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Streamer Report: Streaming Options for Monday

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Ray offers some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Monday, including Bartolo Colon and Tim Stauffer.

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.

Monday's Streamers

Bartolo Colon, Mets vs Phillies

Colon has either been very good or pathetic in his ten starts this season. He has given up six, seven and nine runs in three of his starts, but given up three runs or less in each of his remaining seven starts this season. Colon gets the Phillies on Monday night and he should fare well as the Phillies rank 25th in the league in runs scored thus far.

Tim Stauffer, Padres vs Pirates

Stauffer is looking to rebound from a horrific performance in his last start, where he gave up seven runs on six hits and a walk in a third of an inning vs the Diamondbacks earlier this week. Stauffer gets to face the Pirates who rank 27th in the league in runs scored this season, and he gets to face them at pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

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. Week 10 got off to a bad start with Brandon McCarthy tossing up a dud on Saturday night.

Pitcher

IP

H

ER

BB

K

W/L

ERA

WHIP

Brandon McCarthy

4.33

9

5

1

4

10.39

2.31

Totals

4.33

9

5

1

4

10.39

2.31


Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy advice, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown for all your fantasy baseball and football needs.


2014 Minor League Ball Community Mock Draft: NL West Summary

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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

16) Kyle Schwarber, C-1B, Indiana University
54) Carson Sands, LHP, Florida HS
69) Michael Cederoth, RHP, San Diego State
70) Matt Railey, OF, Florida HS 
89) J.D. Davis, OF, Cal State Fullerton
120) Jake Godfrey, RHP, Illinois HS
SUMMARY: Balanced usage of multiple picks. Schwarber has one of the most advanced bats available and if a fine choice even if he ends up at first base. Cederoth has a huge arm and would be a first-round guy in a class with less pitching. Davis is a two-way guy but scouts want to use him as a first baseman due to his power potential, with pitching the backup option should he fail with the bat. Sands and Railey are high school teammates, Railey intriguing as a power hitter and Sands as a powerful fastball/curve lefty. Godfrey has mid-rotation projection but an LSU commitment to use as leverage. Strong group if the money works.


COLORADO ROCKIES

8) Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt
35) Forrest Wall, 2B, Florida HS
48) Alex Blandino, 2B, Stanford University
82) Trace Loehr, SS, Oregon HS
113) Jace Fry, LHP, Oregon State University
SUMMARY: Beede was controversial in the discussion section on Mock draft day; he has the arm strength to go here, but will he have the command? Maybe the Mock Rockies do a pre-draft deal and save some money to apply to Forrest Wall and Trace Loehr, two of the better prep infield bats on the table this year. Blandino and Fry are successful college guys who can move through a farm system quickly. Positionally, Wall, Blandino, and Loehr could all wind up as second basemen, so there could be a logjam there. Much would ride on if Beede can harness his stuff.


LOS ANGELES DODGERS

22) Luis Ortiz, RHP, California HS
62) Josh Morgan, SS, California HS
98) Connor Joe, C, University of San Diego
129) Jacob Nix, RHP, California HS
SUMMARY: Ortiz has been on and off first-round lists; he has the talent to go in the 20s if teams are convinced that he’s healthy after some bouts of arm trouble this spring. He throws four pitches for strikes and is dominant when right physically. Morgan has unusual power in his 5-11, 180 frame and would need to be bought away from UCLA, but if the money works I like him here. Joe is also intriguing, a former first baseman and power hitter who is still polishing his defense. Good value here if he sticks behind the plate. Nix is very projectable and seems like a Dodgers guy, but presents a signability risk in the fourth round due to another UCLA commitment.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

13) Aaron Nola, RHP, Louisiana State University
51) Jakson Reetz, C, Nebraska HS
86) Gavin LaValley, OF-1B, Oklahoma HS
117) Jordan Foley, RHP, Central Michigan
SUMMARY: I’d have to think that the Padres would be very happy if Nola falls this low in real life. His track record is impeccable and it’s not like he’s throwing 86 MPH or something; he is not a smoke/mirrors pitcher. Reetz and LaValley are interesting five-year development projects, Reetz for his athleticism and potential abilities on both sides of the ball, LaValley for his power potential. Both will take a lot of time. Foley is a strike-throwing college arm that I frankly don’t know much about. He posted a 3.69 ERA with an 89/28 K/BB in 98 innings this year.


