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Padres Press Clips Tuesday, July 18, 2017

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Padres' Luis Perdomo chased early in loss to Rockies UT San Diego Lin 2

Andy Green on Brad Hand: 'I hope he's in a Padres uniform' UT San Diego Lin 5

Padres' MacKenzie Gore makes pro debut in AZL UT San Diego Sanders 6

Padres scratch Austin Hedges again UT San Diego Lin 8

Lamet ready to make Coors Field debut MLB.com Gelman 9

Richard Padres' Heart and Hustle Award winner MLB.com Randhawa 12

Padres' rally comes up short vs. Rockies MLB.com Cassavell/Harding 14

Blash's tear is hard to ignore MLB.com Cassavell 17

Padres happy to keep Hand if price isn't right MLB.com Cassavell 19

Hedges still battling concussion symptoms MLB.com Cassavell 21

Blackmon, Marquez propel Rockies to 9-6 win over Padres Associated Press AP 22

Rumor Central: Plenty of interest in Padres relievers? ESPN.com Mittler 24

This Day in Padres History, 7/18 FriarWire Center 25

Padres On Deck: Gore Pitches Two Scoreless Innings in FriarWire Center 26

Pro Bebut

Padres lefty Gore makes professional debut MiLB.com Maun 29

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Padres' Luis Perdomo chased early in loss to Rockies Dennis Lin

Linear progress, especially for a young pitcher in the majors, is a rarity. On occasion, a roadblock will devolve into a pileup.

Such was the case Monday. The Padres lost, 9-6, and Luis Perdomo looked like he was a rookie again. The 24-year-old right-hander surrendered seven of the Colorado Rockies’ runs, five earned, over 2 1/3 innings.

It was Perdomo’s shortest outing since last May in Milwaukee, where a pitch count limited him to six outs in his first big-league start. Monday’s game, which initially resembled one of Coors Field’s zany slugfests, turned one-sided. A late charge by the Padres fell short.

“I just didn’t have command of my pitches today,” Perdomo said through an interpreter. “...I think I was trying to overthrow pitches a little bit.”

Perdomo’s sinker, a mid-90s weapon aimed at inducing weak contact, betrayed him in thin air. His fourth pitch of the night was redirected 451 feet by Rockies leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon.

The Padres supplied a momentary distraction in the top of the second. A 1-1 fastball from German Marquez was pulverized by Jabari Blash. A two-run rocket cleared the right-center fence — which stands 16 feet, 6 inches — and struck the wall behind the visiting bullpen.

At 477 feet, the right fielder’s home run was the longest by a Padres player since Statcast tracking technology debuted in 2015. The previous mark belonged to Melvin Upton Jr., who smoked a 465-foot drive roughly a year ago.

Monday’s homer, Blash’s second since he was recalled Friday, gave San Diego a 2-1 lead.

“I’m just having really good at-bats and seeing the ball well, taking advantage of some pitches up in the zone,” Blash said. “It’s paying off right now.”

It would not be long before Perdomo’s cushion disappeared.

The Rockies opened the bottom of the second with three consecutive hits. The last, a single by Trevor Story, tied the score. Perdomo escaped further damage with a double play.

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In execution and results, the following inning was far worse. Perdomo allowed a leadoff walk, then a single. He faced a bases-loaded, no-out dilemma after a fielding error by shortstop Erick Aybar.

Perdomo’s response included self-inflicted distress. Following a fly out, he issued a run-scoring walk, then another. Story plated two runs with a double. Manager Andy Green summoned long reliever Craig Stammen.

“Whether it was (starting) at Coors Field for the first time or the long layoff (around the All-Star break), he clearly wasn’t his typical self,” Green said. “He didn’t have his normal sink, wasn’t locating much of anything. He got squared up a couple times in the first inning, and after that he kind of pitched away from contact. He’s a guy that’s always pitched to contact, always gotten ground balls.”

In all, Perdomo surrendered six hits and three walks. He did not strike out a batter. Shortly after his exit, Marquez added insult with an infield single, driving in the Rockies’ fifth run of the inning. Perdomo’s earned-run average, an encouraging 4.30 in the second half of 2016, rose to 4.94.

“It’s tough coming off a game like this, because you don’t feel too good about that outing,” Green said. “...But outside of this outing, I think his last five or six times out on the mound, we saw a guy pitching to both sides of the plate effectively with the fastball. That’s proved elusive for him at times.”

The score — Rockies 7, Padres 2 — remained unchanged through the sixth. Both sides added a run in the seventh.

The Padres put together a Coors Field special in the eighth. Catcher Hector Sanchez, who started his third consecutive game after Austin Hedges was scratched, homered for a third consecutive game.

“You never put a guy in the lineup the first time in a while and expect him to homer in three straight games,” Green said. “But he’s got that kind of power. He’s got it from both sides of the plate.”

Two batters later, Matt Szczur doubled. Blash lifted a sacrifice fly. A single by Allen Cordoba shaved the deficit to a pair of runs.

San Diego would not bridge the remaining gap. A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth made it 9-6. Jose Pirela was stranded after a two-out double in the ninth.

The Rockies finished with 11 hits, two fewer than the visitors, but they were aided by seven walks. Second baseman Carlos Asuaje’s three hits, including two doubles, led the Padres.

Four San Diego relievers took the mound following Perdomo. Two, Stammen and Kevin Quackenbush, worked two or slightly more innings.

