher, Kimbrel still possesses one of the game's most exciting right arms and the Padres' farm system still has talent (Hunter Renfroe, Colin Rea, Ruddy Giron) on the way.

Byrnes, indeed, may have been closer than last year's team showed. Likewise, we've only begun to see just what sort of path Preller is leading this franchise down.

Padres fans have to hope he'll get more time than Byrnes did to see it all through.

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Padres look to find their groove in second half Venable: 'We've done everything well, just not at the same time'

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | July 15th, 2015 SAN DIEGO -- What do they say about the best-laid plans?

While the Padres were the clear and decisive winners of baseball's offseason with one notable deal after another and a free-agent signing to boot, the overhauled roster first-year general manager A.J. Preller assembled has largely underperformed during the first half of the season.

The Padres finished the first half with a 41-49 record, 10 games back of the - leading Dodgers.

"I think we expected to play better baseball than that," Preller said.

Wild swings of inconsistent play cost manager Bud Black his job in June. When the hitting was good (early), the pitching wasn't. And when the pitching came around (late June/early July), the offense scuffled greatly. "We're just having a tough time cementing our identity, saying every single night we're going to come out and do this and do that well," said , who is the team's longest-tenured player.

"It hasn't synced-up like we would have liked. We've done everything well, just not at the same time. I know we're all disappointed in not having played more consistently."

Or as one scout put it: "It looks like their parts are greater than the sum."

FIVE KEY DEVELOPMENTS 1. Myers has been missed Outfielder Will Myers was just beginning to hit his stride. He developed better awareness of the strike zone and more discipline at the plate. Then, Myers was sidelined in early May with tendinitis in his left wrist. He eventually needed surgery, and he won't return until August or September. The team has missed Myers' skill , and the impact he had at the top of the order.

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2. Kemp began to find his stride After hitting .326 and knocking in 16 runs in April, Matt Kemp struggled in May (.186) as well as June (.243). His power started to show up in June and early July, but his overall offensive struggles were emblematic of the team's offensive woes as they were shut out 13 times in the first half.

3. Upton played strong You'll never hear Justin Upton complaining about spacious . San Diego liked his success at the ballpark before they acquired him in December, and he's been good at home (.306/.360/.558), where he has nailed 11 of his 14 home runs. Upton has tailed off in June and July, but he still earned the favor of the fans as the team's lone All-Star representative.

4. Managers changed On June 15, the Padres parted ways with Black, who was nearly halfway into his ninth season. Widely respected in the clubhouse, and across the landscape of baseball, Black became a casualty of his underperforming team. Pat Murphy was named the interim manager after moving up from Triple-A El Paso. The team is 9-16 since Black was dismissed.

5. Defense must step up San Diego was OK living with a few defensive inefficiencies this season. Perhaps the Padres figured that if their pitching was good again and the revamped offense scored more runs, they could at least partly mask their troubles on D. But defense has been an issue. The team leads the big leagues in unearned runs this season (47).

FIVE STORYLINES FOR SECOND HALF 1. To trade or not to trade? What will the roster look like come Aug. 1? The non-waiver Trade Deadline is July 31, and the Padres could move some players on the roster and have attractive trade chips -- Upton and pitcher Ian Kennedy will be free agents. Closer Craig Kimbrel is a hot commodity as well. Should they stand pat? Or will they try to recoup controllable players for the future?

2. Can Kemp revive with second half-heroics? Can Kemp, who has six home runs since June 5, find that same second-half groove at the plate that carried him -- and the Dodgers -- in the second half a year ago? You can bet San Diego would do just about anything for Kemp to have a .606 in the second half.

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3. Will Morrow have an impact once he's healthy? Brandon Morrow, in his first season with the team, was off to a fast start (2.73 ERA in five starts) before he landed on the disabled list in early May with shoulder inflammation. He then hit a roadblock during a rehab stint and had to start over. If healthy, Morrow would certainly help the rotation.

