This morning we learned that Cameron Maybin would not only be reactivated today, but that he'd be joining his Padres teammates in Washington D.C. and making his 2014 debut in the starting lineup.

It seemed a little odd for him to fly across the country to join the team today rather than just waiting one day and meeting them in San Francisco tomorrow. But there is nothing to complain about so far, because what does he do in his first at-bat? He hits a liner just out of reach of Padre-killer Anthony Rendon for a leadoff double in the 3rd. WELCOME BACK, CAM!!

Seeing Maybin running the bases with flailing arms again, feels good.

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) April 27, 2014

And the view from left field:

Cam advances to third base on a sac fly by Alexi Amarista, but is eventually stranded there after Ian Kennedy grounds out (though he brought the count full and made Taylor Jordan throw seven pitches before doing so) and Everth Cabrera grounds out (swinging on the first pitch. Ugh.). Welcome back, Cam...

The Washington Nationals jumped out to an early lead in the series finale with San Diego this afternoon, but Padres' right-hander Ian Kennedy shut them down after the first and the visiting Padres rallied for a 4-2 win and a series split.

Jordan Zimmermann Bobblehead Top 5:

5. Quick Recap: Washington Nationals' Manager Matt Williams talked this week about the Nats' strength being their ability to hit with power to the opposite field gaps.

"The key to our team is the opposite gap," he explained. "That's kind of their strength. The opposite gap for Adam [LaRoche]. The opposite gap for Anthony [Rendon] and [Jayson Werth] and [Ian Desmond]. If they can do that then we're very productive. It's about that approach though and continuing to have it."

Anthony Rendon battled for seven pitches with San Diego Padres' starter Ian Kennedy in a one-out at bat in the first inning today, then took a 92 mph fastball to right-center for an opposite field double that bounced off the top of the out-of-town scoreboard and Rendon scored when Jayson Werth ended an eight-pitch AB with a double to left-center field that made it 1-0 Nationals early in the nation's capital.

WATCH: Jayson Werth's run-scoring double: http://t.co/wvQLqpZ3f5#Nats

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 27, 2014

Taylor Jordan issued his first walk of the day to Padres' outfielder Chris Denorfia in the top of the fourth, and a double by Yasmani Grandal in the next at bat put runners on second and third with no one out. A sac fly to right field by Jedd Gyorko then tied it up at 1-1 after three and a half.

Everth Cabrera singled on a line drive to right in the fifth, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single to center by Chris Denorfia that made it 2-1 Padres after four and a half.

The Padres took a 3-1 lead in the sixth with three straight singles, two off Ross Detwiler and one off Aaron Barrett, who issued a bases-loaded walk to Everth Cabrera. 3-1 San Diego after five and a half. Barrett then missed with a 3-2 fastball outside to Chris Denorfia, forcing in another run, 4-1.

Padres' starter Ian Kennedy left the mound after seven innings of work and his replacement, Joaquin Benoit gave up a home run on the third pitch he threw, a 1-1 fastball that Nate McLouth hit into the right field bullpen to make it 4-2 Padres in the bottom of the eighth.

That's how it ended. 4-2 Padres.

4. Velocity or Command? Velocity and Command?: Taylor Jordan started strong this season with a 6 1/3-inning outing against Atlanta in which he limited Braves' hitters to six hits and one earned run in a 2-1 win in Nationals Park in which he received no decision.

Since then, however, the 25-year-old, '09 9th Round pick out of Merritt Island, FL, who worked his way up from High-A to Double-A and eventually the majors last season in his first full year back following Tommy John surgery in 2011, has allowed 25 hits, four walks and 18 runs, 14 of them earned (8.22 ERA) in 15 1/3 IP over three starts in which he's come out on the losing end, (0-3 in 2014).

Last time out against the LA Angels, Jordan got tagged for four runs in a 32-pitch first inning which saw Albert Pujols hit his 499th home run out to left field in Nationals Park. Jordan needed just 28 pitches to get through the next three innings on the mound, but in the fifth inning he surrendered no.500 to Pujols, who took a sinker up in the zone out to left field for a two-run blast.

"I just put a lot of pressure on myself to make that pitch, and I didn't execute it," Jordan told reporters after what was an out-of-character start for the extreme ground ball pitcher who surrendered just 14 home runs total in 339 IP in five minor league seasons (one HR per 24 1/3 IP) before making his MLB debut last summer. On the year in 2013, he gave up just four home runs total in 139 IP between High-A, Double-A and the majors.

Jordan was asked recently about his decreased velocity so far this season, which has seen his two-seam fastball drop from an average of 91.4 mph in 2013 to 89.3 mph through his first four starts while his four-seamer has come in at an average of 90.0 mph this season, down from 92.3 last year.

He said he was less concerned with the drop in his velocity and more worried about command.

"I don't know what the cause of it is," Jordan said, "but if I can get my sinker in the location that I want it, then velocity shouldn't really matter too much."

Nats' Pitching Coach Steve McCatty told the Washington Post's James Wagner, that this year's velocity may actually be more in line with what it was during most of the right-hander's minor league career before everything "clicked" for Jordan in 2013.

With Doug Fister's return looming, however, and Tanner Roark pitching like he did on Saturday, the pressure of keeping his spot in the rotation could be affecting Jordan too, McCatty suggested, before recommending Jordan just concentrate on what he can control.

Fister makes his first minor league rehab start this afternoon, with at least one more likely before he's ready to make his Nationals debut, barring any setbacks or delays.

Jordan made his fifth start of the season for the Nationals today against San Diego.

1st: Adam LaRoche made a leaping grab at first to pull down the first out of the game on a hard-hit liner off Everth Cabrera's bat. Chris Denorfia got his line drive through the right side for a one-out single on a full-count fastball up in the zone, but as Matt Williams has said, Jordan's one pitch away from a double play at all times and he got one out of Padres' catcher Yasmani Grandal, who grounded to first to start a 3-6-3 inning-ender. 12-pitch inning. 0-0 after a 1/2 in the series finale with San Diego.

2nd: Jedd Gyorko hit a 2-1 fastball to short where Ian Desmond made the play for out no.1 of the second. Yonder Alonso rolled over a 2-0 fastball and sent a grounder out to Danny Espinosa at second base. Will Venable hit a sharp ground ball to first, but Adam LaRoche backhanded it and ran to first to end a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 second that left Jordan at 21 pitches total after two.

3rd: Padres' center fielder Cameron Maybin started the third inning with a sharp grounder to third base that skipped by Anthony Rendon's backhand. Alexi Amarista moved Maybin over to third with a weak groundout to first on a 1-1 fastball. Ian Kennedy stepped in with a chance to help himself and tie the game and worked the count full before grounding out to a drawn-in Rendon at third, who looked the runner back and threw to first for out no.2. Everth Cabrera came up next and grounded weakly to first to end a 17-pitch inning that left Jordan at 38 total after three.

4th: Chris Denorfia drew a leadoff walk in the first at bat of the Padres' fourth. Yasmani Grandal hit a double to the out-of-town scoreboard in right in the next AB, but Denorfia could only take third since Jayson Werth came close to making the catch. A sac fly to right by Jedd Gyorko brought Denorfia in though, and tied it up at 1-1. Yonder Alonso lined out to left field for out no.2, but Jordan walked Will Venable to put two runners on, before he popped Cameron Maybin up to end a 25-pitch inning. 63 total for the Nats' right-hander.