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

14) Grant Holmes, RHP, South Carolina HS
52) Jack Flaherty, 3B-RHP, California HS
87) Dylan Davis, OF, Oregon State University
118) James Norwood, RHP, St. Louis University
SUMMARY: Holmes is just a really good pitching prospect all-around and seems to fit the Giants organization well. Flaherty is a two-way guy who is a top prospect as both a hitter and pitcher. I’d probably try him as a hitter first and you can always switch him to the mound later if that doesn’t work. Davis gets press for his strong bat but he would be a prospect as a pitcher, too, given his arm strength. I see him as good value in the third. Norwood is a New York kid who went to college in the Midwest and has developed a mid-90s fastball. I like the balance in this class, with Flaherty’s signability away from North Carolina being the main caution flag.

Poll
Which NL West mock draft do you like best?

  36 votes |Results

White Sox 4, Padres 1: Chris Sale doesn't need a pitch limit

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Paul Konerko drives in three of four runs in support of ultra-efficient complete game

Chris Sale was supposed to start on Monday against Clayton Kershaw, but a rain-shortened start on Tuesday and an off-day on Thursday prompted the Sox to get him back on the mound earlier.

It proved to be a smart choice. The mustachioed Sale whisked through the San Diego lineup, throwing a complete game on 100 pitches and facing just one batter over the minimum. Thanks to his effort, the Sox locked in a winning homestand (6-4) and head back on the road a .500 team.

Sale looked like he had no-hit stuff early on, picking up after his three no-hit innings against theIndians and retiring the first 12 Padres he faced. Chase Headley spoiled the perfect game, no-hitter and shutout on one swing, hammering a 2-1 fastball deep into the seats in left field to tie the game at 1.

Tommy Medica followed with a single through the right side to knock Sale out of the windup for the first time. Sale spent six whole pitches in the stretch, inducing a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Jedd Gyorko. He struck out Yonder Alonso to end the fifth, and finished the game retiring the next 14 batters. His 100th and final pitch was a fastball that froze Everth Cabrera.

His finale line: 9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. They'll take that.

The Sox didn't need every bit of Sale's effort, but he made the afternoon a lot more comfortable than four runs of offense usually allows. Sox hitters didn't take a lot of convincing swings against Eric Stults, who frustrated them by owning the low outside corner.

That said, he did drift over the plate with a few times with his soft stuff, and the Sox made him pay. Paul Konerko put the first run on the board in the second by hitting a knee-high, 89-mph fastball into the White Sox bullpen to give the Sox a 1-0 lead in the second.

After the Headley homer, Tyler Flowers answered in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot of his own, one-handing a 69-mph curveball just over the fence in left for a 2-1 lead. An inning later, Stults tried one more lollipop curve with two on and two outs, and Konerko lined it over the third baseman's head for a two-run double.

That was the Sox' lone hit with runners in scoring position ... out of three whole chances. The Sox only had eight baserunners total, but that's four times better than what the Padres could do against Sale.

Bullet points:

*At two hours and eight minutes, this might be the fastest game the White Sox play all year.

*The Sox totaled just 15 hits over the three-game series, but at least they figured out the extra-base hit button. They smacked two homers and two doubles today, after mustering just a single double in each of the first two games.

*Marcus Semien was optioned to Charlotte after the game, opening a spot for Jose Abreu. So the White Sox are back to carrying three first basemen just as they head to a National League park.

Record: 29-29 | Box score | Play-by-play | Highlights

San Diego 1, Chicago 4; White Sox Turn Tables

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The Padres get a taste of their own medicine today and drop the final game of the series and first game of the month.

Today the Padres faced a Chicago arrangement that was a bit more geared up for victory. Chris Sale and the White Sox pinned the Friars' previously consistent offense down and kept them down for the day. There was little Eric Stults and his team could do after allowing four runs to one.

Scoring started in the bottom of the second, with Paul Konerko popping a solo homerun. It wouldn't be until the fifth inning that Chase Headley would answer with a solo dinger of his own; giving San Diego its only run for the day, as the dirty Sox would pile on three more runs with another homerun and two-run RBI double.

Headleyblast_medium
Headley puts some serious hurt on the ball for his fifth home run on the season.

Sale, who has been a fairly strong pitching opponent for every team he has faced, kept us to two hits and one run for a complete game. Headley's home run and a following single from Tommy Medica in the fifth were those hits.

Today's loss puts at an even 5-5 for the last ten games played. Our road record starts to pile against us; but tomorrow we return home with Tim Stauffer attempting to redeem his last abysmal start and even up our home record as well. The mystery remains for who will start the following Tuesday.

In other injured news; Cameron Maybin stayed out of today's game to nurse his strained right calf.

