Padres Press Clips - MLB.com · As face of Padres, Myers stays 'authentic' MLB.com Ringolsby 10...

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1 Padres Press Clips Thursday, April 13, 2017 Article Source Author Page Padres hopeful Luis Perdomo's shoulder inflammation is minor UT San Diego Lin 2 Offense backs Lee in series win vs. Rockies MLB.com Harding/Perkins 5 Lee returns to mound with a vengeance MLB.com Perkins 8 As face of Padres, Myers stays 'authentic' MLB.com Ringolsby 10 Margot pacing Padres from leadoff spot MLB.com Perkins 12 Esch called up, ready for any role in bullpen MLB.com Perkins 14 Chacin looks to keep rolling in SunTrust opener MLB.com Bowman 16 Zach Lee, bullpen hold Rockies to 3 hits in 6-0 win Associated Press AP 17 This Day in Padres History, 4/12 Friar Wire Center 18 Padres On Deck: Urías Slam Completes AA-San Antonio Sweep Friar Wire Center 20 Padres Pitch a Shutout at Coors Field NBC 7 Togerson 22

Transcript of Padres Press Clips - MLB.com · As face of Padres, Myers stays 'authentic' MLB.com Ringolsby 10...

Page 1: Padres Press Clips - MLB.com · As face of Padres, Myers stays 'authentic' MLB.com Ringolsby 10 Margot pacing Padres from leadoff spot MLB.com Perkins 12 Esch called up, ready for

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Padres Press Clips Thursday, April 13, 2017

Article Source Author Page

Padres hopeful Luis Perdomo's shoulder inflammation is minor UT San Diego Lin 2

Offense backs Lee in series win vs. Rockies MLB.com Harding/Perkins 5

Lee returns to mound with a vengeance MLB.com Perkins 8

As face of Padres, Myers stays 'authentic' MLB.com Ringolsby 10

Margot pacing Padres from leadoff spot MLB.com Perkins 12

Esch called up, ready for any role in bullpen MLB.com Perkins 14

Chacin looks to keep rolling in SunTrust opener MLB.com Bowman 16

Zach Lee, bullpen hold Rockies to 3 hits in 6-0 win Associated Press AP 17

This Day in Padres History, 4/12 Friar Wire Center 18

Padres On Deck: Urías Slam Completes AA-San Antonio Sweep Friar Wire Center 20

Padres Pitch a Shutout at Coors Field NBC 7 Togerson 22

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Padres hopeful Luis Perdomo's shoulder inflammation is minor Dennis Lin

In what felt like a bit of deja vu, the Padres officially placed Luis Perdomo on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation. The move is retroactive to April 9.

On April 9, 2016, also here in Denver, the Padres announced they had placed Tyson Ross on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. Though team officials initially expressed optimism that their No. 1 starter would return before long, Ross never threw another pitch for San Diego.

For Perdomo, there is not yet reason for heightened concern. Nor is there a timetable for his return, given the unpredictable nature of shoulder injuries.

The right-hander has been shut down since he alerted the Padres of his condition following a bullpen session early this week. Depending on how he progresses, he could resume throwing during the weekend.

“I think it’s a mobility issue for him, to hear the trainers tell it, and not nearly a strength-related issue at all,” manager Andy Green said Wednesday, adding that a team doctor examined Perdomo on Tuesday. “Lot of stretching stuff over the next few days, try to get mobility back all the way until his range of motion is ideal.

“If he doesn’t experience any real bad symptoms, then we’ll accelerate his path pretty quickly, get him back on the mound going for us.”

Perdomo first felt something in the posterior of his shoulder after his final start in spring training.

“Nothing significant in his mind, not even enough to warrant telling us,” Green said.

Perdomo started the Padres’ home opener April 7, holding San Francisco to one run through five innings. He was lifted in the sixth after surrendering a grand slam. He recently reported that his shoulder had not bothered him during that outing, but it tightened near the end of his latest bullpen.

“I was able to pitch with it, but towards the end, it was just a little too much,” Perdomo said through an interpreter. “It felt pretty inflamed.”

