Steve Clevenger, buried in AAA, should make his return to the O's sooner rather than later.

When the Orioles traded for Nick Hundley in the wake of Matt Wieters's injury, everyone expected the O's to option Caleb Joseph back to the minors after a brief stint in the majors. The O's instead chose to option Steve Clevenger and kept two right-handed hitting catches on the team. The move has not worked out for the O's. While Joseph and Hundley are hitting for wOBA of .212 and .154 respectively in the majors, Clevenger is destroying AAA pitching with a slash line of .393/.433/.525. Small sample size, of course, and we should not evaluate processes just on results. Yet there are plenty of reasons to prefer Clevenger over either Joseph or Hundley on the team.

The primary reason is simply the side of the plate the trio bat from. While the O's can run a platoon at catcher with Clevenger on the team, the duo of Joseph and Hundley only has the platoon advantage only about 30% of the time. Clevenger against a right-handed pitcher is always preferable to Joseph or Hundley at the plate. Clevenger might even be a better hitter regardless of which hand the pitcher throws with. Steamer projects Clevenger to post a wOBA of .307 for the rest of season, compared to .295 for Hundley and .280 for Joseph. Couple that with the platoon advantage Clevenger will receive, and the difference between Clevenger and Joseph at the plate is huge.

Clevenger might also provide an upgrade on defense. As I detailed in my article last week, all three O's catchers have been respectable and even exceptional (in the case of Joseph) on defense this season. However, Hundley has a long history as a terrible pitch framer, costing the Padres about 10 runs each season over the last 3 years. Clevenger might only be an average pitch framer, but that would save the O's 10 runs just by not having Hundley in the game. Clevenger is a downgrade from Joseph on defense, but he more than makes up for it on offense.

I don't see any reason to prefer both of Joseph and Hundley over Clevenger. The question should really be the choice between Joseph and Hundley. While Hundley has a sizable edge over Joseph on offense, the gap between the two might be even larger on defense, though in a less obvious way. There may not be a huge difference between Joseph and Hundley, but there is between Clevenger and the duo of Joseph and Hundley.

The Friars are ready to put up a white flag and rightfully so.

According to Jayson Stark and Jon Heyman the Padres are looking to be sellers. The Padres OF seems to be the sport that is being pushed aggressively and that makes a lot of sense.

Here is ESPN's Stark talking about how the Padres are looking to sell:

The one potential seller, besides the Cubs, that has picked up the pace, other teams say, is the Padres. "Not many teams are in sell mode, but San Diego is already in that mode," said one AL exec. At the top of their "BUY ME" list are all their outfielders except Cameron Maybin, with Seth Smith, Chris Denorfia and Will Venable all potentially available. And will someone take a chance on Chase Headley? "They've been wanting to move him for two years," the exec said.

And here is CBS' Heyman adding Carlos Quentin's name to the mix:

Assuming he starts swinging the bat like usual -- his current .637 OPS is exactly 200 points below his stellar .837 career mark -- Quentin looks like he could become a prime trade candidate next month.

Of interest then is the complete no-trade clause in Quentin's contract, a major part of the equation when he signed for what was literally a "hometown" discount. The pertinent question thus becomes: Would he be willing to approve a trade out of his hometown for the chance to enhance his career and perhaps play in a playoff race?

Padres people believe a healthy Quentin gives the offensively challenged team their best chance to win, and that's probably true, but they are also realistic to know that eventually it may be better for all involved if he went to the American League, where being a DH could give his chronic knee pain a chance to subside.

The team is going nowhere and the Padres' OF is a mess. Chris Denorfia and Seth Smith are about to become free agents, Carlos Quentin is injury prone and relatively expensive and Will Venable is playing at a level that could should be replaced for less cost. The club probably will not find takers to all, but it is a good start to try and get as much as they can for as many as they can. The Padres can worry about who will man those positions in 2015 later after they have freed up the spots and resources.

One of the most common foot and ankle injuries seen in athletes, plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury that has wreaked havoc on San Diego Padres infielder Jedd Gyorko.

A common term used to describe pain and inflammation manifesting in the heel and arch of the foot, plantar fasciitis (PF) is a disorder of the lower extremity often seen in athletes. One of its most recent victims has been San Diego Padres infielder Jedd Gyorko, who has been battling the condition in his left foot since May 30. Placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 6, more recent news has been encouraging, as he is set to shed the orthotic walking boot he has used to quell the pain, weight bearing load, and foot pronation that can aggravate the injury.

An overuse injury, the causes of PF are varied, evolving from a number of baseball activities that put large amounts of pressure on the heel and connective tissue of the foot arch. Typically, it arises from running, with the excessive loads from bursts of energy and speed seen in sudden starts, stops, and changes in direction often being the culprit. Add to these other twisting and pivoting movements seen while playing defense and prolonged foot pronation—an inward rolling of the foot towards the body's midline—and tiny tears of the plantar fascia create a buildup of scar tissue, resulting in a thickening of the fascia, with deposits of calcified tissue (a separate condition often called a heel spur) also seen in this degenerative process. Individual anatomical differences can also exacerbate the development of PF, with flat feet and cavus deformities—high arches—often cited as risk factors for PF. Positionally, catchers are at particular risk for PF, due to the arrangement of forces on the foot as they sit in their squat being directly focused on the medial aspect of the arch of the foot.

Rarely requiring surgical intervention, the course of action for treating PF is a conservative one, with one eye on the control of pain and inflammatory processes, and the other on working with a player to correct mechanical factors at play in their diagnosis. Anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injection, and other less common treatments such as iontophoresis, ultrasound, and phonophoresis, all can be used to reduce pain and swelling. Along with the previously mentioned orthotic boot, stretching and mobility exercises involving the fascia as well as the musculature around the foot and calve muscles are also used to modify and improve the mechanical aspects of maintaining health of the foot arch and heel.