Roll Call Info
Total comments77
Total commenters13
Commenter listDarklighter, Friar Fever, Jay Stokes, Jonathan Holmes, Jonny Dub, TheThinGwynn, Zen Blade, abara, chris.callahan.7777, daveysapien, hashtagtroll, jbox, walkoff59
Story URLs

Eleven in the morning was a little too early for San Diegans, but Darklighter and his adorable puppy showed up to support the Pads with tons and tons of recs.

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25 years ago today, I officially became a Padres fan

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I had already been a fan of the Padres since September of 1988, but it wasn't until the next summer that I realized it. When I showed up to kindergarten that September, a kid in my class happened to be the nephew of one John Kruk. Since that was a big deal in a jerkwater one-horse town, I became a fan of Kruk, his team, and the sport of baseball in one fell swoop.

I spent most of the offseason between the 1988 and '89 seasons hanging out at the library my mom worked at, reading anything about baseball I could get my hands on. I got in trouble in class repeatedly for reading about baseball when we were supposed to be learning about letters, something that strikes me as beyond ridiculous to this day. Looking back on that now, I think that's where a lot of the defiance in my life stems from; I was appalled that authority figures were more concerned with the appearance of order than they were with actual progress.

Right as that first year of school was wrapping up, the Padres traded the player who made me care about them in the first place. A quarter-century ago to this day, they sent Kruk and his best friend on the team, Randy Ready, to Philadelphia for Chris James. Although I wouldn't have known the San Diego Padres from the San Capistrano Swallows if not for him, the strangest thing happened: I kept on loving the team. I didn't know it until he was sent packing that I had become an actual Padres fan, not just a fan of the team John Kruk was playing for.

Kruk blossomed into an All-Star in Philadelphia and I rooted for the Phillies as a secondary team while he was there, but never at San Diego's expense. I even had a Phillies hat and a Phillies shirt that I had turned into a shirtsey with fabric paint since shirtseys weren't a thing that had been invented yet, but those took a backseat to my trusty Padres hat and homemade Padres shirts I wore as I threw myself ground balls off a brick wall for hours on end. After the Phillies let him walk following the 1994 season, they became dead to me since I never really cared about them in the first place. I'm just grateful I found out about Kruk when I did, not a year later. Then I would have been baptized into baseball as a Phillies fan, developed a weird fascination with Mickey Morandini, and ended up posting over at The Good Phight as TriumphantTommyGreene or something. I think everything turned out just the way it was supposed to.

MLB trade deadline: San Diego Padres preview

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The Padres aren't completely out of it yet, but they are 11 games back in the West on June 1.

The Padres have put together just one winning season since 2008. They typically appear in the bottom third of payroll rankings and the NL West is a tough, but general manager Josh Byrnes won't win many fans over on that criteria alone. He has added some promising minor leaguers to the club since taking over as GM in October 2011 -- like Max Fried and Hunter Renfroe -- however, the better part of the club's top prospects are leftovers from Cubs GM Jed Hoyer's last draft in June 2011. Byrnes was with the team for that draft as VP of Baseball Operations, so he deserves some credit, but the team's back-to-back 76-86 finishes speak louder than the promise of minor leaguers.

San Diego can still make something of the 2014 season. They're only five games below .500, and despite trailing the MLB-best San Francisco Giants by 11 games, they could climb back into the Wild Card race with a modest hot streak.

Are the Padres buyers or sellers? SELLERS

On the other hand, the three teams ahead of them in the West appear to be in a much better position to compete this season. The Giants are dominating right now, the Dodgers have what might the most talented roster in baseball, and the Rockies have a healthy Troy Tulowitzki mashing like a pre-downfall Alex Rodriguez.

The Padres have a young core and several of their top prospects will arrive over the next few years, so 2014 probably won't be their best opportunity to compete in the 2010s.

Which players could be moved?

Ian Kennedy

73⅔ IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 2.78 FIP, 2.92 xFIP

Kennedy will be a free agent after the year and the chance that'd he'd accept a qualifying offer is far too high for the Padres to extend the offer. It'd be nice to get a draft pick in return for Kennedy's strong performance this year, but they seem better served to trade him while they can. Kennedy might appreciate that as well, since being traded would remove the qualifying offer from his list of things to worry about. He might not be a prime candidate for it considering his inconsistent performance in the past, so the Padres could look to secure a return on the trade market in July.

Trade Likelihood: High

★★★

173055464.0_mediumRob Carr, Getty Images

Huston Street

22 IP, 1.23 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 3.02 FIP, 2.96 xFIP

Street is pitching well this year, and if he can stay healthy -- which has been a notable problem throughout his career -- he could net the Padres a decent player or two as a trade chip. Most of the teams in contention right now have their closers in place, but teams that have had bullpen issues -- like the Tigers and Blue Jays -- could benefit from adding a proven late-innings arm like Street.

