1

Padres Press Clips

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Article Source Author Page

Padres blast four homers in win over Dodgers SD Union Tribune Acee 2

Padres lineup is a puzzle with pieces that don't easily fit together SD Union Tribune Acee 4

Matt Strahm, bullpen to go for Padres on Sunday against Dodgers SD Union Tribune Acee 7

Buddy Reed does it all in Storm win SD Union Tribune Sanders 9

Rookie HR leader Villanueva hits 2 to sink LA MLB.com Cassavell 11

Padres need Renfroe healthy and productive MLB.com Cassavell 13

Villanueva breaks HR record for rookies from Mexico Padres.com Center 14

Villanueva homers twice to power Padres past Dodgers 7-5 Associated Press AP 17

#PadresOnDeck: Tatis Jr. Has 3 Hits and 3 Others Have 4; Diaz, FriarWire Center 20

Lawson Sharp

This Day in Padres History — May 27 FriarWire Center 23

#PadresOnDeck: Reed Continues Strong Start to 2018 FriarWire Center 24

Padres stand in way of Dodgers rookie pitcher’s growth FOX Sports STATS 26

2

Padres blast four homers in win over Dodgers Kevin Acee

The Padres won seven of 11 games leading up to their series here, getting by far the best stretch of the season from their starting rotation and finding all manner of ways to scrabble enough runs in enough situations to actually begin to feel like they knew how to win.

But they knew they would eventually need to be able to generate more easy offense if the winning were to continue with any regularity.

“There’s a lot of guys who have a lot more in them that hasn’t come out,” manager Andy Green said before Saturday’s game against the Dodgers. “We’re tasked with getting more out of them and watching them play well. We’re optimistic that is coming.”

Hitting coach Matt Stairs was even more confident as he provided an assessment and a prediction.

“We’re in a gulley,” Stairs said Saturday afternoon. “We’re going to pull out of it tonight.”

The Padres went out and reached base in ways they hadn’t done much lately. Moreover, they hit home runs as they had not done this season.

Christian Villanueva hit two homers, Freddy Galvis and A.J. Ellis added one apiece, and the Padres beat the Dodgers 7-5.

“Home runs are the easiest way to score,” Green said after the Padres evened the series and improved to 5-4 on the 10-game trip that concludes Sunday afternoon. “… I’m a fan of the home run. I’d like to hit as many as we can.”

The Padres entered Saturday with 43 homers, second-fewest in the majors. The only other time they had more than two homers in a game this season was when Villanueva hit all three of them on April 3.

The rookie’s 14 home runs tie him with Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies for second in the National League, one behind leader Bryce Harper of the Nationals.

“He’s had some big swings for us all year,” Green said. “We needed that today. That was a really good fight from behind for the guys.”

Having gotten on base at just a .274 clip the previous dozen games, the Padres’10 hits Saturday were their most in a week. They walked three times, a night after walking just once.

3

“It started from batting practice today,” Villanueva said. “We all came in really focused. … There’s a lot of pride in being able to come out and beat these guys. We want to keep that rhythm going.”

Saturday’s victory was the Padres’ third in their last four games against the Dodgers, who swept their three-game series in San Diego and no-hit the Padres in the first game they played earlier this month in Mexico.

The Padres won for just the fourth time in 19 games in which they allowed a first-inning run.

Starting pitcher Jordan Lyles surrendered a home run to Chris Taylor on his second pitch Saturday. Lyles retired eight of the next 10 batters before Justin Turner led off the fourth with a homer. Lyles left with two outs in the fifth inning, having just walked in a run that gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead.

Rookie Tyler Webb, in his first appearance since being recalled from Triple-A on Monday, relieved Lyles with the bases loaded and got the final out of the fifth.

After Villanueva tied the game 5-5 with his two-run homer in the top of the sixth, Webb would also get the first out in the bottom of the sixth.

“You put a guy in a very dicey situation,” Green said. “He gets two big outs. That game could have spun on us. … That’s why we won this baseball game, because he kept us close.”

The Padres scored in four consecutive innings for the third time this season, starting with Ellis’ fourth-inning home run, his first at Dodger Stadium as a visitor.

“It doesn’t matter what uniform you’re in, to hit a home run in the big leagues is a special feeling,” said Ellis, who played for the Dodgers from 2008 to ‘16. “The most important thing is it got us back a little closer in the game, it changed some momentum and got some things going.”

Galvis’ two-run homer, which gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the second inning, was his second of the season. Ellis’ solo shot in the fifth, his first of the season, pulled the Padres to within 4-3.

Webb would also get the first out in the bottom of the sixth – after Villanueva’s two-run homer tied the game 5-5 in the top of the inning.

The Padres took a 6-5 lead in the sixth when Matt Szczur hit a two-out single, Travis Jankowski was hit by a pitch and Jose Pirela hit an RBI single.

Villanueva, who had three of the Padres’ 15 strikeouts in Friday’s 4-1 loss, added a solo homer on the first pitch of the eighth inning to provide the final margin.

Craig Stammen (2-0) got the final two outs of the sixth and pitched a scoreless seventh. Kirby Yates followed with a scoreless eighth, and Brad Hand earned his 16th save with a hitless ninth.