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Perdomo is the second member of the Padres’ opening-day rotation to make just one start before landing on the sideline. Right-hander Trevor Cahill, who was shelved by a lower back strain, appears on track to come off the disabled list Sunday in Atlanta.

Both Cahill and right-hander Jarred Cosart, who has replaced Perdomo in the rotation, threw bullpens Wednesday. The Padres’ first off-day of the season is Thursday.

“We’re going to have to kind of unwind that rotation a little bit to figure out how we want to slot (Cahill and Cosart),” Green said.

Perdomo’s DL stint is the first of his young career. He said he had not previously experienced any shoulder problems.

“Of course, you’re always a little worried, but I’m relaxed now,” Perdomo said. “I think at this point it’s just a matter of getting healthy.”

Esch arrives In a corresponding roster move, Jake Esch was recalled from Double-A San Antonio. The right-hander had been claimed off waivers from Miami on March 31, but he did not arrive in the Padres’ clubhouse Wednesday as a complete stranger. San Diego pitchers Cosart, Brad Hand and Carter Capps were acquired from the Marlins last season.

“I’m excited for the opportunity. Growing up in the Midwest and being in Florida for my whole career, I don’t really know a whole lot about the Padres,” Esch, a Minnesota native said. He added, smiling: “I know they kind of have this train that ends up leaving Miami and ends up in San Diego.”

Esch will pitch out of the bullpen for the time being, though he could eventually figure into a starting role. He made his major league debut last season, posting a 5.54 ERA over three starts for the Marlins.

“It’s a dream come true when you make your debut, and absolutely it adds to your confidence when somebody else picks you up and says, ‘You know what, we think you can play for us in the big leagues,’” Esch said.

“Whether it’s one inning, five innings, 100 pitches, 10 pitches, one batter, it doesn’t matter. My job is to come up here and do as well as I can for as long as possible.”

During his college career at Georgia Tech, Esch primarily worked as a middle infielder and a reliever. In 2011, the Marlins drafted him in the 11th round and developed him as a starting pitcher, a role that remains relatively new.

“I’m still a baby,” the 27-year-old said half-jokingly.

Notable

Hector Sanchez (concussion symptoms) caught a bullpen Wednesday and is on track to come off the seven-day DL this weekend.

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After throwing a scoreless inning for High Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday, Capps (Tommy John surgery) will make another rehab appearance with the affiliate Thursday.

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Offense backs Lee in series win vs. Rockies By Thomas Harding and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | April 12th, 2017

DENVER -- Starting pitcher Zach Lee mixed pitches and forced Rockies batters into fly ball after frustrating fly ball while leading the Padres to a 6-0 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon.

"Obviously, the game plan going in wasn't to give up fly balls, it was to get ground balls," Lee said. "We were very fortunate that a lot of those fly balls were very miss-hit."

Behind Lee, who limited the Rockies to two hits and forced eight flyball outs, the Padres handed the Rockies their first shutout of the season and won the three-game set. It was the Padres' fourth shutout at Coors Field since it opened in 1995. Just once in a three-game set had the Padres held the Rockies to fewer than the six runs they scored this week.

"The story overall was we couldn't get to their pitching, pretty much all series, when you think about it," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "They kept us off balance. Lee did that today, as did their bullpen." The Rockies are 6-4, but are waiting on the offense. In the series against the Padres, they hit .167 (15-for-90). Defending National League batting champion DJ LeMahieu (.171), Carlos Gonzalez (.200) and Trevor Story (.129) are key hitters mired in slumps. The Padres began with consecutive first-inning doubles by Manuel Margot and Wil Myers, followed by Yangervis Solarte's single. Two batters later, Ryan Schimpf parked his second homer of the season, a two-run shot, for a 4-0 lead.