For Gyorko and his baseball activities, there are a number of ways that PF has wreaked havoc upon his season. From a base running perspective, the injury is probably at its most painful to Gyorko, but also its least hindering, given his lack of base stealing prowess and speed, in general. Using the broad brushstrokes of base running stats such as Ultimate Base Running, we see a dip in UBR this season compared to last, currently a -0.7, compared to a reasonable 1.4 in 2013. His Speed Score has actually improved this season, currently at a 3.5, up from 2.0 in 2013. Gyorko's ability to take the extra base has dropped this year as well, with a ten percent drop in extras bases taken percentage to 29% in 2014 noted. As alluded to, these big picture snapshots of Gyorko's base running may not provide enough granularity to say whether the PF injury has greatly affected his base running and, to be honest, it's one of the lesser components of his game, and one not necessarily to worry about.

Defensively, the injury to Gyorko becomes a little more dicey. From the perspective of a second baseman—his primary position this season—the double play pivot will be a contentious matter with PF in the left foot. With a push pivot, Gyorko's left foot is against the bag on the outfield side. Once he receives the ball and is ready to transition to throwing, he will push off with the left foot in order to clear himself from the base path. With PF, this transfer and weight shift focusing on the foot injured can be troublesome. With slide and step-over pivots, the left foot is also at risk for further aggravation of the PF and can even be a root cause of the injury, due to the large amounts of weight bearing and pivoting stresses put upon the foot in trying to turn two.

From a fielding perspective, other stresses arising from the sudden starts and stops come into play, with a lot of lateral forces being put upon the injured left foot on plays to Gyorko's right and up the middle. Looking at a small selection of season defensive stats, we do see Gyorko having some issues with the glove. In particular, his DRS as a second baseman has dropped to -4 from -1 in 2013, with a concomitant drop in Revised Zone Rating also seen, currently sitting at .764. Looking at Inside Edge stats, we also see Gyorko suffering a decline this season across the board, with all IE fielding categories showing lower rates of success for the second baseman. At a season level, it appears Gyorko's range and ability to make the plays he did last season are affected, with his PF injury a potential factor in this decline.

The most visible effects of Gyorko's plantar fasciitis is seen in his hitting. Currently at a .215 wOBA and 33 wRC+, the pop that Gyorko displayed last season (23 HR and a 110 wRC+) has all but evaporated this season. While Gyorko only started to complain of foot pain on May 30, with his batting stats and the degenerative nature of PF arising from overuse, it's doubtful that the sentinel event was exactly on this date, prompting many to wonder if the PF has been at the root of Gyorko's hitting woes all season. From a biomechanical aspect, the heel of a hitter's lead foot—for Gyorko, his left—is what truly initiates a swing. Once the lead foot is in place and planted, only then can the abduction and external rotation of the pelvis begin, which allows for rotation around the torso and spine, providing the path for a hitter's hands to come through the zone, during the late acceleration phase. With late acceleration phase also comes extension of the front knee, which can briefly put almost the entire weight of a hitter on his front foot, adding to the pain and inflammation of PF. This all adds up to a number of checkpoints in Gyorko's swing that could be affected by plantar fasciitis, culminating in a slowed bat due to pain causing a more deliberate foot strike with striding to the pitcher, as well as reduced power arising from an avoidance of placing weight on the affected foot, all of this leading to improper and imbalanced swing mechanics borne from a desire to minimize pressure and pain arising from the PF. Other injuries in the hip and knee can also arise from these forced improper mechanics.

Gyorko still has a way to go in terms of a full return from plantar fasciitis, but with adherence to the aggressively conservative treatments, the pain and inflammation should resolve without recurrence. For many, a full return of function comes in several months, which for an athlete such as Gyorko, can be the most excruciating aspect of the injury.

***

References: Dines, J. S. (2012). Sports medicine of baseball. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Coker, W. L. (2013). Baseball Injuries Case Studies, by Type, in the Major Leagues.. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

All data courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.

Stuart Wallace is an associate managing editor and writer at Beyond The Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @TClippardsSpecs.

After an emotional win last night, the Padres are back at it this afternoon, looking to even up their season series with the Mariners after dropping the first two games up north. Jesse Hahn will take the ball for the Friars in just his third major league start. He was brilliant his last time out, notching his first major league win by allowing one hit, three walks, and nary a run while striking out seven Mets in six innings of work.

The Mariners will counter Hahn with Erasmo Ramirez, who is coming off a successful performance of his own. Ramirez pitched around three hits and four walks to post five shutout frames against the Rangers last Saturday. He'll have his hands full with the latest murderers row Bud Black has assembled.

Final game of the series with the Mariners from Petco Park at 3:40pm. Here's today's lineup: pic.twitter.com/DzQqXS9eLK

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 19, 2014

Okay, maybe more of a jaywalkers row, but what better time than now for them to work up to some more serious crimes? Slash some hits, steal a few bases, kidnap the Mariner Moose, take him out in the desert, and -- you know what, scratch that last part. A win will suffice.

Gametime is 3:40pm. It's today's mlb.tv Free Game of the Day for folks outside the viewing area, so let your aunt in Michigan know.

The Angels are exploring the market for starting pitchers as they try to catch the A's in the AL West.

The Los Angeles Angels appear to be in the market for a starting pitching upgrade, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the team "would like to add [another] starter."

The Angels, who are currently 38-33 and in the lead for the second AL Wild Card spot, aren't in dire need of an upgrade in the rotation. The Angels' rotation is significantly improved over last year's atrocity of a staff, as their 3.68 starters ERA is good for 10th best in the majors, while their 3.65 FIP ranks 7th.

The club's top trio of Jered Weaver, Garrett Richards, and CJ Wilson has been outstanding this season, but they have also received solid performances from the pair of Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker. The 27-year-old Shoemaker has looked surpringly strong in 6 starts (11 appearances overall) this season, accruing a 3.83 ERA (3.41 as a starter) and 9.6 K/9 versus an exemplary 1.9 BB/9. Skaggs, who has a 3.62 ERA in his first full-time gig at the big league level, is currently on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain, but could return as early as next week.

As Rosenthal points out, the Angels likely lack the necessary pieces to acquire someone of Jeff Samardzija or David Price's caliber, which means they'll likely go after more middle-tier options such as Ian Kennedy of the Padres or Dillon Gee of the Mets.