4

Padres lineup is a puzzle with pieces that don't easily fit together Kevin Acee

Maybe at some point our days will be spent recounting the powerful exploits of Fernando Tatis Jr. and how Jeisson Rosario and Luis Urias just seem to always be on base making things happen and how Eric Hosmer and a healthy Wil Myers are driving in runs by the bucketful.

For now, we listen to Andy Green bravely downplay and creatively explain away and uncompromisingly spin almost every negative string into a blanket of positivity.

Such as how homerless Jose Pirela, who is prone to groundball-filled feasts of famine, has earned the right to bat in the heart of the order night after night.

“He competes in his at-bats,” Green said Friday after one of Pirela’s good nights – a double and two singles in four at-bats. “… He squares up baseballs, and plays relentlessly. Good things are going to happen for him. He makes it hard to take him out. I know some of the results haven’t been there from a power perspective or the slug production, but he’s getting on base relatively well, and he brings some big things to the table from energy and the way he’s playing.”

Those are admirable qualities, but alone are not all-star traits.

This is not to pick on Pirela, who has been to the plate more than any other Padres player and whose .270 batting average is tops among all the team’s qualifying players.

Pirela is simply the poster of the Padres’ present predicament.

They don’t have enough of the right players to put in the right spots to field a competitive team on a consistent basis.

Making ill-fitting puzzle pieces into a passable picture is Green’s daily challenge.

He has used 51 different batting orders in 53 games. Until Friday, he was one of two managers (along with the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts) to have filled out his top eight places in the lineup card differently in all but one game.

In that opener of this weekend’s series with the Dodgers, when Green duplicated an order he had used once previously, it was just the second time he’d done so this season.

(Roberts has duplicated a lineup just once in 50 games.)

5

Saturday, Green was back to contriving another variation, with Pirela batting second and Hosmer third.

Even as Green sat down earlier this week to give a primer on lineup construction — explaining how he tries to maximize matchups, gives more credence to where in a zone a pitcher throws and who hits that location than right- or left-handedness, assesses trends, assesses types of pitches, pitch mix, how a bullpen is lined up and has been used, attempts against some pitching staffs like Saturday against the Dodgers to split up left- and right-handed hitters, plus other forms of calculus – he chose his words carefully and inserted plenty of cushion to mute criticism.

These are his players, the ones for whom he argues in defense of as surely as they fail to provide offense.

“You have to go with what you have, and we’ve had a lot of guys hurt,” Green said. “It makes it hard to put a consistent lineup out there.”

Certainly, losing Myers (30 home runs last season) and Hunter Renfroe (26 homers) to the disabled list has left a hole in the middle of the Padres’ order. A black hole wherein the Padres’ power is virtually nonexistent.

The fact is, however, Renfroe was not playing against right-handed pitchers and wasn’t hitting when he was healthy. Likewise, Austin Hedges had struggled most of the season and had become his own sort of gaping hole batting in the eighth spot prior to going on the DL.

The eight hole is the new home for Manuel Margot, who was meant to be the leadoff hitter but was for much of the year hitting below .200 and getting on base just slightly more often. (He’s at .201/.243 as of Saturday.)

You see the dilemma.

Too many spaces, too many choices between unsuitable fits.

Travis Jankowski has filled the leadoff spot nicely since his call-up. But with Myers, the favored No.2 hitter, playing in just 10 games and not playing at all since April 28, Green has for the past month almost exclusively batted Hosmer second, which gives the two players who get on base most the most opportunity to do so.

That has left Pirela, who is homerless in 200 at-bats this season, to take up one of the middle spots in the order.

In starting all but one game, Pirela has appeared most often in the third or fourth spots. In anything approaching an ideal situation, neither of those spots would be taken by a player who has the most at-bats in the majors this season without a single home run.

The Padres have 22 homers out of their 3-4-5 hitters, five fewer than the league average. Those hitters’ slugging percentage is .437, 17 points below the league average.

“We’re not built ideally for 3 and 4 and 5 right now,” Green said. “That’s just the reality of where we are.”

6

Green is prone to turn any critique or question into a positive – or at least less of a negative. He does this incessantly, partly because he knows reality and wants so desperately to run counter to it and for his team to follow.

The reality of his daily task is the definition of the well-worn phrase “It is what it is.”

In the discussion about building his lineup on a daily basis, Green bottom-lined it thusly:

“You start with what you have and move on from there.”

The space to read between the lines sometimes is as open as the bases often are when the Padres bat.

7

Matt Strahm, bullpen to go for Padres on Sunday against Dodgers Kevin Acee

The Padres began spring training putting Matt Strahm on a progression toward being a starter.

They abandoned that process when it became clear he wouldn’t be able to advance to the necessary innings as he continued to work back from the knee surgery that ended his 2017 season early.

Sunday afternoon, the 26-year-old left-hander will make his first start for the Padres in the series finale against the Dodgers.

The Padres are prepared to go with multiple relievers to get through the game, a circumstance necessitated as Joey Luchessi misses his second start due to a hip strain.

The way the first two games of this series have gone, the Padres enter Sunday with their entire bullpen available for at least some work.