"The double on the first pitch of the game kind of announced, 'Hey, we're here to hit today,'" Padres manager Andy Green said. "And Wil followed it up with a double down the right-field line, and Schimpf got the big home run. You jump out 4-0 at Coors, you never feel like it's enough runs." Left-hander Kyle Freeland settled for the next three frames, but the Rockies offense never produced. Freeland ended up yielding six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Didn't right the ship this time: In his Major League debut in his hometown on Friday, Freeland allowed the Dodgers to load the bases before keeping the game scoreless with a groundout. He went on to earn a win. This time, after two early doubles and the Solarte single, he forced a fly ball from Hunter Renfroe. But it only temporarily slowed the damage. Schimpf homered on a 1-1 slider.

"Nothing really went wrong," Freeland said. "They had a couple broken-bat singles that fell in. Margot jumped the fastball right out of the gate. I don't think anything went wrong, though. It was just one of those things where if two things go my way, I'm out of that inning with two runs."

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In your face: Lee's final batter was a face-off with Nolan Arenado, who he had walked twice in the slugger's previous at bats. With nobody out and a man on first, Lee battled Arenado through a seven-pitch, full-count at-bat, mostly working the outside of the plate. On his fourth straight slider -- his 90th pitch of the game -- he induced a soft fly to center to end the Rockies' last threat.

"With him, we kind of came in every once in awhile with heaters," Lee said. "I was kind of pulling that slider a little bit, and today it was more cutter-ish. Even if it was starting on that outer half, it was really running off. I'd rather throw the slider in that same spot, but have more downward depth." QUOTABLE "I would never have guessed that Wil would hit for the cycle before he got his first walk of the season, but he did do that. He got his walk today. But the double, the single up the middle, all the way around it's hard contact all over the baseball field. When they pitched him in, he pulled the ball. When they pitched him away, he hit it the other way. One of the best series I've seen from anybody." -- Green, on Myers' 7-for-10, three-game series with two doubles, two triples, a homer, four runs, a walk, a hit by pitch, four RBIs, and the second cycle in Padres history. "I think we got a little too big on [Lee], because he was only throwing like 89 or 90 mph. And that's why you see a lot of fly balls today, instead of just grinding it out and trying to get on and put some good innings together. By the time we opened our eyes, [Lee] was already out [of the game] and we were down 6-0. It was just an ugly game." -- Carlos Gonzalez on Lee's ability to stifle the Rockies. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The loss prevented the Rockies from winning each of their first three series of the season. They had not accomplished that feat since 1995. Margot had nine putouts in center, one shy of a Padres record by a center fielder in a nine-inning game. Jay Payton (6/11/14 at NYY) and Gene Richards (5/21/79) each had 10. Four other Padres center fielders have had nine putouts, most recently Cameron Maybin on 8/7/12 vs the Cubs. ONE-FOR-APRIL Austin Hedges snapped an 0-for-24 stretch to open his season, finally getting a hit off a slow grounder to Arenado that the third baseman fumbled on a barehanded pickup. Hedges dribbled one to the pitcher in his first at-bat and struck out twice in his final two at-bats, running his strikeout tally to nine.

"That's not the guy you want to hit it at, but luckily he didn't make a play today," Hedges said. "That's baseball. I don't think anything's ever going to change. You hit the ball hard, you [can't] find hits. You never know. I'm just going to try and keep having at-bats and help the team win."

"He hit so many balls so hard in the first 20-something at-bats and nothing to show for it," Green said. "Then he hits a nubber down the line, and I don't know that I've ever seen Nolan Arenado not come up with the barehand. He comes up with every single one of them. Good for him to get

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on the board that way, but even more importantly what he's doing behind the dish reflects in our pitchers' ERA, reflects in the way our pitchers work through a game. He is doing a tremendous job back there." WHAT'S NEXT Padres: The Padres open up Atlanta's new ballpark Friday with Opening Day starter Jhoulys Chacin on the mound. After a rough first start against the Dodgers, Chacin pitched brilliantly in the home opener, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings and allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out five. Rockies: The Rockies have won the two games started by Jon Gray (0-0, 5.79 ERA) -- Opening Day in Milwaukee and at home against the Dodgers -- but he hasn't been crisp enough to earn a decision. He will try again against the Giants at San Francisco's AT&T Park on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. MT. Lefty Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 3.00) will start for the Giants.