Kennedy, who the Angels targeted last summer, is an Orange County native and won't be eligible for free agency until after next season. Kennedy is notching a fine rebound campaign this year after posting a 4.91 ERA Last season. In 15 starts and 92 innings for the Padres, Kennedy has a 3.72 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 4.08 K/BB, and 1.5 WAR. Generally known as a fly ball pitcher, he would be a strong fit in the spacious Angel Stadium.

Gee is currently recovering from a strained lat, but is expected back by early next month. The 28-year-old right-hander had a strong start to the season before going down, posting a 2.73 ERA and 1.3 WAR in 52.2 innings. He had a 3.62 ERA and 4.00 FIP in 199 innings with the Mets in 2013.

One reason the Angels may be inclined to acquire another starter is the appealing option of moving Hector Santiago back to the bullpen. The 26-year-old Santiago, acquired along with Skaggs in December's Mark Trumbo trade, has been lackluster this season, walking nearly four batters per nine innings and posting a 4.44 ERA (4.35 FIP) in 48.2 innings, while also spending time in Triple-A due to his struggles. The Angels are currently in need of a left-handed reliever, and Santiago, a southpaw, would be a strong solution to that problem. He owns a career 3.49 ERA in 77.1 relief innings.

As expected, Yonder Alonso was placed on the 15-day DL; taking his place on the 25-man roster will be outfielder and first baseman Jake Goebbert. The next game Goebbert plays for the Padres will be his first; he has been a member of the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas since being acquired from Oakland in the Kyle Blanks trade.

As we told you last night, #Padres add OF Jake Goebbert and place Yonder Alonso on DL with right wrist tendinitis.

— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) June 19, 2014

In his article on the matter over at the team's official site, the indispensable Brock reports that Yonder's latest ailment is unrelated to the hand problems that derailed his 2013 season, as per Bud Black.

The 26-year-old Goebbert will be making his big league debut in his sixth year in pro ball. In 265 AAA plate appearances this year in 63 games split nearly evenly between Sacramento and El Paso, he has hit .264/ .377/ .482 with 11 doubles and 11 homers.

The Dodgers have not played the Padres since April 2, their fifth game of the season.

I have no idea how the Dodgers are going to top the pitching performance of Clayton Kershaw's no-hitter on Wednesday, but then again in the game after their last no-hitter they had a perfect game into the eighth inning. Here is a look at the starting pitching matchups for the three games this weekend against the Padres in San Diego.

With Thursday's off day, all three Dodgers starters head into the weekend pitching on five days rest.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

In his last start, Dan Haren struck out two Diamondbacks. In his start before that he struck out two Reds, and before that he struck out two White Sox. In his start before that, he struck out two Pirates. You see where this is going. Eight strikeouts in 99 batters faced won't get it done, especially with six home runs allowed and a 4.56 ERA during that span. That said, Haren has won his last two starts, so what do I know?

Ian Kennedy stands at 5-8 with a below-average 3.72 ERA but has 98 strikeouts and only 24 walks in 92 innings. His FIP (3.09), FIP (3.13), xFIP (3.10) and strikeout rate (25.9 percent) are career highs, better than his 21-win 2011 season that saw him finish fourth in National League Cy Young Award balloting.

Saturday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

No longer the only Dodger to turn around when someone yells "No hitter guy" in the clubhouse, Josh Beckett takes a 15-inning road scoreless streak into his Saturday start at Petco Park. Beckett has allowed no runs in three of his five road starts this season. Tyson Ross has a 2.33 ERA in seven home starts this season with 51 strikeouts in 46⅓ innings, but has allowed five or more runs in three of his last five starts overall.

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

Hyun-jin Ryu has taken the mound in 44 different innings on the road this year, and 40 of them have been scoreless. He has a 1.64 ERA away from home with 39 strikeouts and 11 walks, and has allowed one run in two career starts against the Padres. Old friend Eric Stults has lost six straight decisions and is tied for the major league lead with nine losses to go with a 5.76 ERA. The left-hander hasn't been saved by the refuge of the pitcher-friendly Petco Park of late, allowing 16 runs in his last 17⅔ innings at home.

In his third career start, Jesse Hahn excelled once again. The young pitcher went a career best 7 innings, allowing only a single unearned run on 5 hits and 2 walks. He matched the strikeout total of his previous start, sitting down 7 Mariners. Seattle's starter, Erasmo Ramirez, had a great outing as well, throwing 6 shutout innings, giving up a pair of walks and hits in the process.

Hahn's only real trouble came in the fifth inning. He gave Brad Miller a free pass to start the inning before striking out Ramirez. Miller reached second when Everth Cabrera missed the catch. James Jones struck out right after that, which should have ended the inning, but Cabrera's misplay allowed Robinson Cano to come to the plate. His line drive single put the Mariners up 1-0.

Hahn shut down the opposition for the next two innings, but after 93 pitches, he was done for the day. So the offense stepped up in the bottom of the seventh to get him a win. Tommy Medica and Cameron Maybin hit back-to-back triples to knot the game at one. Carlos Quentin drew a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Jace Peterson. Chris Denorfia put the Padres on top with a single to center, sending Maybin home and putting Peterson on a second. The runners advanced on Will Venable's ground out before scoring on a line drive single from Cabrera. With the Friars up 4-1, Joaquin Benoit and Huston Street came in to mop up the mess. For the second year in a row, the Vedder Cup has ended in a draw.

The Dodgers come to town tomorrow, and Ian Kennedy will take the mound to start the series. First pitch is at 7:10 PM.

TTG led the comments and split the rec lead with abara and EvilSammy.

The Mariners can't decide if they are good or not.

Shadow of the Vampire: Erasmo Ramirez (.346 WPA)

BloodRayne:Dominic Leone (-.516 WPA)

Well, they've done it.

I know. Believe me, I was surprised too. Today, the Mariners managed to lose a baseball game in which their starting pitcher carried scoreless frames late into a game they should have taken on paper. Wild.