4. Will the Padres give the rookie a shot? How can the Friars keep catcher Derek Norris fresh? Norris is tied for second in all of baseball for the most innings caught this season. Norris has admitted to having lost 12 pounds. He's been dinged up a few times by foul balls, too. Austin Hedges, the highly-regarded rookie, has gotten a handful of starts. Will he get more?

5. How fast can Murphy piece the team together? Murphy took over for Black in mid-June, parachuting into a very difficult situation. He's still trying to learn the team, and they're still trying to learn about him. Murphy has mixed up the lineup to try and get the offensive going. The learning curve is definitely steep. How will this marriage work in the second half?

FIRST-HALF AWARDS MVP: Justin Upton. Despite a June swoon, Upton has been as advertised, and he has made Petco Park look small. Cy Young: Tyson Ross. His ground-ball rate and K's-per-nine innings are up. He hasn't allowed a HR in his past 14 starts. Rookie: . His versatility has helped the team, and his speed alone has helped win a few games. Top reliever: Brandon Maurer. His swing-and-miss rate is nearly 30 percent -- devastating stuff late in games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN SECOND HALF Jedd Gyorko: He spent time in Triple-A to repair hitting mechanics and confidence. The Padres need his bat. Morrow: He has missed 2 1/2 months on the DL, but was off to a fast start (2.73 ERA in five starts). Kemp: The team needs him to have the same monster second half he had a year ago with the Dodgers (.309/.365/.606).

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Ortega excited to broadcast 2016 ASG to the world Padres' Spanish voice has called All-Star and World Series games for ESPN Deportes By Bill Center / | July 15th, 2015

Eduardo Ortega hadn't even departed from Cincinnati on Wednesday morning when his thoughts already began turning to San Diego and the 2016 All-Star Game.

"I can't tell you what it will mean to me if I am doing the play-by-play of the next All-Star Game from Petco Park," Ortega said. Ortega is the daily Spanish-language voice of the Padres on XEMO (860 AM).

On special occasions -- such as the All-Star Game, postseason and World Series -- Ortega broadcasts to millions of fans in Latin America and beyond on ESPN Deportes Radio.

"It is an honor to be part of this," said Ortega the morning after his 16th play-by-play broadcast of the All- Star Game. "What was special this year is that we also did the Derby, and the use of the clock was a big hit, bringing more drama.

"But next year, I am already very excited just thinking about doing an All-Star Game in my hometown. I can't wait for what the Padres are going to show the world. I can't wait to be a part of it."

Now in his record 29th season as the Spanish voice of the Padres on XEMO and Fox Deportes television, Ortega has handled the Spanish radio play-by-play for 20 World Series, in addition to 16 All-Star Games. • WATCH: Ortega honored prior to game

The Padres' Spanish broadcasts on XEMO reach as far south as Ensenada, and as far east as Mexicali. They also reach countless Spanish-speaking fans in San Diego and Imperial counties.

"I've had fans tell me they listen to the Spanish broadcasts on radio, while watching the picture on television," Ortega said. "That is special to me because we are there for the fans."

Ortega has been in the broadcasting business for 35 years. He has been with the Padres for all but one season -- he was the Giants Spanish-language voice in 1991 -- over the past three decades.

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He joined the Padres broadcast team when the club's original Spanish-language voices, Mario Thomas and Gustavo Lopez Moreno, were still active. Thomas was the Padres' Spanish-language, play-by-play voice for the club's first 27 seasons.

"I grew up in Tijuana listening to them," Ortega said. "Then I started working with them in 1986. Last year, when I broadcast my 28th season, it was quite an honor to think I had been there longer than the man who was an inspiration to me."

Ortega has been the lead broadcaster in the Padres Spanish-language booth since he returned from San Francisco in 1992. Since the start of the 2012 season, Ortega has been joined in the XEMO booth by former Padres catcher Carlos Hernandez. • WATCH: Eduardo Ortega interacts with fans

"Carlos has been a tremendous plus for our product," Ortega said. "It is great having the knowledge and insight of a former player, particularly a catcher, sitting next to you."

Ortega began broadcasting World Series games on Spanish-language radio in 1993, then added on broadcasting the All-Star Games.

ESPN Deportes Radio has 67 stations in the , and is carried on by affiliates throughout Latin America. The broadcasts of All-Star, postseason and World Series games are also available online.

"In the postseason, they first sent me to the marquee playoff series before the World Series," said Ortega, who admitted he doesn't really know how many people the broadcasts reach.

"I've received notes from Europe and the Philippines, as well as from fans throughout Mexico and Latin America," Ortega said. "It's surprising."

Now, the Chula Vista, Calif., resident is eagerly looking forward to broadcasting from his hometown next July.

"The whole world will be looking to San Diego and our All-Star Game," Ortega said. "It will be my first international broadcast from San Diego. I wasn't involved with the 1992 All-Star Game here. And when the Padres were in the 1998 World Series and previous playoffs while I was here, I did the Padres Spanish-language broadcasts.

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"So the 2016 All-Star Game is going to be extra special for me. It's going to give me a chance to talk some about the history of the Padres and San Diego to people everywhere. Quite an honor."

For a man of honors.

In 2012, Ortega was inducted into the Tijuana Sports Hall of Fame. Eight years earlier, he was presented a Career Achievement Award from Tijuana Sports Media. In addition to ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes and XEMO, Ortega has worked for the CBS Hispanic Radio Network, LBC Radio Network and Cadena Caracol. Since 2005, he has also been the voice of the Mexicali Aguilas of the Mexican Winter League.

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My argument for Myers as Padres' MVP His loss crippled the Padres' offense By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | July 14th, 2015

Today's assignment was simple on the surface. Name the Padres Most Valuable Player for the first half of the season. Right at the top of the list is left fielder Justin Upton, who singled in the eighth inning Tuesday night as the Padres representative at the All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

Upton has 14 homers and 48 RBIs with 17 steals. He is hitting .253 with a .331 on-base percentage and a .422 slugging percentage. He leads the Padres in homers, RBIs, steals, runs scored (45) and OPS (.753).

But there are other logical candidates. --Right-handed starter James Shields leads the Padres in wins (seven), innings pitched (116 2/3) and (131). The Padres are 10-9 when Shields starts. -- Right-handed starter Tyson Ross is 6-7 with a 3.34 ERA that is the lowest - and the only one under 4.00 -- among the Padres starters. Ross is 3-0 -- and the Padres were 4-1 - over his last five starts before the All-Star break with a 1.82 ERA. And he hasn't allowed a home run in 14 starts since April 28 - a run covering 86 2/3 innings. -- Right-handed closer Craig Kimbrel has successfully converted 23 of 24 save opportunities and his ERA over his last 18 appearances is 1.02.

So, there are the leading candidates.

But I am thinking outside the box this year. My Padres' Most Valuable Player for the first half of the season is Wil Myers -- clearly not for what he did statistically, but for what he meant to the Padres.

Myers, 24, has been on the disabled list for all but three games since May 10, and he won't return for at least another month following June 18 surgery to have a bone spur removed from his left wrist.

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But when Myers was in the lineup, the Padres were 19-15. When he was first injured he led the Major Leagues in runs scored. Without Myers, the Padres have been a very different team. Through 159 plate appearances, Myers was hitting .277 with 10 doubles, a triple, five homers, 19 RBIs and 30 runs scored.

If the MVP goes to the player who is the most valuable to the team, the clear choice is Wil Myers.

Just a thought.

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El Paso's Decker represents Padres in Triple-A All-Star Game Outfielder has slam, two-run shot to raise HR total to 8 By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | July 15th, 2015

With the All-Star Game being played in Cincinnati Tuesday night, all the minor leagues in the United States had the day off.