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Lee returns to mound with a vengeance By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | April 12th, 2017

DENVER -- For nearly two years, Zach Lee's one career start in the big leagues has been both his default career highlight and a monkey on his back. But after pitching 5 1/3 innings in a spot start as part of a 6-0 shutout of the Rockies at Coors Field Wednesday, Lee effectively resurrected his career and erased the defining line that threatened to follow him.

"It's a little bit of a relief," Lee said of his triumphant return to the Majors. "It's really nice to be able to come up here and have another opportunity to have another start and be able to show that that was somewhat of a fluke and that things can turn your way."

In his only previous appearance, Lee gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings as a Dodger, facing the Mets on July 25, 2015. The start came in the midst of his second season winning the Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Dodgers. The former first-round Draft pick remembers his previous start like it was four days ago, not 21 months.

"Obviously, that first game didn't go the way I'd planned," Lee said. "Even when I look back on it sometimes, there were a couple key situations where if I let the ball go there in the first inning, we get a double play and I'm out of the first inning with two runs rather than four. A lot of those 'what ifs.'"

Lee left no room for "what ifs" at Coors Field Wednesday, blanking the Rockies on two hits.

"Zach was outstanding. He never gave in at any point in time, and he always made them hit his pitch," manager Andy Green said. "It bodes well for his future. He made an impression today."

The never-say-die approach against the Rockies epitomized Lee's approach as he persistently worked his way back.

"It's about ups and downs," Lee said. "No matter how low you get, you try to fight and stay back up, and that's been my mentality since I was young. I've always been a fighter and competitive. Especially from last year, where I was mechanically and mentally, it just wasn't a great feeling, kind of got snowballed. It was really good to get out here, get this first one out of the way, and be able to build on it."

His approach to Coors Field came after years of pitching in the Pacific Coast League, where he often pitched at altitude in places like Albuquerque and Colorado Springs. "A lot of guys come into this ballpark a little bit scared, and he had no fear," catcher Austin Hedges said. "We were out in the outfield and he said, 'let's attack these guys from the get-go, get a lot ground balls early,' and that's exactly what he did."

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Lee was scheduled to make his first start with Triple-A El Paso Monday, but was scratched when he was recalled to the Padres with Trevor Cahill going on the disabled list. He went to the 'pen to be the long man, but when Luis Perdomo hit the DL a day later, Lee's name was called.

"It's definitely been a crazy week," Lee said. "I can't say I would have wrote it up this way, but I'm happy to be here. I'm ecstatic about the outing I had today, and hopefully I can continue to build on it."

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As face of Padres, Myers stays 'authentic' By Tracy Ringolsby / MLB.com | @TracyRingolsby | April 12th, 2017

DENVER -- Wil Myers was a third-round Draft choice of the Royals in 2009. He made his big league debut with the Rays in '13, a mid-June callup who became the first American League position player to appear in fewer than 100 games and win the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Today, Myers is the face of the Padres, the 26-year-old "veteran" in what will be his fourth full big league season. Myers signed a six-year, $83 million contract back in January as the foundation for a major rebuilding plan that general manager A.J. Preller undertook a year ago.

Myers is realistic about his situation from a personal standpoint.

"[The Padres] set me up financially for the rest of my life," Myers said. "It is hard to say no to that, honestly. ... I was hurt for two years as well. That plays a factor, too. I have this opportunity to set myself up financially and I took it."

Myers is realistic about his situation from a baseball standpoint.

"I want to win here," Myers said. "This isn't just about taking the money and going out there and playing. This is about building something that we have here. I really like the plan that we have in place. I like the young guys that we have in the Minor Leagues. I think we're going to be extremely good in the near future."

But this isn't about now. Sure, the Padres are coming off taking two of three from the Rockies at Coors Field and headed to Atlanta on Wednesday night having split their first 10 games of the season, avoiding a losing record in the opening stretch of the season for only the second time in eight seasons. While Myers may be only 26, he is the highest-paid player on the Padres' roster. With three years and 114 days of big league service time, he is one of the more veteran players on the roster. In Wednesday's starting lineup, only journeyman infielder Erick Aybar had spent more time in the big leagues.