The Mariners lost a baseball game where Robinson Cano reached base three times and was left to die in the bleak desert that is the Petco Park infield, gasping for water while his compatriots around him kept passing by on their way back to the dugout. Never seen that happen before.

The Mariners lost a baseball game in which their starting pitcher strung together what were--for him--extremely efficient and successful innings, despite having a replacement waiting in the ranks in AAA Tacoma. Well, despite or due to, depending on how you like to think of the way things usually work on this team. I'm going for the latter. Just bizarre.

In case you can't tell, the Mariners lost today and it wasn't pretty. But it wasn't ugly, either, and that's exactly what I was trying to get at with these first paragraphs. This just seems to be how the 2014 Seattle Mariners lose: There have been no first-inning meltdowns yet. There have been no double-digit blowouts from teams that start playing home run derby against the entire M's pen. Not this year. Instead, we get a solid pitching performance for six innings followed by mistakes that wouldn't matter if they had lots of runs on the board. What's that you ask? Lots of runs on the board? I know, believe me, I was surprised too.

So yes, this game was tight into the seventh inning. The Mariners got the first run on the board in the fifth during a sequence that started with a walk to Brad Miller, a strikeout by Erasmo, and then bobbled force attempt with Endy running to first, sweating buckets of veteran grit out of every pore while Rick Rizzs and Lloyd watched in rapturous ecstasy. Miller was safe at second, Endy was safe at first, and Robinson Cano was walking into the batter's box.

Cano whacked a single into the outfield, and Miller rounded third to make his way home to score the only run of the game. It had felt like days since the Mariners had scored a run, and while I'm using that colloquially, it works literally as well. Today they got one that was unearned, due to the error, but HEY! A RUN!

But yes, Erasmo. Erasmo was confusing today, partly because he still looked like the Erasmo Ramirez of 2014, but also because he was pretty successful. He kept the Padres to two hits through six innings, which, yeah Padres, but still. Two hits. Erasmo. This is a good thing!

What is probably a good thing but more of a confusing thing is how he got through those six innings. Erasmo only walked two batters today, which is an improvement, but I'll still never understand where this whole no-location Erasmo came from. This is a guy that had to be pulled aside after a dominant outing in spring training and chewed out because he threw too many strikes. Now that you've read that sentence, look at this picture:

Yeah, I don't know. Ultimately, what maters is that Erasmo did his job today, and the rest of the Mariners didn't. You can't win baseball games with 1 run every day, and when the pitcher your team has been scheduling Taijuan Walker's rehab starts with has a good game, you really know you blew it.

After getting through a six-pitch sixth inning, Erasmo was sitting well on the day with only 70 pitches and presumably lots of gas left in the tank. Still, Lloyd has a memory, and it is presumably filled with lots of Erasmo nightmares. So in the seventh, Lloyd pulled Ramirez to sub in Leone, and the Mariners were three innings away from the start of another win streak. Well, sort of.

Leone threw his requisite warmup pitches and then took the mound to face Padres' catcher Yasmani Grandal. Dirt on his fingers, invisible pin on the front of his jersey identifying him as a requisite member of the Seattle Mariners' 2014 bullpen, carrying the lowest ERA in the American League. The San Diego sun reflected off the silver stitching on his hat like we were in the movies, and it was on.

One pitch, ground out to a diving Cano. One out.

As Tommy Medica took his place at the plate, Leone licked his fingers and readjusted his jersey. Just another day in the office, ol' chap!

One pitch, strike on the upper inches of the plate.

Second pitch, woah wait where is it going how is it doing this it's rolling away, far, far away! Stop the ball! This isn't supposed to happen! Medica looked up and suddenly he was on third, and the tying run was 90 feet away.

Then, Cameron Maybin. It only took him an extra pitch to do the exact same thing, and the game was tied. Leone walked Carlos Quentin, and then gave up another hit to Chris Denorfia and suddenly the bases were the Wheel of Fortune, spinning and replacing runners at ease with A Hit For You! And A Hit For You! Joe Beimel replaced Leone and gave up the final run of the game before departing the inning. 4-1 Padres.

After the eighth, Padres' closer Huston Street came to get the final three outs when the Mariners suddenly remembered they needed offense to win the game. After a John Buck flyout, Dustin Ackley found a gap and soared to second with a double. Then, a Brad Miller single. Tying run at the plate, for the pitchers' position.

Suddenly, time froze, and as Lloyd turned his head to the bench to call out a pinch-hitter, the words mostly...used against left-handed pitchers....mostly materialized into pure matter, awakening into consciousness after being called into being by McClendon on the afternoon of June 12th. Lloyd was conflicted. He knew that words carry meaning, especially to snarky fans and inquisitive beat writers trying to make deadline. He couldn't go back, he couldn't do it. Besides, he knew the splits as well as anyone else.

But then he looked at his bench, and knew that he really didn't have a choice. Jesus Christ, he said to himself, shaking his head in audible displeasure. Jesus Montero jumped off the bench with an eager smile, grabbing a batting helmet on his way to the on-deck circle. Lloyd almost stopped him, but he realized that Montero was going to get an at-bat whether he wanted him to or not.

Then he grounded into a double play and the game was over.

---

I would be remiss to end this recap without mentioning Brad Miller's great barehanded play midway through the game. Of course, MLB.com won't let me link it, and I also can't .gif it so...just watch it here and realize that whatever was going on with the guy in April actually appears to be a distant memory right now. It's the little things. Little, little things.

QUESTIONS

1. What do you listen to in the car, if you drive? Or headphones, if you commute another way?

2. If you were given the option to get a free jersey of anyone as long as they weren't a Mariner, who would you choose?

3. Most overrated/underrated bar/restaurant in Seattle:

The system went 4 for 5 tonight.

Three teams started the second-half of the season on a positive note.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs rubbed the noses of the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres), 6-2.

Tsuyoshi Wadagot his seventh win after he tossed 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, including a solo home run. Wada struck out seven and walked two.

Yoanner Negrin relieved Wada and went the rest of the way for his first save. He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits. He struck out four and walked one.

With a man on in the seventh inning, third baseman Kris Bryant hit a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall for his first hit and first home run in Triple-A. Bryant was 1 for 4.