If Strahm makes it through three innings, which would match the longest outing he had in Double-A during his season-opening rehab assignment, that would be considered a solid outing.

Strahm made three starts for the Kansas City Royals last season, going 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. As a reliever for the Royals, he had a 2.80 ERA over 45 1/3 innings between 2016-17. He is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA in six appearances since being activated earlier this month.

Strahm tore his patellar tendon last July and was recovering when the Padres acquired him in a trade

Strahm threw 36 pitches in going two innings in his Padres debut on May 7. His high was 45 pitches during his time in the minors.

The Padres opted to not give Robbie Erlin another start after he allowed six runs in four innings filling in for Lucchesi on Monday in Washington. Erlin, who has a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings out of the bullpen and 14.14 ERA in two starts this season, will likely pitch at some point Sunday.

Manager Andy Green said the Padres did not go with Bryan Mitchell as Sunday’s starter because he has not earned his way back into the rotation. Mitchell went 0-3 with a 6.47 ERA in seven starts before being sent to the bullpen, where he has allowed seven runs in 8 2/3 innings.

8

Lucchesi is expected to miss his Friday start as well, and Green said he has not decided who will start in his place.

9

Buddy Reed does it all in Storm win Jeff Sanders

Buddy Reed did a little bit of everything Saturday night.

The Padres’ outfield prospect hit his eighth homer, stole two more bases and finished a triple shy of the cycle in high Single-A Lake Elsinore’s 6-3 win over visiting San Jose.

The switch-hitting Reed’s four-hit game pushed his batting line to .350/.385/.594. His two steals upped his total to a system-best 23 in 25 tries.

Last year, Reed, 23, hit six homers and was 12-for-20 in stolen base attempts in 88 games at low Single-A Fort Wayne.

Reed was a second-round pick out of Florida in 2016.

Right fielder Jorge Ona (.268) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and third baseman (.256) went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez (3-1, 5.33) struck out six and walked one over 3 2/3 scoreless, hitless innings in relief in the win. RHP Reggie Lawson (2.54) struck out six and allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings in the start.

Right-hander David Bednar (4.70) recorded the final out of the game for his fourth save.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (25-25)

• Chihuahuas 4, Fresno 3: CF Auston Bousfield (.302) drove in two runs on two hits and scored a run and SS Javy Guerra (.173) went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. 2B Luis Urias (.291) went 1-for-4 with a run scored. RHP T.J. Weir (2-0, 5.00) pitched two scoreless innings for the win after RHP Miguel Diaz (4.50) struck out four over four scoreless innings in the start. RHP Robert Stock (3.27) struck out five while allowing two runs in two innings in recording his first save.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (30-19)

• Springfield 7, Missions 3: LHP Jerry Keel (3-1, 5.53) allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings in the loss. SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (.265) went 3-for-5 with a double and CF Michael Gettys (.244) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and his ninth steal. LF Rod Boykin (.224) went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored.

10

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (21-27)

• Lansing 12, TinCaps 11: 1B Carlos Belen (.231) went 4-for-4, hit his fifth homer and hit his fifth homer and CF Jeisson Rosario (.277) went 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. 2B Esteury Ruiz (.259) doubled in three runs and RF Tirso Ornelas(.259), C Jalen Washington (.231) and LF Robbie Podorsky (.364) each had two hits. LHP Tom Cosgrove (4.46) struck out six and allowed four runs – three earned – on nine hits and no walks in seven innings in a no-decision. The bullpen allowed eight runs over the final two innings.

Transactions

• RHP Eric Yardley was transferred from San Antonio to El Paso as RHP Luis Perdomo landed on El Paso’s seven-day disabled list.

11

Rookie HR leader Villanueva hits 2 to sink LA By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell May 26th, 2018

LOS ANGELES -- Christian Villanueva, welcome to the National League home run race. Nearly two months into the 2018 season, the rookie third baseman has yet to stop mashing.

Villanueva launched his 13th and 14th home runs this season, as San Diego rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday night. He trails NL leader Bryce Harper by one and leads all MLB rookies.

"It's something I always dreamed of," Villanueva said. "To be up there on the board with those big names, it's pretty cool. It's awesome, especially after all the time it took me to get here, to be under the radar and knowing the work that I put in."

In other words: Those eight seasons spent toiling in the farm systems of the Rangers, Cubs and Padres? Worth it.

Saturday's effort put Villanueva's name in the Mexican baseball record books. He passed Geronimo Gil for the most home runs by a Mexico-born rookie in Major League history.

"It's really amazing," Villanueva said. "My son, I'm going to have things to tell him, stories to tell. So it's definitely special."

The first of Villanueva's blasts negated a two-run deficit in the top of the sixth. He turned around an 0-1 changeup from Dodgers starter Alex Wood and sent it into the left-field pavilion, tying the game at 5.

26th, 2018

The Padres took the lead in the seventh on Jose Pirela's RBI single, before Villanueva gave them a measure of insurance when Josh Fields hung a curveball with his first pitch of the eighth.

"He's dangerous every time he steps in the box," said Padres catcher A.J. Ellis.