Myers is also one of the more seasoned members of the Padres' roster. Myers is one of only five San Diego players who was on the big league roster 22 months ago when Bud Black was dismissed as the club's manager. Since the arrival of Preller prior to the 2015 season, the Padres have undergone a massive turnover. They flirted with trying to create an instant contender, trading off their top prospects to add the likes of Craig Kimbrel, James Shields, Justin Upton and Matt Kemp.

Less than a year into that plan, the organization made an about face, accepting the idea of a long-term makeover that led to a nearly complete organizational overhaul, and this time Preller

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focused on adding a mother lode of young prospects that the Padres feel will help change the franchise's fortunes. Among the 28 players who are either on the current active roster or have been placed on the disabled list since the season started, only three are products of the Padres' farm system -- backup catcher Austin Hedges, and outfielders Travis Jankowski and Hunter Renfroe.

Enter Myers. He has come a long way from the talented kid to a player that Padres management envisions as a guiding force into the future.

"With Tampa [Bay], I was young and dumb and didn't know what it was like to be a professional in the locker room," Myers said. "That one was on me. I was a kid and very stubborn. I still am, but I learned a lot of things over the last couple of years that have really helped me become a big leaguer.

"It's not just a game. It's a job now, and every single day you come here, you're coming out to win. That's the most important thing."

But, Myers admits, it is important to be himself.

"I do not want to change who I am," Myers said. "If I were to go out there and try and get this guy who makes a lot of rules and isn't himself, people will see right through it. People ask me what I have done to be a leader, and I told them nothing. I'm just being myself, doing my own thing and helping the team play hard. If it's forced, people see right through it, and it's the one thing I want to do, is just stay authentic as I can and go out there and play hard.

"I'm not the poster child for the weight room or anything like that, but I do play this game very hard."

That is a message the Padres are counting on Myers to spread in their clubhouse.

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Margot pacing Padres from leadoff spot By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | April 12th, 2017

DENVER -- As San Diego exceeds early expectations in the opening weeks of the season, no player has done more to pace the Padres than the man at the top of the lineup, rookie center fielder Manuel Margot. After the Padres' 6-0 win over the Rockies on Wednesday, Margot was hitting .325 (13-for-40) with three homers and eight runs in 10 games. He doubled on the first pitch of the game against Colorado, sparking a four-run rally and extending his hitting streak to six games.

With his leadoff homer Tuesday, he became the first Padre ever to hit two leadoff homers in the first nine games of the season, according to Elias, and the first Major League rookie to hit two leadoff homers in the first nine games of the season since Lou Brock did it in seven games for the '62 Cubs.

"It's not what we were expecting from him," manager Andy Green said Wednesday. "We were expecting really strong competitive at-bats, slashing the ball around the yard, but we'll take the three home runs early on from him. I couldn't be more pleased with his early season effort. He's been outstanding."

Margot takes his role seriously and is fully cognizant of his potential to establish the tenor of each game from his leadoff spot.

"For me, hitting first is a big responsibility, a big commitment," Margot said through Padres interpreter David Longley. "I take a lot of pride, because if I'm able to get on base and set the tone, it sets everyone else in the lineup up. That's pretty important for us to score runs."

He's had five multi-hit games and is among the rookie leaders in runs scored (eight), doubles (four), hits (13), slugging percentage (.650) and total bases (26).

"He competes every single at-bat," Green said of his value in the leadoff role. "It's been quality at-bat after quality at-bat since he got in that spot. It's competitive. He can fly on the bases. Puts pressure on pitchers, puts pressure on defense."

Margot's first Major League stint came in late September last year -- immediately after being named the Pacific Coast League playoff MVP. He hit .243 (9-for-37) and stole two bases in 10 games with the Padres. The experience helped pave the way for him to find his comfort level early in '17.

"Last year was a big learning year for me," Margot said. "I learned a ton throughout the course of the season, especially when I went down to the Dominican Republic and I was around some of the guys I was playing with during the winter. Getting a feel for some of the tactics and the gameplay situations has helped me a lot coming up to this level."

