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Trade rumors: Marlins working hard to trade Ricky Nolasco before start

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The Miami Marlins are trying hard to trade right-hander Ricky Nolasco before his start tonight in Atlanta, a source has confirmed to MLBDailyDish's Chris Cotillo.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres remain among the favorites to acquire the 30-year old due to their location on the west coast. The Texas Rangers are still involved in talks, and the Colorado Rockies seem like an unlikely destination at this point.

Nolasco's camp is also "really pushing to get the deal done before tonight's start", Cotillo has learned.

As ESPN's Buster Olney reports, Miami has "adjusted their asking price" in recent days in an effort to move Nolasco as soon as possible. The key factor in a potential deal is how much of Nolasco's salary the acquiring team will take on, and another source has indicated that the Dodgers would be willing to pay off most (if not all) of Nolasco's salary for the remainder of the year.

The Marlins are also looking to acquire a pair of prospects for Nolasco, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, and are likely looking to find the perfect balance between salary relief and prospect value.

The Rangers, Rockies, and Dodgers were in "heavy pursuit" of Nolasco as of last night, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Colorado has fallen back in the race a bit due to their unwillingness to absorb Nolasco's salary relief, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman, and the Rangers have lost ground due to the Marlins attempt to place Nolasco on the west coast, where he grew up.

The Dodgers, who caused a stir by placing newly-acquired reliever Carlos Marmol on outright waivers this morning to clear a 40-man roster spot (according to MLB Network's Peter Gammons), have long been considered the favorite to acquire Nolasco.

More from MLB Daily Dish:

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Minor League Ball Gameday, July 4

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Good afternoon prospect watchers, and Happy Independence Day.

***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday thread.

***Watching the Brewers/Nationals game today, I saw a new Most Interesting Man in the World Dos Equis commercial that made a Star Trek reference. According to the commercial, "His morning breath has notes of saffron, with a hint of lilac." As Star Trek fans know, in the Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribbleations," Bashir and O'Brien tease Worf, telling the Klingon that he smells like peat moss "with a hint of lilac."

Apparently the Most Interesting Man in the World is a Klingon!

***San Diego Padres pitching prospect Matt Andriese allowed just one hit over seven innings in his second start for Triple-A Tucson yesterday, walking two, fanning eight, and allowing no runs. Overall he has a 2.25 ERA with a 73/20 K/BB in 88 innings this year between Double-A San Antonio and Tucson, with a 1.82 GO/AO. The third round pick in 2011 out of UC Riverside is sneaking up on us, using his sinker, curveball, and splitter to good effect.

***Texas Rangers outfield prospect Jairo Beras is 1-for-7 with triple, one walk, and one strikeout in his first two games for the Arizona Rookie League Rangers. Signed out of the Dominican in February 2012 for $4,500,000, Beras was suspended until this month for lying about his age: he claimed to be older than he actually was, which enabled the Rangers to circumvent the international bonus pool rules that went into effect last July. The fact that the contract was approved anyway raised a lot of eyebrows with other teams. Beras is a promising power hitter though of course we need to see how this works in pro ball.

***Six more shutout innings yesterday from Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Julio Urias, who now has a 2.78 ERA with a 38/13 K/BB in 32.1 innings for Low-A Great Lakes, at age 16. Pretty freaking amazing, to use a scientific baseball term.

***Today's minor league baseball schedule.

Everyone be safe tonight and enjoy the fireworks.

Around the Bases: Diamondbacks top Mets in 15-inning contest

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Here are your MLB scores and highlights from Independence Day, or as the Blue Jays called it, Thursday:

Diamondbacks 5, Mets 4: These two teams did their best to extend their 1:10 p.m. ET game long enough so fans could be treated to night-time fireworks, but after Cliff Pennington's RBI single in the top of the 15th inning, the Mets failed to match the D-Backs as they had done in the previous two frames.

Anthony Recker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis both hit game-tying home runs in extra innings, with Recker going deep in the 13th and Nieuwenhuis homering in the 14th. The last time a team hit two game-tying homers in extra innings was in 1998, when Ray Lankford and Eli Marrero did it for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arizona has now won all seven of its getaway day extra-inning games this season. The game, which lasted 5:46, was the second-longest in D-Backs history.

Royals 10, Indians 7: Kansas City overcame a 5-0 deficit, thanks in large part to Lorenzo Cain's sixth-inning grand slam off of Ubaldo Jimenez, to defeat Cleveland and win the three-game series. The Royals scored 10 runs despite only having the benefit of six hits. They drew eight walks against Indians pitchers. Despite the loss, Jason Kipnis did this after the game:

Nationals 8, Brewers 5: In lieu of typical Fourth of July events, fans in D.C. were treated to a live performance from Neil Diamond after the third inning. Most of the offensive fireworks took place after that, as the Nats and Brewers combined to score nine of the game's 13 total runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Wilson Ramos launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to break a 5-5 tie. The Nationals' backstop drove in five runs overall as part of his 3-for-4 day at the plate. Carlos Gomez had two hits, including a two-run homer in the top half of the seventh, to lead the Brewers in the loss.

Yankees 9, Twins 5:Justin Morneau hit a pair of home runs for Minnesota, but New York jumped out to an eight-run lead and held on to cap off a road sweep. Ichiro Suzuki and Travis Hafner had three hits apiece to pace the Yankees' offense, which scored 29 runs in four games at Target Field.

Red Sox 8, Padres 2: Of course, since the Yankees earned a sweep, the rival Red Sox had to do the same. Boston easily dispatched of scuffling San Diego by putting up 18 hits, three of which came off the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury, who hit his second home run of the year.

White Sox 3, Orioles 2:Adam Dunn hit a walk-off home run, his 23rd deep fly of the year, to give Chicago a series victory over Baltimore. Jose Quintana struck out 11 batters in seven scoreless innings. He walked one and allowed just two hits but was robbed of the win after Nate Jones allowed a pair of runs -- one earned -- in the eighth inning.

Phillies 6, Pirates 4:Cole Hamels won for just the second time since April by striking out eight batters in seven innings of two-run ball. Ben Revere had three hits out of the lead-off spot to spark the Phillies, who took two out of three from the surging Pirates.

Tigers 11, Blue Jays 1: Detroit roughed up Toronto starter Esmil Rogers to the tune of seven runs on 11 hits in five innings. Justin Verlander turned in his best start in a few weeks, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five. Tigers' leadoff hitter Austin Jackson went 4-for-5 with a home run and Don Kelly had three hits out of the ninth spot in the lineup.

Athletics 1, Cubs 0:Dan Straily and a pair of relievers combined for a two-hit shutout as Oakland completed a series victory over Chicago. The A's scored the lone run of the game on a passed ball by Cubs catcher Welington Castillo in the seventh inning.

The first-place A's are in a lot better shape now than they were at this point in 2012.

Rays 7, Astros 5:Brett Wallace homered twice and finished 3-for-5 at the plate, but Yunel Escobar's 11th-inning double put Tampa Bay ahead for good after Joel Peralta gave up three runs in the bottom of the eighth to allow Houston to tie the game. Escobar had three hits and drove in three runs for the Rays, who took three out of four from the Astros.