Trade Likelihood: High

★★★

Carlos Quentin

.313/.436/.531, 39 PA, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .426 wOBA, 178 wRC+

Quentin's contract is an obstacle that could keep him in San Diego for another year or two. He'll earn $9.5 million this season, $8 million next year, and has a mutual option worth $10 million in his deal for 2016. That's a pretty big commitment for a guy who hasn't played in more than 131 games in a single season during his nine-year career, and hasn't topped 500 plate appearances since 2010.

Trade Likelihood: Low

★★★

Seth Smith

.309/.414/.553, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 1 SB, .418 wOBA, 173 wRC+

Smith stats look great, and that might be enough to get another team to send a talented player to San Diego for him, but he's been the explicit beneficiary of a platoon so far this season. He has just 20 plate appearances against left handed pitching this year. That's only 11 more than pitcher Tyson Ross has had against southpaws, so Smith's numbers are definitely skewed to some extent. In any event, he's crushing righties this year, and that's worth something. He'll be a free agent after the season and he won't be a likely candidate for the qualifying offer, so the Padres might as well move him for a long-term piece if they're out of the chase by the end of July.

Trade Likelihood: High

★★★

Quiz: Padres top draft picks

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Since it's the week of the draft and everyone seems to be all excited about that, I thought I'd put together a quiz that fit the theme. What follows is the Padres' top pick each year since they came into existence in 1969. There have been several drafts when the team had numerous first-round picks, and a couple others in which their first pick came in the second round. All this quiz asks for is the club's first overall pick each year, regardless of all that. Exactly one-third of the 45 top picks have never reached the majors; of course, there's still a chance for some of the more recent ones. Those 15 players are denoted with an asterisk.

Normal quiz rules apply; all you need is last names, and there's no penalty for guessing. Once you're done, mark your score in the poll below and be sure to use spoiler bars when discussing answers in your comments.

Poll
How many did you get?

  33 votes |Results

Virginia Tech Baseball: Hokie Alum Jesse Hahn To Make Major League Debut

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Hahn becomes the first Hokie to make his MLB debut since 2009.

After a terrific showing at spring training, it's no real surprise that fireballing right-hander Jesse Hahn is getting called up for the San Diego Padres.

As a senior at Tech, Hahn pitched 40 innings posting a record of 5-1 with 65 strikeouts to just six walks. He threw a no-hitter and three one-hitter's.

Hahn was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays and was signed by the club before undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Dr. James Andrews went under the hood and cleaned things up, but Jesse missed the entire 2011 season.

The right-hander made his professional debut in 2012 for the Hudson Valley Renegades where he made 14 starts and finished with a 2-2 record. Hahn struck out 55 and walked just 15 in 52 innings. He hit his stride in August when he was named New York-Penn League pitcher of the week the final two weeks of the month.

In 2013, Hahn pitched mostly for single-A Charlotte in the Rays organization. He was named a mid-season All-Star in the Florida State League and allowed just 16 earned runs in 20 starts.

In January, Hahn was part of a seven-player trade centered around utility-man Logan Forsythe, which brought Hahn to San Diego where he did enough to earn an invite to spring training. He turned heads when he didn't allow a run in 8.2 innings before being optioned to AA.

In 32.2 innings for San Antonio, Hahn struck out 28 batters. Hahn is scheduled to start for the Padres (26-31) Tuesday at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates (26-30). This match-up should be to his advantage due to the Pirates batting order being heavy with righthanded hitters, particularly through the middle of the order.

The big question with Hahn has always been his health. When his arm is right, he throws an outstanding fastball that tops out around 100 MPH with movement. Clearly, Hahn is another in a surprisingly long line of players to make a full recovery after getting Tommy John Surgery.

If he manages to stick at the major league level, Hahn will be the first Hokie to hold down a spot in a starting rotation since Joe Saunders enjoyed extended success with both the Arizona Diamondbacks and California (Anaheim) Angels.

Hahn will become the first Hokie to debut in MLB since catcher Wyatt Toregas broke in with the Cleveland Indians in 2009. But this trend of Hokies arriving in the majors may not be over yet as Austin Wates (Astros) has been making noise in AAA.

We'll have more on Hammerin' Hokies alumni this summer as they make progress throughout their respective teams' systems.


Marlins sign Kevin Gregg to minor league deal

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The nearly 36-year-old reliever will return to the club that he once closed for back in the late-2000's.

The Miami Marlins will reportedly sign 35-year-old reliever (he turns 36 in a few weeks) Kevin Gregg, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The contract, which is a minor league deal, is pending a physical. Gregg was the Marlins' closer back in their "Florida" days, racking up 61 saves and a 125 ERA+ in 146 games from 2007-2008.