Ellis and shortstop Freddy Galvis also went deep, giving the Padres a season-high four home runs. That was plenty of offense for the relief corps. Manager Andy Green gambled a bit, using all of his top arms ahead of Sunday's planned bullpen day. It paid off, as Tyler Webb, Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates and Brad Hand combined for 4 1/3 scoreless frames.

26th, 2018

Starter Jordan Lyles allowed five runs over 4 2/3. He was hit hard in the fourth, when the Dodgers opened the frame with three consecutive hits -- including the first home run of the season for Justin Turner, who missed the first eight weeks with a broken left wrist.

In the fifth, Lyles lost any semblance of control. He allowed a one-out single, then walked three of the next four hitters as the Dodgers took a 5-3 lead.

12

Villanueva turned that around promptly. And his second homer came a half-inning after the third baseman committed two errors on the same Turner ground ball. After the game, Villanueva drew praise from his skipper for putting the blunder behind him so quickly.

"He regroups, hits another big home run for us," Green said. "When he gets pitches he can handle, he really does damage. That's the kind of mental makeup we really love seeing from our guys."

26th, 2018

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Webb gem: When Lyles' night ended with consecutive walks in the fifth, Green made a curious decision to call upon Webb to face righty Logan Forsythe. Webb made the most of a rare opportunity in a high-leverage spot. With the bases loaded and two outs, he ran the count to 3-1 before blowing a pair of fastballs by Forsythe to end the threat. It was an impressive showing from the left-hander who hadn't pitched since being recalled to the big league club on Monday.

"That's why we won this baseball game today, because he kept us close," Green said. "A lot of times that game slips away."

Matchup advantage: The Padres inserted Pirela in the No. 2 spot, splitting Travis Jankowski and Eric Hosmer in the batting order in the hopes that they'd gain a matchup advantage late in the ballgame. They got exactly that. The Dodgers called on left-hander Scott Alexander to face Jankowski, who was plunked on the wrist. That brought up the righty-hitting Pirela, who capitalized by bouncing his go-ahead single up the middle.

26th, 2018

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS Yates' split-finger fastball has developed into one of the sport's nastiest pitches. He put it on full display with pinch-hitter Yasiel Puig at the plate as the tying run in the eighth. Yates' 3-2 splitter started at the bottom of the strike zone, then dipped to Puig's toes. The Dodgers slugger swung and missed for strike three. It was Yates' 13th strikeout this season in 26 at-bats that have ended with the pitch. He's allowed four hits -- all singles.

HE SAID IT "He's growing. You go through a down like that, and you can get your dauber down sometimes. ... He got his head down for a little bit when that 0-for streak happened. Now he's more resilient for having gone through that." -- Green, on Villanueva's 0-for-37 drought earlier this month

UP NEXT The Padres are slated for a bullpen game on Sunday, as they await the return of left-hander Joey Lucchesifrom a right hip strain. Matt Strahm will start things off against Dodgers rookie right-hander Walker Buehler, who pitched the first six innings of their combined no-hitter against the Padres earlier this month. First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m. PT.

13

Padres need Renfroe healthy and productive By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell May 26th, 2018

LOS ANGELES -- The Padres are going to weigh two factors when they mull a potential return for ailing outfielder Hunter Renfroe: the health of his elbow and the health of his bat.

Renfroe is eight games into his rehab stint with Triple-A El Paso, as he looks to return from inflammation in his throwing elbow. For the most part, the injury has subsided. The Padres right fielder is approaching an entirely clean bill of health.

But the club isn't eager to rush Renfroe back to the big leagues until he can find some consistency at the plate. He was batting .242/.286/.455 at El Paso entering play Saturday night.

"Health is a big part of it, making sure he feels good enough day in, day out," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Then you also want to find him in a rhythm as well. You want to bring somebody back here that's in a rhythm and swinging the bat well."

In the meantime, Franmil Reyes will remain as part of the Padres' outfield rotation. He's the likeliest candidate to be optioned when Renfroe is activated, given their similar skill sets and the club's desire to give regular playing time to both.

For now, the Padres are committed to seeing what they have in Reyes, a power-hitting outfield prospect who torched Triple-A pitching for the season's first month and a half.

"As long as he's here, he's playing pretty consistently," Green said. "The advantage of the timing is we've gotten an opportunity to look. How long we choose to look depends on a lot of other factors -- how Hunter feels, if he's in rhythm, and then what we choose to do as an organization."

Reyes has struggled early, hitting .208 with one extra-base hit through eight games entering play Saturday. It's a small sample, and Reyes is still learning to counter Major League-caliber pitching.

"The pitchers here just have better command with their pitches," Reyes said. "They locate their pitches more. I just need to prepare the same way for my pitch, because at some point and at some time, they're going to throw it. I can't miss."

Bullpen day set for Sunday The Padres are planning to piece together nine innings from their relievers on Sunday as they await the return of left-hander Joey Lucchesi from a right hip strain. Lucchesi isn't expected to be ready by his next turn on Friday either, but don't expect a repeat of the bullpen strategy.

"We've got about five games before then to navigate and figure out where we'll go," Green said. " But, ideally, we'd have a guy lined up to start that game that's a guy we view as a starting option."