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The early confidence is showing as Margot has gone beyond table-setting and set the tone for his team through its first 10 games.

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Esch called up, ready for any role in bullpen By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | April 12th, 2017

DENVER -- Jake Esch has had a whirlwind spring after a late season callup with the Marlins last year. Miami put him on waivers at the end of Spring Training and San Diego claimed him on March 31, assigning him to Double-A San Antonio.

Tuesday he was scratched from his scheduled first start, and Wednesday he was in the Padres' clubhouse at Coors Field ready to fill whatever role the the club needed. "Right now, it's whenever they call my name," Esch said before Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Rockies, during which he entered in the ninth inning and walked two batters. "Whether it's one inning, five innings, 100 pitches, 10 pitches, one batter, it doesn't matter. Right now my job is to come up here and do as well as I can for as long as possible."

Esch, 27, debuted in the Majors in 2016, making three starts for the Marlins and going 0-1 with a 5.54 ERA. He allowed eight runs on 17 hits and six walks while striking out 10 in 13 innings.

"It was a great experience," Esch said. "I got to make some starts in the playoff run for the Marlins against the Mets, Phillies, and Braves. It's a dream come true when you make your debut, and after that, it's all about the 'W.'" Esch took Luis Perdomo's spot on the roster, after the right-hander went on the disabled list Wednesday, retroactive to April 9, with right shoulder soreness. Perdomo said he's had discomfort for about three weeks.

"I was able to pitch with it, but toward the end it was just a little too much," Perdomo said through team interpreter David Longley. "It's been about the same, it's been there. It's just a matter of getting the inflammation under control."

Manager Andy Green said Perdomo will start throwing again Friday.

"If he doesn't experience any real bad symptoms, then we'll accelerate his path pretty quickly and get him back on the mound going fast," Green said. Hector on track Hector Sanchez caught bullpens for Jarred Cosart and Trevor Cahill Wednesday and could come off the seven-day concussion disabled list on Friday.

"We'd like to put him through the paces a little bit more, but with the [day game and off-day Thursday] it's hard to get him all the way through the exercises and make sure he's 100 percent good to go, but he's really close right around that day," Green said.

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Green reported that both Cosart and Cahill "felt really good" in their side sessions. Green is hopeful that Cahill will be able to come off the 10-day DL when he's eligible on Sunday and make his next start that day.

"My anticipation would be Cosart stays in the rotation regardless with Perdomo's spot coming open," Green said. Clean Capps Carter Capps made his first rehab appearance Tuesday, pitching one inning in Lake Elsinore as he recovers from Tommy John surgery he underwent March 8, 2016. He threw 11 pitches with his velocity around 94 mph. He'll take the mound again for Elsinore tomorrow.

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Chacin looks to keep rolling in SunTrust

opener By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | April 12th, 2017

Coming off a frustrating eight-game road trip, the Braves could benefit from the energy that will surround them when they open SunTrust Park on Friday night against the Padres. Atlanta's Julio Teheran will draw the honor of starting the first official game played in this new stadium.

The Padres, who have won two straight series and opened the season with a 5-5 record, will counter with Jhoulys Chacin, who made five starts for Atlanta last year before being flipped to the Angels in a May trade.

Teheran has not allowed an earned run over 13 innings in his first two starts. He's allowed no earned runs while completing at least seven innings in seven of his past 27 starts. But he has received a no-decision in four of those outings.

"This is a team game and sometimes you don't have everything working at the same time," Teheran said. "I just try to control the part I can control. I pitch as long as I can, and I think I'm doing really good. That's all that matters to me. I know I want to win, but it's a team game and hopefully we'll get everything together, so we can win."

Chacin hopes to build off his second start, when he pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Giants, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out five. It made up for a rough Opening Day assignment in L.A., where the Dodgers touched him for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. Three things to know about this game

• Teheran has a Major League-best 24 pickoffs since the start of the 2013 season. No other right-handed pitcher has more than 11.