Marlins 4, Braves 3:Donovan Solano's two-out RBI single off of Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth inning pushed Miami past Atlanta for the second consecutive day. Pablo Ozuna had three hits and a homer for the Marlins. Julio Teheran struck out seven batters in five innings for the Braves, who racked up 15 total strike outs despite the loss.

Giancarlo Stanton made this catch in the ninth inning, robbing Dan Uggla of a potential game-tying extra-base hit.

Rangers 5, Mariners 4:Adrian Beltre hit a pair of home runs off of Hisashi Iwakuma as Texas avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the M's. Raul Ibanez homered for the second time in three games and now has 21 long balls in his age 41 season.

Rockies 9, Dodgers 5: Michael Cuddyer homered, doubled and drove in three runs to help Colorado avoid the sweep against Los Angeles. Jhoulys Chacin won his fifth consecutive start by tossing 5 ⅔ innings of four-run ball. Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez homered for the third straight game in the loss.

Angels 6, Cardinals 5: Josh Hamilton hit a game-tying home run off of Edward Mujica in the bottom of the ninth inning to spoil agood outing from Adam Wainwright, who pitched into the ninth inning but departed after Albert Pujols' leadoff single.Erick Aybar produced the game-winning hit a few batters later, driving in Howie Kendrick with a two-out opposite-field single.

Pujols' and Hamilton's ninth-inning hits snapped a combined 2-for-18 slump for the duo against Cardinals pitching.

St. Louis first baseman Allen Craig hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning off of Joe Blanton and finished 2-for-4 at the plate.

Giants vs. Reds: Postponed. It rained all day in Cincinnati, so the Reds did not get a chance to complete a four-game sweep of the struggling Giants. This one may not be rescheduled though, as the two teams only share one off-day the rest of the season (Aug. 29) and it is the only break for both teams for over a month. They may decide to play this one only if necessary at the end of the season.

Washington Nationals PDB: The Padres' Andrew Cashner, Opposing Starter for San Diego versus the Washington Nationals

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The Washington Nationals get back in action against the San Diego Padres tonight at Nationals Park. Taking the hill for San Diego is Andrew Cashner, a one-time starter-turned-reliever whom the Padres moved back to starter full time earlier this year. The right-handed has made thirteen starts this year, and his pitching evolution may sound like that of some of the Nationals' starters.

Early Career to Present

Cashner was taken with the 19th pick of the 2008 draft by the Chicago Cubs. The TCU product was fairly well-regarded, ranking as the Cubs' third best prospect after 2008, and their fourth best prospect after 2009. Baseball America saw his slider as the best in the organization both years, and his fastball wasn't too bad, either.

Pitching at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A between 2009 and 2010, Cashner posted FIP values of 3.18 (42 IP at A+), 3.29 (58 IP at AA), 2.31 (36 IP at AA), and 2.01 (21 IP at AAA). Pitching as a starer both years, his strikeout and walk numbers improved in 2010. Chicago ultimately called him up to the bigs later that year.

But the Cubs placed Cashner in the bullpen in 2010, where over 53 appearances he earned a 5.03 FIP, built on the back of a high HR/FB and walk rate.

Asked about Cashner in a chat in mid-2010, ESPN's Keith Law stated that

Two reasons I had him more likely to be in the pen were lack of missed bats in pro ball and bad track record prior to his draft year as a starter, with some medical concerns. If he's healthy, and continues missing bats (small sample size caveat applies), then yes, he'd project as a starter and would have two plus pitches in that role.

Law predicted Cashner's medical issues with solid prescience. In early 2011, the 6'6 hurler strained his rotator cuff, and suffered setbacks while recovering. On January 6, 2012, the Cubs traded Cashner to San Diego for Anthony Rizzo (other players were also involved in the deal).

Cashner mostly worked out of the pen last year, pitching to 3.55 FIP with a blazing 98 MPH fastball and a good change up. This season, the Friars returned him to first-inning-and-on duty. The results have been average by ML standards, but encouraging for him: a 3.66 FIP and nearly a one-win fWAR season so far.

Pitches, Velocity, Usage, Value

As you'd expect, Cashner has dialed back his fastball velocity this season. He's also seen better results. Last year, batters hit .247 while slugging .454 against the pitch. He's cut those numbers down significantly in 2013 -- especially in the slugging department -- to just .218 and .331.

Pitch

Velocity

Usage

Value

Fourseam

95.0

49%

+5.7

Sinker

93.7

16%

-0.5

Change

85.1

22%

+3.2

Slider

81.9

12%

-0.9

Make no mistake about it, 95 MPH is still bringing the hot, stinky cheddar. Indeed, Cashner's fastball ranks 6th fastest in the majors this season, behind some other PDB'ed pitchers: Matt Harvey, Jeff Samardzija, and Wily Peralta (Stephen Strasburg is first, and Jordan Zimmermann is 7th).

Check out what Cashner had to say to MLB.com's Corey Brock in late May about his overall approach this year in comparison to last:

"The biggest thing is not being max effort every pitch," Cashner said. "It's really not that I'm saving myself. I'm still using a lot of effort. But I guess it's more of being smarter about it and how I go about it. I think my fastball has been good and my changeup has been good, but I think the biggest thing is taking some off my changeup."

The point, Brock stated, was to "allow[] Cashner to get more contact earlier in counts instead of just trying to blow the ball by hitters, which can run up a pitch count quickly. So it's not necessarily about saving bullets, but more about being smarter with them."

But pitching smarter hasn't meant just pumping fastballs in there; instead, he's mixed his 2013 repertoire up (below) versus 2012.

Cashner_pitch_usage_medium

Batted Ball Profile

The first thing you're likely to notice is Cashner's fantastically low line drive rate. In fact, it's the second lowest rate in the bigs according to Fangraphs (you'll recognize #1 on that list). He's also getting a ton of ground balls, which help to limit runs.

Year

GB%

LD%

FB%

HR/FB%

BABIP

LOB%

2013

52.8%

16.0%

31.2%

9.1%

.276

74.9%

While his BABIP is low, xBABIP projects that Cashner should be giving up hits on batted balls just 27.9% of the time, a mark that is just about spot on with his current performance.

Additional Analysis

So, what are commentators saying about him this year? Karl de Vries of The Hardball Times summarized in June that

[t]he big question, of course, is where the strikeouts have gone: FanGraphs’ Chris Cwik (and others) have noticed a drop in velocity on his hard slider, which could be a byproduct of him being stretched out in the rotation. Regardless, he’s not the strikeout machine I’d hoped for, so while he’s mostly lived up to my expectations as a great upside guy, he’s yet to fully deliver on his strong potential.

Cashner's K% is down to 16.6% from 26.5% last season, but he's also done a better job of limiting walks (6.2%). Even the walks aren't without concern, though, as Mike Podhorzer pointed out a few weeks ago ("But if you dig deeper, you realize his F-Strike% [first-strike percentage] is the exact same it has always been, so you have to wonder what’s behind the apparent control improvement."). Indeed, his overall strike percentage (63%) is equal to the major league average.

Aside from the self-confessed change in approach and presumably resultant above-average percentage of balls in play this season, there's just the lack of line drives to explain why Cashner's been about league average FIP-wise.

But even that explanation has some holes.