14

It's unclear who that "starting option" might be. Walker Lockett and Miguel Diaz are both in the Triple-A rotation and on the 40-man roster. The Padres could also dip into their bullpen and hand a temporary starting job to Bryan Mitchell or Robbie Erlin.

Perdomo hits DL Right-hander Luis Perdomo was placed on the Minor League disabled list with shoulder inflammation on Saturday. The move is retroactive to May 23, his last appearance.

In four big league starts this season, Perdomo posted an 8.36 ERA before being sent to El Paso. The 25-year-old seemed to find a groove there, with a 2.81 ERA over six outings.

A year ago, Perdomo missed two weeks with shoulder inflammation. Green is hopeful for another quick recovery.

"Last year wasn't severe at all, so I'm hoping it's very similar to last year," Green said. "But I don't have enough context to paint a picture for you yet."

15

Villanueva breaks HR record for rookies from Mexico Notes on Pirela, Ellis, Galvis, Richard, Margot and Hand By Bill Center San Diego Padres 27 minutes ago

Christian Villanueva set a record that was being celebrated in his native Mexico on Saturday night, while continuing his impressive rebound from the longest 0-for in Padres history.

The first of Villanueva's two homers against the Dodgers on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium was his 13th, which broke the Major League record for rookies born in Mexico set by Baltimore catcher Geronimo Gil, who hit 12 in 2002.

Villanueva's two homers gave him 14 for the season along with 31 RBIs, which leads all Major League rookies. His 14 homers, which also rank second in the National League this season, give him a total of 18 since his Major League debut last September.

The 26-year-old's second career multi-homer game (he hit three against the Rockies on April 3 at Petco Park) also continues his sharp climb back since his franchise record 0-for-37 run ended on May 14.

He is 10-for-33 (.303) with two doubles, five homers, 11 RBIs and five runs scored since that streak ended, good for an .818 slugging percentage and a 1.141 OPS.

Notebook

• Catcher A.J. Ellis was 2-for-4 with a solo homer on Saturday. It was his first home run at Dodger Stadium since the 37-year-old veteran left the Dodgers after nine seasons during the 2016 campaign. Since Austin Hedges was injured, Ellis is hitting .412 (14-for-34) with four doubles, Saturday's homer, six RBIs, four runs scored and five walks -- which equates to a .500 on-base percentage, .618 slugging percentage and a 1.118 OPS. Ellis is also 11-for-26 (.423) during a seven-game hitting streak.

• Second baseman Jose Pirela went 2-for-5 on Saturday with the go-ahead RBI single, after equaling his season-high of three hits for the seventh time on Friday night. He is 5-for-9 during the first two games of the series at Dodger Stadium with his 13th double. In his last 19 games since May 5, Pirela is 23-for-72 (.319) with 10 runs scored, six doubles and six RBIs along with a .363 on-base percentage. Pirela is still looking for his first home run of the season.

• Shortstop Freddy Galvis hit one of the Padres' season-high four homers on Saturday night. It was his second homer of the season and his first since the season's third game on March 31. Galvis also extended his hitting streak at Dodger Stadium to seven games, during which he is 9-for-23 (.391) with a double, three home runs and nine RBIs, dating back to Aug. 9, 2016.

• Center fielder Manuel Margot was 1-for-3 with a double for a second straight game on Saturday, which raised his season batting average to .204 -- its highest mark since the second game of the season on March 30. Margot is 4-for-10 during a three-game hitting streak. In 25 career games against the Dodgers, Margot is hitting .281 (25-for-89) with 12 runs, eight doubles, three homers and six RBIs along with a .337 on-base percentage.

16

• Left-hander Clayton Richard's struggles against the Dodgers and the National League West continued on Friday night. In his last six starts against the Dodgers, Richard is 0-4 with a 7.79 ERA (28 earned runs in 32 1/3 innings) -- allowing batters to hit .338, while striking out 28 batters against 23 walks. In five starts against teams from outside the NL West this season, Richard has allowed 11 runs on 31 hits and five walks with 28 strikeouts in 37 innings, posting a 2.68 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. In six starts against National League West teams this season, Richard has given up 27 runs (26 earned) on 37 hits and 19 walks with 28 strikeouts in 30 innings, in compiling a 7.80 ERA and 1.87 WHIP. Richard has given up eight home runs this season, all of which have come against NL West teams.

• Closer Brad Hand is 10-for-10 in save opportunities during May after Saturday's save against the Dodgers. In 11 appearances this month, Hand has allowed one run on six hits and seven walks with 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings for a 0.63 ERA -- lowering his season ERA from 3.29 to 2.00. Hand now has 38 saves as a Padre, tying him for 10th on the club's all-time list of saves leaders.

17

Villanueva homers twice to power Padres past Dodgers 7-5 11:58 PM PT

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Christian Villanueva always dreamed of being the best at whatever he does as a baseball player. If he wants to become known as one of the game's best power hitters, he's off to a good start. Villanueva homered twice for his 13th and 14th home runs and Jose Pirela hit the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, leading the San Diego Padres to a 7-5 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.

Villanueva leads big league rookies in home runs. And although it's just May, he has made history with the most homers in his rookie season than any other Mexican-born player.