Ross Detwiler warmed up during the fourth inning and replaced Taylor Jordan in the top of the fifth.

Taylor Jordan's line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 63 P, 36 S, 7/0 GO/FO.

3. Please, Mr. Kennedy, UH-OH!, Don't Send Me Off To Outer Space!: Ian Kennedy, 29, was traded to the San Diego Padres last July in return for minor league right-hander Matt Stites and left-handed starter Joe Thatcher.

The '06 New York Yankees' 1st Round pick entered this afternoon's start in the nation's capital with a (2-2) record and a 2.53 ERA in five career starts against the Nationals. Over 32 IP against the Nats before today, the right-hander walked seven (1.97 BB/9) and struck out 24 (6.75 K/9) while holding Nationals' hitters to a .243/.302/.374 line.

The Nationals pushed a run across against Kennedy in the bottom of the first with back-to-back doubles by Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth, but those were the Nationals' only hits off the Padres' starter through five innings.

Kennedy got through a scoreless sixth with a little help from right fielder Will Venable, who made a diving catch in the corner to take a potential extra base hit away from Jayson Werth.

WILL. VENABLE. This is absurd: http://t.co/RPeCLudvr8

— MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2014

Ian Kennedy's line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 Ks, 117 P, 76 S, 6/2 GO/FO.

2. Fister in Potomac: While the Nationals and Taylor Jordan were in the nation's capital today taking on the San Diego Padres, 30-year-old right-hander Doug Fister, who has yet to throw a major league pitch for the Nationals after they acquired him from the Detroit Tigers this winter, was in Potomac, making a start for the Nats' High-A Carolina League affiliate. Fister was making first rehab outing after dealing with elbow inflammation this spring and then suffering a right lat strain as he built up arm strength. According to reports from Pfitzner Stadium, things went well for Fister the first time out:

Now Doug Fister likely done after 4 IP & 59 pitches. Gave up 6 H (2 would be outs in majors), 2 UER, 2 DP, 3 Ks. Two errors made behind him.

— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) April 27, 2014

In Potomac, @dougfister58 allowed 3 unearned runs on 6 hits with 3 Ks and no walks in 4.0 innings of work. He threw 59 pitches, 42 strikes.

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 27, 2014

1. The Wrap-Up: Ross Detwiler replaced Taylor Jordan on the mound in the fifth inning this afternoon and gave up a two-out single to right by Everth Cabrera. Cabrera stole second base with Chris Denorfia up, took third on a wild pitch and scored when Denorfia took a 94 mph full-count fastball back up the middle. 2-1 Padres. After a two-out walk to Yasmani Grandal, Denorfia stole third without so much as a look from Detwiler, but a force at second on a grounder to short off Jedd Gyorko's bat ended the inning.

Matt Williams went to his bullpen again after Detwiler gave up back-to-back one-out singles by Will Venable and Cameron Maybin. Pinch hitter Nick Hundley hit the third-straight single, loading the bases with one out, but Aaron Barrett struck Ian Kennedy out for the second out of the inning. A walk to Everth Cabrera forced in a run though, and the Padres took a 3-1 lead. A second bases-loaded walk, this one to Denorfia, made it 4-1 Padres. That was if for Barrett.

Jerry Blevins inherited the bases-loaded, two-out mess and struck Yasmani Grandal out to end the inning.

The Nationals cut into the Padres' lead with a solo home run by Nate McLouth in the bottom of the eighth which made it a 4-2 game.

Padres' closer Huston Street took the mound in the ninth and gave up a single by Jayson Werth before retiring the side. Ballgame. 4-2 Padres.

Nationals now 14-12

With dominant pitching and a combined effort of Chris Denosaurus, Everth Cabranana, and Cameron Maybelline; the Padres split the four game series with the Washington Nationals and hit the road happy to San Francisco.

Big arms, big at-bats, and big gloves appeared at Nationals Park today. It was a triumphant welcome-back party for DL resident Cameron Maybin, showcased through solid hitting with RISP and dominant pitching. The Padres were happy to have their young center fielder back and our nerves were settled; shown through splitting the 4 game series and beating the Gnats nice and gooooood.

The day started off bright and early this morning as we were tweeted and treated by the lovely news of Maybin being reactivated and added to the roster for the 10:35 AM start:

#Padres reinstate @spidermayb24 from DL and he's in today's lineup. Club optioned Kevin Quackenbush to @epchihuahuaspic.twitter.com/5yMFzmDKKH

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 27, 2014

This gave Padres fans something to be titillated by, especially after recording our last two miserable games against Washington in an outscoring of 15-1. El Paso tourist Cameron Maybin was hitting .243 in his 37 plate appearances by the time he left his rehab assignment with the Chihuahuas.

While .243 isn't something to double-take, we were told they were "quality at-bats" and he was giving "hard contact". Skeptically; even the faithful wanted to wait and see if he would produce today in his first major league start of the season.

And produce he did.

It took a Nationals 1-0 lead via a Jayson Werth RBI double and 3 innings for Maybin to get his first at-bat. But once he did we were greeted with that familiar speed and zippy power that we remembered from so long ago. Maybin smacked one hard down the line and rounded first to arrive at his season-debut no-out double.

Although the Pads wouldn't spoil him too much by letting him score; Mayb's hit included my favorite moment of the game. A stand-up reminder of what I loved about watching him play ever since I attended his first outing in Petco as a San Diego Padre: Those windmilling, pumpin', flailin' arms that he gets going when turning corners at Maybin-speed.

4 at bats, 1 run, 2 hits. Welcome back, Cam.

With the team riding Ian Kennedy's amazing outing into the the 4th inning; a walk by Chris Denorfia, double from Yasmani Grandal, and subsequent sac fly from Jedd Gyorko would put the Padres on the board tying the game 1-1. But it wouldn't stop there. An RBI single in the 5th from Denorfia drove Everth Cabrera in, who had reached third base on a pair of steals.

Deno is now leading the club with a .338 average and .838 OPS out of Padres with 25+ games played. Not bad.

Once the innings struck 6, Venable and Maybin dished out back-to-back singles. This prompted the replacement of Aaron Barrett (who was put in to deal with Taylor Jordon's not-so-great 4 inning start) with Ross Detwiler.

A little switch from Bud putting Nick Hundley in Alexi Amarista's spot would end up negating the value of the pitching change, as Nick hit a soft single to load the bases. (Hundley would then be congratulated by being asked to sit down and let Jace Peterson do the running.)

Afterwards things got slightly out of hand for the Gnats.

Detwiler proceeded to walk in two more bases-loaded Padres runs in a row, seducing a second pitching change. Jerry Blevins would finally come in to control the chaos, but not before leaving the field trailing San Diego 4-1.

The Nationals were probably a little upset, and reasonably so. The team they had been pounding on for the past two days was now up by three, and with the game already in the bottom of the sixth Jayson Werth was facing two outs and was ready to strike back. But Will Venable (who more than likely realized it had been way too long since he's been featured as an ESPN highlight) had something to say about that.

Nice try, Werth. But that's Vill freakin' Wenable.

