MLB Team Report – San Diego Padres – INSIDE PITCH
Left-hander Eric Stults started for the Padres Thursday afternoon and the Padres defeated the Cubs 4-2 at Wrigley Field.
Stults was not around when the Padres scored their four runs with two out in the eighth. He wasn’t even the pitcher of record. But the Padres won in a game he started.
More often than not, when Stults starts, the Padres win. He might not win, but his team does.
Thursday marked the fourth time this season that the Padres have won a game started by Stults. In games started by other starters this season, the Padres are 8-15 after San Diego beat Arizona 7-6 Friday in a game started by Jason Marquis. And in 20 games started by Stults since he joined the rotation last season, the Padres are 14-6.
Stults’ official record as a starter: 2-2 this season and 10-5 as a Padre. And here’s the other part: As a Padre, Stults has a lower earned-run average on the road (2.87) than he has at Petco Park (4.44).
“Eric knows how to work his way through a game,” Padres manager Bud Black explained. “He battles. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. If he’s not ahead, he’s working to keep it close and give us a chance.”
“The team record is really all that matters,” Stults said Thursday. “You’d love to have good stats. But sometimes it’s the battle.”
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MLB Team Report – San Diego Padres – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 12-17
STREAK: Won two
PAST 10 GAMES: 7-3
NEXT: Diamondbacks (Patrick Corbin, 3-0, 1.91) at Padres (Clayton Richard, 0-3, 7.94)
PLAYER NOTES:
–2B Jedd Gyorko has hit well for much of the season, but particularly so at Petco Park. Gyorko collected a career-best three hits with a pair of doubles in Friday night’s win over Arizona. Gyorko is hitting .333 in 13 games at Petco.
–LHP Clayton Richard suffered his third loss in a 5-3 setback to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 29. Richard allowed all five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Against the Diamondbacks, Richard is 6-0 in eight career starts with 4.06 ERA. He was 3-0 against them last season.
–3B Chase Headley reaffirmed his position Friday that he will not be negotiating a new contract during the season. Headley admitted that all of the attention generated from comments made by Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler, who said Wednesday that the club planned to make Headley its highest-paid player but failed to speak with him personally, have become a distraction. “I’m trying to pour water on the fire as much as I can,” Headley said to a group of reporters before Friday’s game against Arizona. “This is why I didn’t want to (negotiate a deal) during the season. I wanted it to be about what’s taking place on the field. The reasoning for my wanting to do this in the offseason and not the regular season is because I know me better than anybody else. For me to go out and play the best that I can, not only for myself but this team, more importantly, I need to be completely focused on the field. That’s the sole and only purpose behind it.” Headley added that he had a good conversation with Fowler this week. “He wanted me to know that he wasn’t negotiating through the media,” Headley said. “That was the big thing. … He didn’t mean to put the spotlight on me. I appreciated that. I explained my position and why I thought it was best to hold off on it. He respected that. We’re good. There’s no tension between us.”
–CF Cameron Maybin is no longer wearing a splint on his injured right wrist, which has forced him to miss the last 15 games. “He’s doing better,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “He’s moving the wrist. He continues to improve daily. No timetable on his return.” Maybin went on the disabled list April 17.
–LF Carlos Quentin was scratched from the lineup because of a sore knee and replaced by Jesus Guzman. He appeared in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter, but struck out looking. Quentin has been struggling lately, hitting just .204.
–RHP Brad Boxberger was called up from Triple-A Tucson on Thursday. To make room, left hander Robbie Erlin, who was called up April 24, was sent back to Tucson.
–LHP Robbie Erlin, who was called up April 24, was sent back to Tucson when RHP Brad Boxberger was called up from Triple-A.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Tonight’s probably the best I’ve felt all year as far as my delivery. Physically I feel the same but sometimes the timing doesn’t allow you to attack the zone. Obviously the ball was up a little bit tonight. But with my team down 3-2, they helped me out with some double plays and put some timely runs on the board.” — RHP Jason Marquis, who allowed three runs and four hits, striking out five and walking five in six innings of Friday’s 7-6 win over Arizona.
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MLB Team Report – San Diego Padres – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP Joe Wieland (Tommy John surgery in July 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He’s unlikely to return before August. He threw 100 pitches at 75-80 percent on April 26.
–LHP Cory Luebke (Tommy John surgery in May 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list March 20. After taking three weeks off due to soreness in his elbow, he resumed throwing around Opening Day. He threw from 150 feet as of April 26. He’s on schedule to rejoin the Padres around the All-Star break.
–RHP Tyson Ross (subluxation of left shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 18. He threw a 30-pitch bullpen session April 24. He was sent on a rehab assignment to the Triple-A Tucson Padres on April 29.
–OF Cameron Maybin (right wrist impingement) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 16. The timetable for his return was uncertain, though he likely will be out longer than 15 days. In addition to a bone bruise in the wrist, Maybin has inflammation in the cartilage as well as possible ligament damage.
–INF Logan Forsythe (plantar fasciitis in right foot) was transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list April 24. He still hadn’t gotten out of a protective boot as of April 22. He is unlikely to return before late May.
–3B/LF James Darnell (right oblique strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. The timetable for his return was unknown. He was sent on a rehab assignment to the Triple-A Tucson Padres on April 29.
–RHP Casey Kelly (torn right ulnar collateral ligament) went on the 60-day disabled list March 30. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery April 2.
ROTATION:
RHP Edinson Volquez
LHP Clayton Richard
RHP Jason Marquis
LHP Eric Stults
BULLPEN:
RHP Huston Street (closer)
RHP Luke Gregerson
RHP Andrew Cashner
RHP Brad Brach
RHP Anthony Bass
LHP Joe Thatcher
RHP Dale Thayer
RHP Brad Boxberger
CATCHERS:
Nick Hundley
John Baker
INFIELDERS:
1B Yonder Alonso
2B Alexi Amarista
SS Everth Cabrera
3B Chase Headley
INF Jedd Gyorko
INF/OF Kyle Blanks
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Carlos Quentin
CF Chris Denorfia
RF Will Venable
OF/1B Jesus Guzman
OF/1B Mark Kotsay