The two charts below represent Cashner's line drive rate. The first, from Fangraphs, is the value listed above. The second is from Brooks Baseball, and is done on a per-pitch basis. According to Brooks Baseball, none of Cashner's offerings check in at a line drive percentage equal to or below 17.5%, whereas Fangraphs had Cashner at roughly 16% overall.

Here's Fangraphs tale of the matter (the red, bottom line):

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And here's Brooks, again noting specifically his 2013 values:

Cashner_ld_by_pitch_medium

Just to add to the fun, Baseball Reference has him at 18%. Brooks looks to be closer to 20.x%.

Anyway, it doesn't surprise me that there's a difference between how the leading websites classify data, but the 4% increase takes Cashner from second in the league in LD% to the middle of the pack.

The consequence? It weakens an argument that supports his modestly successful performance as a starter so far, because it increases the chances that he's not getting the sort of weak contact (on account of the increased line drives) you'd want to see in the absence of strikeouts.

Conclusions

Cashner still throws hard, but isn't as much a threat to strike batters out as he once was (unfortunately, I said the same about Peralta). And reasonable concern is, I think, justified about whether his walk rate will remain low. Further support for this is found in his low O-Swing%.

Finally, although his approach is geared towards going deeper into games -- and he's done well to do so, particularly considering his injury history -- it's unclear whether he's locating pitches to induce weak contact that would support such a low BABIP (and therefore a reasonable conclusion that he was due for some level of regression there).

Yet, with the Nats offense this season, who really knows.

Big thanks to Baseball Reference, Brooks Baseball, and Fangraphs for data.

Everth Cabrera to return to the Padres lineup today

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How quickly the fortunes have changed for the Padres. Two wins in the last 10 games. Six losses in a row. Three losses to the worst team in the NL and three to the best in the AL. They're equal opportunity losers. Now they're en route to starting the second half of the season the same way they started the first half. Just one tenth of a percentage from last place in the division. All winning momentum is gone. So depressing. To make matters worse, there's all the foul weather fans coming out of the woodwork again, making Twitter unbearable. Le sigh.

The good news is that Everth Cabrera is coming back today after being out of the lineup for the past 17 games due to a pulled hamstring. As a possible candidate for the All-Star team and the team's spark plug for its offensive engine, it can't hurt to have him back. However, if you're hoping that Cabrera will return the Padres to their winning ways, Bud Black wants to set you straight.

Padres swept by Sox, regain Cabrera | UTSanDiego.com

"This is not about one guy," said manager Bud Black. "I know a lot is made about Cabrera, but he's gonna have to do his thing and the other 24 guys have gotta to do theirs. He's not a savior."

What a downer the last 2 weeks have been.

Curt Blefary Born On This Day 70 Years Ago

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I decided to step away from writing my magnum opus on Paul Faries for a moment to acknowledge one of today's Padres birthdays. Five former Friars were born on this date but most of you only give a dang about Goose Gossage. I don't care if you don't care; I'm going to give one of the lesser-known ones a mention even though he didn't save over 300, or even any, games in the big leagues.

Curt Blefary was born this day 70 years ago. The 1965 American League Rookie of the Year with Baltimore, Blefary is probably best known for his inclusion in the groundbreaking book Ball Four. Clank, as Frank Robinson nicknamed Blefary due to his defensive inadequacy, spent 1970 and '71 back in the American League with New York and Oakland before being traded to San Diego in May, 1972 for original Padre Ollie Brown. He hit below the yet-to-be-named Mendoza Line with three doubles and three homers in 122 plate appearances wearing gold and brown. He was released after the season and signed with the Braves, who assigned him to AAA Richmond where he lasted all of seven games, collecting one hit in twenty at-bats, and was out of the game for good. Sadly, Blefary won't be blowing out any candles today, as he passed on a dozen years ago.

Coincidentally, I ordered the card pictured above yesterday without knowing today was his birthday. Why would I purposely buy a card of someone listed as a Yankee? Well, in addition to Padres and Joey Cora, I also collect guys who were mentioned in Ball Four. Ordinarily I would never use a picture of a card I don't have in my physical possession but since I technically own it, it seemed alright to jump the gun a couple of days.

In addition to Blefary and Gossage, former pitchers Dave Eiland, Tim Worrell, and Doug Bochtler are also celebrating birthdays today. It's a distinct possibility that I might write posts about each of them for the sole purpose of irking commenters who claim to skip articles bearing my byline but somehow know the details of things I've written.

Washington Nationals 8-5 Over The San Diego Padres: Gio Gonzalez Recovers After Rough Start In D.C.

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Everth Cabrera made Gio Gonzalez work for the first out of tonight's game, battling the Washington Nationals' starter in a nine-pitch AB in 90° heat in the nation's capital before grounding out to short. San Diego Padres' center fielder Chris Denorfia lined a 92 mph 3-1 fastball to left and by a diving Bryce Harper for a one-out double Denard Span collected after it bounced off the wall of the visitor's bullpen. Harper got over to the left field corner to catch a fly ball off Carlos Quentin's for out no.2, but Gio Gonzalez fell behind Chase Headley 2-0 and gave up an RBI ground-rule double that skipped off the track and over the #NATITUDE wall in left-center, out of even Denard Span's reach. 1-0 Padres early. Gonzalez threw 30 pitches before he got out of the first.

San Diego starter Andrew Cashner threw a quick, eight-pitch, 1-2-3 first vs the Nationals.

Logan Forsythe lined a 1-0 fastball to center for the third hit off Gio Gonzalez in the first at bat of the second. A 2-2 curve to first baseman Jesus Guzman ended up smoked by third for the third two-base hit of the game off the Nats' left-handed starter, but an 0-2 curve in the dirt got Yasmani Grandal swinging for out no.1 and K no.2 for Gonzalez. Padres' starter Andrew Cashner took a backdoor 2-2 bender for a called strike three, out no. 2 and K no.3 for the Nationals' lefty and a 1-2 curve to Everth Cabrera got the Padres' shortstop on a check-swing strike three that stranded two runners. 20-pitch inning for Gonzalez, however, and 50 overall after two.

Ryan Zimmerman lined to left on a 95 mph 0-1 fastball from Andrew Cashner then waited through an 11-pitch at bat by Jayson Werth before going first-to-third™ on a single to left by the bearded Nationals' outfielder. Anthony "More Walks Than Ks In College" Rendon loaded the bases by taking a free pass and Wilson Ramos came through again, singling to left to bring in two runs with yet another RBI hit. 2-1 Nationals. Gio Gonzalez squared to bunt in the next at bat and got a fastball in the chest for his efforts. That loaded the bases again and looked like it hurt, and Denard Span's double to right in the next at bat brought two more in. 4-1 Nationals. Ian Desmond walked to load the bases for the third time, and Bryce Harper's sac fly to center scored his pitcher to make it 5-1 Nats before Cashner got out of a 46-pitch inning.