The Marlins plan to send Gregg to the minors for "eight or nine days" to stretch him out. He may be back in the big leagues as early as next week.

Gregg surprised many last year when he signed on as the Cubs' closer after two dismal years with Baltimore, and proceeded to post a 3.48 ERA (113 ERA+) with 33 saves in 62 innings. Gregg has pitched for seven organizations since being drafted by the Athletics in the 15th round of the 1996 draft. SInce earning his first closing gig in 2007, Gregg has recorded 176 saves, which is ninth among big league relievers during that span. Despite being subjected to some bad luck early in his career, Gregg has consistently outperformed his FIP. The last time his FIP was lower than his ERA was in 2006.

Gregg should fill in as a middle reliever with the Marlins, alongside Bryan Morris, who was acquired yesterday in exchange for Miami's competitive balance round A selection in Thursday's draft, which will be at 39th overall. As Rosenthal reports, the Marlin's goal in that deal appears to have been to clear cash (the draft slot is worth $1.4 million) so that the club could add another reliever, which turned out to be Gregg. The Marlins are 28-28, but still appear to be long shots to make the postseason, making this recent set of moves rather curious. It's tough to justify giving up a highly valuable draft pick just to add two middling relievers to a probable below-.500 squad.

06/02 Padres Preview: Game 58 vs. Pirates

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Our Padres couldn't complete the sweep in Chicago. Tonight they return to Petco Park to begin a series against the Pirates. With Andrew Cashner and Robbie Erlin both still out of commission, they'll once again turn to Tim Stauffer, who looks to rebound from probably the worst outing of his career.

Stauffer only recorded one out in his last start while being credited with seven runs, causing his ERA for the season to go from 1.90 to 4.50. It was just his second start of the year, but 14th overall appearance. His first start went much better. He kept the Cubs to only two hits and a walk in five scoreless innings, striking out five along the way. Prior to that he had been used only out of the bullpen.

Opposing Stauff will be Charlie Morton, who is 2-0 all-time against San Diego. He's posted a 1.33 ERA in three career starts against them, the most recent of which was last September. He gave up one run and struck out nine in eight innings, but the Pirates went on to lose 3-2. Morton is still seeking his first road win of the year. In five prior starts on the road, he's gone 0-4 while totaling 30 2/3 innings.

Our Friars lost two of three in their last series against the Bucs but are overall 22-6 in their last 28 matchups with Pittsburgh. Tune in at 7:10 PDT to see if they can improve on that record and get this homestand started on a good note.

Padres 3, Pirates 10. Friars start first June homestand with a loss

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Coming off a series win in Chicago, the Padres hoped to capitalize against a team that had been a favorable opponent in the recent years. However, the Pirates came ready to meet the challenge this time.

Tim Stauffer, coming off one of the worst starts in Padres history, looked on the right track to start the game. In the first two innings he faced just seven batters and struck out three of them. The Padres offense also start the game with a couple of baserunners. Both both sides of the ball would get worse before they got better.

The hitters would strikeout seven times in the first 4 innings and leave men on on base in multiples times. Tim Stauffer would give up a leadoff homerun in the 3rd inning to Jordy Mercer and would seemingly be rattled by it. He would strike out the pitcher but then let 3 straight hitters get on base. Things were unraveling. A couching visit to the mound helped result in an out, but it was a sacrifice fly to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. One walk later and Bud Black felt he had to make a move. For the second straight start Tim Stauffer was taken out early. Not nearly as early as the previous start as this time the manager had a quick hook. Something Black is not known for in his career. Alex Torres came in to face lefty slugger Pedro Alvarez and strike him out.

Torres would stay in the ball game, perhaps getting a chance to show that he can be a long man in the pen with Troy Patton a new option as a LOOGY. Torres would be forced to bat in the bottom of the 3rd and become one of those aforementioned strikeout victims. When he returned to the mound it was quickly found out that the strikeout of Alvarez did not foretell good things to come. He would hit Starling Marte, who swiped 2B thereafter, and give up an RBI single to pesky Jordy Mercer to make it 3-0. A sacrifice bunt followed by another single and another hit batsman and Torres was in another jam. This time to defending NL MVP Andrew McCutchen. The game seemed about to blow up, but again the Padres escaped the big inning when, by the power of the mighty Kouz, McCutchen grounded into a double play.