Let's go to the videotape.

Center fielder Arismendy Alcantara was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and one RBI.

First baseman Josh Vitters was 2 for 4 with an RBI and one run scored.

Welington Castillo was supposed to play in this game as he starts his rehab stint, but because of a long rain delay and a wet field, Iowa manager Marty Pevey decided not to play him.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies won their first game of the second-half in walk-off fashion,  4-3 over the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers).

No complaints about Dae-Eun Rhee's start tonight. Rhee allowed a home run to the first batter of the game and not much after that. Rhee went six innings and allowed one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Hunter Cervenka started the top of the ninth with a 3-2 lead, but a double and an RBI single later and he was out of the game. Cervenka retired one batter. Newly-demoted Frank Batista took over for Cervenka and struck out both batters he faced and got the win when Tennessee pushed a run across in the bottom of the ninth.

Stephen Bruno singled with one out in the ninth and went to second base on an errant pickoff throw. Then the newly-demoted Christian Villanueva singled him home to win the game.

Bruno was 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI in addition to that one run. Villanueva was 2 for 5.

Right fielder Rubi Silva hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to give Tennessee a 3-1 lead at the time. It was his fifth home run this year. Silva was 3 for 4.

Catcher Charles Cutler was 2 for 4.

Former Smokies pitcher (and Cubs minor league pitcher of the year) Nick Struck started this game for Chattanooga.

Daytona Cubs

It was a miserable first half for the Daytona Cubs, who finished with a 26-42 record. But they are 1-0 in the second half after a 7-4 win over the Brevard County Manatees (Brewers).

It was the second straight tough start for Felix Peña, who allowed four runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out four and walked three.

Starling Peralta took over for Pena and got the win when Daytona overcame a 4-3 deficit with three runs in the seventh inning. Peralta was brilliant as he faced 14 batters (4.2 innings) and retired all of them, four by a strikeout.

Andrew McKirahan picked up his sixth save with a scoreless ninth. He gave up a one-out double, but nothing else. He did not strike anyone out.

DH Dan Vogelbach gave Daytona an early 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. It was his sixth home run of the season. Vogelbach was 3 for 5 with a double and the home run. He scored two runs.

Center fielder Albert Almora was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored.

Pin-Chieh Chen left this game in the third inning. I presume he was injured but I have no information on this at this time.

Kane County Cougars

The Cougars had a very successful first half, running away with the Western Division title. They picked up where they left off with a 7-0 boiling of the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins) in a game that ended in the bottom of the fifth because of rain.

It was a three-hit shut out for Daury Torrez, albeit of the five-inning variety. He gave up three hits. He struck out one and didn't walk anyone.

Kane County scored all seven runs in the third inning. Center fielder Jacob Hannemann hit a two-run inside-the-park home run in the third inning. It was his third home run of the season and he was 2 for 3 in this game.

Second baseman Danny Lockhart also had a two-run single in that inning. He was 1 for 2.

Left fielder Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored in the 3rd.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks turned green against the Eugene Emeralds (Padres), 8-7 in eleven innings.

Tyler Ihrig started and allowed four runs on six hits over six innings. But mostly it was on a three-run home run in the first inning. Ihrig did strike out seven and he only walked one.

Alberto Diaz took the loss. He allowed one run on three hits over 1.1 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Catcher Justin Marra hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning, his third of the season. Marra also had a double in a 2 for 6 night. He scored three runs and had three RBI.

Left fielder Kevin Brown was 3 for 5 with two doubles and a walk. He scored three runs.

The Hawks failed to take advantage of the five errors committed by Eugene.

SAN DIEGO -- A red-hot Matt Kemp and the Dodgers try for their first four-game winning streak of the season on Friday night as they open a three-game weekend series against the Padres at Petco Park.

The Dodgers have not won - or lost - more than three games in succession all season. They have lost three games in a row twice, but are currently on their fifth three-game winning streak.

Kemp is hitting .350/.420/.600 with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 12 runs and 12 RBI in 17 games in June, including a seven-game hitting streak during which he is 13-for-27 (.481) with five multi-hit games.

In his career at Petco Park, Kemp is hitting .324/.374/.505, and has two home runs and is hitting .250/.273/.600 against Ian Kennedy, starting Friday night for the Padres.

Whether or not the Dodgers win Friday night, I'm sure manager Don Mattingly will say the team wants to win a series this weekend. The Dodgers haven't lost a series at Petco Park since 2010. They are 20-11 in San Diego since the beginning of 2011, including wins in all seven three-game series, one four-game series win, and splits of one four-game series and a two-game series.

Dan Haren starts for the Dodgers in the opener, looking for his third straight win. The right-hander allowed one unearned run on four hits in a win in San Diego on April 2, with six strikeouts and no walks. That was early Haren, with two home runs allowed and a 19.5-percent strikeout rate in his first seven starts, with a 2.68 ERA.

Haren has allowed a home run in each of his last seven starts, 10 in all, with an 11.1-percent strikeout rate and a 4.43 ERA.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA

As you know, Tony Gwynn led the National League in batting average a ridiculous eight times in his 20-year career. That's even more impressive when you consider how sparingly he played in his first two and last two seasons, tallying just over one year's worth of plate appearances in those four years. So, out of 16 years he came to the plate enough times to qualify, he took the crown in exactly half of them. Come on.

During the dozen years of Tony's career that he didn't take home the batting title, nine other guys did; one of them did it twice and another thrice. You have two minutes to name as many as you can; you can guess in any order and only need last names.

After you're through, log your results in the poll and be sure to use spoiler bars in your comments wherever it might be applicable.

Turner has multi-hit games in each of his last five starts.

SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers go for a fourth straight win on Friday night against the Padres in San Diego, and will do so with one of their hottest hitters back in the lineup. Justin Turner is at third base batting seventh, making his first start since June 12 in Cincinnati.

Turner was sidelined with calf tightness and didn't start for the last six games and seven of the last eight. He did pinch hit four times during that span and picked up two hits, including an RBI double. Turner has multi-hit games in each of his last five starts, hitting .422 (19-for-45) over his last 16 games.