Chris Denorfia singled to start the third, but the Padres' outfielder was doubled up when Carlos Quentin grounded into an expertly executed 6-4-3. Gio Gonzalez fell behind Chase Headley though, and gave up a two-out solo home run to left by the San Diego infielder that got the Padres within three at 5-2 in the third. A 15-pitch inning had Gonzalez at 65 after three. Adam LaRoche walked to start the Nationals' third and a single by Jayson Werth ended Andrew Cashner's night at 65 pitches in the third. Tim Stauffer took over for San Diego. Anthony Rendon started down 0-2 but worked the count full before grounding into a force at second so LaRoche was on third when Wilson Ramos singled through the right side of the infield to bring in the Nationals' sixth run of the game. 6-2 after three.

Gio Gonzalez gave up a one-out single and a walk to Jesus Guzman and Yasmani Grandal, respectively, but Nats' catcher Wilson Ramos cut the lead runner down on a weak bunt attempt by Tim Stauffer and Gonzalez got a groundout to second from Everth Cabrera to end a 15-pitch fourth at 80 pitches overall.

Ian Desmond doubled for the 23rd time this season in the first at bat of the Nats' fourth, taking a 1-0 fastball from Stauffer to right for the Nats' seventh hit of the game. Ryan Zimmerman took the fourth walk of the game from the Padres' pitchers one out later, bringing Adam LaRoche up with two on, and the Nats' first baseman's RBI single to center made it 7-2 Nationals. Jayson Werth's RBI groundout made it an 8-2 game after four in D.C.

Gio Gonzalez got a groundout to second and two grounders to short in a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth that had him up to 90 pitches total after 5.0 IP. Denard Span doubled with two down to leave him 2 for 4 on the night, but Ian Desmond flew out to right to end a quick frame by Tim Stauffer.

Gio Gonzalez got through the top of the sixth on nine pitches as he retired the Padres in order again. Padres' left-hander Joe Thatcher came on and threw a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth vs the Nationals, bringing Gio Gonzalez back out at 99 pitches overall. Yasmani Grandal's groundout to third in the seventh was the 12th groundout of the game induced by Gonzalez, but pinch hitter Pedro Ciriaco singled with one down and one out later Gio Gonzalez was lifted with his pitch count up to 110. Craig Stammen gave up a double by Chris Denorfia and a three-run home run to left by Carlos Quentin, but the Nats still had an 8-5 lead after six and a half.

Dale Thayer took over for the Padres in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff single by Jayson Werth. Anthony Rendon grounded into a force at second, but took a base on an errant pick attempt by San Diego. Wilson Ramos K'd looking in a 1-2 heater for out no.2 and Chad Tracy's grounder to short ended the seventh.

Tyler Clippard gave up a hard-hit fly to center by Kyle Blanks in the top of the eighth, struck Logan Forsythe out with a 2-2 change and got Jesus Guzman swinging with a 93 1-2 fastball to end a 13-pitch, 1-2-3 top of the eighth after which Padres' closer Huston Street came out for some work and retired the Nats in order. Cue his music...

"Pitch it, Soriano! Pitch it, Soriano! Strike him out, Soriano! Strike him out, Soriano!"Rafael Soriano came out looking for save no. 23 of 2013. Yasmani Grandal grounded into his scouting report, sending one right to Ian Desmond a few steps to the left of second base. ONE! Pitch hitter Mark Kotsay flew out to left. TWO!!! Everth Cabrera? Groundout to second. Ballgame.

Work's done. Untuck that jersey, son!!

Nationals now 44-42.

Padres activate Everth Cabrera from DL

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After missing 17 days on the disabled list, shortstop Everth Cabrera has been activated by the San Diego Padres with reliever Burch Smith heading to Triple-A to make room on the team's roster, reports Corey Brock of MLB.com.

Read More Padres: Gaslamp Ball

Cabrera hit the 15-Day DL June 19, retroactive to June 17 after he strained his left hamstring. Before that injury, Cabrera was on his way to establishing himself as one of the game's top shortstops after several difficult seasons spent struggling at the plate and battling injuries. Before landing on the DL, Cabrera was hitting .305/.382/.418. His four home runs this year are double his top career mark and he is still leading the National League with 31 stolen bases even after missing more than two weeks.

Cabrera has been a key component for the Padres this season. As Brock notes, San Diego went 5-12 during his time on the DL. Manager Bud Black highlighted his importance in talking with Brock, saying, "It's good to have him back. . . . We hope that he can pick up where he left off. He's a dynamic player who has come into his own . . . both offensively and defensively."

More from SB Nation:

When 39-year-old surprises weren't suspicious

Manny Ramirez joins (desperate?) Rangers

Joey Chestnut eats ungodly amount of hot dogs

A night at the beer pong "Brodeo"

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish


Bryce Harper likely to rest vs. Padres over weekend

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Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will likely be kept out of the lineup against the Padres on Saturday and Sunday, according to manager Davey Johnson in a report from MLB.com.

More Nationals coverage: Federal Baseball

Harper, 20, missed over a month due to bursitis in his left knee, only returning to the lineup on July 1. In five games since, Harper has struggled. He hit a home run in his first at-bat after being activated, but has since gone 0-18 with seven strikeouts.

Johnson believes Harper's issues are both mental and physical and that the outfielder is still working off some rust after a long layoff.

Harper suffered the initial knee injury after crashing into the outfield wall April 30 in an attempt to rein in a home run. He then exacerbated the injury by again hitting the wall hard on May 13 in Los Angeles.

Roger Bernadina will likely start in left field for Washington while Harper sits.

More from SB Nation:

When 39-year-old surprises weren't suspicious

Manny Ramirez joins (desperate?) Rangers

Joey Chestnut eats ungodly amount of hot dogs

A night at the beer pong "Brodeo"

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Yasmani Grandal Placed On 60-Day DL; Rene Rivera Called Up From Tucson

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Yasmani Grandal was placed on the 15-day DL following today's loss to Washington. He left the game in the third inning after a gruesome scene at the plate; the word all over Twitter from folks in the know is that he effed up both his ACL and PCL. Speaking of PCL, the Padres called up Rene Rivera from the Pacific Coast League Tucson Padres to take Grandal's place on the roster. Rivera isn't yet on the 40-man roster, so somebody will have to get bumped before all of this becomes official. Like, official official. There still remains the possibility that a spot on the 40-man could be opened up by placing Grandal on the 60-day DL if the worst case scenario plays out.

Rivera has played in parts of four major league seasons, and that's including a two-game cup of coffee in 2004 with the Mariners, the team who drafted him in 2001. He was back in Seattle in 2005 and '06, getting into 16 and 35 games, respectively. After spending the next four years stuck in AA and AAA for the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees, Rivera got back to the majors in 2011 with Minnesota. He got into a career-high 45 games but hit only .144 in 104 AB, and found his way back to AAA for all of last season.

After a lackluster 2012 with Rochester, Rivera signed with the Padres and proceeded to reel off a career year in Tucson. His .343 BA is good for fourth in the PCL, one point ahead of teammate Dean Anna. Well, former teammate now.

I'd go into more detail because he's had an interesting career, but it's been a really long day and I'm thoroughly exhausted. It has taken all I have to keep my eyes open long enough to churn out these 347 semi-adequate words. Maybe I'll do a "Getting To Know Your New Backup Catcher" thingie in the morning after I get some shut-eye and then a couple cups of coffee. Seems like it'd be good for at very least a rec and a pity-comment.

UPDATE (8:10am):
Grandal is indeed being placed on the 60-day DL.