The score remained the same for the rest of the first half of the game with Charlie Morton struggling with control but keeping the Padres hitless and scoreless and Torres and Kevin Quackenbush combining to hold the Buccos at bay. However, in the bottom of the 5th the Padres bats were heard. Alexi Amarista worked the count in his favor and hit a 3-1 pitch past a diving second baseman for a single. He would score on a gapper Everth Cabrera. Cabby would quickly come around on a single up the middle by Seth Smith. With no outs, the Padres seemed primed to keep the rally going. They even loaded the bases, but with 2 outs already recorded by the that point a Tommy Medica pinch hit strikeout ended the inning with only 2 runs across.

The Pirates would immediately tack on an insurance run in the 6th off Dale Thayer. Once again they seemed ready to break the game open. 3 singles and a walk led to the run and a bases loaded situation. However, Dale Thayer would strike out Russell Martin to keep the game close. The Pirates still would not keep quiet though. In the 7th Nick Vincent would be the 4th Padres pitcher to give up a run when Josh Harrison got a bases loaded single to make it a 5-2 game. Then a double by Neil Walker finally blew the game open. Vincent would get pulled with the Pirates up 7-2.

The scoring would not quite end for either team. After the stretch the Padres would score a run on two walks and an RBI groundout. The Pirates would pick up three more in the 8th to reach double digits. Blowouts often will drag, but this one drone on especially long as lots of walks, deep counts and hit batsman push the game past the 3 and a half hour mark before the 8th inning even started. This jet lagged game recapper did not appreciate this development. Mercifully the game would eventually end.

Prospect Note: Jesse Hahn, RHP, San Diego Padres

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The San Diego Padres will send rookie right-hander Jesse Hahnto the mound today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Here's the scoop on Hahn.

Hahn was a college pitcher at Virginia Tech. He had erratic freshman and sophomore seasons, but took a large step forward as a junior in 2010, posting a 3.70 ERA with a 76/20 K/BB in 73 innings. That may sound just OK but he was showing a blistering fastball and greatly improved control. Projected as a first-rounder, he hurt his elbow two days before the draft and fell to the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth round, where they drafted him knowing he would need Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 2011 on rehab.

He returned in 2012 with a 2.77 ERA and a 55/15 K/BB in 52 innings for Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League. He made 19 starts for High-A Charlotte in the Florida State League in '13 with a 63/18 K/BB in 67 innings, then was traded to the Padres this past winter. In '14 he has a 2.20 ERA in 32 innings with Double-A San Antonio, a 28/11 K/BB, and a 2.25 GO/AO.

Born July 30, 1989, the 6-5, 190 pound right-hander shows a low-to-mid-90s sinker, a big-breaking power curveball, and a decent changeup. He's come a long way with his command compared to his early days in college, and when he's right he looks like a number three starter, sometimes (at his very best) even more than that. Durability is his main concern: dating back to college, he's never thrown more than 73 innings in a season. The Rays kept him on a pretty short leash and the Padres haven't pushed him much either: he's thrown five innings only once this year.

Keys to watch for his debut: does he command his breaking ball against big league hitters? Does he tire easily or lose velocity as the game progresses? There's no real question about Hahn's stuff, but we need to see what kind of workload he can bear.

Quiz: Padres general managers

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Yo, here's a quiz. There's no significance to it and it's self-explanatory, so I'll let you get right to it.

Oh, and don't forget the poll and the use of spoiler bars in comments. But you already knew that.

Poll
How many did you get?

  45 votes |Results

06/03 Padres Preview: Game 59 vs. Pirates

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The homestand began with a loss last night in what ended up being the longest game ever played at home in Padres history. Tonight our Friars will try to even up the series behind the young right-hander Jesse Hahn, who came over along with Alex Torres in the seven-player trade with the Rays.

Hahn will be making his major league debut tonight, following a night in which we saw one of the worst overall pitching performances by a Padres staff this season. They had to throw 249 pitches to get through the nine innings, also another franchise record. Hahn went 2-1 in ten outings (seven starts) with Double-A San Antonio this season, posting a 2.20 ERA.

Gerrit Cole will get the all for Pittsburgh and hopes to get the same kind of run support his fellow Bucs pitchers got last night. Cole threw a season-low 88 pitches his last time out, getting his second win in three tries by keeping the Dodgers to three runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. The righty went 1-1 in two starts against San Diego last season. He gave up a total of three runs in 12 innings.

See Hahn take the mound in his first ML appearance tonight at 7:10 PDT.

Former MLB OF Jason Lane promoted by Padres as LHP

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Lane hit 26 home runs for the Astros as an outfielder in 2005 but was out of the majors two years later. Now, he's back in the big leagues as a pitcher.

The Padres purchased the contract of 37-year-old left-hander Jason Lane on Tuesday, the team announced via Twitter. The transaction is noteworthy because it will be the first time Lane has been in the majors since appearing as an outfielder in 2007.