Since third baseman Juan Uribe was placed on the disabled list with a hamstring strain on May 21, Turner has more than filled in, hitting 364/.417/.561 with 14 RBI and 14 runs scored in 22 games, including 16 starts at third base.

Andre Ethier is 10-for-30 (.333) with two home runs, two doubles and two walks against Padres starter Ian Kennedy. Yasiel Puig is 2-for-7 (.286) with a home run, two walks, and a rather notable hit by pitch against him, Adrian Gonzalez is 5-for-25 (.200) with a home run, two doubles and three walks, and Hanley Ramirez is 2-for-16 (.125) with a walk.

A.J. Ellis, who has walked in a career-high seven straight games, is 3-for-13 (.231) with two walks against Kennedy. Ellis is 5-for-13 (.385) with six walks since his activation from the disabled list.

Chase Headley was in the original lineup for San Diego but was a late scratch. Headley has a sore back, per Corey Brock of MLB.com.

Alexi Amarista was originally at second base but moved to third, with Jace Peterson starting at second.

The Dodgers go for a fourth straight victory on Friday night, facing the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO -- A red-hot Matt Kemp and the Dodgers try for their first four-game winning streak of the season on Friday night as they open a three-game weekend series against the Padres at Petco Park.

The Dodgers have not won - or lost - more than three games in succession all season. They have lost three games in a row twice, but are currently on their fifth three-game winning streak.

Kemp is hitting .350/.420/.600 with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 12 runs and 12 RBI in 17 games in June, including a seven-game hitting streak during which he is 13-for-27 (.481) with five multi-hit games.

In his career at Petco Park, Kemp is hitting .324/.374/.505, and has two home runs and is hitting .250/.273/.600 against Ian Kennedy, starting Friday night for the Padres.

Whether or not the Dodgers win Friday night, I'm sure manager Don Mattingly will say the team wants to win a series this weekend. The Dodgers haven't lost a series at Petco Park since 2010. They are 20-11 in San Diego since the beginning of 2011, including wins in all seven three-game series, one four-game series win, and splits of one four-game series and a two-game series.

Dan Haren starts for the Dodgers in the opener, looking for his third straight win. The right-hander allowed one unearned run on four hits in a win in San Diego on April 2, with six strikeouts and no walks. That was early Haren, with two home runs allowed and a 19.5-percent strikeout rate in his first seven starts, with a 2.68 ERA.

Haren has allowed a home run in each of his last seven starts, 10 in all, with an 11.1-percent strikeout rate and a 4.43 ERA.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA

After an emotional and victorious end to the series against Seattle, our Padres will try to keep the momentum going as they host the Dodgers this weekend at Petco Park. Ian Kennedy will start things off in tonight's series opener.

With a 5-12 record so far in the month of June, San Diego could use a big win against the NL West rivals. Kennedy didn't have the best of starts against the Dodgers earlier this season. On April 1st he was tagged for three runs in five innings of work, and didn't get a single run of support from his offense. That story has become all too common this season, but the past two games have shown a glimpse of this offense's potential.

The Friars will have to face Dan Haren tonight, who will try to follow up a pretty good outing from Clayton Kershaw with a gem of his own. Haren is 7-4 with a 3.54 ERA this season, but is coming off his first pair of consecutive wins since April. One of the keys for San Diego will be to get to Haren early, specifically in the first inning, when the right-hander has given up six runs while opponents have batted .328 against him through his last five starts.

In the season series between these two teams, the Dodgers are up two games to one. See if our boys can even things up tonight at 7:10 PDT.

Big crowds turned out to see big names in Des Moines and Geneva. Both teams delivered a victory.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs kept the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) on a leash, 8-3.

Starter Kyle Hendricks retired the first 15 batters he faced. He lost the perfect game with a leadoff infield single in the sixth, but he still easily claimed his eighth win. Hendricks allowed one run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out six and did not walk anyone.

Arodys Vizcaino made his Iowa Cubs debut in the ninth and he had a tough time, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while retiring only one better. That meant that Alberto Cabrera had to enter the game with the bases loaded and one out. Cabrera got a pop up and a strikeout to end the game and collect his first save.

First baseman Logan Watkins hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning. It was his second of the season. Watkins was 1 for 3 with a walk and he scored two runs.

Shortstop Javier Baez was 3 for 4 with a double and four RBI. All three hits were to right field.

Second baseman Arismendy Alcantara went 2 for 4 with two doubles and a walk. He scored two runs.

Center fielder Matt Szczur was 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. He had one RBI.

The announced attendance for the game was 14,128, which was the sixth-largest crowd in Principal Park history. While they did have a giveaway of a baseball to the first 2000 fans and the normal Friday night fireworks, I'm guessing most of the fans were there to see Kris Bryant. Bryant was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies clouded the vision of the Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers), 5-4 in 11 innings.

Starter Matt Loosen pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits, one of which was a two-run home run in the third. Loosen struck out five and walked three.

Jeff Lorick pitched a perfect top of the eleventh inning and got the win when the Smokies scored in the bottom of the inning. All three outs were ground outs.

Jae-Hoon Ha and Stephen Bruno singled with one out in the eleventh and an error put them on second and third with only one out. After Christian Villanueva was intentionally walked, Charles Cutlerunintentionally walked, forcing in Ha as the winning run.

Ha was 1 for 4 with two walks, one intentional. Cutler was 0 for 2 with three walks and two runs scored. Villanueva was 1 for 3 with three walks, one intentional. Bruno was 2 for 6.

Right fielder Rubi Silva and left fielder Jonathan Mota hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. Silva's came with a man on and was his sixth of the season. It was Mota's second homer this year and first for Tennessee.

Silva was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Mota was 1 for 4.

The Smokies had seven hits in this game and drew 11 walks, although three were intentional. Still a good number.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were run aground by the Brevard County Manatees (Brewers), 9-3.

Nathan Dorris started and took the loss. He went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.

The game really got out of hand when reliever Jose Rosario surrendered five runs on eight hits in only three innings.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI. Second baseman Gioskar Amaya was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars shucked the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 6-4.