Dodgers 7/6/13 minor league report - Ted Lilly has a rough first inning but picks up win

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Minor League Player of the Day– LHP Victor Gonzalez(Arizona Rookie) followed his 5 inning, 8 strikeout outing on July 1st with another strong performance, this time he started and went 5 innings, allowing 1 hit, 0 runs and striking out 6. In 19 IP, he's allowed 14 hits, 3 earned runs, and has struck out 24 while walking just 2. 17 year old Gonzalez was signed last July as part of the first group of international signings in 2012.

AAAAlbuquerque and the Cubs picked up Friday's suspended game from the bottom of the 2nd with the Cubs leading 1 to 0 and the Isotopes went on to win 10 to 3. Jonathan Sanchez had made his third start for the Isotopes and he pitched 2 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks and had 1 strikeout; Sean White, Anthony Ortega and Kelvin De La Cruz picked up from there with White getting the win and De La Cruz getting the save. Matt Angle, Alex Castellanos, Rusty Ryal and Jeremy Moore had the big offensive games, Angle, Castellanos and Ryal each had 3 hits, Castellanos hit his 11th home run, Moore had two hits.

The regularly scheduled but shortened to 7 innings game had Albuquerque and the Cubs in a pitching duel with the Isotopes winning 1 to 0. Angel Castroscattered 4 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts and Javy Guerra got the save. Just signed 3B Ian Stewart went 2 for 3 with a double and the only run scored.

AA – The Lookouts and Suns (Marlins) games were postponed due to inclement weather and the current plan is to resume Friday night's suspended game this afternoon followed by the regularly scheduled Sunday game which that will be shortened to 7 innings. Saturday night's game will be made up on August 19th as part of a 7-inning double-header.

HiA – The Quakes broke out the bats and scored a bunch as they defeated the Mavericks (Mariners) on 16 to 6. As noted above, LHP Ted Lilly made his second rehab start and despite a rough start, 5 runs scored upon him in the first inning, he went on to make to the 6th inning, getting the win while pitching 5.1 IP, giving up 9 hits and 6 runs but only walked 1 and struck out 7. Joel Lima got the save. When you score 16 runs, a lot of guys do well. Scott Schebler went 3 for 5, scoring 3 runs, 2 doubles and a walk. Noel Cuevas also went 3 for 5 hitting a home run. O'Koyea Dickson, Webster Rivas, and Casio Grider each had 2 hits.

LoALoons lost late to Tin Caps (Padres) 7 to 4. Tom Windle started and pitched 4 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (1 earned) with 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Scott Griggs, last week's Midwest Pitcher of the Week had a poor outing, with 4 runs scoring (2 earned), 5 hits and 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Corey Seager went 1 for 3 with a walk, Tyler Ogle had a 2 for 4 night.

Rookie OgdenRaptors won a close one, defeating the Owlz (Angels) 4 to 3. Francisco Villa started but it was the relief corp, Rob Rogers, James Baune, and Jacob Rhame as they scattered 2 hits, 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4.1 combined scoreless innings. Kyle Farmer went 2 for 4 and Alex Santana went 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI.

Rookie ArizonaArizona Dodgers shutout the Brewers 4 to 0. Player of the Day, LHP Victor Gonzalez won the game. Adam Law went 4 for 5. Josh Henderson went 2 for 5. Josmer Cordero added a 2 for 2 game.

DSL – Back on the field, the Dodgers won over the Indians 6 to 4. Francisco Martinez started but today's pitching spotlight goes on Jairo Pacheco who turned 17 on Saturday, Pacheco pitched 1 IP gave up 1 hit and struck out 1.

Coming upRob Rasmussen starts for the Isotopes, Andres Santiago will try again for the Lookouts, Jon Michael Redding takes the mound for the Quakes, Miguel Sulbaran pitches for the Loons and Jonathan Martinez goes for the Raptors.

Minor League Transactions – Dodgers traded right handed pitchers Josh Wall and Steve Ames from Albuquerque (40-man) and right handed pitcher Angel Sanchez from Rancho Cucamonga to Miami Marlins. Ted Lilly was placed on Rancho Cucamonga roster for purpose of starting rehab game.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (Friday's Suspended Game) (AAA)

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (Saturday) (AAA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Arizona Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Dominican Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

Our All Star: Everth Cabrera

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Before this season began, if someone had said that Everth Cabrera was going to be representing our Padres at the 2013 All-Star Game, that person might have been laughed out of San Diego. After all, the switch-hitting speedster has been mediocre at best since his breakout rookie season in 2009 after the Padres took him from the Rockies in the Rule 5 Draft and put him in the starting lineup straight out of Single-A. Last year he led the National League in stolen bases, but otherwise put together a less than impressive 2012 campaign, hitting .246 overall (.267 from the left and .195 from the right) with a .648 OPS in the 115 games he played in.

But when the shortstop went home to Nicaragua this past offseason, he was determined to turn it around with the help of two of his close friends. He spent all winter practicing his swings from both sides of the plate against both left- and right-handed pitching (this is where his friends factored in). Coming into the 2013 season, he was projected by most to take up the leadoff spot in the lineup because, despite his previous struggles at the plate, he's also shown us glimpses of great potential. In other words, he's been streaky in the past, but his hot streaks were always an encouraging sign that he could be a great player some day.

And now it seems like that day has come. All that work Cabrera put into last Winter has paid off. More than halfway into the season, he has raised his batting average to .300 and his OPS to .787. His 3.5 fWAR is the highest among all Major League shortstops and he's already collected 31 stolen bases in the 70 games he's played in, putting him on pace to beat his 2012 total.

It hasn't been the smoothest road for Cabrera this season. Beginning in the offseason and still continuing today are the talks of his possible involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. He has consistently and vehemently denied any link to the Miami-based clinic, but it has been an issue that seems to keep rearing its head. Cabrera also struggled a bit on the field at the start of the season, at one point committing crucial errors in back-to-back games in the first week that had some people wondering if he needed to re-learn his fielding fundamentals. But since April 6th, he's only committed two more errors all season and has become one of the best fielders on the team.

His glovework was something that was missed sorely when another bump in the road came along for Cabrera as he was sidelined for over two weeks with a sprained hamstring in the latter part of June. The injury sent him to the 15-day DL and forced him to miss 17 games, but he made his return to the lineup on Friday and will now be able to participate in the All-Star festivities.

Mark Grant caught up with Cabrera yesterday after the game against Washington to discuss the All-Star nod. He explained to Grant how Bud Black broke the news to him by pretending he was sending him to Tucson to play a couple of games for the Triple-A Club before cracking a smile and revealing that the shortstop was actually going to be heading to Citi Field as the Padres' 2013 All-Star. "I started crying... I was so excited."

Cabrera is the first position player to make the All-Star team for the Padres since Adrian Gonzalez in 2010. He is the first shortstop since Tony Fernandez in 1992. And at age 26, he is the youngest San Diego All-Star since 2008 (Gonzalez - also 26).

As many of you may know, I've been a bit of a Cabrera fan since the beginning. I've had this big 33'x41' poster of him on my wall since 2010 and yesterday I added a little something to it.

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It's amazing to see how far he's come and all the success he's had this season. In my opinion, there was no other Friar more deserving of the All-Star nod than this guy and I am so much more excited for the All-Star Game now than I have been in years. You can bet that on July 16th, I will be following the game and anticipating the moment when Cabrera gets put in (yes, TWSS). I know he'll make the Friar Faithful proud.

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Jedd Gyorko injury: Padres 2B may resume rehab assignment this week

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Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko could begin playing rehab games soon, reports Chris Jenkins of the Union-Tribune San Diego.

Gyorko has been out since June 10 with a groin strain, but he could begin a rehab stint in High-A Lake Elsinore, according to Bud Black.

The Padres second baseman was enjoying an excellent rookie season until getting hurt, batting .284 with an OPS of .802. He also had to learn a new position, which he was holding down relatively well for the Padres.

Filling in for Gyorko has been Logan Forsythe, who has done an adequate job and is posting an OPS of .697 at second base. Gyorko is still a significant offensive improvement over Forsythe, however, and he is a decidedly better option for the Padres.

With the team having fallen out of contention, now in last place at 40-48, it may make sense for them to take their time with the promising young second baseman.

More from SB Nation:

AL All-Star rosters | NL All-Star rosters | More coverage

Dodgers acquire Ricky Nolasco

Harper serious about telling manager to "play me or trade me"

A night at the beer pong "Brodeo"

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Yasmani Grandal injury: Padres C placed on 60-day DL with right knee sprain

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The Padres placed catcher Yasmani Grandal on the 60-day DL Sunday with a right knee sprain, the team announced via Twitter.

The Padres recalled catcher Rene Rivera from Triple-A to take his place on the roster. Rivera is batting .343 for Triple-A Tucson this season, although that number may be slightly-inflated due to the offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League.

After a nasty collision at the plate in which Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon slid into Grandal's right leg, Grandal was on the ground for a few minutes in obvious pain. If the injury is truly just a sprain, then it is a minor miracle as it looked much worse when it occurred.

Grandal did not play much prior to the injury, as he served a 50-game suspension at the beginning of the year after testing positive for a banned substance.

Grandal was batting .218 with an OPS of .700 before his injury, but he also had more walks than strikeouts.

More from SB Nation:

AL All-Star rosters | NL All-Star rosters | More coverage

Dodgers acquire Ricky Nolasco

Harper serious about telling manager to "play me or trade me"

A night at the beer pong "Brodeo"

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Washington Nationals Sweep Three-Game Set With San Diego Padres, 11-7 Final In Sunday Finale

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Washington Nationals' leadoff man Denard Span got the Nats out to an early 1-0 lead today, going the other way for an opposite field single off San Diego Padres' starter Robbie Erlin in the first and then scoring on an opposite field single to left by Bryce Harper after a wild pitch and groundout had moved Span around to third.

The Padres tied things up at 1-1 in the third when Stephen Strasburg hit Carlos Quentin with a two-strike change and gave up a double to center and off the GEICO wall by Chase Headley on the next pitch.

The Nationals went back up when they loaded the bases on walks by Stephen Strasburg and Ian Desmond and infield single by Bryce Harper. Ryan Zimmerman's 10th home run of 2013 was a grand slam that went out to right over the out-of-town scoreboard to give Washington a 5-1 lead in the third. A Jayson Werth single followed and Anthony Rendon crushed a 1-2 heater for a two-run home run to left that landed in the visitor's bullpen and gave the Nationals a 7-1 lead.

• Zimmerman's Slam:


Strasburg walked Nick Hundley with one out in the fourth and gave up a bomb of a two-run home to right by Alexi Amarista that landed in the second deck above the Nats' bullpen to make it a 7-3 game.

Back-to-back walks to Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman in the fifth ended Robbie Erlin's day and both runners scored when Harper stole second, took third on a pitch in the dirt and scored on a throwing error when Zimmerman stole second. Zimmerman came around on an Anthony Rendon single to right after Jayson Werth walked and the Nationals went up 9-3 over the Padres in the fifth. Wilson Ramos grounded into a double play for the first out of the fifth, but another run scored on the play and it was 10-3 Nationals after three in the nation's capital. Stephen Strasburg to drive in the Nats' 11th run. 11-3.

A 22-pitch sixth in which he gave up a run on a bases-loaded groundout ended Strasburg's day after 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 9 Ks, 111 P, 68 S, 4/2 GO/FO with the Nationals up 11-4.

The Padres' scored two runs on Craig Stammen in the seventh to get within five at 11-6. Three singles in the eighth brought in San Diego's seventh run and ended Stammen's outing, but Drew Storen came on to get the next three outs without another run scoring. 11-7 Nats after seven and a half.

Tyler Clippard came on to end it with a scoreless top of the ninth and the Nationals swept the three-game set with the Padres.

The sweep gave the Nationals four straight wins and they improved to four games over .500 at 46-42.


Washington Nationals Beat The San Diego Padres, 11-7, Sweep Three-Game Set In Nationals Park

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Stephen Strasburg dropped curves on three San Diego Padres in the first who couldn't do anything with his 78-81 mph bender. Everth Cabrera K'd looking at an 0-2 curve. Will Venable watched a 2-2 hook drop in for a called strike three and Chase Headley went down swinging at a 2-2 curve ball for out and K no.3 of the opening frame as Strasburg pitched around a two-out single by Carlos Quentin in a 15-pitch, 3 K top of the inning in the finale of the Washington Nationals' three-game weekend set with the NL West's 40-48 5th place Padres.

When Strasburg took the mound for a second time this afternoon in Nationals Park, the 24-year-old right-hander had a 1-0 lead after Denard Span singled, took second on a wild pitch, third on an Ian Desmond groundout and then scored on an opposite field single to left by Bryce Harper that got Washington out to an early lead on 22-year-old left-hander Robbie Erlin, who needed 23 pitches to get out of the home-half of the first this afternoon in the nation's capital.

Denard Span sprinted around the center field grass tracking down the first two outs of the top of the second on line drives by Jesus Guzman and Kyle Blanks. Stephen Strasburg hit Nick Hundley with a 2-0 fastball to put the Padres' catcher on with two out and San Diego second baseman Alexi Amarista singled to center on a 94 mph 3-1 heater, but the opposing pitcher couldn't catch up with the full-count fastball Strasburg threw by him to end the Nats' starter's second scoreless after 18 pitches. 33 overall after two, 1-0 Nationals. Robbie Erlin retired the Nats' 6-7-and-8 hitters in order in a 12-pitch bottom of the second that had him at 35 total after two.

An 81 mph 2-2 curve to Everth Cabrera got the Padres' shortstop swinging for his second K in two at bats and Strasburg's 5th in 2.1 IP. Strasburg fell behind Will Venable, but worked the count full and got the outfielder looking with a 96 mph 3-2 fastball for out no.2 and K no.6. Carlos Quentin checked his swing on a 1-2 change low and away, then took a 2-2 change off the knee for the second HBP of the game by the Nats' right-handed starter. Chase Headley got hold of a first-pitch fastball in the at bat that followed and doubled off the GEICO wall in center field to score Quentin from first and tie things up at 1-1 in the nation's capital. Jesus Guzman's groundout to third ended a 21-pitch 3rd that had Strasburg at 54 after three.