"It's really special," Villanueva said through a translator. "To represent my entire country and my family and my friends and have them look at me as a leader and an example is really awesome, especially knowing I'm the rookie with the record for home runs. Even for my son, I'll have things to tell him and stories to tell."

It marked the second multi-homer game of Villanueva's career. He hit three home runs against Colorado on April 3 at Petco Park.

He can find his name on the home run leaders list, not too far down from the likes of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper.

"To see my name up and there and be on the board with those big names, it's pretty cool and awesome," Villanueva said. "Especially after all the time it took me to get here, be under the radar and know the work I put in is really special."

Villanueva is 26. He went through a hitting slump already this season, but he responded. He had a double-error Saturday, but was able to overcome that, too.

Freddy Galvis and A.J. Ellis also homered for the Padres, who won for the second time in their last five games. Craig Stammen (2-0) got five outs in relief for the victory. After walking Justin Turner with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, Brand Hand struck out Matt Kemp looking to seal the win with his 16th save. Tyler Webb relieved Jordan Lyles with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth. Webb struck out Logan Forsythe to avoid any damage. Lyles had walked three batters in the inning.

18

Pirela, who had two hits, hit the go-ahead single off reliever Scott Alexander in the seventh after the Padres trailed 4-2 and then 5-3 after five innings. Turner and Chris Taylor homered for the Dodgers, who have hit 13 home runs in their last nine games. Turner, who played in his 11th game this season after breaking his wrist in spring training, homered for the first time this season. Daniel Hudson (1-1) took the loss.

Taylor hit a leadoff home run in the first, his third leadoff home run of the season and sixth of his career.

Galvis hit a first-pitch, two-run homer off Dodgers starter Alex Wood in the second inning for his second home run of the season that gave San Diego a 2-1 lead. Los Angeles went ahead 4-2 with a three-run fourth inning, including Turner's homer to left off starter Jordan Lyles that tied the game at 2. Logan Forsythe added an RBI single and Joc Pederson had a run-scoring groundout.

Ellis, a longtime Dodgers catcher, hit his first home run of the season for the Padres to pull San Diego within one run at 4-3.

"I'm happy for him," Villanueva said of Ellis. "He's like the dad of the team. We're a young team, so to have him as an example and see what he's doing at his age (37) with as many young players we have is great. We have to take advantage of that and we do. He's always helping and giving advice."

Los Angeles made it a two-run game again in the bottom of the inning with a bases-loaded walk by Clay Bellinger.

Villanueva hit a tying two-run homer to center in the sixth to chase Wood. He added a solo shot in the eighth for insurance, giving the Padres a 7-5 lead.

Wood gave up five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings and struck out seven.

"There just wasn't a whole lot of in between," Wood said. "It was either really good pitches or really bad pitches."

Lyles scattered seven hits and allowed five runs. He walked four and struck out four.

BACK IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY

Ellis was back in Los Angeles, where he and Clayton Kershaw formed a formidable pitcher-catcher relationship. Ellis isn't a power hitter, but he hit one out. It wasn't necessarily sweeter because it was against his former team.

19

"It feels good to hit a home run anywhere, no matter what uniform you're in," Ellis said. "Hitting a home run in the big leagues is a special feeling. The most important thing was it got us back a little closer in the game. Helped change a little momentum."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: No updates.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (left biceps tendinitis) threw a four-inning simulated game and could be back in the rotation next week ... LHP Rich Hill (blister on left middle finger) threw a two-inning simulated game with a protective covering on his finger. He's expected to next throw a bullpen and then another simulated game.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Matt Strahm (0-2, 4.91) will make his first start of the season. The Padres are making this a bullpen game and decided on Strahm after Saturday night's game. Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (2-1, 2.38), has been fantastic in six starts. His last outing against the Padres, he threw six hitless innings as four Dodgers had the organization's first combined no-hitter.

20

#PadresOnDeck: Tatis Jr. Has 3

Hits and 3 Others Have 4; Diaz,

Lawson Sharp By Bill Center

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Buddy Reed continued their recent hitting streaks Saturday night.

Shortstop Tatis Jr., 19, ranked the Padres’ №1 prospect, was 3-for-5 with a double for Double-A San Antonio to raise his batting average for May to .346. He is hitting .265 on the season.

And Reed, 23, was 4-for-4 for Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore Saturday night with a double, his eighth homer, two stolen bases (giving him 23 on the season) and three runs scored. Reed, the Padres’ second-round pick in 2016, is 6-for-8 the past two games and opened both this games with a homer as the Storm’s lead-off hitter. He is now hitting .350 on the season.

Two other players in the Padres’ system had four-hit games Saturday.

— Center fielder Jeisson Rosario, 18, the Padres’ 17-ranked prospect, was 4-for-6 with a RBI and a run scored for Single-A Fort Wayne and is hitting .277 on the season.

— First baseman Carlos Belen, 22, was 4-for-4 with Fort Wayne with a double, a home run, a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored for Fort Wayne, where he also helps some of the Padres’ younger minor league players assimilate to life in the United States as well as playing. He is hitting .231.

Other top games Saturday by Padres’ Top-30 prospects:

— Right fielder Tirso Ornelas, 18, the Padres №13 prospect, was 2-for-5 for Fort Wayne Saturday with a triple, a RBI and a run scored to raise his batting average to .259.

— Right fielder Jorge Oña, 21, №16 on the Padres’ prospect list, was 2-for-4 for Lake Elsinore with a double and two RBIs and is now hitting .268 for the Storm.

21

— Center fielder Michael Gettys, 22, №28 on the Padres’ prospect list, was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored for San Antonio and is hitting .244.

— Right-handed starter Reggie Lawson, 20, the Padres’ №29 prospect, allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings for Lake Elsinore, where he has a 2.54 earned run average.

— And while he’s not a Top-30 prospect, right-hander Miguel Diaz, 23, who was with the Padres throughout 2017 as a Rule 5 player, allowed only one hit with four walks and four strikeouts over four innings for Triple-A El Paso, where he has a 4.50 ERA since being promoted from San Antonio.

There were several moves in the Padres’ system Saturday.

Right-handed pitcher Luis Perdomo was placed on the seven-day disabled list at El Paso with right shoulder inflammation. Right-handed reliever Eric Yardley was promoted from San Antonio to El Paso.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (25–25): Chihuahuas 4, FRESNO 3 — RHP T.J. Weir (2–0. 5.00 ERA) followed Diaz and allowed a hit in two scoreless innings. RHP Jonathan Aro (4.39) allowed a run on three hits with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Robert Stock (3.27) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts over two innings to get his first save. CF Auston Bousfield(.302) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. 2B Luis Urías (.291) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. C Stephen McGee (.143) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. SS Javy Guerra (.173) had a double in three at-bats with a run scored. DH Brett Nicholas (.306) was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (30–19): Springfield 7, MISSIONS 3–2B Peter Van Gansen (.280) backed Tatis Jr. and Gettys, going 1-for-3 with a run scored. LF Rod Boykin (.224) was 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. PH Ty France (.249) had a sacrifice fly. PH Taylor Kohlwey (.267) had a single. Starting LHP Jerry Keel (3–1, 5.53 ERA) allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. RHP Jason Jester (2.08) allowed an unearned run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. RHP Gerardo Reyes (4.15) allowed a hit with three strikeouts in a scoreless inning. RHP Rowan Wick (4.22) issued a walk with two strikeouts in two otherwise perfect innings.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (23–26): STORM 6, San Jose 3 — RHP Emmanuel Ramirez (3–1, 5.33 ERA) followed Lawson and issued a walk with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 otherwise perfect innings to get the win. RHP Dauris Valdez (3.15) allowed a run on a hit and two walks with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. RHP David Bednar (4.70) retired the only hitter he faced to get his fourth save. 3B Hudson Potts (.256) and 1B Brad Zunica(.216), backed Reed and Oña with both having a double in four at-bats with a run scored. 2B Ruddy

22

Giron (.213) was 1-for-4 with a RBI and a stolen base. C Luis Torrens (.278) was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored. DH Nate Easley (.219) was 1-for-2 with a RBI and two walks.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (21–27): LANSING 12, TinCaps 11 (10 innings) — C Jalen Washington (.231) backed Jeisson Rosario, Belen and Ornelas, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. LF Robbie Podorsky (.364) was 2-for-4 with a triple, a RBI and two runs scored. 2B Esteury Ruiz (.261) had a triple and three RBIs in five at-bats. Starting LHP Tom Cosgrove (4.69 ERA) allowed four runs on nine hits and no walks with six strikeouts in seven innings. LHP Ben Sheckler (4.76) allowed an unearned run on two hits with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Jared Carkuff(4.74) allowed five runs on six hits with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning as the TinCaps blew a 10–5 lead in the bottom of the ninth. RHP Caleb Boushley (2–1, 1.88) allowed two unearned runs on two hits and three walks in an inning to suffer the loss.

23

This Day in Padres History —

 May 27 By Bill Center

May 27, 1968 — The day the Major League Padres were born. San Diego financier C. Arnholt Smith was awarded a National League expansion franchise for a price of $10.2 million. Montreal was the unanimous choice for the first of two National League expansion teams. San Diego was chosen as the second site on the 18th ballot over Buffalo, Milwaukee and Dallas. Buzzie Bavasi becomes the founding Padres president.

May 27, 1973 — Padres owner C. Arnholt Smith agrees to sell the Padres to Washington, D.C., supermarket magnate Joseph Danzansky.

May 27, 1983 — Right-hander Eric Show pitches a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the Padres’ 4–0 win over the New York Mets at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Show walks three and strikes out five.

24

#PadresOnDeck: Reed Continues

Strong Start to 2018 By Bill Center

Buddy Reed has been one of the Padres’ most consistent players in the minor leagues this season.

Reed, 23, who was the Padres’ second-round pick in the 2016 draft, was 2-for-4 with Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore Friday night with his seventh homer and two RBIs.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound outfielder ranks among the California League leaders in seven different categories.

Reed leads the league in total bases (99), ranks second in hits (59) and stolen bases (21), third in batting average (.335), fourth in OPS (.935), tied for fourth in doubles (13) and fifth in slugging percentage (.563).

Second baseman Eguy Rosariowas also 2-for-4 for Lake Elsinore Friday night with a homer in the Storm’s 3–2 win over San Jose at Lake Elsinore.