Juan Paniagua pitched the first 5.1 innings and was charged with four runs on six hits, although only two of the four runs were earned. He struck out five and walked two.

Corbin Hoffner allowed two base runners inherited from Paniagua to score and tie the game in the sixth inning, but he stayed in the game, didn't allow any more runs and got the win when the Cougars scored in the bottom of the eighth. Hoffner pitched 2.2 innings and gave up only one hit. He struck out two and walked one.

Tyler Bremer got his ninth save by pitching a perfect ninth inning. He struck out one batter.

Catcher Kyle Schwarber hit his first Midwest League home run with the bases empty in the fifth inning. Schwarber was 2 for 3 with a double and awalk and he scored twice.

For the second straight game,  center fielder Jacob Hannemann hit a home run, although this one went over the fence rather than being an inside-the-park one. It was Hannemann's fourth home run this season and he was 1 for 4 on the night.

Second baseman Ben Carhart was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert went 2 for 4 and scored one run.

First baseman Jacob Rogers was 2 for 4 and scored twice. Left fielder Trey Martin went 2 for 3.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks fell to the Eugene Emeralds (Padres), 9-5.

It was a rough start for Erick Leal, who got tagged for eight runs on eight hits in only three innings. That includes a grand slam in the third inning. But hey, two of the eight runs were unearned. Leal struck out three and walked one.

Left fielder Kevin Brown had two doubles in a 2 for 5 game. Brown had three RBI and scored one run.

AZL Cubs

The Arizona Summer League started tonight. The Cubs had the day off.

The Dodgers led at one point 5-1, and were stunned by three ninth-inning runs.

Seth Smith was quite a wrecking crew on his own for the Padres on Friday night, but Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen didn't have to face him in the ninth. Smith was in the on-deck circle watching Everth Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Will Venable for the winning run to cap a three-run ninth inning by the Padres in a stunning 6-5 win over the Dodgers.

For the fifth time this season, the Dodgers had a three-game winning streak denied a fourth straight victory.

Jansen started the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead, but after a leadoff single by Alexi Amarista and a double by pinch hitter Carlos Quentin, San Diego cut the lead in half and had a rally going with nobody out. Venable then doubled home Quentin to tie the score, giving Jansen his first blown save since April 15.

"We always feel like he's going to get out of it," manager Don Mattingly said. "They just kept hitting, really."

A sacrifice bunt got Venable to third, setting the stage for Cabrera's game-winning fly ball.

"I felt good. I thought I was making good pitches," Jansen said. "It just didn't go my way."

The throw home from right field on the game's final play came from Scott Van Slyke, who entered the game an inning earlier for Yasiel Puig, who exited with a mild left hip muscle strain, an injury that caused him to miss a game and a half earlier in June in Colorado.

Puig is day-to-day.

Dee Gordon opened the game with a shot to the right center field gap, good for his eighth triple of the season to tie Alex Rios of the Rangers for the major league lead. When the relay throw to third from second baseman Jace Peterson got away, Gordon scampered home for a quick 1-0 lead.

A double by Adrian Gonzalez and a single by Matt Kemp widened the lead to 2-0 and extended Kemp's hitting streak to eight games, during which he is 14-for-31 (.452).

The Dodgers put up another crooked number in the fifth inning. With runners on second and third and one out against a drawn-in infield, Puig singled off the glove of a diving Everth Cabrera at shortstop, just out of the reach of a diving Amarista at third. As the ball squirted toward the third base line Hanley Ramirez alertly kept running and scored easily. The throw home was wild, allowing Puig to get all the way to third base, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez for a three-run inning and a 5-1 lead.

Dan Haren was more or less Dan Haren, in that he pitched into the sixth and was in the neighborhood of the minimum standard for a quality start. He gave up a pair of home runs to Smith, one in the first and one in the sixth, making it 12 home runs allowed in Haren's last eight starts.

"The first pitch was a fastball, I was trying to challenge him. The second pitch was a mistake," Haren said. "With all due respect, it's Seth Smith. It's not Babe Ruth, but he was pretty much Babe Ruth tonight."

Smith, who also doubled to the center field wall in the eighth against Brian Wilson, has owned the Dodgers this season, going 6-for-10 (.600) with four solo home runs, a double, two walks and a catcher's interference in four games.

The other run against Haren came in the fifth inning on an RBI single by pinch hitter Jake Goebbert, in his first major league plate appearance. Haren failed to last six innings for just the third time in 15 starts this year.

"My stuff was good today. I really should have gotten more outs than I did. I left a lot of outs out there from the bullpen," Haren said. "I felt great, I really did. It was the best I felt the last few times out."

Haren left up two runs with two outs in the sixth and a runner on first base. J.P. Howell relieved him and, after a walk to Amarista, struck out Peterson to end the threat. Howell has stranded 20 of 22 inherited runners this season, including all five runners inherited from Haren.

The positive takeaway for Haren on Friday was that he struck out five batters after four straight starts of only two strikeouts each.

"I was able to move the ball in and out a little bit better than I had in the past," Haren said. "I'm going to strike more guys out than I have been. I think it was just a little funk I've been through."

Notes

Van Slyke was ruled out on a double play in the ninth inning but upon replay he was never tagged by the second baseman Peterson. The call was overturned, the 12th successful Dodgers challenge in 18 tries this year.

Smith is one of two players with at least 10 total bases in a game against the Dodgers, joining Paul Goldschmidt (12 total bases on May 17).

Up next

Josh Beckett gets the start on Saturday night for the Dodgers in the middle game of the series, facing Tyson Ross for San Diego, at 7:10 p.m. PT start.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Seth Smith 2 (8)

WP - Dale Thayer (3-2): 1 IP, 2 hits

LP - Kenley Jansen (0-3): ⅔ IP, 3 hits, 3 runs

A few fans tuned out after the Dodgers scored a pair in the top of the first. A lot more tuned out after they put up 3 in the fifth. But not any of you, right? True believers that you are, you stuck around for the epic ninth inning comeback. And if you're wondering how a lineup devoid of all but one of their regular infielders puts together a 3-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, Ben Higgins would like to point something out to you.