Lane decided to attempt a comeback as a pitcher in 2012 after failing to crack the Blue Jays' big league roster in 2010 and 2011. He signed with the Diamondbacks as a non-roster invitee that season and wound up in independent ball before being picked up by the Padres in 2013. Lane posted a 5.24 ERA with 33 strikeouts and only six walks in 46⅓ innings for Triple-A Tucson last season. He has lowered his ERA by almost a run in 64 innings spanning 11 starts this year despite regressing in the strikeouts and walk departments.

As a 28-year-old with the Astros in 2005, Lane enjoyed a career year, slugging 26 home runs in 561 plate appearances for the National League champions. He never again matched that production or amount of playing time in the big leagues and hit just .175/.254/.345 in what was his final season until now.

San Diego also recalled right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn to fill the other spot vacated by the demotion of reliever Donn Roach and the placement of starter Eric Stults onto the bereavement list.


Jason Lane returns to majors; Former OF makes MLB pitching debut

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In the latest development of a Disney-ish tale, Jason Lane made his return to the major leagues today, this time as a pitcher. The last time Lane saw time in the majors, he was an outfielder with the 2007 Padres team.

Lane got the call earlier in the day and didn't take long to make his official return to action. He entered the game in relief of Jesse Hahn -- who was making his major league debut -- with two outs and two on in the fourth inning, and struck out Neil Walker to end the inning. Lane came back out for the fifth inning and put the Pirates down in order. The sixth inning brought more of the same, and Lane even made a good play on a ball hit up the middle by Travis Snider.

Bud Black let Lane hit for himself to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, but he flew out to right. That's an extra value he brings to the club; with most pitchers a manager would have had to burn two players in that situation.

Even though he didn't get on base, Lane made Black look smart for keeping him in by retiring the side yet again in the top of the seventh inning. In case you weren't keeping track, that's ten up, ten down.

He was lifted for pinch hitter Carlos Quentin in the eighth inning and took a seat on the bench with a career WHIP and ERA of 0.00.

Pirates 4, Padres 1: Hahn Stung By Long Ball In Debut

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Jesse Hahn's major league debut was a bit of a mixed bag. The 24-year old cruised through the first two innings, striking out 4 while only allowing a single. After that, his control started to suffer. He gave up a two-run homer to Neil Walker in the third inning, and Pedro Alvarez hit Hahn for another two-run shot in the fourth. A pair of singles later, and Bud Black had seen enough. Hahn hit the showers, and Jason Lane entered a major league baseball game for the first time in seven years. The last time Lane did that was as a center fielder in that game we don't like to talk about. The (37-year old) comeback kid retired 10 in a row.

And that's really about all the positive things there are to say about this game. The offense struck out 11 times, and 5 of those strikeouts were looking. The lineup's lone bright spot came in the sixth, when Chase Headley, Seth Smith, and Yonder Alonso hit three singles in a row to plate a solitary run.

Fingers crossed the offense does something more behind Ian Kennedy tomorrow. We've got some afternoon baseball, so remember to turn the game on at 3:40 PM.

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Tonoxtono led the comments, with Friar Fever, Jodes, and TheThinGwynn each picking up a pair of recs.

Hokies Baseball: Jesse Hahn Roughed Up In MLB Debut

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Despite the loss, it's not all bad news for the right-hander.

There were bright spots for rookie Jesse Hahn in his major league debut for the San Diego Padres, but the Pittsburgh hitters capitalized on his mistakes.

The Hokie alumnus lasted 3.2 innings against Pittsburgh striking out 5, but giving up 6 hits, 4 runs and 2 walks on 79 pitches. Things got away from Hahn late in his outing to leave him with a loss, but it wasn't without highlights.


Hahn was perfect in the first inning and struck out reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen to finish the inning. He struck out two in the second inning before getting into trouble in the third. After allowing Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole to get on base, second baseman Neil Walker bashed a two run homer to center field giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead.

The trouble continued in the fourth when third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit another two-run homer to push the Pirate lead to 4-0.

The 24-year-old Hahn laid down a sacrifice bunt in his only at bat and hit mid-nineties on his fastball—proving the scouting report I referenced in my piece the other day was overly generous with speed, or the scout had a fast gun that day.

Still, there were moments to be savored for the rookie making an emergency start due to injury for the Padres.


Jesse will likely return to the minors for more seasoning after his debut, but he certainly flashed enough to potential to get a look later in the season. If nothing else, look for him to rejoin the Padres when rosters expand  to 40 players at the beginning of September.