It wasn't until the bottom of the 8th that a phenomenal outing from Ian Kennedy would come to an end. Giving the big guy some rest after an impressive 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, and 9 sexy strikeouts; Nate McLouth would pop a desperate solo HR off Joaquin Benoit to take the Padres' lead down to 4-2.

Though that wouldn't be enough as the Friars responded with continuing defense and closing ace-in-the-hole Huston Street, who would go on to pick up his 9th save in 9 opportunities in the 9th inning.

Padre fans were teetering on the edge of the ship after the last two beatings from the Gnats, but hopefully the Friars have roped them back in today after showing them that, with the help of old friend Cameron Maybin, the team is still well worth watching at ten in the morning. It's a long season, guys!

[Ed. note: I (jodes) dominated all you suckers with 65 comments. Like 30% of them were about breakfast foods. Good ol' daveysapien doubled my rec total, however, receiving four on the day. Good work, team!]

Eric Nolte has the distinction of being the second-most accomplished baseball player born on April 28, 1964. Also turning 50 today is Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. While Larkin's career outshines Nolte's in nearly every respect imaginable, Nolte came out on top in their head-to-head matchups. The two faced off twice, both times occurring in a 4-3 Reds win on October 1, 1987. Larkin grounded out to first in their initial showdown and reached base on a fielder's choice his next time up for a lifetime 0-for-2 mark.

That game was the twelfth and last game (all starts) of Nolte's rookie season. He only pitched in 14 more major league games over parts of three seasons, starting half of them. If not for the three games he appeared in for Texas in 1991, Nolte would have matched Larkin as a one-team player.

Nolte is pictured here on his 1988 Topps card. He was issued cards by each of the major manufacturers that year and only that year. This one features a pretty mean case of pitcherface on what is probably my least-favorite Topps design of the decade. It's not that I don't like it; it's just that it's so boring and is sandwiched by two of Topps' best-ever designs.

He might not have made it to the Hall of Fame, or even a second Topps card, but it's easy to forget how good he and even the least successful major leaguers are. Not to sound like Orlando Hudson, but the guys fighting for the twenty-fifth spot on the roster accomplished more on a baseball field yesterday than you or I have in our entire lives. With that in mind, playing second fiddle to a legend is pretty damn impressive.

Sometimes when the Padres are about to start a series, I'll utilize Baseball-Reference's multi-franchise tool and compile a team out of the guys who played for those two teams. This is one of those times. In the case of the Padres and Giants, they've shared 106 players. I whittled that down to a 25-man roster. As always, I judged players on the strength of their peaks or whole careers, not necessarily how well they did in either San Diego or San Francisco.

Starting lineup:

C- Benito Santiago
1B- Willie McCovey
2B- Eric Young
SS- Miguel Tejada
3B- Kevin Mitchell
LF- Joe Carter
CF- Steve Finley
RF- Reggie Sanders

Not only is that a hard-hitting lineup, it's surprisingly adept defensively as well. McCovey and Carter are the only weak links; each of them played first base and left field equally brutally. I assumed Kevin Mitchell was a butcher at third base, but as it turns out he put up above-average numbers there before he moved to the outfield.

Bench:

C- Terry Kennedy
IF- Tito Fuentes
1B/3B/LF- Mike Ivie
LF/1B- Ryan Klesko
OF- Ollie Brown

Aside from the starters, Fuentes was the only viable middle infielder available. He can also fill in at third base, as can Ivie and starting shortstop Tejada. As for first base and left field, I wouldn't worry about either of those. Ever. Those are as covered as covered gets.

Starting rotation:

Gaylord Perry
Ed Whitson
Dave Dravecky
Atlee Hammaker
John Montefusco

If you're keeping track at home, that's five All-Star pitchers, one of whom has a pair of Cy Young Awards and a plaque in upstate New York. And once any of them were to get knocked out of a hypothetical game, it would only get worse for the hypothetical opponents.

Bullpen:

Goose Gossage
Rod Beck
Mark Davis
Mark Grant
Mark Thurmond
Tim Worrell
Rich Rodriguez

There's another Hall-of-Famer, which makes a total of three. Rodriguez, Worrell, and Thurmond aren't household names, but they along with Mud Grant would be a formidable bridge to the three-headed closer monster.

So, how's that look to you? Is there anyone on my bench you would have started, or anyone I left "in the minors" who would make your team?

With Chase Headley on the disabled list, the San Diego Padrespromoted infield prospectJace Peterson to the big league roster this weekend. Obviously this gives us no choice but to make Peterson today's Prospect of the Day.

Jace Peterson was drafted by the Padres in the supplemental first round in 2011, from McNeese State University in Louisiana. He was a two-sport player and a fine cornerback in football, but baseball was his ultimate vocation after he hit .335/.449/.473 with 30 steals as a junior. He swiped 51 more with a .286/.378/.392 line in the Low-A Midwest League with Fort Wayne in '12, then followed up with a .303/.386/.454 mark and 42 more steals for Lake Elsinore in the High-A California League in '13.

He was hitting a similarly productive .311/.386/.392 in 18 games for Double-A San Antonio in the Texas League before his promotion this year. His relative rates of production have been solid: 122 wRC+ in '12, 121 in '13, and 138 so far in '14. He's stolen 136 bases in 172 attempts in his career with a composite line of .283/.376/.400.

Listed at 6-0, 205, Peterson is a left-handed hitter born May 9, 1990. He's playing third base for the Padres but almost all of his minor league experience is at shortstop. Although his arm strength and natural range are considered just average at short, his instincts are sound and he should be fine at third base if the Padres choose to play him there. He has almost no experience at second base but his tools would play there as well. Eventually he could fit as a super-utility player, but he wouldn't harm a team at shortstop as long as he lives up to his offensive potential.

Peterson doesn't have a ton of home run power but he's not punchless and can drive pitches to the gaps. He is an adept contact hitter with a good feel for the strike zone, posting virtually even BB/K ratios (175/183 in his career thus far). He can bunt and do the "little ball" things, and while his running speed is just a tick above average, he is a very good baserunner with an excellent career success percentage.

Given his lack of upper-level minor league experience, it would surprise no one if Peterson struggles initially in the majors. However, his tools are solid and his broad base of skills, particularly his combination of on-base ability and stolen base potential, makes him one of the more intriguing infield prospects around. He should wind up with considerable value for both a real team and a fantasy squad.

Today's quiz concerns players who have logged more than one 20-homer season while wearing a Padres uniform. There have been virtually countless others who fit the criteria of both being a Padre at one point and also having multiple seasons with 20 or more blasts, but this isn't about the Dave Kingmans and Mike Piazzas of the world; this is about the... oh, you almost got me! No free answers from me; now that you grasp the concept it's all on your shoulders.

Thirteen guys have done that thing I was just rambling about, and you have four minutes to I.D. as many of them as you can. It's not life or death or even minor disfigurement, but it's worth 240 seconds of your life to rub your seven in your six-getting friend's face.

Obligatory "You probably know the drill and if you don't, welcome" primer: Once you finish the quiz, log your results in the poll below and feel free urged to discuss in the comments section the ones you got and missed. Just use the spoiler bar feature over names.

The recently-extended Padre (with a capital P) becomes a new padre (lower case p).

Darren Smith tweeted the following a short time ago, so we know it's true:

#Padres are placing Jedd Gyorko on the paternity list & recalling Tommy Medica. Gyorko will miss tonight & possibly entire SF series.

— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) April 28, 2014

The Padres broadcast team and San Diego media, I feel, have kinda hammered home the fact that Gyorko and his wife are expecting twin boys. Here he is on Padres Social Hour following the announcement of his contract extension:

When asked how his life will change because of his new contract, he mentions that it'll be nice having security for himself, his wife, and their two boys.

Gyorko's played in every game of the season up to this point, and started in all but one - that makes just seven innings this year that he hasn't played, so he is more than overdue for a little time off to be with his family. In fact, time off might be just what he needs right now. Gyorko hasn't been having the best sophomore season; he's batting just .144 and has an OPS of just .429. He's also made three errors on the year already - half his total from 2013. Having two new Friar Faithful in his life and cheering him on will be great motivation when he returns to the team.

So who will take over his position tonight, and possibly the rest of the series? Alexi Amarista is only other guy on the active roster who has spent time at second base this season, making the start there in the sole game Gyorko didn't start. He is the most probable candidate. Recent call-up Jace Peterson might also be a possibility, though not a very strong one. Even though Peterson has almost no 2B experience, John Sickels thinks his skills would translate to the position.

Tommy Medica, who earned a spot on the 25-man after an outstanding Spring, will probably sit on the bench and be used as a pinch-hitter. He's made 14 appearances (seven starts) this season, accruing four hits and a couple of RBI. Medica was optioned to Triple-A El Paso just a few days ago, but fans will enjoy having him back even if it's only for a day or three, and even if it's just to see his face in the dugout. I'm guessing when Gyorko returns from paternity leave Medica will be sent back down to get some more regular playing time with the Chihuahuas.

Veteran major league infielder Jason Bartlett retired earlier this month. A reader requested a Prospect Retrospective article for Bartlett, so let's review his career.

Jason Bartlett was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 13th round in 2001, from the University of Oklahoma. I saw him play in college and was not impressed with his bat. His glove looked solid enough, but I felt his eye for the strike zone was substandard and I wasn't impressed with his power potential. His college numbers weren't too hot (.282/.336/.411 for the Sooners, which was not very good considering the high-offense context of college baseball at the time). However, he was more effective in pro ball, hitting .300/.371/.408 with 12 steals for Eugene in the Northwest League after signing. I ranked him as a Grade C prospect entering 2002, writing that I was "still not convinced that he'll hit at higher levels" but noting that "his glovework is fine, so if he does hit, he'll advance quickly."

Bartlett began 2001 with Lake Elsinore in the High-A California League, hitting .250/.329/.331. Note the lack of power, but he did steal 24 bases in 29 attempts and played well defensively. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in July for Brian Buchanan, then sent across the country to Fort Myers in the High-A Florida State League, where he hit .262/.341/.352 with 11 steals in 39 games. I had him as a Grade C.

Moved up to Double-A New Britain for 2003, he hit .296/.380/.425 with 31 doubles, eight homers, and 41 stolen bases with a 58/67 BB/K ratio in 548 at-bats. Reports on his defense remained positive and the combination of improved power with the speed raised his stock with me. I rated him as a Grade B- entering 2004.

A wrist injury limited Bartlett to 66 games in 2004 but he performed well in those games, hitting .332/.417/.475 for Triple-A Rochester. He got into eight games with the Twins, going 1-for-12. Defensive reports remained strong and the continually improved hitting with each promotion was very promising. I gave him a Grade B entering 2005, projecting Bartlett as "a .275-.285 hitter, with enough doubles, steals and defense to hold a regular job without trouble".

Bartlett split '05 between Triple-A and the majors, but seized control in '06 with a .309/.366/.383 season for the Twins. He played regularly for the Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and San Diego Padres through 2011 until being dragged down by injuries. His best season was 2009 with the Rays (.320/.389/.490, OPS+ 132, WAR 5.3) but he was a solid regular for several years.

Overall, he hit .270/.336/.366, OPS+ 91, wRC+ 93 in 892 major league games, with 123 steals, posting a 17.0 career WAR, much of the value on defense. His list of Most Similar Players by Sim Score includes Bill Knickerbocker (a solid player from the 1930s), Pat Meares, Charlie Gelbert (another 30s guy), Kurt Stillwell, Bump Wills, Phil Rizzuto, and Dickie Thon. His career WAR value of 17.0 puts him in a similar range with Bud Harrelson (19.1), Danny Richardson (17.8), Tony Kubek (17.8), and David Eckstein (16.7).

Overall, Bartlett had a fine career that exceeded his draft position and early expectations, but was ultimately in keeping with what he showed once he reached Double-A.

Awful Anouncing recently polled their readers on how well or poorly they received all the local TV broadcasters for each MLB team. They employed a system much like that of public schools, using a scale of 0-4 and calculating the average from the voters' ballots to determine each broadcast team's "grade point average."

The polls were broken down division by division to gain the perspective of both fans and rivals for each broadcast team.

[...] we weighted your grades on a four point scale for each broadcast crew and sorted them to determine who your favorite and least favorite broadcast teams were. Each "A" vote received 4 points, 3 points for a "B" vote, down to 0 points for an "F" vote. The total points scored were divided by the total number of votes to calculate what amounts to a GPA for each broadcast booth.

Our own TV broadcast team; consisting of regulars Mark Grant and Dick Enberg as well as occasional fill-in guests Mike Pomeranz, Jesse Agler, Tony Gwynn; was ranked 12th in the league. They were given a 2.46 GPA (C+ average) overall, though most readers gave them a ranking of 3 (or a B). It seems their readers really hold Dick [Enberg] in high esteem and enjoy Mudcat's humor.

One of their readers commented:

"Enberg deserves an A, but I really think Gwynn brings down the broadcasts when he acts as an analyst." -DanielOrmsby

It has always seemed like people outside the Padres fandom, who don't watch games on a regular basis (or at all), automatically think Enberg is a top-notch announcer.

Most of us who do have the privilegeduty task of listening to Enberg on the reg know that isn't an accurate assessment. It's even less accurate than Enberg's play-calling and pronunciation of player names.

Whether it's a product of his age, poor eyesight, or some other factor, it is common knowledge that Enberg isn't the announcer he used to be (AvengingJM had a good example of this over at PadresPublic last year), and isn't one many Padres fans would choose to have in the booth over someone like Andy Masur (*cries*), Matt Vasgersian (come back, Matty V), or even a guy like Mark Neely, who held the position of play-by-play announcer in 2009 and became backup for Enberg in 2010-2011. When Neely was in the booth, some people (myself included) thought of him as slightly bland, but keep in mind we were comparing Neely to Matty V back then, and that is a tough act to follow. Now, I find myself actually yearning for the days when Neely was in the booth and we didn't have someone routinely miscalling plays, mispronouncing names, or getting overly excited for the opposing team. When I see Matty V on MLB Network or hear Neely's voice as I'm watching a college basketball game, I remember the good times.

Now, Enberg has improved a little over the years. His rapport with Grant has gotten better, and sometimes it even seems like he's happy when the Padres are winning and disappointed when other teams do something good. The dickisms remain plentiful, but WG bless the guy, he wears them like a badge. I still look forward to a day when he moves on from the Padres broadcast booth.