Padres are now 3-0 when wearing the "19" home plate patch over their hearts.

— Ben Higgins (@BenHigginsSD) June 21, 2014

The game started pretty badly, with Dee Gordon hitting a leadoff triple that turned into a run courtesy of Jace Peterson's throwing error. A double from Adrian Gonzalez and an RBI single from Matt Kemp rounded out the Dodgers' first. Seth Smith got one of those runs back right away by sending a nice souvenir to the the kids at the beach.

Ian Kennedy settled down a bit after that and held LA at 2 until the fifth inning, when everything fell apart. After a single by Dodgers starter Dan Haren, Dee Gordon reached first on a fielder's choice. A wild pitch sent him to second. He didn't need the wild pitch, though; Kennedy walked Hanley Ramirez. Yasiel Puig hit a single right into the 5.5 hole. Everth Cabrera deflected it, which gave Alexi Amarista a chance to catch Ramirez at home. Alexi's throw was off the mark, though, allowing Ramirez to score and Puig to reach third. Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to put the Dodgers up 5-1.

Amarista atoned for his error in the bottom half of the inning, hitting a leadoff double. Jake Goebbert pinch hit for Kennedy, and picked up his first major league hit and RBI with a line drive single to right. One inning later, Smith hit his second homer of the night to narrow the gap by another run.

Down by two in the bottom of the ninth, Amarista started things off with a single to center. Going for broke, Bud Black sent Carlos Quentin to the plate in Peterson's place. Quentin sent the ball rattling around the left field corner for an RBI double to put the Padres within one. Will Venable followed suit with a masterful at bat, fighting through six pitches before launching the seventh into the left center gap to make it 5 all, with the winning run in scoring position. Rene Rivera laid down a perfect bunt to move him 90 feet closer to victory. All the Padres needed was a sacrifice fly, and Everth Cabrera only needed one pitch to deliver. A fly ball to right field sent Venable home for the win.

Tyson Ross will try to keep the winning streak alive at 7:10 PM tomorrow night.

Jodes led the comment thread, and there were so many recs that I'm going to say everybody wins.

MLB news from the past week.

HOFer Tony Gwynn passes away

It's very unfortunate to have lost arguably the best pure hitter of his era at such a young age. Many of us have special memories of watching Gwynn play; Deadspin has a nice article written by a former Padres bat boy and big Tony Gwynn fan about his experiences talking with Gwynn and witnessing how much of a genuinely considerate person he was.

Clayton Kershaw dominates Rockies with no-hitter

If it wasn't for a careless throwing error by Hanley, we'd be talking about a perfect game. It amazes me that he hadn't thrown a no-hitter before as good as he is. Only Nolan Ryan has more strikeouts in a no-hitter than Kershaw's 15.

Brad Ausmus the wife-beater

Open mouth, insert foot.

Joking about something like that was just beyond dumb, especially at a press conference. Now, the next time Detroit has a lengthy losing streak, watch all baseball message boards be flooded with comments resembling, "Hey Brad, you gonna beat your wife again?"

D-backs DFA J.J. Putz

The last couple of years have not been kind to Putz as arm injuries have hampered his effectiveness since his 45-save year in 2011. He states that he will not accept a minor league assignment, so if he's to see any more major-league action this year, it'll be with another team.

Cuban outfielder defects

Yasmani Tomas is a sturdy (6'1", 230 lbs.) 23-year old corner outfielder with power. His raw power score is 70 on the 20-80 scale, but likely will not be signed before the end of this season.

David Ortiz reprimanded for criticizing official scorer

Ortiz entered Wednesday's game against the Twins hitting just .186 in June, so when Joe Maurer muffed a ground ball allowing him to reach base, Ortiz got peeved when it was ruled an error and made it known by shouting at the press box. He later complained about the lack of partiality, but Joe Torre fired back, saying "Official scorers should never give any benefit of the doubt to the home team."

This sounds to me like Ortiz is putting his own personal stats ahead of his own team, which is pure selfishness.

Ministering to Umpires

Umpires take all sorts of abuse every day from players, managers, and fans, not to mention the physical tolls they endure. Dean Esskew has headed a nonprofit ministry for the last 11 years dedicated solely to providing a spiritual outlet to umpires across the majors and the minors who need a little redeeming.

Except for CB Bucknor. I don't know if there's any redeeming him.

SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers try to pick up the pieces after Friday night's stunning loss, and will do so with Josh Beckett on the hill against the Padres.

Beckett has not allowed a run in each of his last two road starts, 15 innings in all. He is 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA on the road this season, with only three home runs allowed in 31⅔ innings.

Though the Dodgers lost on Friday they scored five runs, the 18th time they have done so on the road this season. In the National League only the Brewers, with 19, have more such road games. The Dodgers' 4.59 runs per game on the road is second in the NL this season, again to Milwaukee.

Matt Kemp carries an eight-game hitting streak into Saturday's game, the third-longest by a Dodger this year. Kemp has driven in a run in seven of the eight games of his hitting streak, including the last four games, with 10 RBI in all during the streak.

Hanley Ramirez has a seven-game hitting streak of his own and has a hit in each of his last 10 starts, hitting .306/.405/.528 with two home runs and two doubles during that span (including his 0-for-1 in one game as a pinch-hitter).

Justin Turner was 1-for-3 on Friday in his return to the starting lineup after eight days. He has at least one hit in each of his last 12 starts and has reached base in each of his last 16 starts, dating back to May 22.

Adrian Gonzalez, who has doubled in each of his last two games, is 4-for-9 with a double in his career against Tyson Ross, starting for San Diego on Saturday night. Since leaving the Padres Gonzalez is hitting .347/.368/.540 against his old team, though just .273/.290/.439 at Petco Park, including just 2-for-15 (.133) in San Diego in 2014.

Yasiel Puig hasn't homered since May 28, and at 20 full games and 86 plate appearances is suffering through the longest power drought of his career. Puig is 2-for-5 with a home run and a walk against Ross. The home run came in 2013.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA