Well, it appears the only way for the Braves to beat the Padres is to throw Kris Medlen at them. That was the case this weekend as Medlen won Atlanta's only game of a three-game series with the Padres.

GOOD
Kris Medlen: he won his fourth straight start and has been rolling. Only once in his last six starts has Medlen allowed more than two runs and has a 0.98 ERA in his last four overall. This was his third career start against the Padres and has yet to allow a run in 24.1 innings as a starter.

Craig Kimbrel: He earned his 47th save of the season on Tuesday, setting a new career high and has converted 37 straight opportunities

Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman: Justin was 5-16 and Freddie was 6-10 with his 21st home run of the year; Freddie also has a seven-game hitting streak. They were the only bright spots in an offense that has lately been little more than anemic.

David Hale: In his MLB debut, Hale struck out nine Padres in five innings on Friday, setting a new team record for strikeouts in a debut. It's a shame he was denied a win.

BAD
Everyone on offense not named Justin Upton or Freddie Freeman: This especially goes for Jordan Schafer, who was 0-6 with four strikeouts and has just one hit in his last 20 at-bats with eight strikeouts; that equals a batting average of .050. The offense as a whole has scored exactly three runs per game the last 10 games during which the team is hitting .196 with 89 strikeouts.

UGLY
Seventh and eighth innings on Monday: The sequence played out like a bad dream when Fredi Gonzalez ran through three different relievers in the seventh inning, but not before San Diego scored twice. Then in the eighth, Chase Headley homered to tie the game. Headley homered in each game of the series and four of his 13 homers have come at Atlanta's expense.

--

The Braves head to Washington next and could wrap up the division by winning two from the Nats.

Hey, everybody. Ready for another quiz? Of course you are! You did click on the link after all. This one is about all of the guys who have played at least one game in right field since Tony Gwynn retired. There have been 57 of them. Most of the starters are pretty obvious, and you should be able to guess the majority of the other guys just through mashing in random names from the past dozen years. As added help, I've included the uniform numbers and years in San Diego for each player.

As always, be sure to let everyone know how you did via the poll and/ or comments. And if (not if, when!) you do comment, be sure to use the black bar spoiler alert feature where applicable out of respect for your fellow Gaslamp Ballers who haven't had the chance to take the quiz yet.

Take the quiz

The Padres continue their road trip this afternoon as they go from one first-place team to another. After their series win in Atlanta, anchored by a strong performance from Tyson Ross yesterday, they will send Andrew Cashner to the mound today to open up their four-game set in Pittsburgh.

Cashner has pitched better than his 9-8 record shows in 24 starts this season. As a starter, he's pitched 149 2/3 innings with a 3.37 ERA and collected 105 strikeouts. He's given up three runs or fewer in each of his last ten starts, a stretch in which he went 4-4 with a 2.78 ERA. That includes a loss at home against the Pirates. He gave up three runs on five hits in seven innings of work on August 19th. Prior to this season he had only pitched three innings of relief against Pittsburgh, going 0-2 in those outings, so he'll be looking for his first win against them tonight.

Opposing Cashner this afternoon will be A.J. Burnett. The right-hander helped the Pirates win each of his last five starts, but he is coming into tonight's matchup off a couple of rough road starts. He went 1-1 while giving up a combined 10 runs (all earned) in just 9 1/3 innings. Burnett is 2-5 with a 4.44 ERA all-time against San Diego. He has one of his best career outing against the Padres last month when he limited them to one run on four hits while striking out seven in seven innings of work at Petco Park.

The Pirates won two of those three games in San Diego in August, but they have only won three times in the last 19 meetings with the Padres at PNC Park. Tune in as they kick off the series today at 4:05.

Andrew Cashner was three innings away from a perfect game before Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Jose Tabata broke it up when he led off the sixth inning with a single to right field on Monday.

Cashner was absolutely rolling through the Pirates line-up before Tabata took a 1-2 pitch to right field. Cashner has five strikeouts through seven innings.

This isn't Cashner's first flirtation with a no-hitter early in his young career. On June 28, 2012, he pitched 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball in just his third major league start.

Because of Tabata, the Padres are still waiting for their first no-hitter in franchise history. The Padres have been on the wrong end of a no-hitter before, most recently at the hands of Tim Lincecum on July 13.

Cashner is 9-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 119 strikeouts on the year.

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After flirting with one no hitter yesterday, the Padres made eyes with another today. This time it was Andrew Cashner on the bump and dealing. Once again this flirtation turned into a pitchers duel as the opposing moundsman kept the Padres bats quiet for 6 innings. However, everything would change in the seventh frame.

With the Padres up in the 7th inning they began with two straight singles by Ronnie Cedeno and Rene Rivera. Andrew Cashner would bunt a remove the slow Rivera from the base paths with a force out at second that also got the lead runner to third. Will Venable would add to his team leading RBI total (53 after this plate appearance) with a sacrifice fly. Alexi Amarista would follow that with a loooong at bat that resulted in getting hit by an A.J. Burnett pitch. Jedd Gyorko, in front of his onlooking family who were in attendance, would single in another run as Andrew Cashner scored from second just beating the throw. The inning would end with the Friars up 2-0.

After the 7th inning stretch, Andrew Cashner returned to the mound. He had retired 18 straight and needed 9 more to complete the perfect game. Most Padres fans don't need a reminder that no pitcher in the club's history has thrown a no-hitter (nevermind a perfect game) despite some close calls and have been no hit 8 times. Cashner would give up a hit to Jose Tabata to start the bottom of the 7th, a solid single past the diving first baseman Tommy Medica, and would not quite join the upper echelon of famous close calls of Clay Kirby, Steve Arlin, Andy Ashby, Chris Young and the 8 2/3 inning combined no hit bid of Aaron Harang, Josh Spence, Chad Qualls, Mike Adams and Luke Gregerson, but it still felt like it was close. Probably because that one Tabata hit was the only one he'd give up en route to a complete game shutout where, because of a double player later in the 7th, Cashner only faced the minimum 27 batters.

In the end, it was a still a victory for the good guys. A solid victory. Andrew Cashner's 10th victory on the season  His first complete game and his first shutout. He also stole a base and scored a run. The Padres also slide back into 3rd place in the NL West with their 69th victory as they now have the same wins total as the idle Giants, but one less loss.

The Padres remain a menace in Pittsburgh. They have gone 29-10 all-time (and 17-3 in the last 20) at PNC Park, winning every single series they've played at the ballpark since its opening. After a phenomenal pitching performance from Andrew Cashner yesterday led the Padres to a victory in the series opener, they'll give the ball to Eric Stults to help take Game 2 this afternoon and continue that dominance.

Stults is coming off a game against the Phillies in which he gave up two runs - both on solo shots - in six innings of work while striking out five and issuing no walks. It was a quality outing and a turnaround from his two starts prior, over which he surrendered 11 combined runs in ten innings. Stults, who was the most dominant pitcher on the staff at one point this season, has come down in the second half of the season. Winless since the All-Star Break, he is still striving for his elusive tenth victory this year.

Stults will be pitching against fellow southpaw Jeff Locke. Locke was named to his first All Star team this year but, like his counterpart today, has struggled since the midseason break. He was riding an eight-start winless streak, during which he was posting a 6.57 ERA, before getting the victory in his latest outing. In his best start since the All Star Break, he kept the Cubs to one run on three hits in seven innings of work as the Pirates went on to a 3-1 victory. It was his first time in ten starts he was able to go a full seven innings before being pulled.

Neither Stults nor Locke has faced their opponent today. See how these lefties match up at 4:05 this afternoon.

Bud Black interview with Darren Smith (MP3)

• On Andrew Cashner flirting with a perfect game:  "I really thought it would happen.  I thought it was one of those nights."  Cashner's pitch count was low and that he had all three of his pitches working made Black think he could get a no-hitter or perfect game.
• Black doesn't think that Cashner came "real close".  "Nine outs is a long way to go."  Until a pitcher gets to the 9th inning Black doesn't consider it close.
  
• Cashner will pitch at most two more games, but it might only be one.  Cashner feels great, he's shown no signs of fatigue with his increased innings this year.
• Cashner has made some subtle changes to his delivery but Black argues that he has not made considerable changes.  His training regiment and effort have changed.
  
• Mark Kotsay did talk to Bud Black about his impending retirement.  The conversations started in the middle of the summer.  He had conversations in Miami and about a month ago.  "It's always the player's decision."  Black says a player really has to do some soul searching.  Black thinks Kotsay will take some time off then return to the game in a different capacity, hopefully with the Padres.
• The Padres staff has been talking about Chase Headley's performance in the last week. He's taking swings like it was 2012.  "I think it's great that Chase is getting it out of the park and having some good at bats."
• "My preference would be that they don't celebrate at Petco." -Bud Black on upcoming Dodger series
  Black says that he doesn't want the Dodgers to clinch in San Diego.   "If they don't clinch and they come to our place then we're going to do everything we can to win those games so they don't rush our field, but they could clinch anyway depending on what happens with the Diamondbacks."

You might have heard that Jedd Gyorko has plenty of friends and family in town for this Pirates series (in much the same way that you might have heard that Will Venable played basketball at Princeton). After letting Andrew Cashner take the spotlight last night, Jedd did some showing off, going 3 for 5 with a 3 run homer.

And he wasn't the only one swinging a hot bat tonight. Ronny Cedeño went 3 for 4... 
[Note by jodes0405, 09/17/13 9:49 PM PDT ] Cedeño also showed off his D tonight.

... and Tommy Medica, the September Sensation, picked up a pair of singles and an RBI.

Eric Stults didn't shine as bright as Andrew Cashner or Burch Smith, but he pitched a solid five innings, allowing only two runs. He handed it over to the bullpen in the sixth, and they didn't disappoint. Tim Stauffer, Nick Vincent, and Luke Gregerson combined for four hitless innings.

Tyson Ross will go for the series win against Charlie Morton tomorrow at 4:05 PM.

Faith Keeper had the most comments tonight and topped out the recs in a three-way tie with jodes0405 and TheThinGwynn.

The last time Tyson Ross took the mound, he didn't have a good time. Today as he takes on the Pirates in hopes of securing the series win, he will try to bounce back from his worst start to date.  Last Thursday against the Phillies, Ross failed to make it out of the first inning. He gave up six runs on five hits and two walks through just 2/3 of an inning before being pulled from the game. Over his last five starts, he is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA. That winless streak began almost a month ago in his first and only previous outing against Pittsburgh. He surrendered five runs in 6 1/3 innings of an 8-1 loss against the Pirates at home.

As he tries to avoid another loss and keep the Padres in the win column, the Pirates will counter with Charlie Morton. The right-hander is seeking both his third straight home win and his third career win against San Diego. Though he hasn't faced the Padres since 2009, Morton's career 2-0 record and 1.46 ERA are encouraging for Morton, who is coming off a couple of rough outings, over which he's gone 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA. On September 8th, he was forced to leave the game in St. Louis after just 1 2/3 innings due to plantar fasciitis. In his next start he powered through five innings with a solid effort, but gave up three runs on five hits against the Cubs.

After these last two losses to San Diego, Pittsburgh has dropped to second place in the NL Central, trailing St. Louis by a game. The Padres have now won 10 of their last 14 games and are going for a season-high fourth consecutive road win this afternoon. See who comes out on top when the teams take the field at 4:05.

Some teams never win 70 games in a season.  Thirty Padres teams have though.  If you're looking at Padres history and comparing those teams who have won at least 70 then you'll notice that the 2013 team is a late bloomer of sorts.  They didn't reach the milestone in July like the 1998 team or August like the rest of the good teams or even early September like the mediocre teams, but they did accomplish something.

Now with 12 games left it's all about getting to 80.  No way that happens, but it's something to shoot for.

Padres teams' 70th Wins

For a little while today, it looked like our Padres' winning streak might come to a close. But in the end, they pulled out the victory in Steel City, securing yet another series win.

Tyson Ross bounced back from his disappointing outing against the Phillies and pitched a very strong game tonight. One might say he was dealing.

Ross gave up two runs on three hits in seven innings of work, collecting seven strikeouts and issuing no walks, though giving Andrew McCutchen a free base via HBP. Pittsburgh's starter, Charlie Morton was even sharper, allowing one run on two hits and three walks and striking out nine batters while going eight innings. But it was Ross who came out victorious, ending his five-game winless streak.

San Diego got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the 4th on an RBI by Tommy Medica.

In the 7th, the Pirates came back, getting their first lead of the series on a two-run homer by McCutchen. The Padres went down in order in the top of the 8th, then Colt Hynes and Dale Thayer combined for a 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention all the fantastic defense by the Padres tonight. We saw it in the infield with Cedeño.

And in the outfield with Fuentes.

But perhaps most impressive tonight was Rivera's defense from behind the plate, gunning down both McCutchen and Felix Pie.

In the top of the 9th, the Pirates sent Mark Melancon to the mound to close out the game. He gave up a leadoff single to the hot-hitting Jedd Gyorko, who went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored today. After Chase Headley and Medica flied out and struck out, respectively, Chris Denorfia stepped up to the plate to pinch-hit for Alexi Amarista while the ever-talented Andrew Cashner came in to pinch-run for Gyorko. Deno singled, moving Cashner over to second base and keeping the game alive. Another pinch-hitter, Logan Forsythe, came in, this time for Reymond Fuentes, who had gone 1-for-3 with a couple of strikeouts on the night. The Aristocrat singled to right field as Cashner hustled home and made a head-first slide at the plate while Denorfia moved over to third.

Rene Rivera put the exclamation point on the inning, and his night, with the go-ahead RBI single.

Huston Street came in to close the game and did it with no issues. He retired the Pirates in order, securing the victory for San Diego.

Street expressed his relief to battery-mate Rivera, followed by an awkward high-five.

And then Cashner joked with Gyorko (probably) about the fact that if Buddy hadn't put him in to pinch-run, they might not have won the game.

Our Padres will go for the sweep at PNC Park bright and early tomorrow morning as veteran Ian Kennedy toes the rubber against rookie Gerrit Cole.

TTG led the comment count with 40, more than double the next highest of 18. He tied with yours truly for the lead in recs at 5.

I know that by writing this I'm inviting a mountain of derision, but I've admitted to a lot worse and I'm still around so here goes. I have not hated every single player who has played for the Dodgers. I know, gasp, right? It feels almost treasonous to actually type those words, but this is a circle of trust. I know more than a few of you had a guy or two that made you sad to see them in Dodger blue; you just wanted better for them. That's what I'm talking about here.

I'd venture to say that the younger Tony Gwynn would be near the top of most Padres fans' list of tolerable Dodgers, and I can't argue with that. When he was up with Los Angeles I basically rooted for him to single with nobody on base, steal second, and get stranded every time. That was also my general attitude when Scott Radinsky and Alex Cora spent time with the Dodgers back in the day: I wanted them to do well in blowout losses.

Scott Radinsky has lived pretty much every little kid's dream in one way or another, and then some. Not only did he pitch for over a decade, he owns Skatelab, has been a singer in prominent punk rock bands, and kicked cancer's ass. Well, I don't think many little kids dream of growing up to do that last one, but it's still extraordinarily badass.

Radinsky's baseball and musical careers both began in the mid-'80s. He was the frontman of Scared Straight at the time he was drafted in the third round of the 1986 draft by the White Sox. By the time he made it to the majors in 1990, the band had changed their name to Ten Foot Pole to avoid being lumped in with a new influx of meathead straight edge bands. They gave him the boot before too long because they wanted a singer who could tour around the calendar, so he formed Pulley in 1994, as he was recovering from the aforementioned ass-kicking he laid on cancer. Pulley's most recognizable song is probably "Cashed In". It was featured on Epitaph's Punk-O-Rama 2, which anyone will tell you was the best of all the Punk-O-Rama comps.

After making a comeback with the White Sox in 1995, Radinsky joined the Dodgers for three successful seasons. After that he made brief stops in St. Louis and Cleveland, and retired following a 2002 season spent entirely with AAA Calgary in the Marlins' chain. He focused on his music and put out a few more great albums before getting back into baseball as a coach. Radinsky worked his way up the Indians' ladder, eventually becoming the big club's bullpen coach and then pitching coach. He got the axe before this season, as the team switched up their whole staff, and signed back on with the Dodgers as a minor league coach and spring training instructor.

Much in the same way as I was with Radinsky, I was a fan of Alex Cora before he became a Dodger. I remember finding out that my favorite player Joey Cora had a little (well, younger) brother, watching him in the College World Series and seeing him in the pages of Sports Illustrated as a Miami Hurricane, and then being disappointed when the Dodgers drafted him. He was there for seven seasons, capped off with a legendary 18-pitch at-bat ending with a home run against Matt Clement, then with the Cubs. After leaving Los Angeles, Cora went on to play seven more seasons with the Indians, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, and Nationals. He now works as an analyst for ESPN, while his older brother earns checks from the rival MLB Network.

How about you? Has there been a Dodger or two that you wanted to see do well on a personal level? Don't worry, I won't judge you.* This is a safe place.**

*I can't speak for any other commenters.

**Your level of safety may vary.

Before the series opener between the Dodgers and Padres on Friday night, I asked Joe Lanek of Gaslamp Ball some questions about San Diego.

David Lauterbach: Last time we spoke, you said Will Venable was San Diego's MVP. Still true? If so, why? If not why not?

Gaslamp Ball: He is. Venable has put together a solid season, putting up career highs in nearly every offensive category. He recently became the seventh player in Padres history to record a 20-20 season. That might not sound like much but the Friars have never had a 30-30 guy so we take what we can get.

DL: You said the Cy Young was Andrew Cashner. Still true? If so, why? If not why not?

GB: He was kind of a default choice, but he has only improved his stock recently. Cashner's last outing was the most dominant of his career, and arguably the most dominant game ever thrown by a Padre. He allowed only one hit against the Pirates while facing the minimum 27 batters.

DL: What do you think the chances are the Padres trade Chase Headley this offseason? If you think he will get traded, what would you like San Diego to get in return?

GB: I think they'll hold onto him. Even though he has warmed up this month, any deal for him would be San Diego selling low.

DL: What do you think the Padres need to do this offseason to improve for next year?

GB: Mend. Just about every starting position player has spent significant time on the DL this season, and we still have a slew of young arms slated to return from time lost to surgery. As far as making moves, I could see them going for an adequate, middle-of-the-road, innings-eating starter. Not a very daring guess, I know, but that's what I've become accustomed to.

DL: In 2006, the Dodgers selected left-handed high school starter Clayton Kershaw with the 7th overall pick in the draft. Six years later in the 2012 draft, the Padres selected left-handed high school starter Max Fried with the 7th overall pick. What do you think of Fried? Do you like him? I'm asking this because he is from LA and because I played against him.

GB: I haven't watched Fried pitch but his numbers look promising, and scouts and experts really like his stuff, particularly his fastball and "1-7" curve. I'd be thrilled if he even approached the level of success that Kershaw has had with Los Angeles. Between the ERA titles, the All-Star selections, his 2011 Cy Young Award, and his 2011 SBN Cy Young Award co-win, Kershaw has set the bar very high.

DL: Looking back, what's the biggest thing that stands out to you about San Diego's 2013 season?

GB: I was going to say streaks but I have to go with injuries. Every starter except Will Venable has spent time on the DL. Cameron Maybin and Yasmani Grandal basically missed the entire season, Carlos Quentin appeared in about half the games as he is wont to do, and Yonder Alonso has missed time twice with unrelated hand problems.

DL: Do you think the Padres should've done anything differently last offseason to have a better 2013 season than they did?

GB: I don't think so. The positions were all set with good, while not amazing, players. A lot of fans threw a fit about the team not signing a Dan Haren or Edwin Jackson type, but we see how those guys have turned out.

DL: What are the chances you think San Diego can compete for a playoff spot next year?

GB: If everybody can stay healthy, I could see the 2014 Padres right in the thick of things. The team was a force to be reckoned with this season when most of the core was in place. When it wasn't, though...

DL: Series prediction?

The Padres will sweep the Dodgers in the process of winning their final ten games and finishing at 81-81.

SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers send out their post-celebration starting lineup on Friday night against the Padres. The Dodgers have nine games left in the regular season before the playoffs begin, and plan to use the remaining week and a half to give regulars various amounts of rest.

The Dodgers begin play Friday one game behind the Cardinals for the No. 2 seed in the National League, and 2... games behind the Braves for the No. 1 seed. But manager Don Mattingly isn't going to push hard for home field advantage.

"We feel like we can win anywhere. We feel like we can win on the road. But we want to be healthy," Mattingly said. "I also want to be at home. But do I want home field advantage and not have Adrian or Hanley in the lineup? No.

"Where is the tipping point? Is home field advantage more important than having Hanley? I'll say no to that right now. Is it more important than having Adrian? No."

Hanley Ramirez is dealing with an irritated nerve in his back, and Adrian Gonzalez has a minor cramp in his quad. Mattingly said of all the regulars Ramirez would get the most rest, and estimated he would play three or four remaining regular season games, and likely none on back-to-back days.

"We just saw Hanley have six days off, come back and have unbelievable timing. Then he had another day off and comes back again and had unbelievable timing," Mattingly said. "He has shown that him having to play every day right now is not that important."

Ramirez was 5-for-7 with two home runs and three walks in the two games he did play in Arizona. Matt Kemp was 4-for-4 in his first start back on Tuesday in Arizona, and is on the other end of the spectrum. Kemp has had over 100 at-bats in simulated games but just 14 major league plate appearances since July 21.

"We'd like to see Matt play most of these games, but still not at the risk of if he'd say, 'My hammy's a little tight,' then if he needs a day, we'll probably give him a day,". I'd like to see him get more confidence in his leg and his ankle and get more at-bats."

Andre Ethier, dealing with a sore ankle, returned to taking batting practice on the field on Friday and is no longer in a walking boot. Mattingly said he'd try to get Ethier as many at-bats as possible as well, "but not at the price of not being able to run all of a sudden."

"The priority is I want to try to get these guys as healthy as they can, but keep them sharp. If they can play and it's no real risk, and that's the best thing, they'll play," Mattingly said. "We're going to be more safe than sorry later."

Drew's on first

Drew Butera starts at first base tonight, his first major league game at the position. His professional experience at the position consists of two games at Double-A New Britain in 2008. Butera took grounders at the position when the Dodgers were in Arizona, and told Mattingly he played there before in Minnesota. When I told Mattingly that Butera only had two minor league games at the position, he feigned shock.

"He said he'd played it, he lied to me," Mattingly said, smiling. "If we get short tonight, he might have to pitch."

Butera did throw a scoreless inning for the Twinson May 20, 2012 against the Brewers.

Notes

Mattingly joked about how the quad injury is limiting Gonzalez. "He can't really run anyway. I hate to say it like that, but it's not really killing his speed," Mattingly quipped.

Mattingly said he would try to get Jerry Hairston and Michael Young more at-bats in the final nine regular season games, and said he wants to use Young at second base just in case that was needed during the playoffs in an emergency situation.

Similarly, catcher Tim Federowicz will catch Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke once each over their final two starts in an effort to get more familiar with them in case something were to happen to starter A.J. Ellis during the playoffs. So far this season Federowicz has caught Greinke five times and Kershaw twice.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

MLB Gameday

One day after clinching the National League West the Dodgers, with mostly reserves, dropped the opener of a three-game series against the Padres in San Diego.

The Dodgers make their final trip to Petco Park in 2013 as they battle the Padres for a weekend series. But given the celebration of Thursday's National League West championship clinch, the opener of the series on Friday night figures to have the Dodgers' most interesting lineup of the season.

We will likely see several regulars resting. Hanley Ramirez said after Thursday's win, "The plan starts tomorrow. We've got time to let it heal up and get some rest," so he won't start.

Adrian Gonzalez has the minor quad issue, Carl Crawford still has the back tightness, though that is feeling better. Andre Ethier will take batting practice this weekend and is no longer in the walking boot, but he's unlikely to play in the series.

Here is my wild guess as to the starting lineup for the Dodgers in Friday's opener.

Gordon SS
Schumaker 2B
Young 3B
Van Slyke RF
Federowicz 1B
Castellanos LF
Buss CF
Butera C
Volquez P

Be sure to enter your lineup guess in the comments below.

By the way, the Dodgers haven't lost a series at Petco Park since getting swept from Sept. 6-8, 2010, when Adrian Gonzalez was still a Padre. From 2011-2013 the Dodgers are 6-0-2 in series in San Diego and are 16-9 in games played.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

MLB Gameday

Robbie Erlin may have faced a bunch of batters that won't even make a postseason roster, but he didn't hold back at all. In 7.2 shutout innings, he allowed just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 7. Sample size too small for you? Take a look at this gem of a stat:

Now in his last four starts, a 1.80 ERA (5/25.0) for Robbie #Erlin#BeatLA#GoPadrespic.twitter.com/rCrnSYu44s

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 21, 2013

And thank goodness for Robbie's great start; former Padre Edinson Volquez was surprisingly effective, holding the Friars to just 2 runs in his 6.1 innings. Those two runs were enough, though. Chris Denorfia took advantage of some sloppy defense, and Jedd Gyorko just did what he does best.

Denorfia got on in the first thanks to Dee Gordon's error, and he took it all the way to second. Third base looked pretty good, so he decided to swipe it. He did some more gutsy baserunning when he scored on Gyorko's grounder to third, holding up until the throw to first, and then sliding into home just under the tag. Jedd picked up another RBI when he hit his 20th home run to straightaway center field in the bottom of the fifth.

After Erlin left the game, Luke Gregerson came in for one batter to wrap up the eight inning before handing the ball to Huston Street. Street looked shaky at first, allowing a leadoff double to Skip Schumaker and a one-out single to Adrian Gonzalez. He recovered with style, striking out Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to earn his 32nd save.

Tomorrow, Burch Smith will take on 2011 SBNation Cy Young Award Co-Winner Clayton Kershaw. You'll want to show up well before the 5:40 PM start to claim your free Padres/Xolos scarf.

I'm not calling out the leaders tonight because you were all awesome. Gold stars for everyone!

SAN DIEGO -- Even on a night the Dodgers rested every regular, they had a chance to win in the ninth inning. But with the tying runs on base, Padres closer Huston Street struck out pinch hitters Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to preserve a 2-0 victory for San Diego in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.

The post-celebration Dodgers were just a step slow on Friday night, and could manage much against Padres starter Robbie Erlin, who pitched scoreless ball into the eighth inning for the win. His 7⅔ innings marked his longest performance to date.

San Diego also ran around making the Dodgers look like they were standing still. Five different Padres stole a base, including catcher Nick Hundley. It was the most players to steal a base against the Dodgers in a game since five Cardinals did so on May 21, 1999.

Dee Gordon threw away a ground ball by Chris Denorfia with one out in the first inning, allowing Denorfia to reach second base. It was Gordon's seventh error in his 22nd start at shortstop this season. Denorfia then stole third and scored on a ground ball, though replays showed that first baseman Drew Butera's throw may have beaten Denorfia to the plate.

That was all ex-Padre Edinson Volquez would allow until Jedd Gyorko hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his 20th of the season. But the two runs allowed by Volquez, technically his best start with the Dodgers, were enough to hang him with the loss.

The Dodgers rallied in the ninth against Street, with a double by Skip Schumaker and a single by pinch hitter Adrian Gonzalez. But the Padres closer recovered to fan Puig and Kemp to convert his 32nd save of the season.

Notes

• Michael Young entered the game in the seventh inning and played the rest of the game at second base, his first game at the position this season. He played 16 games at second base in 2012 for the Rangers, including 14 starts. Manager Don Mattingly said before the game he would use Young at second base for a few games in the final week of the season just in case he needed to use him at the position in an emergency situation in the playoffs.
  
• Young also had a hit in his only at-bat, extending his hitting streak to five games. Young has only started one of those games and is 6-for-9 (.667) during the streak. Young is 14-for-36 (.389) as a Dodger.
• Skip Schumaker entered the game with no extra-base hits in 14 games and 37 plate appearances in September, but went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles on Friday night.
  
• Jerry Hairston went 0-for-4 on Friday night, extending his current slump to 0-for-14 and 3-for-40 (.075).
• Gyorko, who drove in both Padres runs, became just the fifth rookie second baseman with 20 home runs in a season, joining Joe Gordon (24 home runs for the 1938 Yankees), Dan Uggla (27 for 2006 Marlins), Alexei Ramirez (21 for 2008 White Sox) and Danny Espinosa (21 for 2011 Nationals).
• The Dodgers are 26-25 against left-handed starting pitchers this season.
• Carlos Marmol faced seven batters and struck out three and walked three. Sixteen of his last 17 appearances have been scoreless, with a 1.08 ERA, 15 walks and 23 strikeouts in 16⅔ innings during that span.

Up next

The Dodgers are guaranteed to have more regulars in the lineup on Saturday behind Clayton Kershaw on the mound, starting on a full seven days rest. Somebody named Burch Smith starts for San Diego.

Friday particulars

Home run: Jedd Gyorko (20)

WP - Robbie Erlin (3-3): 7⅔ IP, 4 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

LP - Edinson Volquez (9-12): 6⅓ IP, 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 4 walks, 6 strikeouts

Sv - Huston Street (32): 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts

San Diego Padres prospect Tommy Medica didn't show up on many pre-season prospect lists, but he had a strong 2013 season in Double-A and has knocked two homers in his first 10 major league games since being promoted for the September stretch run.

Medica was a successful college hitter at Santa Clara. He hit .342/.408/.509 with good reviews for his defense behind the plate in 2008, but a severe shoulder injury cost him most of 2009 and made his future as a catcher quite doubtful. He returned to hit .386/.464/.667 with 13 homers and 15 steals in 2010, but was used mainly as an outfielder. This was enough to get him drafted in the 14th round.

He split '11 between Low-A Fort Wayne (.268/.366/.465, wRC+139 in 44 games) and High-A Lake Elsinore (.302/.440/.504, wRC+144 in 42 games), showing power and good strike zone judgment at both levels, used primarily as a first baseman. More injuries limited him to 93 games for Lake Elsinore in 2012, but he was extremely productive in those 93 games, hitting .330/.406/.623 with 19 homers, wRC+161.

Despite his outstanding hitting record in A-ball, he was left off most prospect lists entering 2013 due to his age (25 in April), history of injuries, and position. He got hurt again this year, limited to 76 games for Double-A San Antonio with a strained lat, but he continued to rip the ball, hitting .296/.372/.582 with 18 homers, wRC+165.

Medica is a 6-1, 190 pound right-handed hitter and thrower, born April 9, 1988. He can pull the ball for power but isn't a strictly pull type and will drive the ball the opposite way on occasion. His swing was critiqued as being too long when he was younger and scouts weren't sure it would work against advanced pitching, but so far he's done fine.

He's kept his strikeout rates at a reasonable level, and as noted his production has been excellent in relative terms at each level. He lost nothing when he reached Double-A, and San Antonio isn't the easiest place to hit. The former backstop is solid enough as a first base defender, has been used in the outfield, and could probably still catch temporarily in an emergency.

He turns 26 next spring and is too old to be a hyped prospect, but Medica should not be overlooked. He has a shot at being a useful player due to his power.

The Padres took the first game of the series last night behind an impressive performance from rookie Robbie Erlin. Tonight another rookie will get a chance to impress as Burch Smith takes the mound and tries to secure a series win against the Dodgers in Game 2.

Smith is seeking his first career win tonight in his fourth start at Petco Park. Over his previous three at home, he is 0-1 with 11 runs allowed and 8 walks issued through 11 1/3 innings. But the right-hander is coming off a fantastic start on the road, the best outing of his young career. He kept the NL-East leading Braves to just three hits in seven scoreless innings, flirting with a no-hitter through five and striking out ten batters along the way.

Opposing Smith will be Actual Cy-Young Award hopeful, Clayton Kershaw. With two starts left for Kershaw before the playoffs, he will try to put an exclamation point on his season by continuing his solid pitching. But the Padres have not been kind to the southpaw in 2013. He has lost all three of his starts against San Diego this year while posting a 4.67 ERA. One of those was a six-inning appearance at Petco Park in which he gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk.

With the Padres now having won 12 of their last 17 games, they'll continue to try to close out their season on a high note. See if they can lock down the series against the NL West champions at 7:10 tonight.

SAN DIEGO -- Though he is likely still the favorite for the National League Cy Young Award, Clayton Kershaw has two more starts to finalize his case for the honor. After the Dodgers rested all of their regulars for the bulk of the series opener, expect most regulars back in the lineup behind Kershaw as the Dodgers battle the Padres on Saturday night at Petco Park.

Manager Don Mattingly said after Friday's 2-0 loss that mostly everyone will get back in the lineup except for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who will mostly be encased in bubble wrap until the playoffs begin.

Kershaw has had an uncharacteristically down year against the Padres, with losses in all three of his starts against San Diego. Kershaw is 0-3 with a 4.67 ERA against the Padres this season, and in those three starts has allowed five of his 11 home runs on the season.

In a loss on June 21, his only start at Petco Park this season, Kershaw allowed four runs in six innings, matching his total allowed in his three starts in San Diego in 2011-2012, in 19⅓ innings. But even with that June loss, Kershaw is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in his career at Petco Park with 44 strikeouts and 16 walks in 49⅔ innings.

Kershaw leads the major leagues with a 1.94 ERA, but don't be surprised if because of his relatively low win total he gets pushed for the award by another ace of a division-leading team in Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals.

Wainwright, like Kershaw, has two more regular season starts left, so it's likely many of their numbers will remain similar. It will be a question of whether Kershaw's near run-per-game advantage is outweighed in the minds of some voters by Wainwright's advantage in wins.

But Kershaw has two more chances to leave no doubt in the mind of voters, beginning Saturday night in San Diego.

Game info

Time: 5:40 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

MLB Gameday