Leading results from Padres’ Top-30 prospects Friday:

Austin Allen, the Padres’ №27 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was 2-for-4 with Double-A San Antonio to raise his batting average to .320 while playing first base.

Third baseman Hudson Potts, 19, the Padres’ №15 prospect, was 2-for-4 with a double for Lake Elsinore to raise his batting average to .256. Right fielder Jorge Oña, 21, the Padres’ №16 prospect, was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored for the Storm to raise his batting average to .263.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (24–25): FRESNO 5, Chihuahuas 1 — Starting RHP Walker Lockett (5–5, 5.31 earned run average) gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in seven innings to take the loss. LHP Kyle McGrath (4.50) struck out two in a perfect inning. C Brett Nicholas (.306) had a double in three at-bats. 2B Carlos Asuaje (.308) was 1-for-3.

25

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (30–18): Springfield 7, MISSIONS 1 — Starting LHP Logan Allen (6–2, 3.62 ERA) allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. RHP Trevor Megill (3.18) allowed a run on three hits in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Trevor Frank (2.70) allowed a hit with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. C Kyle Overstreet(.305) backed Austin Allen, going 2-for-4. 2B Peter Van Gansen (.278) was 2-for-4 with a RBI. SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (.256) had a double in five at-bats. LF Josh Naylor (.330) was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. PH Forrestt Allday (.261) was 1-for-1. 3B Ty France (.268) and CF Michael Gettys (.237) were both 1-for-4.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (22–26): STORM 3, San Jose 2 — Starting RHP Pedro Avila (3.68 ERA) gave up two runs on three hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts in seven innings. RHP Blake Rogers (1–1, 4.01) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning to get credit for the win. RHP Elliot Ashbeck (2.12) struck out two in a perfect inning for his second save. CF Edward Olivares (.274) backed Reed, Eguy Rosario, Potts and Oña, going 1-for-4. 1B Marcus Greene Jr. (.233) was 1-for-3.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (21–26): LANSING 5, TinCaps 4 — SS Gabriel Arias(.204) had a triple in three at-bats with two RBIs and a run scored. LF Robbie Podorsky (.333) was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. 2B Justin Lopez (.234) had a RBI triple in four at-bats. DH Luis Campusano (.277) was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. CF Jeisson Rosario (.260) was 1-for-4. RF Tirso Ornelas (.255) was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Starting RHP Mason Thompson (5.87 ERA) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Evan Miller (0.51) struck out three in 1 2/3 perfect innings. RHP Jordan Guerrero (0–1, 4.20) allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout in an inning to take the loss. RHP Will Stillman (22.09) issued a walk in an otherwise perfect inning.

26

Padres stand in way of Dodgers rookie pitcher’s growth STATSMay 27, 2018 at 11:13a ET

LOS ANGELES — If success breeds confidence, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie pitcher Walker Buehler will be walking tall on Sunday.

Buehler will take the mound in the series finale against the San Diego Padres, the same team he was facing when he took part in a little club history earlier this month.

In a May 4 start during an international series at Monterrey, Mexico, Buehler opened with six hitless innings against the Padres and turned things over to the bullpen, which completed the first combined no-no in club history.

Finding success since has been a bit of a challenge, as the Dodgers have gone 0-3 in Buehler’s next three starts, although the right-hander has posted a solid 3.50 ERA over those last 18 innings.

“It’s fun to watch how he is in control of things,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. “He’s really growing right in front of our noses and it’s fun to watch. He’s very confident obviously and the more success he has the more confidence. He’s going to get It is nice when you know he’s taking the mound and you feel like you’re going to win.”

No matter what happens for the Padres on Sunday, it will be a combined effort from the pitching staff. With right-hander Luis Perdomo headed to the minor-league disabled list and no longer an option to start Sunday, the Padres will go with what they have.

Late Saturday, they announced that lefty Mike Strahm (0-2, 4.91 ERA) will get the start.

“We’ll use every single piece we think will give us the best opportunity to win,” Padres manager Andy Green said, according to mlb.com. “If we need to make a roster move on Saturday night to get us fresh arms for Sunday, we’ll make one or two or multiple roster moves.”

Green was waiting to name his starter until he knew exactly what he was working with, but it was believed to be either Adam Cimber or Matt Strahm.

Expect both of them to have a detailed scouting report on former Padre Matt Kemp, who has tormented his old club this season. Kemp entered Saturday’s game a dominating 15-for-26 (.577) with four home runs and 12 RBIs. To put that into perspective, he has six home runs and 25 RBIs total in 2018.

Even in defeat Saturday, the Dodgers have won five of their eight games against the Padres this season. The Dodgers entered Saturday having won seven of their last eight, getting hot while guys like Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Corey Seager are on the disabled list.

27

Seager is lost for the season after Tommy John surgery, but Kershaw (left biceps) and Hill (blister) participated in a simulated game Saturday, with at least Kershaw tracking to be back in about 10 days, although there was some conjecture that he could return Thursday.

The Padres are 12-11 in May, and have a chance for a winning month with their young roster. One sign of the Padres’ youth: Their 36 extra-base hits from rookies, before Saturday’s game, were most in the National League.