The bullpen could again be tested Tuesday. Dinelson Lamet will make his first career appearance at Coors Field. The rookie already has a few dominant starts to his name, as well an 8.00 ERA on the road.

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Green said rookie catcher Luis Torrens likely will catch Lamet. Hedges, the manager added, could be headed to the seven-day concussion disabled list.

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Andy Green on Brad Hand: 'I hope he's in a Padres uniform' Dennis Lin

Brad Hand’s preference is to remain with the Padres. Team officials have indicated that, if they do not find the return they seek, they would not mind retaining the first-time All-Star.

Soon, it may not matter. With the non-waiver trade deadline less than two weeks away, the demand for a platoon-busting left-hander is high enough that most in the industry think Hand will be dealt. Meanwhile, conventional wisdom says the Padres would be brash not to move a reliever when his value has reached an unforeseen peak.

For what it’s worth, manager Andy Green is among those wishing that Hand will stay awhile longer.

“Me personally, I hope he’s in a Padres uniform,” Green said. “Why wouldn’t I? I want him pitching for us the rest of the year and years to come. We’ve got multiple years of control left with him, as we do all those guys down in the bullpen, for the most part. I don’t think we’re pressed to make a move, I think we’re excited that he’s in our bullpen, and we’ve got a guy that’s unflappable down there who always rebounds and handles things well.”

Hand, who entered Monday with a 2.25 ERA and an 11.4 strikeouts-per-nine rate, has more than earned his $1.375 million salary. His contract status — Hand is under club control for two more seasons — helps explain what rival officials have described as a hefty asking price.

It doubles as a reason why the Padres, in the absence of a satisfactory offer, could hold on to the 27-year-old.

“We’re never going to look to move players just to move players for the purpose of being active,” General Manager A.J. Preller told the Union-Tribune recently. “It’s got to make sense for us short-term and long-term.”

In the seemingly unlikely scenario that the Padres keep Hand past the trade deadline, they could attempt to deal him in the offseason, though the risk of injury or a decline in performance would loom.

Hand, for his part, isn’t in a hurry to leave the place where his career has blossomed.

“I’m happy here in San Diego and I hope I’m a part of the future here, because I think it’s bright,” he said Friday. “But at the end of the day, whatever they see is going to help the ballclub is not up to me.”

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Padres' MacKenzie Gore makes pro debut in AZL Jeff Sanders

MacKenzie Gore’s professional baseball career is underway.

The third overall pick in the draft, the 18-year-old left-hander struck out two over two scoreless innings in the AZL Padres’ 7-6 win over the Royals on Monday night.

Gore, who signed for a club record $6.7 million last month, allowed one hit, walked one and pushed his fastball up to 96 mph, according Twitter observers on the ground in Peoria, Ariz.

One even caught Gore’s first professional strikeout – the Royals’ Nick Pratto after Gore walked the first batter he faced.

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After the strikeout, Gore picked off Max Bartlett as he attempted to steal second and got Mauricio Ramos to ground out to shortstop.

In the second inning, Esteury Ruiz managed an infield single before Gore rebounded with two groundouts and his second strikeout of the night.

Left-hander Danny Sexton (5.54) followed Gore with six runs – five earned – allowed in three innings before right-hander Spencer Kulman (1-0, 2.84) closed the game with three scoreless innings for the win.

Padres center fielder Travis Jankowski (.222) continued his rehab assignment with a walk and a run scored in three plate appearances and right-fielder Dayon Olmo (.276) hit his second homer and drove in five runs.

Second baseman Matthew Batten (.338) went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and three runs scored.

This AZL Padres team is 11-7.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (48-47)

Chihuahuas 7, Sacramento 3: RHP Carter Capps (3.12) struck out three of the four hitters he faced in a perfect appearance after RHP Bryan Rodriguez (3-7, 5.49) struck out five and allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings. LF Rafael Ortega (.300) went 3-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, a steal and two runs scored and C Rocky Gale (.282) drove in two runs on two hits. CF Franchy Cordero (.315) went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and an RBI.

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DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (15-9, 56-38)

Midland 5, Missions 1: LHP Buddy Baumann (7.71) allowed a run on one hit and two walks in 1/3 of inning in a rehab appearance after RHP Chris Huffman (4-3, 2.91) struck out seven and allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk in 7 1/3 innings. DH Nick Torres (.269) went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk and SS Luis Urias (.307) went 1-for-4 with a run scored.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (11-14, 46-49)

Storm 4, San Jose 2: RHP Jacob Nix (3-2, 3.90) strike out three and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in seven innings and RHP Trevor Frank (2.57) struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his sixth save. C Kyle Overstreet (.298) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and 1B Carlos Belen (.229) and 2B Chris Baker (.241) each drove in a run.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (16-9, 42-53)

Peoria 2, TinCaps 1 (12): RHP Michel Baez (0.50) struck out eight and allowed a run on two hits and a walk in seven innings in a no-decision. The 21-year-old Baez has struck out 31, walked four and allowed three runs on seven hits in 23 innings in in the low minors since starting his pro career. RHP Evan Miller (11.00) turned in three scoreless innings in relief before RHP Blake Rodgers (5.68) allowed a run in the 12th. LF Jorge Ona (.294) doubled and collected all three of Fort Wayne’s hits.

SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (16-16)

Boise 10, Dust Devils 4: LHP Adrian Morejon (2-2, 3.99) allowed six runs – five earned – on seven hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings in his rockiest start as a pro. RHP Austin Smith (4.00) allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings. 2B Felipe Blanco (.185) hit his first homer and drove in two runs on two hits and DH Luis Aguizola (.164) went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. LF Robbie Podorsky (.450) went 1-for-3 with two steals.

AZL PADRES2 (9-9)

Mariners 9, Padres 3: RHP Jose Guzman (0-2, 7.23) allowed six runs in three innings in the start. SS Gabriel Arias (.300) went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI and RF Tirso Ornelas (.266) went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk.

DSL PADRES (11-25)

D-backs 8, Padres 1: LHP Carlos Valenzuela (1-4, 3.99) struck out four and allowed three runs on six hits and no walks in five innings. 1B Blinger Perez (.218) went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored and C Alison Quintero (.207) went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

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Padres scratch Austin Hedges again Dennis Lin

Austin Hedges returned to the Padres’ lineup Monday afternoon. His stay lasted only a couple of hours.

The Padres made the catcher a late scratch in advance of their series opener at Coors Field. Manager Andy Green said Hedges was still experiencing lingering effects from taking a foul ball off his face mask Friday night.

Hedges, who was scratched from Saturday’s lineup and remained out Sunday, has thus far passed every concussion test. The Padres have described his symptoms as “sub-concussive” and “general haze.” The seven-day disabled list, designed specifically for players with concussion symptoms, could become a consideration.

“We’re three days in at this point in time, so we’ll see how that all plays out,” Green said. “I don’t know how that works, if he’s passing the tests, so to speak, but still can’t get over the hump to play. ... Hopefully, he’s good to go before that. As of right now, we dont have any anticipation of putting him on (the seven-day DL) at this moment.”

Hedges took swings in the cage before Sunday’s victory over the Giants. He said afterward that, had he been needed, he would have been able to come off the bench.

“He felt really good yesterday,” Green said. “He walked in today expecting the same thing. Checked with him when he got here — still felt good. Then he started doing activity, and as his activity level went up, he was just not quite right yet. It’s disappointing, I know, for him, above anybody else, because he wants to be out there.”

Green speculated that Denver’s mile-high elevation might have played a factor.

“You come up to altitude, there’s a lot of guys that feel a little bit off,” Green said. “You couple that with getting your bell rung a few days ago, and he just hasn’t gotten over the hump yet.

“We’re just going to back off, take it day by day. … How long now, I really don’t know. Hopefully not too terribly long.”

With Hedges scratched, reserve catcher Hector Sanchez made his third consecutive start.

Notable

Switch-hitting second baseman Yangervis Solarte (left oblique strain) took right-handed swings in the cage before swinging from the left-handed side during on-field batting

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practice. The hope is, Solarte will be taking batting practice from both sides by mid-week, with a rehab assignment on deck.

Right fielder Hunter Renfroe (neck strain) also participated in batting practice. Renfroe is eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Thursday.

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Lamet ready to make Coors Field debut By Max Gelman / MLB.com | 9:36 AM ET

Antonio Senzatela's demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque was short-lived, as the young right-hander will

make his return for the Rockies on Tuesday to start against the Padres and Dinelson Lamet. Colorado has

won back-to-back games for the first time since a six-game streak from June 14-20.

Senzatela will be making his first MLB start since June 22 when he gave up nine runs in five innings to

the D-backs. He made two relief appearances following that outing and was then optioned to Albuquerque

for a start. He threw 3 1/3 innings for the Isotopes on July 13 and gave up one run on four hits.

While in the bullpen, Senzatela's fastball velocity jumped. His fastball averaged 94 mph in June, but in

relief, it averaged 95.3 mph.

"I got to see the game from a different view," Senzatela said of his relief outings. "It taught me to go in,

be more aggressive and finish the hitter real quick. I worked quick, and I felt good. I looked to get out

there hitter in two or three pitches -- dominate."

For the Padres, Lamet will make his first career start against the Rockies. The young righty has a 5.93

ERA in 41 innings.

It's been all or nothing for Lamet through his first eight big league starts. The rookie has a legit three-pitch

mix, and all three project as Major League-caliber out pitches. He's had problems, however, locating those

pitches at times. He walked four and allowed six runs over four innings in Cleveland in his last start.

"It's a fastball that plays up in the zone and as good a slider as anybody's in the game," said Padres

manager Andy Green. Command is his struggle. If he's got his command and is attacking aggressively, it's

really good stuff."

Things to know about this game

• Lamet has also had much more success against right-handed batters than vs. lefties. Righties are hitting

just .135 (10-for-74) off Lamet, while lefties have hit .306 (26-for-85).

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• Senzatela has made two starts against the Padres this season, pitching to a 2.77 ERA (four earned runs in

13 innings). The Rockies won both of those games, 3-2 on April 11 and 11-3 on May 3.

• Padres catcher Austin Hedges missed his third straight start on Monday because of concussion

symptoms and is unlikely to return to action Tuesday.

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Richard Padres' Heart and Hustle Award

winner

By Manny Randhawa / MLB.com | 9:04 AM ET

The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association revealed the 30 preliminary winners of the 2017

Heart and Hustle Award on Tuesday. The honor is the only one voted on by former players, and is

bestowed each year upon the active player who most represents a passion for the game of baseball, and

best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game.

Past winners of the Heart and Hustle Award include David Eckstein (2005), Hall of Famer Craig Biggio

(2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter

(2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison(2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015)

and Todd Frazier (2016).

The 30 preliminary winners for 2017 are:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones

Boston Red Sox: Rick Porcello

Chicago White Sox: Avisail Garcia

Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez

Detroit Tigers: Ian Kinsler

Houston Astros: Josh Reddick

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer

Los Angeles Angels: Andrelton Simmons

Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton

New York Yankees: Brett Gardner

Oakland Athletics: Yonder Alonso

Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz

Tampa Bay Rays: Logan Morrison

Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus

Toronto Blue Jays: Kevin Pillar

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt

Atlanta Braves: Nick Markakis

Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant

Cincinnati Reds: Adam Duvall

Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon

Los Angeles Dodgers: Justin Turner

Miami Marlins: J.T. Realmuto

Milwaukee Brewers: Hernan Perez

New York Mets: Jay Bruce

Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis

Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam Frazier

San Diego Padres: Clayton Richard

San Francisco Giants: Brandon Crawford

St. Louis Cardinals: Jedd Gyorko

Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon

"This year's Heart and Hustle Award winners are a true representation of the legacy of the game and the

players who have come before them," said Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, president of the

MLBPAA. "It is clear that these 30 men chosen all play the game with relentless pursuit."

Voting for the 30 preliminary players took place before the All-Star break. Thirty voting committees were

formed, comprised of alumni players with established relations to each team, to select the winners. Each

of the winners will be recognized prior to an upcoming home game for their team, beginning with the

Braves on Wednesday.

Toward the end of the season, all alumni and active players will vote for a final winner from among the

30 teams. The final winner will be announced on Nov. 14, during the 18th annual Legends for Youth

Dinner in New York City.

The Legends for Youth Dinner is the primary fundraiser for the series of free Legends for Youth clinics

that are held around the country, which have enabled more than 16,000 kids to learn from and interact

with players who have left a lasting impact on the game.

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Padres' rally comes up short vs. Rockies By AJ Cassavell and Thomas Harding / MLB.com | 2:14 AM ET

DENVER -- Charlie Blackmon opened the bottom of the first with a homer off the face of the third deck

and right-hander German Marquez tied a career high with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings as the Rockies

defeated the Padres, 9-6, Monday night at Coors Field to pull to a half-game behind the D-backs for the

first National League Wild Card.

Blackmon's 22nd homer of the season came off Padres starter Luis Perdomo (4-5), who yielded seven

runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. Trevor Storydrove in three runs

and Gerardo Parra added his eighth homer of the season, a solo shot in the seventh, to help the Rockies

to their second straight victory -- something that hadn't happened since a six-game streak from June 14-

20.

"It has felt like a while," Story said. "We've been swinging it well and pitching well these last two games.

We'll see what we can put together."

Marquez (7-4) -- mixing his fastball and breaking pitches with the best changeup he has displayed all

season -- gave up a Jabari Blash two-run homer to dead center in the second inning and a Carlos

Asuaje RBI single in the seventh but otherwise shut down the Padres -- who had won their previous two

games and 12 of their last 19. Marquez, a rookie, also fanned nine Padres on June 2 at Petco Park, but

took an 8-5 loss.

"My fastball, at first, wasn't working as well, but when I go to the third inning I had really good command

of it," Marquez said.

Manager Bud Black said Marquez's pitch mix, especially the ability to go offspeed when behind in the

count, showed growth.

"Those are the things that good pitchers do, and he'll need to do that moving forward," Black said.

After Marquez left the game, the Padres went to work against the Rockies' bullpen. Hector Sanchez -

- filling in for Austin Hedges again -- made it three straight games with a homer when he hit an eighth-

inning leadoff shot off Jake McGee. It was only his second hit batting right-handed all season.

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"You never put a guy in the lineup the first time in a while and expect him to homer in three straight

games," said Padres manager Andy Green. "But he's got that kind of power. He's got it from both sides of

the plate."

The homer sparked a three-run rally that saw San Diego put the potential tying run on first base and

Colorado exhaust four relievers, as Adam Ottavino, Scott Oberg and Mike Dunnfollowed McGee.

Dunn got Asuaje to fly out to center to end the threat with the Rockies holding an 8-6 lead.

Closer Greg Holland put down the ninth with his Majors-leading 29th save in 30 opportunities.Holland

fanned the first two hitters, yielded Jose Pirela's double, then ended it with a Matt Szczur grounder.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Quality time: The Rockies went into Monday 6-15 since June 21, and lack of quality at-bats was a chief

reason. In those 21 games, according to Statcast™, the Rockies had a .221 expected batting average

(xBA) -- third-lowest in the Majors and ahead of only the Padres' .208 in the NL over that time. But the

Rockies' five-run third was full of at-bats that saw them swing at strikes and lay off balls.

Blackmon, Mark Reynolds and Ian Desmond walked, and the big hit was Story's two-run double. The

Rockies forced Perdomo to exhaust 36 pitches, though shortstop Erick Aybar's error to load the bases

with no outs didn't help.

"Yesterday, we had some good at-bats in New York, and we talked about it in our hitters' meeting -- about

the at-bats yesterday and trying to carry that over," Black said.

Execution kills Padres' chances: Reliever Craig Stammen and leadoff hitter Manuel Margot singled

to open the fifth, with the Padres trailing, 7-2, and needing a rally. The latter hit possibly could have been

a double, but Stammen, unused to baserunning, didn't get a good read and had to stop at second. Marquez

grasped control of the inning when he fielded Asuaje's bunt and threw to third in time to erase Stammen.

Then Marquez completed a scoreless inning by striking out Wil Myers looking and Sanchez on a check-

swing.

"Down five, he's trying to put another guy on base," Green said of Asuaje's bunt. "If Manny Margot's on

second base, that play probably works. But with Craig Stammen on second base, that's a little

overambitious."

QUOTABLE

"Whether it was [starting] at Coors Field for the first time or the long layoff, he clearly wasn't his typical

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self. He didn't have his normal sink, wasn't locating much of anything. He got squared up a couple times

in the first inning, and after that he kind of pitched away from contact." -- Green, on Perdomo

"The last couple days, we've done a really good job of putting good at-bats together. And when you do

that, you're gonna be able to take advantage of guys that don't have their best stuff or make a mistake or

walk someone here or there." -- Blackmon, on how the improved approach worked against Perdomo

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Sanchez had never homered in consecutive games before his run of three straight this week. The Padres'

backup backstop has 10 hits this season. Six have left the yard.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

With one out in the fifth, Tony Wolters lifted a popup into shallow left, leaving Story (on first base at the

time) in no-man's land. Uncertain whether the ball would be caught, Story paused halfway to second base.

When Jose Pirela made a running catch and throw, Story had to scamper back to first. Initially, he was

ruled safe, but the call was reversed after a manager challenge.

Leading off the bottom of the eighth, Rockies catcher Tony Wolters struck out on a foul tip, but Wolters

shook his hand in pain as if he'd been hit by a pitch. Bud Black asked the umpires to initiate a crew chief

review, but replays were inconclusive and the call would stand. The strikeout was non-consequential,

however, as the Rockies scored a run later that inning on DJ LeMahieu's sacrifice fly, padding their lead

to 9-6.

WHAT'S NEXT

Padres: The Padres have fallen in love with Dinelson Lamet's three-pitch mix, and it's easy to see why.

But the rookie right-hander has struggled with command over his first eight big league outings. Lamet

starts the middle game Tuesday at Coors Field with first pitch slated for 5:40 p.m. PT.

Rockies: The Rockies are recalling Antonio Senzatela to make his first Major League start since June 22

for Tuesday's 6:40 p.m. MT matchup with the Padres. Senzatela was demoted in early July after shifting

to the bullpen. He made one start for Triple-A Albuquerque, throwing 60 pitches in 3 1/3 innings while

giving up one run on four hits.

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Blash's tear is hard to ignore By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | @AJCassavell | 1:31 AM ET

DENVER -- It's far too soon to draw any conclusions from Jabari Blash's numbers since his Friday

callup. But they're certainly impressive.

The hulking right fielder is 6-for-15 with a pair of doubles and a pair of home runs since returning from

Triple-A El Paso. One of those homers came in the second inning of Monday's9-6 loss to the Rockies, a

two-run shot beyond the right-center field bullpens at Coors Field.

The Padres aren't naive enough to make any snap judgments after four games. But his recent success

certainly passes their eye test.

"From when he was up previously, his body's in a better position, his swing's shorter," said Padres

manager Andy Green. "He's having good at-bats. He's on a lot of pitches.

"He's always had the eye. He's always had the plate discipline. So that stuff's all going to play into his

favor now that his swing's a little bit shorter."

Indeed, the shorter swing was something Blash has worked to hone with hitting coach Alan Zinter and

bench coach Mark McGwire since Spring Training. Blash, the thinking goes, doesn't need a max-effort

swing to create pop. As long as he's squaring up the baseball, his raw power should do the rest.

"Selective but aggressive," Blash said of his newfound approach. "... You really don't get many [pitches to

hit] up here in the big leagues, so you really have to capitalize on that one pitch."

Blash capitalized emphatically against German Marquez on Monday night. He took a 1-1 fastball and

drove it just to the right of the center-field batters' eye, halfway up the wall behind the Padres' bullpen.

For Blash, his recent success is merely an extension of his production in El Paso over the past month. He

had posted a 1.111 OPS since the start of June, with 13 homers in 34 games.

"I'm on time most of the time," Blash said. "And I'm not swinging at balls. So that's where I take the

positive."

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There's a comfort level, too, for Blash, who played only sporadically in his previous big league stints. His

career average was .150 when the Padres demoted him in May. But he had recorded just 100 Major

League at-bats in 132 days of big league service time.

Blash's four games since the All-Star break mark the first time he's been handed four straight Major

League starts. Thanks to a few mechanical adjustments, he's made the most of them.

Now, as always, it's a matter of sustaining that success.

"You could see the visible changes," Green said. "I think he's settling in. But he's going to have to

continue to fight. It's a tough game at the Major League level. They find holes, and they'll expose them."

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Padres happy to keep Hand if price isn't

right By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | @AJCassavell | July 17th, 2017

DENVER -- A fortnight ahead of the non-waiver Trade Deadline, conventional wisdom says Padres

reliever Brad Hand will be on the move before July 31.

Speaking with MLB.com, however, Padres general manager A.J. Preller pumped the brakes a bit on that

notion. Yes, he's fielding calls from clubs looking to acquire Hand. But if the asking price isn't met, Hand

could remain a Padre through 2017 -- and possibly beyond.

"Hopefully we're able to put a contending team on the field here in the near future, and Brad could be a

big part of that," Preller said. "You need impact relievers. You definitely need impact left-handed

relievers, and he's clearly one of them. We're going to listen [to offers]."

Hand is undoubtedly the Padres' most appealing trade chip, having posted a 2.25 ERA and 61 strikeouts in

48 innings this season. He might be the best reliever available this month.

But Hand is under team control for 2 1/2 years. And -- whether it's posturing or not -- the Padres say it's a

distinct possibility they hang onto him.

"Personally, I hope he's in a Padres uniform," said manager Andy Green. "Why wouldn't I? I want him

pitching for us the rest of the year and years to come. ... He's a guy that could be with us for a long time. I

don't think we're pressed to make a move. We're excited that he's in our bullpen."

To Hand's credit, he's blocked out the trade chatter quite nicely. Entering Monday's series opener against

the Rockies at Coors Field, Hand hadn't allowed a run in 11 innings over the past month, striking out 14

while walking just one.

"It's just my personality [to ignore the rumors]," Hand said. "What's the point of getting involved in

something you can't do anything about? I just try not to worry about it and worry about my job here."

Right now, it appears Preller and Co. have three possible routes to take with Hand:

1. Trade Hand before the Deadline

Despite Preller's insistence that Hand could play a pivotal part in the Padres' future, this still seems the

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likeliest scenario. Hand's trade value probably won't get much higher than it is now. And for 2 1/2 years

of his services, Hand could command an impressive return.

2. Trade Hand during the offseason

This is the much riskier play. If Hand continues his dominance for the remainder of the season, his trade

value might go up slightly. There also might be a few more bidders in November. But the risk far

outweighs the reward. That said, this isn't Justin Upton circa 2015, and Hand could certainly fetch a

return at a later date.

3. Keep Hand for 2018

Hand, by the way, is perfectly content to stay in San Diego.

"It's a good group of guys, a young team," he said. "We're really starting to see these young guys get

better, going into the second half, and I think the future's bright here."

Added Preller: "We're trying to be competitive. This is not about looking five years from now. You want

to have a short- and a long-term plan. We've acquired bullpen pieces that we have multiple years of

control with and we can take multiple runs with. This year, we may not end up being a postseason team.

But we're expecting that at some point in the near term we'll have that. It's important we have these guys

under control."

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Hedges still battling concussion symptoms

Padres catcher might be headed for disabled list

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | @AJCassavell | 1:41 AM ET

DENVER -- Austin Hedges has passed every concussion test he's been given over the past three days, but

the Padres' backstop was once again scratched from the starting lineup before Monday night's 9-6 loss to

the Rockies and could be headed for a disabled-list stint nonetheless.

Hedges is "still not quite right," in the words of skipper Andy Green. He's been out of the starting lineup

for three straight games after taking a foul ball off his mask on Friday night.

"All of his tests they gave him for concussions, he's passing those tests," Green said. "But that doesn't

mean you can't have your bell rung and not feel quite right. So he's at the point right now where it takes

more time."

After Monday's game, Green said it's very unlikely that Hedges plays Tuesday. That makes a seven-day

DL stint increasingly likely, given that the Padres could backdate it to Saturday.

"Based on the way he's felt, I probably won't even consider playing him tomorrow at this point in time,"

Green said. "We'll decide what we'll do then, if he needs more time, just a few more days. At this point in

time, it's the seven-day concussion DL that's a discussion we'll have internally tonight."

Hedges was close to returning Monday but began to feel a bit hazy during the pregame warmups. The

Padres weren't about to take any chances with their presumed catcher of the future.

"We're just going to back off, take it day by day," Green said. "He felt really good yesterday. He walked

in today expecting the same thing. I checked with him when he got here. [He] still felt good. Then he

started doing activity and as his activity level went up, [he was] just not quite right yet."

Hedges, an elite defensive backstop, is hitting .218/.259/.416 with 13 homers in his first season as a full-

time starter. His replacement, Hector Sanchez, has homered in three straight games for the first time in

his career. But Sanchez is likely ticketed for a day off Tuesday, with Luis Torrens slotting in behind the

plate.

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Blackmon, Marquez propel Rockies to 9-6 win over Padres Associated Press

DENVER -- Here's quite a changeup: German Marquez shook off throwing his 98-mph fastball at times in favor of his offspeed pitches.

It just made him that much tougher to figure out.

The hard-throwing rookie tied a career high with nine strikeouts, Charlie Blackmon hit his fourth leadoff homer of the season off the facing of the third deck and the scuffling Colorado

Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 9-6 on Monday night. Trevor Story added a two-run double as part of a five-run third to help the Rockies win back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month.

"That's very comforting," Marquez said through a translator of an early advantage. "Makes me feel really good when we can get that kind of a lead."

Marquez (7-4) allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings. He perplexed the Padres by effectively mixing in his curve with his blazing fastball. He also showed off a changeup that he's just starting to lock in.

"He shook me off twice to go to the change," catcher Tony Wolters said. "I was really proud of him doing that. His changeup is really good. It hovers and looks like his fastball. He's been working really hard at it and his hard work is paying off." Greg Holland got Matt Szczur to ground out following a two-out double in the ninth to earn his 29th save in 30 chances. San Diego starter Luis Perdomo (4-5) had his three-game winning streak halted after surrendering seven runs, five earned, over 2 1/3 innings. He also walked three, including two straight with the bases loaded in the third. "He clearly wasn't his typical self. He didn't have his normal sink, wasn't locating really much of anything," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He'll get back to sinking the baseball, getting on top of it and he'll come out next Saturday and be ready to go." Jabari Blash hit a two-run homer in the second that was projected to 477 feet. It was the longest by a Padres player since MLB's Statcast began keeping track in 2015. Hector Sanchez had a solo shot during a three-run eighth inning that cut the deficit to 8-6. It was his third straight game with a homer, including a game-ending shot against San Francisco on Saturday.

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Of Sanchez's 10 hits this season, six have left the park.

Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 12 games with his towering solo shot. He had an inside-the-park homer the day before in a win over the Mets in New York.

The Rockies are 7-15 since June 21, when the team fell out of first place in the NL West. They trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 11 games.

"Every team goes through this," Wolters said. "We just need to win. That's the No. 1 priority."

Marquez was bailed out of trouble in the third on a nifty grab by third baseman Nolan Arenado , who started a double play from his right knee. Marquez waited near the mound to give him a high-five for ending the inning with a runner on third.

"That was a big play," Rockies manager Bud Black said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: OF Hunter Renfroe (strained neck) took batting practice Monday. "He's looking good so he's nearing full baseball activities," manager Andy Green said. ... C Austin Hedges was a late scratch. He took a foul ball off his mask in a recent game. "He's still not quite right," Green said. Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood's strained right calf "feels a little better," Black said. "No timetable for his return." ... OF David Dahl (rib) will stay in the minors for a while to get more at-bats. "He's a good player. But he's got to play," Black said.

LOST CARGO

Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was on the bench after going 0 for 8 during the three-game series in New York. Gonzalez is hitting .214 and hasn't gone deep since June 20.

"He's frustrated," Black said. "It's going to turn at some point. I wish I could tell you when."

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Dinelson Lamet (3-3, 5.93 ERA) has eight or more strikeouts in four of his eight starts in his rookie season. Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (9-3, 4.63) makes his first start since June 22. The Rockies moved him to the bullpen and briefly to Triple-A Albuquerque to keep his innings down.

24

Rumor Central: Plenty of interest in Padres relievers? ESPN.com

The San Diego Padres rank 24th in the major leagues with a bullpen ERA of 4.49. Don’t tell that to general manager A.J. Preller, who says there is plenty of trade interest in his relievers.

Preller tells AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that “almost all the guys on the back end” have caught the eye of teams looking to deal.

There has been plenty of well-documented interest in Brad Hand, with Dennis Lin of the Union-Tribune reporting over the weekend that about 15 teams have expressed at least “casual interest” in the All-Star left-hander. Cassavell says the market for Hand remains strong, adding that teams are also “upping their interest” in fellow relievers Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter and Kirby Yates. Those three relievers are all under control for at least two more seasons, adding to their market value.

An intriguing option is 30-year-old right-hander Yates, a late bloomer who has a 1.07 WHIP in 30 games for the Padres since being acquired on waivers from the Angels in late April.

- Doug Mittler

25

This Day in Padres History, 7/18

Arlin loses no-hitter on bad hop; 1976: Metzger

wins 10th straight

By Bill Center

July 18, 1972 — Steve Arlinloses his no-hit bid with two out in the ninth when Philadelphia’sDenny Doyle gets a bad-hop single over the head of drawn-in third baseman Dave Roberts. The Padres win 5–1 at San Diego Stadium. Arlin’s bid is the since-equalled longest no-hit bid in Padres history. Arlin allows a run on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

July 18, 1973 — Dave Robertshis two homers for four RBIs as the Padres scored an 8–5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

July 18, 1976 — Reliever Butch Metzger wins his 10th straight game in the Padres 2–1 win over the Cubs at San Diego Stadium.

July 18, 1989 — Outfielder Chris James is 4-for-5 with two homers, five RBIs and four runs scored in the Padres 17–4 win at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

July 18, 2015 — Outfielders Matt Kemp and Justin Upton open the second half by homering in the same game for the first time as the Padres defeat Colorado 4–2 at Petco Park as part of a season-high, five-game winning streak.

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Padres On Deck: Gore Pitches Two

Scoreless Innings in Pro Bebut

RHP Michel Baez allows first run at Single-A

Fort Wayne

By Bill Center

Left-hander MacKenzie Gore, the Padres first-round pick in the June draft — and third overall selection — made his professional debut Monday night in the Arizona Rookie League.

Gore, 17, allowed no runs on one hit and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. He picked off one of the two hitters who reached base.

Gore’s effort was one of three outstanding performances by Padres pitching prospects.

— Right-hander Michel Baez, a 6-foot-8, 21-year-old Cuban import, allowed one run on two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in seven innings with Single-A Fort Wayne. In three starts with the TinCaps, Baez has allowed one run on five hits and two walks with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings — a 0.50 earned run average.

— Right-handed starter Jacob Nix, 21, allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts over seven innings for Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore. Nix is now 3–2 with a 3.90 ERA.

Other notable performances:

— Right fielder Dayon Olmo, 20, was 2-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs in the Arizona Rookie League. Olmo is hitting .276.

— Shortstop Gabriel Arias, 17, was 4-for-5 with a double and a RBI in Arizona to raise his batting average to .300.

Around the Farm:

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TRIPLE-A EL PASO (48–47) — Chihuahuas 7, SACRAMENTO 3: LF Rafael Ortega (.300) was 3-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base, a RBI and two runs scored. C Rocky Gale (.282) was 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored. CF Franchy Cordero (.315) had a double and triple in five at-bats for a RBI and a run scored. SS Chase d’Arnaud (.389) had a double in four at-bats with a sacrifice fly and a run scored. RF Collin Cowgill (.234) was 1-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. 1B Christian Villanueva (.293 was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Starting RHP Bryan Rodriguez (3–5, 5.49 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. RHP Carter Capps (3.12) struck out three in a perfect 1 2/3 innings. RHP Jose Valdez (6.92) arrived back with the Chihuahuas from the Padres and struck out one in a perfect inning.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (15–9, 56–38) — Midland 5, MISSIONS 1: DH Nick Torres (.269) was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a RBI. SS Luis Urías(.307) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. CF Auston Bousfield (.243) was 1-for-3. Starting RHP Chris Huffman (4–3, 2.91 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. RHP Yimmi Brasoban(3.27) allowed a hit and two walks in two-thirds of a scoreless inning. LHPBuddy Baumann (7.71) allowed a run on a hit and two walks in one-third of an inning. RHP Eric Yardley (1.80) struck out one while retiring the only two hitters he faced.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (11–14, 46–49): STORM 4, San Jose 2: RHP David Bednar (3.72 ERA) followed Nix and allowed two hits with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Trevor Frank (2.57) struck out two in a perfect inning to get his sixth save. C Kyle Overstreet (.298) was 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. 1B Carlos Belen (.229) was 1-for-1 with a double, a walk, a sacrifice fly and a run scored. 2B Chris Baker (.241) was 1-for-3 with a RBI. LF Edwin Moreno (.279) and DH Austin Allen (.273) were each 1-for-4 with a run scored. CF Rod Boykin (.370) was 1-for-3 with a walk. RF Taylor Kohlwey (.236) was 1-for-3.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (16–9, 42–53) — PEORIA 2, TinCaps 1 (12 innings): LF Jorge Oña (.294) had all three Fort Wayne hits, going 3-for-5 with a double. 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza (.224) was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. RHP Diomar Lopez (4.28 ERA) followed Baez and allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Evan Miller (11.00) allowed three hits in three scoreless innings. RHP Blake Rogers (2–4, 5.68) allowed a run on three hits and a walk in one-third of an inning to suffer the loss.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI CITY (16–16) — BOISE 10, Dust Devils 4: LHP Adrian Morejon (2–2, 4.30 ERA) allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Austin Smith (4.00) allowed four runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Trevor Megill (0.00) issued a walk with four strikeouts in two otherwise perfect innings. 2B Felipe Blanco (.185) was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. LF Robbie Podorsky (.450) was 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitcher and a run scored. SS Justin Lopez (.233) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. DH Luis Anguizola (.164) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a RBI.

ARIZONA ROOKIE LEAGUE PADRES-1 (11–7) — PADRES 7, Royals 6: 2B Matthew Batten (.338) backed Olmo, going 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and three runs scored. C Jose Lezama (.474) was 2-for-3 with a walk. CF Jeisson Rosario (.286) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Rehabbing Padres OF Travis Jankowski was 0-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitcher

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and a run scored. LHP Danny Sexton (5.54 ERA) followed Gore and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in three innings. RHP Cory Mazzoni (0.00) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Spencer Kulman (1–0, 2.84) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in three scoreless innings to get the win.

ARIZONA ROOKIE LEAGUE PADRES-2 (9–9) — Mariners 9, PADRES 2: LF Luis Castro (.211) backed Arias, going 1-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. DH Blake Hunt (.250) was 1-for-3 with a walk. 1B Nick Feight (.148) was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. 3B Luis Roman (.222) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Starting RHP Jose Guzman (0–2, 7.23 ERA) allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks with four strikeouts in three innings. LHP Anderson Polanco (3.97) allowed three hits with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. RHP Jake Smith (0.00) worked a perfect inning. RHP Jeremy Smith (0.00) struck out one in a perfect inning. RHP Vijay Miller (6.75) allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (11–25) — DIAMONDBACKS 8, Padres 1: 1B Blinger Perez (.218) was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. C Alison Quintero (.207) was 1-for-3 with a RBI. Starting LHP Carlos Valenzuela (1–4, 3.99 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts in five innings.

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Padres lefty Gore makes professional debut Third overall pick deals two scoreless innings in Rookie-level AZL

By Tyler Maun / MiLB.com | July 17, 2017 11:14 PM ET

He probably won't step onto a Major League field for several years, but MacKenzie Gore took the first step toward that goal on Monday night in Arizona.

The third overall selection by San Diego in this year's Major League First-Year Player Draft made his professional debut with two scoreless innings for the the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres. Gore allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two in the 7-6 victory over the AZL Royals.

The Padres selected Gore with the first of two picks in the Draft's top 40 this year. The Whiteville, North Carolina high school product was MLB Pipeline's fourth-rated overall talent heading into the Draft.

"The athleticism, ease of operation, arm angle jump off the table at you," Padres scouting director Mark Conner said after his selection on June 13. "As you start watching, the competitor comes out more and more. He's easy to fall in love with."

Gore has four above-average pitches, according to MLB.com's grades on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. The former prep lefty's fastball, labeled as a 65, checks in at his best pitch. Gore's heater reportedly reached 97 mph during his senior season in high school, a year after a campaign in which he went 12-1 with an 0.08 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 83 1/3 innings. The 18-year-old also throws a curveball, the best of his secondary offerings, along with a slider and a changeup.

"It all started by getting in the weight room in the fall, putting on about 15 pounds and getting a lot stronger," Gore told MLB.com the day he was drafted. "That's kind of where the velocity came from. The breaking stuff, I got more consistent with it and really worked on it in games when I started throwing. Now, I feel like I can throw it any time in the count."

"We felt like he was as talented as any left-handed high school pitching prospect that we've seen over the course of the last 10 years," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said in June.

Gore was committed to East Carolina, but received a San Diego franchise-record $6.7 million signing bonus on June 23.