As for the other guys in the booth, I don't have too many bad things to say about them. Mark Grant is a treasure and I would be happy with him staying on the broadcast team for years and years to come. Between his pop culture references (that 99% of the time fly completely over the head of Enberg) and comments on fans in the stands, he adds so much color to the booth, whether he's sneaking in "Baba Booey" into the broadcast or singing Van Halen after a home run or just pointing out things that are "some kinda nice". He's also a great follow on social media.

"Say my name!" pic.twitter.com/APfQeBh6mu

— Mark Grant (@Mudcat55) September 30, 2013

Mike Pomeranz isn't my favorite PBP guy, and he has his faults, but I don't think he's terrible. Jesse Agler has been a great addition to the team, despite his arrival pushing Andy Masur out of San Diego. I really enjoy the broadcasts when he fills in for Enberg. He knows what he's talking about and has a great rapport with Grant (and there are times during broadcasts when he kinda sounds like Masur - I noticed this during Spring Training when he called games on the radio - so sometimes it feels like he is still with us).

As for Tony Gwynn, I cannot bring myself to say anything bad about Mr. Padre. Maybe it's just his infectious laugh - I don't know - but I always enjoyed when he used to join the guys in the TV booth and I feel like he adds something special to Padres broadcasts. I'm not sure what DanielOrmsby is thinking, but if it were up to me, Tony the Gwynn would be allowed in the booth any time he wanted. I'll be looking forward to the day when he returns.

Taking all of that into consideration, I would do like most of the Awful Announcing readers and give the Padres TV broadcast team a B. Despite how much I want Enberg out of the booth, I think Mudcat and co. do a great job of picking up the slack.

You may recall FanGraphs doing a similar poll a couple of years ago. On a scale of 1-5, their readers gave the Padres TV booth (for the 2011 season) an average of 3.1 overall, with a 3.4 for charisma (I'm gonna go ahead and give most of that credit to Mark Grant) and a 3.1 for analysis. Seems pretty in line with AA's rankings.

How do you feel about our TV booth? Are you an Enberg lover like Dex or do your sentiments match mine?

Our Padres begin their second series of the year against the Giants tonight at AT&T Park. Opening up the three-game set will be Tyson Ross, who is looking to bounce back after his roughest outing of the season. The right hander was tagged for five earned runs in six innings at Miller Park his last time out. He gave up two home runs to the Brewers. In the start prior to that, however, he was brilliant against the Giants at home. He threw eight innings of scoreless ball, limiting San Francisco to four hits and a walk while collecting nine strikeouts.

The Friars are coming off a series split in D.C., but it didn't come easily. The offense continued to struggle for the most part. And they won't get a break tonight against Madison Bumgarner, who seems to have San Diego's number lately, especially when pitching at home. He's 3-0 with a 3.11 ERA in his last seven starts against the Padres at AT&T Park, registering more than one strikeout per inning pitched against them.

Action gets underway in the Bay at 7:15 tonight.

Padres get plenty of run support from an unlikely source.

There were doubters. When the lineup came out today the twitter grumbling may have been audible. With Jedd Gyorko away on paternity leave, Chase Headley on the DL and, of course, Carlos Quentin nowhere near San Francisco the team trotted out the best lineup it could. Manager Bud Black even made some ploys with right handers Xavier Nady and Tommy Medica inserted into the middle of the order to face the tough lefty Madison Bumgarner and spell Will Venable and Yonder Alonso. Unfortunately there was no room for switch hitting Yasmani Grandal with Rene Rivera scheduled again to catch for Tyson Ross. That would turn out to be a hitting boon rather than a bust. Sports talk radio host Darren Smith even, jokingly, saw it coming:

Prediction: Rene Rivera blasts two homers tonight, justifying the faith this organization has put in him.

— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) April 29, 2014

While not spot on, that was close. Rivera would hit a three run homer and a two run double to set a career high with five RBI in a single game. Others from the scrub brigade would pitch in as well. Tommy Medica got on base 3 times and scored twice. Alexi Amarista scored both times he got on; once via the hit and once via the walk and then drove in Will Venable in the 8th via a fielder's choice. Rookie Jace Peterson, in his second ever start, would go 2 for 4 and steal a base. It also seemed like near everyone got a walk as Bumgarner showed a rare wild streak in this one.

Despite the pretty picture the previous paragraph paints, the Padres did have some problems prevailing. Rivera's double gave the Friars an early lead in the 4th, but it was short-lived as Tyson Ross' own wildness both inside and outside the strike zone resulted in a 3-2 lead for the Giants by the time the inning was over. Rivera's 3 run home run would come in the very next frame, but a Brandon Hicks solo shot would bring San Francisco within one. Both Bumgarner and Ross would wiggle out of other jams that could have made the game an even higher scoring affair. Alex Torres and Nick Vincent helped Ross get out of one in the 6th. After that the Padres bullpen flipped on its now accustomed cruise control with Vincent taking the 7th as well, Joaquin Benoit in the 8th and Huston Street earning his 10th save to coast to a 6-4 victory.

Fabio Martinez no hits for six innings, Jose Dominguez gets a win and the Loons end a 4-game losing streak

Minor League Player of the Day– Fabio Martinez (HiA) - 6 IP, 0 hits, 1 run, 5 walks and 4 strikeouts. Martinez's first start of the year was a 6 inning, no hit outing and he did that again on Monday.  Martinez has walked 23 and struck out 25 in 26 innings this season.

AAA– The Isotopes began their series with the Bees (Angels) with an extra-inning game and pushed across the winning run in the 12th inning defeating Salt Lake 4 - 3.   Henry Sosapitched into the 8th, going 7.1 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts.  The bullpen couldn't hold the one run lead and the game was tied at 3 going into extra innings.  Jose Dominguez was officially activated for this game and he pitched 2 scoreless innings, striking out 4 and he got the win.  Joc Pederson got on base 5 times, going 3 for 4 with 2 walks, he also drove in 2 runs.  Trayvon Robinsonand Chone Figginseach had 2 hits.  Alex Guerrero went 1 for 5.

AA – Rain was the only thing that could slow down the Barons (White Sox) as they scored 4 in the top of 7th to break a 2-2 tie only to see the game suspended after a delay and it will be picked up in the 7th inning on May 26th.  Garrett Gould pitched 4.1 innings, he allowed 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts.  Craig Stem gave up a run in 2 innings.  Pedro Baez came in with one on and one out, he then saw the next four batters get hits, 3 more runs score, his pitching coach ejected and after a strikeout and a walk, the game was delayed and then suspended.  Scott Schebler was 1 for 2.   Erisbel Arruebarrena struck out once in his 0 for 3 game.

HiA – The Quakes began their series against the 66ers (Angels) with an afternoon game and Fabio Martinez held the 66ers hitless for 6 innings.  Inland Empire scored 2 runs in the 8th inning to defeat Rancho Cucamonga 3 - 2. Fabio Martinez hasn't given up many hits this season, 13 in 26 innings but the 23 walks in those innings still puts a lot of runners on base.  Jharel Cotton took the loss as he allowed 2 runs to score that gave the 66ers the lead with one inning to play.  Adam Law saw his 15-game hitting streak end.  Robbie Garvey had 2 hits, Aaron Miller had a hit and drove in 2 runs.

LoA– Great Lakes went on the road and found their offense against the Tin Caps (Padres) as they defeated Fort Wayne 7 - 3. 19 year old Victor Arano started and he pitched 5 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, 3 runs and 6 strikeouts.  James Baune had 4 scoreless innings to get the save.  Kyle Farmer, Paul Hoenecke, Webster Rivas and Justin Chigbogu had 2 hits apiece.  Jacob Scavuzzo, Joey Curletta, Jesmuel Valentin and Dillon Moyer had 1 hit.

Coming up–Red Pattersonstarts for the Isotopes, Chris Andersonwill toe the rubber for the Quakes and Luis Chirinos will take the mound for the Loons.

Minor League Transactions – A: Fabio Martinez assigned to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from Ogden Raptors.  Owen Jones assigned to Ogden Raptors from Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.  Placed 1B Steven Proscia on the temporarily inactive list and activated OF James McDonald from the 7-day disabled list.  LoA: Placed RHP James Campbell on the 7-day disabled list.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA) - suspended game

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

A series win could be in the hands of the Padres tonight if they can pull off another win at AT&T Park. Following last night's series-opening 6-4 victory, they'll look to Eric Stults to help keep them on the right track. Meanwhile, Matt Cain will get the start for San Francisco.

Stults has limited opponents to three runs in 11 1/3 innings over his last two starts. That includes a one-run-allowed six-inning effort against the Giants on April 19th. The only run came from a solo homer, and aside from than that he gave up just two hits. He'll need to execute similarly today to help the Padres snag a win on Giants turf.

And the Friars will need to put up another decent offensive showing like the one they accomplished last night. Fortunately, facing Matt Cain might help them do just that. The right hander hasn't won a game against San Diego at AT&T Park in more than five years. That's seven home starts with an 0-3 record and 4.99 ERA. He did pitch at Petco Park on April 18th, however, and despite not recording a win he was able to keep the Padres at bay, keeping them to just one run on four hits and two walks, while striking out eight batters through seven innings. But he's coming off a start against the Rockies that saw him yield seven runs in six innings of work. Cain has yet to win a game this season.

Tune in at 7:15 tonight to see if our boys can lock down the series victory in game 2.

In what scientists are calling "a sickly display", the Padres fail to produce even the smallest signs of motivation to hit baseballs with those wooden bat-like things they carried today.

With two solo home runs from Angel Pagan and Buster Posey, the Padres were trailing early. What followed was an ugly reminder of San Diego's struggling offensive "Mr. Hyde". The problem with tonight's performance is that there was no "Dr. Jekyll" to be found in our defense.

Eric Stults lasted a measly 2.2 innings, giving up 7 hits (2 of them home runs), 5 earned runs, 2 walks, and only striking out one. Donn Roach tried to relieve Stultsy of his struggle but the Giants still managed to squeeze a run out of him.

Trailing 6-0 in the 5th, the Padres' lineup did nothing to help the stumbling pitching staff. Yusmeiro Petit held the Friars to 3 hits and 0 runs for 6 straight innings. Jean Machi conceded even less after putting down the Pads for the 7th and 8th.

There was a little bit of Positive Juice™ squeezed from the miserable fruit of today. Everth Cabrera and Chris Denorfia provided us with a hit each. While not much in the grand scheme of things, it at least is comforting knowing it's not our entire team that is allergic to consistent hitting.

Cameron Maybin stretched his legs a little today in center field. Having already acknowledged his defensive no-no's that had landed him on the DL twice already, it was good to see him following his own advice that he learned from his mistakes.

"I've got to find a way to take care of my body," he said. "If that's staying off the ground, if that's going feet-first into a catch, a sliding catch, staying away from the balls a little bit more.

Maybin displays caution approaching the wall to make a tough catch. Showing that playing smart and playing assertive are not mutually exclusive.

"I have to do what I have to do to take care of my body so I can play the majority of the season. That's my biggest goal."

Although Maybin went hit-less for the day, it was comforting seeing a smarter player who still retains his aggressiveness that got him the job in the first place.

Denorfia also laid out for a slick grab in left field today, doing his best Venable impression.

Unlike the much-derided Denorfia Dives™ of years past, Norf gets to this one and holds on to it. The way he hops up instantly, sets himself, and throws in one motion should be immortalized in instructional videos.

Defensively, Chris has always been that cliche "gritty" guy. Now he's leading the club with .318 AVG, 9 RBIs, and 5 stolen bases. If ever there was a Padre deserving of the Gritty Scruffy Tuffy title, Denosaur would be the one. But one Deno isn't enough, and now the Friars are left with the inability to sweep the Giants in their stupid pretty stadium.

No runs, three hits, and an error will be tonight's bad taste left in our mouths. Tomorrow lefty Robbie Erlin will front the team; throwing against righty Tim Hudson, and hopefully (definitely) taking the series against these Northern Californian Pumpkins.

Good grief.

The game thread is worth giving a visit for abara's comment alone.

An off day tomorrow is probably exactly what our Padres lineup needs. But they'll have to get through this final game at AT&T Park before that, and it won't be pretty if the offense continues to flounder.

Eric Stults only lasted 2 2/3 innings yesterday, giving up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks to the Giants in the middle game of the series. But all of that didn't matter as his offense failed to put together even a single run to try to battle back. Robbie Erlin hopes for more support tonight as he closes out the series and tries to avoid his fourth loss in as many starts. After winning his first start of the season with a strong one-run six-inning effort, Erlin hasn't been the sharpest on the mound. He's given up 15 runs in 16 innings over his last three starts, bumping up his ERA to a 6.35 on the season. That includes a start against the Giants in San Diego ten days ago (his first and only career appearance against San Francisco), when he surrendered four runs  on three walks while walking three in six innings of work. But, again, the Padres offense didn't help much, providing just eight total runs of support in his four starts this year.

San Diego hitters were particularly hapless last night, failing to come up with even one run and only mustering three hits against Matt Cain's last-minute sub, Yusmeiro Petit. Tim Hudson will try to follow up Petit's strong outing and prevent the Friars from getting that series win. Hudson is 3-1 on the year with a 2.19 ERA and has been a fantastic addition to, and arguably the best starter of, the Giants rotation so far in 2014.  But his sole loss of the year came in San Diego against this Padres team. That said, he still pitched a great game against them, giving up only two runs and walking no one in seven solid innings on the mound. It was, however his second straight losing decision against the Friars. Prior to that he had won five straight decisions, giving him a 5-2 record with a 1.82 ERA in his last nine starts against them.

Hudson will get things started at 7:15 this evening. Tune in to see if the Padres can pull off the win and end up with a .500 road trip and a happy flight back to San Diego for tomorrow's off day.

In a last ditch effort to go .500 for this 10 game road trip, the Padres fall short as the Giants take the series. Here's today's loss, moving forward into May; and how it accurately reflects our previous five failures.

It's the end of the month and in almost a perfect summary of our April, the Padres' bats stayed quiet as the pitching tried desperately to keep the game close. But in our latest 2014 fashion, the Friars are edged out by Giant-headed opponents trailing a single run; going 4-6 in the ten game roadstint we started back on April 21st.

@Brewers L3-4
@Brewers W2-1
@Brewers L2-5
@Nationals W4-3
@Nationals L1-11
@Nationals L0-4
@Nationals W4-2
@Giants W6-4
@Giants L0-6
@Giants L2-3

Tonight it started early, as the Friars gave up runs in the 1st and 2nd inning. It seemed Stults was at a good pace, giving only a lone 1-out hit to Hunter Pence; but Michael Morse would take advantage of this, driving Pence in with a sharp double. Following three-straight Padres ground outs in the 2nd; Brandon Hicks found enough in him to send one deep, putting the Giants up early 2-0.

Cabrera showed off more defensive prowess, proving to everybody that there's no doubt he deserves his spot at short. Consistently turning two, leading the team top 5 in batting, Cabrera has put up some serious April numbers. In fact, he has notched a spot in Padres history. Becoming one of the top 5 performers in the rainy month of April with 33 hits. Other names on this exclusive list are pretty familiar: Adrian Gonzalez with 34 (2007), Ken Caminiti with 37 (1996), and Dave Winfield with 37 (1979).

Cabby adds another two outs to prove his establishment as a defensive staple on the Padres' roster, taking matters into his own hands and turning two to end the 5th.

Our little ninja Alexi Amarista tried his hardest to get us into the game by driving in Cameron Maybin, who reached third on a sweet double and fielder's choice. Although Alexi will never hit for power, he has seemed to pop in every other game to give us a thoughtful little RBI. It's always appreciated, but rarely ever enough.

Amarista squirts one up the middle to put San Diego on the board. Something that, with his limited power, he has been consistent in doing for 8 RBIs in 2014.

Tacking on another run for San Francisco in the 7th, the Giants would push more weight onto the Padres and prove that a 3-0 lead and Tim Hudson are all they needed to pin us down. Hudson had 8.2IP and only gave up 5H, 2ER, 0BB, 6SO, and 1HR. Until Yasmani Grandal's jack in the 9th, Hudson was set to throw a complete game against our boys. But the Giants flinched and hid behind Sergio Romo and cut our rally short.

Grandal crushes a poor little baseball on the Padres' final out; showing that he's packing real power, and that he should have way more than 2 on the season thus far.

Despite throwing for 6 innings, only giving up 8 hits and 3 earned runs. Erlin striking out 5 didn't please the Baseball Gods; and April comes to a crashing close. So where does that leave us for the last 30 days? Let's look at the numbers. Who did we expect to be performing, who busted, and what does this seem to trend for the next month?

Arguably our two club leaders are Cabrera and Denorfia. And whereas Venable is stuck in his standard procedure of struggling all season and breaking out when it doesn't matter, Gyorko has started striking out a lot since his contract extension. Hundley is defying all odds and becoming a reliable bat-off-the-bench. Things are also looking good for the new blood of Cameron Maybin; slipping in three doubles already, and things ended bleak for the old of Chase Headley, who is guaranteed to be on the disabled list for at least the next ten days.

Patterns are revealing Kennedy to be a pleasantly reliable starter. The same goes for ace Andrew Cashner, who has been roughed up his past couple of outings to blur his stats a little. Tyson Ross leads the group in walks, putting almost twice as much as the rest of the pack. And Robbie Erlin and Eric Stults have yet to find their place, giving up the most runs and lasting the least amount of innings.

Despite the rare blowout, we continue to stick to the front of the league in pitching performances; and cruelly towards the very bottom in hitting. This repeatedly explains our flux between one-run games and total shutouts from the opposition. When our team is pitching great; we're not supporting with runs. When our pitchers are being pushed around; our bats look the other way and stay silent like witnessing a mugging in an alley.

If tonight was any indication, we're going to continue to be a very capable group going into May. We have specific problems that warrant specific focus. We have performers; and we have dead weight. At the very least we're not the Diamondbacks right now, who we can look forward to helping us boost out of these funky disorders we've developed.

The Diamondbacks try to bounce back from their worst April in franchise history, kicking off a nine-game road trip against their NL West rivals in San Diego.

What's New?

Another home stand, another losing record for Arizona, as the club went 2-4 against the Phillies and the Rockies. While the home stand started (5-3 win Friday) and ended (5-4 walk-off win in 10 innings Wednesday) well, what remains concerning is the four-game losing streak in between, which saw the Diamondbacks struggle to come up with key hits in close games. It appears that every time the Diamondbacks start to improve upon one problem (ex. starting pitching in the Phillies series), it is seemingly undone the next, or a new problem arises.

Despite Wednesday night's exciting 5-4 walk-off win against the Rockies, it seems quite unlikely that the Diamondbacks will come back and "make history", as catcher Miguel Montero said after his walk-off blast. In fact, it looks harder and harder, with each passing series, to see the Diamondbacks even return to the .500 level this year much less the playoff contention that general manager Kevin Towers promised prior to the season. The Diamondbacks capped off the month of April at 9-22, their worst April mark in Diamondbacks franchise history.

The Padres come into the series after dropping two of three from the Giants as a part of a 4-6 road trip against playoff contenders such as Milwaukee, Washington, and San Francisco. San Diego is returning home to Petco Park, where they have gone 7-6 this season, and have maintained the ninth best team ERA in baseball (while Arizona is dead last) at 3.26. The Padres have won three of their last five home games, and are 13-16 overall, 4.5 games behind the first place Giants and 5 games ahead of last-place Arizona. Despite their pitching exploits, they currently have the league's worst offense (last in runs, 29th in batting average, last in on-base percentage), which is a main reason why they have gone just 6-10 on the road this season.

On The Mend

Diamondbacks right hander and prospect Archie Bradley was placed on the seven-day minor league disabled list with a strained elbow flexor on his right pitching elbow. Bradley, the second best pitching prospect and ninth best overall prospect according to Baseball America, will start a throwing program after two weeks of rest.

Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko was reinstated off of the paternity list Wednesday back onto the major league roster. Gyorko has hit .151 in 2014 with one home run and nine RBIs.

San Diego outfielder Seth Smith is still listed as day-to-day with a groin injury that kept him out of the lineup Tuesday, Smith came in to pinch-hit in the ninth inning Tuesday, and was in the lineup Wednesday, going 0 for 4 in San Diego's 3-2 loss.

Roster Moves

The Diamondbacks optioned outfielder Roger Kieschnick to Triple-A Reno; recall outfielder Ender Inciarte from Triple-A Reno. Kieschnick was acquired April 4th from the San Francisco Giants. Inciarte was unable to join the team Wednesday due to travel issues, but is expected to meet the team in San Diego.

Powerless Padres?

Did someone lock San Diego's bats in the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field? Just kidding.

While the Padres' struggles at Petco Park can be partially explained by the park itself (known as extremely pitcher-friendly since its 2004 inception and alterations in 2006 and 2012), some of the disappointing performances have to be blamed on the players and manager Bud Black. Despite having a lineup that was expected to boast future stars such as Jedd Gyorko, Yonder Alonso, and Yasmani Grandal, the Padres have scored the least amount of runs (77) in the majors and have the worst batting average (.217) in the National League. A lot of it has to do with the trio's production so far in 2014:

• Gyorko: .151/.221/.215 with one home run and nine RBIs in 27 games
• Alonso: .167/.198/.229 with no home runs and five home runs in 28 games
• Grandal: .254/.343/.424 with two home runs and six RBIs in 23 games

Though there is room for turnaround with these young talents, they and the rest of the Padres lineup have had more than their share of struggles at home, where they average just 3.0 runs per game and are hitting .239. They haven't been able to hit the long ball through the ocean layer either, as they rank second-worst in the National League (fourth-worst in the majors) with nine home runs at home this season. The trip could provide relief for a beleaguered Arizona pitching staff that has a 5.20 ERA this season (worst in baseball) and has given up a .271 batting average to hitters this season.