The most innings he has thrown at the professional level prior to this year was 67 just last year. Having thrown more than that at VT, he is probably game to toss 120-130 innings this year. The Padres would likely be hesitant to double his workload completely in one year, though no one can tell exactly how many simulated games he threw in his rehab last year. It would be our guess that Hahn isn't completely free of inning micro-management and able to pitch a full 32 game slate at the major league level until 2016, given his injury history. And again, he might wind up being a dominant setup man or closer. But with three plus offerings (fastball, curve, change-up) when healthy, the Padres owe it to Hahn and themselves to give it a look from a starter's vantage point.

Last night we saw both the good and the bad. The make-up was not there when he was faced with baserunners, and  he didn't trust himself to pitch to contact which led to nibbling around the corners and the walks, which he keeps under very good control (less than 3 per 9 innings in the minors, good for a power pitcher coming off elbow surgery) and pitched poorly out of the stretch. He looked great out of the windup though, and was embarrassing guys with a 12-to-6 curve that buckled LH and RH hitters alike.

Interestingly enough, fellow Hokie alum Joe Saunders returned from injury for the Texas Rangers and pitched six strong innings against the Baltimore Orioles. Saunders scattered 10 hits but allowed just two runs before giving way to shaky relief pitching that saw the O's win 8-3.

Two Hokie starters in one historic night! Hopefully they line up again once or twice more before Hahn goes back down. We'll be following closely here at Gobbler Country.

06/04 Padres Preview: Game 60 vs. Pirates

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Our Padres look to salvage a win as they close out their series against the Pirates this afternoon and try to put an end to Pittsburgh's three-game winning streak.

Ian Kennedy gets the start for San Diego and he hopes the Padres offense will provide him a little more support than his fellow pitchers have gotten lately. During their current three-game losing streak they've combined for just five runs while hitting .122 and striking out 31 times. Fortunately Kennedy has been quite effective lately. Over his last two starts, he's kept opponent to only two earned runs on six hits while compiling 15 strikeouts in 12 innings of work.

He will be facing Francisco Liriano in today's series finale. Liriano is coming off his first victory of the season after going winless in his first 11 starts. Last Friday he pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings, striking out eight batters. In five road starts, Liriano has posted a 2.70 ERA, but he has only received five runs of support in those outings. He pitched his only career game at Petco Park last August, earning the win by throwing seven scoreless frames and collecting 13 strikeouts.

Tune in at 3:40 PDT this afternoon to see if our Padres can avoid the sweep and go into their off day tomorrow with a win.

Padres 3, Pirates 2: Who Needs Offense?

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The Padres only picked up a single hit, but that was all they needed to secure the win.

The Padres only had a single hit today, and it didn't even get out of the infield. If that was all you knew, you'd rightfully assume the Pirates won, serving San Diego their first three-game sweep of the season. So how in the world did our boys win this? Well, Pittsburgh served up the game on a silver platter. While only Everth Cabrera got on base the old fashioned way, Bucs pitching served up 9 walks and a bean ball, with the defense tossing in an error for good measure. Conversely, Ian Kennedy and the Padres bullpen allowed a combined 7 hits, but only gave up one free pass.

Chris Denorfia got things started for the friars, drawing a leadoff walk and stealing second shortly after. That's when Cabrera picked up the lone hit of the game, sending Deno to third on a well placed bunt. Carlos Quentin brought the first run home with a sacrifice fly. Chase Headley followed by taking one for the team, bringing up Tommy Medica with one out. Medica grounded into what should have been a simple double play, but a throwing error by second baseman Josh Harrison let the sexy rookie reach safely. More importantly, it gave Cabrera the opportunity to score.

The Pirates narrowed the gap in the top of the fourth, as reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen knocked a leadoff home run to left field. Kennedy retired the side after that, and that's when the weird baseball really started. Medica drew a walk to start the bottom of the fourth, and stayed put as Cameron Maybin struck out. Tommy moved to second on Rene Rivera's ground out, but with two out and Jace Peterson up, the chances of the Padres plating another run were low. But Francisco Liriano wanted to face Kennedy instead, so Peterson got a free base. Kennedy proved to be a more difficult out than Liriano planned for, drawing a walk on 6 pitches to load the bases. That brought Denorfia to the plate for the second time, and he took his second free bag of the afternoon while picking up an RBI as a bonus. A single from Jordy Mercer and a double from Harrison in the very next inning would bring Pittsburgh back within one, but that was all the Pirates could muster. The box score looks weird, but all that matters is putting another tick in the W column.

The Padres get a day off tomorrow. Hopefully they can get their bats in order to give Tyson Ross some run support against the Nationals on Friday. First pitch at 7:10 PM.

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