Stephen Strasburg battled Robbie Erlin for nine pitches before walking to start the Nationals' third. Denard Span's attempt to bunt for a single ended up being a sacrifice that moved Strasburg into scoring position at second. Ian Desmond walked to put two on for Bryce Harper and Harper loaded the bases with one out when he hit a sharp grounder to the right side that Padres' first baseman Jesus Guzman could only knock down. Ryan Zimmerman got a first-pitch fastball from Erlin in the next at bat and sent it flying out to right and over the out-of-town scoreboard for grand slam and a 5-1 lead over the Padres in the third. Jayson Werth lined an 0-2 curve to left for a one-out single after Zimmerman's blast, and Werth scored when Anthony Rendon put a 1-2 fastball from Erlin in the left field bullpen for his third home run of the year and a six-run Nats' lead. 7-1 Nationals.

• Zimmerman's Slam:


San Diego backtstop Nick Hundley walked with one down in the top of the fourth, and scored when Padres' second baseman Alexi Amarista hit a 1-0 fastball out to right and into the second deck above the Nats' bullpen for a two-run blast that made it a 7-3 game. Strasburg got the opposing pitcher swinging with a fastball up high for out no. 2 and K no. 7 and a groundout to short by Everth Cabrera ended a 19-pitch inning that had Strasburg up to 73 pitches overall. Robbie Erlin threw a 15-pitch, 1-2-3 second after his teammates cut into the Nationals' lead.

Will Venable grounded out to second on a 96 mph 1-2 fastball. Carlos Quentin couldn't catch up to Strasburg's 96 mph heat and he K'd swinging for out no. 2 of the Padres' fifth and K no. 8 in 4.2 IP by the Nats' right-hander. Chase Headley and Jesus Guzman hit back-to-back, two-out line drive singles to right and left, respectively, but an 0-2 yakker got oversized outfielder Kyle Blanks swinging for the final out of 16-pitch inning that had Strasburg at 89 total after five. Bryce Harper walked to start the Nats' fifth and stole second on Robbie Erlin and Padres' catcher Nick Hundley with Ryan Zimmerman at the plate. Harper took third on a ball in the dirt that was also ball four to Zimmerman and Erlin's last pitch of the day.

Tyson Ross took over on the mound. Zimmerman stole second with Jayson Werth up and a throwing error by Nick Hundley allowed Harper to score to make it 8-3 Nationals. Werth walked to put two on for Anthony Rendon, whose opposite field single made it a 9-3 game. The Nats loaded the bases again when Tyler Moore reached on an error by Everth Cabrera and their 10th run of the game scored when Wilson Ramos grounded into a bases-loaded DP. A two-out single by Strasburg brought Rendon in from third and it was 11-3 Nationals after five in D.C.

A one-out single by Alexi Amarista and the third hit-by-pitch of the game earned Stephen Strasburg a chat with pitching coach Steve McCatty. A walk to Everth Cabrera loaded the bases with one down, and pushed Strasburg up to 104 pitches. The Nats' right-hander was at 109 when a groundout to first by Will Venable drove in the Padres' fourth run, 11-4, and a line drive to Ian Desmond at short off of Carlos Quentin's bat ended a 22-pitch inning that had Strasburg at 111 overall after six.

Stephen Strasburg's Line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 9 Ks, 111 P, 68 S, 4/2 GO/FO.

Bryce Harper was 3 for 3 with a walk after he singled to center to start the Nationals' sixth, but the Nats' 20-year-old slugger was forced out on a Ryan Zimmerman grounder to short and Tyson Ross got Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon to end a scoreless inning of work in relief with the score still 11-4 Nationals.

Chase Headley doubled off the wall in left center to start the seventh against Nats' right-hander Craig Stammen. A groundout by Jesus Guzman moved Headley to third and a Chris Denorfia grounder brought in the Padres' fifth run, 11-5. An error by Ian Desmond on the play put Denorfia on first and he scored when Nick Hundley singled over short in the next at bat, 11-6. Dale Thayer took over for San Diego in the bottom of the seventh. Wilson Ramos doubled for the fourth time this season with one down in the bottom of the inning and Denard Span and Ian Desmond took back-to-back, two-out walks in front of Bryce Harper, whose fly ball to center was cut off by Will Venable.

11-6 Nats after seven.

Everth Cabrera and Will Venable hit back-to-back infield singles to start the eighth and a weak pop to short left off Carlos Quentin's bat allowed Cabrera to score from second ahead of a throw in by Bryce Harper. Storen struck Chase Headley out with a 2-2 change for out no.1 and popped Jesus Guzman up to center for the second out of the eighth. Chris Denorfia battled for ten pitches with Storen before grounding out to short to end the eighth. Nick Vincent came on for San Diego in the bottom of the eighth and retired the Nationals in order.

Tyler Clippard came out for the top of the ninth and retired the Padres in order. Ballgame.

The Nats swept the three-game set with San Diego.

Nationals now 46-42

Glenn Hoffman Turns 55

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Happy fifty-fifth birthday to Glenn Hoffman! Born on this day in 1958, the Padres' current third base coach spent nine years in the big leagues with three teams.

Hoffman was drafted in the second round of the 1976 draft by the Red Sox and made his debut less than four years later. He had a solid rookie season, batting .285 as Boston's primary starting third baseman. He was shifted over to shortstop the following season to make room for newly acquired Carney Lansford, who would go on to lead the league in batting average that year. Hoffman started at short for a few years before playing his way into a bench role, eventually getting traded to the Dodgers in 1987. After 40 games in Los Angeles, Glenn signed with the Red Sox again and spent all of 1988 in Pawtucket before inking a deal with his hometown Angels. He played his final 48 big league games with California in 1989 and then headed back to the Dodgers organization for 24 games at AAA Albuquerque in 1990 before retiring and getting into coaching.

Starting out at rookie-level Great Falls in 1991, Hoffman managed his way up the Dodgers' organizational ladder throughout the '90s, making stops in Vero Beach, San Antonio, and Albuquerque before he got the call back up to the bigs. That call came in 1998, when he was selected to replace Dodger lifer Bill Russell, who started the season 36-38. Despite finishing the season with a 47-41 record as the interim manager, Glenn was not given the full-time job. The team instead turned to hired gun Davey Johnson and named Hoffman their bullpen coach. He was shifted to third base coach less than three months into the season and held that gig down until 2006, when he was hired by the Padres to do the same thing.

An interesting bit of trivia that not too many people know about Glenn Hoffman is that he has a brother named Trevor who was at one point a pitcher for the Padres and a couple of other teams. The younger Hoffman never started any games and retired with a losing record. Trevor was also nowhere near as good of a hitter as his big brother, batting just .118 with only two doubles and five RBI in 34 at-bats. It's no wonder that he's a forgotten footnote.

So, happy cake day to you, Glenn Hoffman. I look forward to watching you out there waving 'em home for years to come.


Tim Teufel Turns 55

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Padres third base coach Glenn Hoffman isn't the only infielder from the eighties celebrating his fifty-fifth birthday today. Former Friar Tim Teufel is also turning the big double-nickel. The parallels don't end there. Like Hoffman, Teufel was a second-round pick, played for three major league teams, and managed at every level of the minors for his penultimate team. Even odder yet, Teufel is also currently employed as, yes, a major league third base coach.

Drafted by Minnesota in 1980, Teufel was in AAA Toledo by 1982 and had a huge season the following year, when he was named International League MVP. He got his first taste of the majors in September of that year and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting the following season. Teufel was traded to the Mets for current A's general manager Billy Beane and others before the 1986 season. He platooned at second and got a World Series ring that year, sticking around the Big Apple until early 1991 when he was traded to San Diego for Garry Templeton in a classic change of scenery deal.

A utility infielder by the time the Padres picked him up, Tuffy split time between second and third bases his first season in San Diego. The change of scenery seemed to work for him as he got his bat back on track after batting just .118 in his two months with the Mets. He played two more seasons with the Padres, hitting adequately while bouncing between second and third with the occasional pinch-hitting appearance or game at first base thrown in the mix.

Following his retirement after the 1993 season, Teufel took a little time away from the game before returning to the dugout in street shoes. His first rung managing up the Mets' ladder was at low-A Brooklyn in 2003. He went on to man the helm at St. Lucie, Savannah, St. Lucie again, Binghamton, and Buffalo, paying his dues until he was named the big club's third base coach prior to the 2012 season.

Unlike Glenn Hoffman, Teufel will be celebrating his fifty-fifth birthday with a win. He waved in a pair of runs in New York's 2-1 win over the Brewers. Happy birthday, Tuffy; enjoy your cake!

Nationals acquire Scott Hairston

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The Washington Nationals have acquired outfielder Scott Hairston from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-hander Ivan Pineyro, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The teams announced that they each will receive a player to be named later in the deal.

The Cubs will chip in less than $500,000 for the remainder of Hairston's salary this season, reports Heyman. The Nationals will pay the entirety of the $2.5 million owed to him in 2014.

After signing a two-year, $5 million deal with the Cubs in February, the 33-year old has appeared in 52 games as the team's backup right fielder behind the hot-hitting Nate Schierholtz. Hairston is hitting only .172, but has provided some power off the bench for the North Siders, slugging eight home runs in just 99 at-bats. All of his homers have come off of lefties, so his role will likely be to start against southpaws and help out in pinch-hitting situations for the Nats.

As Rosenthal reports, Hairston will likely take over the role of Tyler Moore, who is hitting .157 in 43 games for the Nats this year. The veteran's power off the bench will prove valuable to a team that is currently four games behind the Braves in the NL East race.

Washington will be Hairston's sixth team since his debut in 2004, joining the Diamondbacks (2004-2007), Padres (2007-2009, 2010), Athletics (2009), Mets (2011-2012), and Cubs (2013). He is a lifetime .244 hitter with 102 HR and 297 RBI.

The Cubs received Pineyro, a 21-year old righty with a 6-3 record and 3.24 ERA in 15 starts between Single-A Hagerstown and High-A Potomac on the year. The 2013 South Atlantic League All-Star owns a career K/BB ratio of 3.42, and joins a Cubs' organization that is planning on stockpiling arms in exchange for veteran assets. He will report to High-A Daytona.

Chicago, known to be aggressive sellers in advance of the deadline, have already dealt Hairston, Scott Feldman, Steve Clevenger, Ronald Torreyes and Carlos Marmol since July 1st. They are expected to keep dealing, with Matt Garza, Kevin Gregg, Dioner Navarro and Schierholtz reported to be on the trading block.

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Miami Marlins Week In Review: Nolasco Dealt, Fernandez Dealing

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On The Field

The Marlins played seven games this week, including two series against the Braves and Cardinals.

Miami started their week off with a Monday game against the Padres, a home contest the Fish won 4-3. That game was also the last in a series of four.

A series against the Braves kicked off on Tuesday. The Marlins took two of three from Atlanta, a series win made more impressive by the fact that this was an away series for Miami.

Friday started off a weekend series against the Cardinals. The Marlins would drop all three games against St. Louis, putting their record on the week at 3-4.

Fish Stripes Coverage

Padres, Game 4, July 1st

Braves, Game 1, July 2nd

Braves, Game 2, July 3rd

Braves, Game 3, July 4th

Cardinals, Game 1, July 5th

Cardinals, Game 2, July 6th

Cardinals, Game 3, July 7th

Nolasco Dealt

The Marlins found a suitor for Ricky Nolasco, sending the righty to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package of three prospects. Miami was expected to move Nolasco at this point in the season, figuring to get some budding talent in return.

What they got was two bullpen arms in Josh Wall and Steven Ames in addition to a possible starting talent in Angel Sanchez. Sanchez was the Dodgers' eighth best prospect. He wields a solid repertoire, including a 93 mph fastball (of four-seam and sinker variety) along with a change-up and slider that hover around the lower 80's.

The Marlins' decision to deal Nolasco to LA, considered a matter of time by most in the business, represented Miami's second dealing with the Dodgers in as many years. The theme seems to be: pitching prospects.

Last year, the Marlins decided to part ways with Hanley Ramirez, sending the talented short stop to the Dodgers (along with Randy Choate) for a pair of arms highlighted by Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi was the Dodgers' third best prospect going into the 2012 season.

Fish Stripes' own Michael Jong took a look at the trade, including some takes at whether or not the Marlins' received anything close to fair value.

Fernandez an All-Star

Jose Fernandez has been more than a glimmer in an otherwise dark season for the Marlins. He's been among the league's brightest young stars, quickly becoming a must-see when he hits the mound.

Fernandez is, to say the least, deserving of his all-star selection. His stats tell that story loudly enough.

What makes his selection even more interesting is the fact that the Marlins' young ace wasn't even supposed to be playing in the big leagues this year. He was slated to begin 2013 in the minors and work his way up. All of a sudden, Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez end up on the disabled list. The Marlins were essentially left with no other choice.

"Things happened, and I got a chance to pitch," Fernandez said in interview with MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. "Everybody knows I was not supposed to start with the team this year. Now, I have a chance to be on the All Star team."

Not bad for a 20-year-old.

Plays of the Week-All Defense Edition

-Giancarlo Stanton helps to preserve the Marlins' slim lead in the bottom of the ninth, hustling for this difficult catch.

-Ed Lucas tracks down a grounder, underhands it to Derek Dietrich, who rifled it to first for the double play. It feels like this was the 2000th double play the Cardinals batted into this season.

-Adeiny Hechavarria tracking down this ball, laced off the bat of Jason Heyward, for a spectacular leaping catch.

-Marcel Ozuna covers a lot of ground to make this back-handed grab against the Cardinals.

-Though not quite a play, Jose Fernandez deserves another hand for being the Marlins' lone All-Star selection.

Coming Up

The upcoming week will feature two home series for Miami.

The Marlins start their week off with a home game against the Braves today. Kevin Slowey, filling in for Nolasco, takes the mound for Miami while Mike Minor gets the start for Atlanta.

Going into the weekend, there will be two games of note for the Marlins. On Friday, Nathan Eovaldi will get starting pitcher duties against the Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals. On Saturday, Jose Fernandez is projected to start against Nationals ace Jordan Zimmermann.

Barring any setbacks or extra rest on either end, Marlins fans should expect to be treated to two straight games of elite pitching.

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