Pitching Matchups

Game 1, Friday 7:10 PT: RHP Bronson Arroyo (1-2, 7.77 ERA) vs. Andrew Cashner (2-3, 2.68 ERA)

Arroyo goes into Friday night's matchup coming off his best outing of the season, where he gave up two runs over 6.1 innings, leaving with a 5-2 lead only to have the bullpen blow it in the eighth inning. The veteran right hander has gone at least five innings in each of his previous two road starts, going 1-1 with a 6.99 ERA outside of Chase Field in 2014. He has had plenty of trouble so far in the season, giving up a .346 batting average to hitters and posting a 1.81 WHIP through the first month of the season. Cashner, who was San Diego's Opening Day starter, opened the season with four consecutive quality starts, including a complete game one hit shutout against Detroit on April 11th. Since then, he has given up four earned runs in each of his last two starts, and he has gone six innings or more in every outing this season. Cashner is 2-0 with a 0.81 ERA at home this season, yielding a batting average of .175 to hitters.

Game 2, Saturday 5:40 PT: RHP Brandon McCarthy (0-5, 5.44 ERA) vs. Ian Kennedy (2-3, 3.16 ERA)

Both pitchers are also coming off their best outings, as McCarthy was left on the short end of a 2-0 loss Sunday after giving up two runs in seven innings and striking out 12 batters, dropping him to 0-5 on the season. McCarthy has gone at least five innings in each of his starts this season, and he has given up three earned runs or less in his last three appearances. He is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in his previous two road starts. Kennedy, a former Diamondback, has had renewed success in his first full season in San Diego, with three or less earned runs in all but one of his starts so far. Kennedy was impressive his last time out, allowing one run in seven innings in a win over the Nationals, throwing 117 pitches to do so. Kennedy has struggled, however, at home this season, going 0-3 with a .500 ERA in three starts.

Game 3, Sunday 1:10 PM PT: LHP Wade Miley (2-3, 5.36 ERA) vs. RHP Tyson Ross (3-3, 3.68 ERA)

Miley had his worst outing in 2014 by far, giving up seven runs in six innings in picking up the loss 8-5 on Monday. The left hander had been consistent all season for Arizona, but has not picked up a win since April 6th, going 0-2 in that stretch. The left hander has been impressive away this season, being 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his three road starts, and is 1-4 with a 4.04 ERA in six career games at Petco. Ross had a great start to 2014, giving up three runs or less in first first four starts, including a eight inning, nine strikeout shutout performance against San Francisco on April 18th. Since then, Ross has given up five and four runs in his last two starts, but got the win Monday against the Giants. Ross had great success against the Diamondbacks last season, being 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA in four appearances (three starts), striking out 20 hitters in 23 innings of work. He is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA at home this season, striking out a staggering 1.15 batters per inning in three starts.

On one hand, the Indians have had a terrible month. On the other hand, it's only the first month of baseball, and look how last year turned out. On the other *other* hand...

Mercifully, there was no game last night, which means I don't have to waste space talking about another game full of defensive blunders and rotation explosions. Instead, here's a (mostly) depression-free news & notes, just like in the offseason! (but not really)

Indians news

Indians are bad, but it's still early | Cleveland.com - Paul Hoynes points out what we've all been saying - the Indians are really bad, but it's still only May... but the Indians are *really* bad. One important thing he points out, though, is just how streaky the team was last year:

The Indians were streaky last year. They went on five losing streaks of five or more games followed by five corresponding good streaks in which they went 22-9, 3-1, 32-16, 9-4 and 21-6.

If last year was any indication of the way Terry Francona's Indians teams will operate, maybe we're in for a hell of a ride again.

Losing streak leads to questions and doubts | Cleveland.com - Terry Pluto is decidedly less optimistic than Hoynes. Unfortunately, I think I'm with him.

Which Tribe stats are sustainable? | Cleveland.com - Though he mixes in discussion of a handful of "idiot stats," Zack Meisel has a pretty good look at some of the Tribe's April numbers that look like outliers. He thinks Santana will come around because he's been able to make adjustments after the first time he sees an opposing pitcher. The defense will probably keep sucking, though.

With Carrasco in the 'pen, choice is between Bauer or Tomlin | Did The Tribe Win Last Night? - Laurel Wilder gives her two cents on the issue, recommending Trevor Bauer to take the spot vacated by Carlos Carrasco. Note that this was written before Tomlin pitched a Maddux in last night's game.

A chance taken leads to success for Tom Hamilton | Indians.com - A last-minute decision to send in a tape landed Hammy the job we've all come to know and love him for.

Native American group wants Nike to stop selling Chief Wahoo | Cleveland.com - In addition to the protest at Nike's headquarters in Oregon, the group has started the Twitter hashtag #dechief to encourage followers. No matter what side you're on, please for the love of god avoid the comments section over there.

Tidbits from around MLB

Worst pitches of April | Fangraphs - A collection of gifs of the worst pitches from the past month. The worst (best?) got a loud, legit LOL from me. Plus, Danny Salazar makes an appearance!

MLB uniform firsts & lasts | Uni Watch (ESPN) - Did you know the Indians were the first team to wear numbers on the back of their jerseys?

Worst possible All-Star ballot | Sports On Earth - Will Leitch undermines the All-Star selection process by picking the worst team possible. Hey look, it's Jason Giambi!

Diamondbacks surprise by being worst team in baseball | CBS Sports - It could be worse. You could be the Arizona fan.

Rare footage of 1919 World Series | Twitter (@buckweaver) - Awesome archive footage from the series made famous by the Black Socks.

Astros sign Sipp | Ultimate Astros - LGFT Tony Sipp is released by the Padres and signed to a minor league deal with Houston.

Ray highlights some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Saturday, including Tanner Roark, Ian Kennedy and Brandon McCarthy.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Saturday's Streamers

Tanner Roark, Nationals vs Phillies

Roark is coming of a complete game shutout of the Padres in his last outing. He is owned in just under 11% of leagues right now, so go out and grab him if you need a pitcher to stream on Saturday. He has given up three runs or less in four of his five starts this season.

Ian Kennedy, Padres vs Diamondbacks

Kennedy is available in roughly 61% of leagues right now, and he gets the Diamondbacks at Petco on Saturday night. He has given up three runs or less in five of his six starts this season, and is 2-3 with a 3.16 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, and is striking out a batter per inning in his 37 innings pitched.

Brandon McCarthy, Diamondbacks vs Padres

I try not to pick two pitchers facing each other,but McCarthy has an excellent match up on Saturday vs the Padres. In his three starts last season vs the Padres, he went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, giving up a base runner per inning.

Weekly Streamer Performance

I will be providing a status of how my picks have performed over the course of the season, and below you can find how my picks fared this week.