Most the Padres affiliates will return to action Wednesday night with the exception of Triple-A El Paso. The Triple-A All-Star Game between the Pacific Coast and International leagues will be played Wednesday night in Omaha, Neb.

Representing El Paso on the PCL team with be infielder Cody Decker as the starting .

Decker, 28, is hitting .264 with a .341 on-base percentage and a .528 slugging percentage. He is tied for fifth in the PCL with 15 homers and 11th in RBIs (55) and OPS (.869). Decker is the all-time leader in minor league homers by a Padres minor leaguer with 148. The 5-foot-11, 225-pound, right-handed slugger was the Padres 22nd-round pick in the 2009 draft out of UCLA.

One Padres affiliate was active Tuesday with the 16-23 Padres scoring a 4-3 win over the Reds in the Dominican Summer League.

Left-hander Eduardo Solano started for the Padres and allowed one run on a hit and four walks with two strikeouts in four innings to lower his to 3.60. Right-hander Adonis Diaz (3.92 ERA) allowed two run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in four innings.

Right-hander Luis Perez allowed a hit and a walk with a over two scoreless innings to run his record to 2-0 while lowering his ERA to 1.53.

Second baseman Ariel Ortega (.283) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Elys Ugueto (.193) was 1-for-3 with a walk, a RBI and a run scored.

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Justin Upton says he believes Padres can turn around poor season Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com MLB Sr. Writer

As speculation mounts that San Diego general manager A.J. Preller is about to trade some big- name talent in response to the team's disappointing play, outfielder Justin Upton said he hopes the Padres can perform well enough coming out of the All-Star break to change Preller's mind. "At this point, I haven't given up on the team,'' Upton said this week in Cincinnati, where he was a member of the National League All-Star team. "I really like the guys, and I like the clubhouse. We still have some time to change the minds of the front office. In a perfect world, we play well over the next two or three weeks and A.J. pumps the brakes on dismantling the team.''

The Padres were expected to contend in the NL West after Preller made a flurry of offseason acquisitions. But they sit fourth in the division with a 41-49 record and are 10 games behind the first-place and 7½ out from a wild-card spot. The Padres fired manager Bud Black on June 15 when they were 32-33. They've since gone 9-16 under interim manager Pat Murphy.

In recent weeks, Upton and fellow outfielder Will Venable, relievers Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit, and right-hander Ian Kennedy have been among the veteran Padres players mentioned as possible trade candidates. Earlier this week, Peter Gammons tweeted that Preller also is gauging interest in right-hander James Shields, who signed a four-year, $75 million deal with San Diego in February. Upton, 27, has a .753 OPS and 14 home runs in 87 games this season. He's immersed in a 4-for- 41 slump that's dropped his batting average from .276 to .253 since late June.

The Padres acquired Upton from the Braves in a six-player trade in December. In January 2013, Atlanta acquired Upton from the as part of a seven-player deal. "Once you've been traded, it becomes easier,'' Upton said. "Obviously you don't ever want to leave a team you enjoy being on, but you start to understand it's a part of game. The game is the same any place you go, so you have to be OK with it.''

As a three-time All-Star with 178 home runs and an .824 OPS in his career, Upton can expect to receive a big payday on the free-agent market this winter. He's trying to balance the pressure of producing in his "walk'' year with the desire to play in a postseason as a member of the Padres.

"Being a free agent, all that means is that you've hung around and played well enough to have that right,'' said Upton, whose brother, Melvin Upton Jr., also is on the Padres. "It's something that's exciting, but it hasn't affected me at all. "I got kind of lucky. I got thrown into the horrible city of San Diego, so it's been rough,'' Upton added, laughing. "I'm just enjoying my time there. Being a part of that team has been fun.''

The Padres begin the second half with a 10-game homestand featuring series against the , and Marlins at Petco Park. "It's been frustrating at times, but guys haven't rolled over,'' Upton said. "Talentwise, I think we're still capable of being in the hunt at some point. But we've got to play better. That's just being realistic. We've shown flashes, but we haven't played as well as we can.'' 21