• Padres reliever and catcher Christian Bethancourt served as Teheran's catcher in the Minor Leagues and during portions of the 2015 season. Bethancourt has allowed seven runs (six earned) in 1 2/3 innings of relief this season, and he is 0-for-3 at the plate, including two pinch-hit at-bats.

• After playing an exhibition game against the Yankees on March 31, Braves hitters said they believe SunTrust Park will be an offense-friendly park.

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Zach Lee, bullpen hold Rockies to 3 hits in

6-0 win Associated Press

DENVER -- Zach Lee's first major league start didn't go all that well. Nearly 21 months later, he got another chance. Now this one went way better.

Lee and four relievers combined on a three-hitter, Ryan Schimpf homered as part of a four-run first inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 6-0 on Wednesday. "After the year I had in '16, there could have been very few teams that would have given me opportunities," said the 25-year-old Lee, who bounced around the minors with the Los Angeles

Dodgers and Seattle Mariners last season before being claimed off waivers by the Padres in December.

"Fortunately the Padres saw something that they wanted to take a chance on."

This was Lee's first start since July 25, 2015, when he was with the Dodgers and allowed seven runs at the New York Mets. He was a different pitcher this time around. Lee (1-0) enticed fly ball after fly ball as he filled in for Luis Perdomo, who went on the disabled list before the game with shoulder inflammation. The right-handed Lee went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, before turning things over to the bullpen to complete the first shutout of the Rockies at Coors Field since July 21, 2015. "He didn't make mistakes," Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "Not a good day offensively." Not a good series, either. The Rockies scored a combined six runs in dropping two of three to San Diego.

"It's not a secret. We've got to get going," Gonzalez said.

It was a rough first inning for Denver native Kyle Freeland (1-1), who allowed an RBI double to Wil Myers, a run-scoring single to Yangervis Solarte and a two-run homer to Schimpf.

"Setting the tone is very big in this game," said Freeland, who lasted 4 2/3 innings and allowed six runs in his second start at the ballpark he used to visit as a kid.

"I didn't set the tone very well in the first inning. I think that kind of quieted our bats as well. When you set a good tone, good things happen."

Lee was recalled Sunday from Triple-A El Paso after Trevor Cahill went on the DL with a strained back. He got the call to start when Perdomo's shoulder tightened up during a recent bullpen session.

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The only one to figure him out was Charlie Blackmon, who had both hits off Lee -- a single to start the game and a double in the fifth. Asked how this affects Lee going forward, manager Andy Green said: "He's going to be a viable option for us in the future. He pitched himself into consideration."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: RHP Carter Capps (Tommy John surgery) pitched a scoreless inning for Class A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday in a rehab assignment. ... Green said that if Perdomo "doesn't experience any real bad symptoms then we'll accelerate his path pretty quickly." ... The team recalled RHP Jake Esch from Double-A San Antonio. He walked two in the ninth. Rockies: Manager Bud Black said C Tom Murphy (broken right forearm) is "getting better. Healing. Nothing definitive. We'll know more later in the week."

HARD-LUCK STORY

Trevor Story went 0 for 3 with a walk as his average dipped to .129. He's yet to hit a homer this season. Story had a big April last season, when he was the NL rookie of the month after hitting 10 homers.

"I feel really close," Story said. "I'm seeing a lot of pitches, but just missing my pitches, pitches I usually don't miss."

FINALLY

Padres catcher Austin Hedges ended an 0-for-24 streak with a slow roller that third baseman Nolan Arenado couldn't bare-hand.

"I don't know if I've ever seen Arenado not come up with a bare-hand," Green said. "He comes up with every single one of them."

UP NEXT

Padres: Off Thursday before starting a four-game series in Atlanta. RHP Jhoulys Chacin will start Friday. Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 5.79 ERA) will make his first start with short hair on Thursday as the Rockies open a four-game series at San Francisco. He had eight inches taken off his flowing locks for charity.

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This Day in Padres History, 4/12

Record series at Petco Park, 17 runs in Atlanta

By Bill Center

April 12, 1980 — Right fielder Dave Winfield drives in all four runs with a two-run homer and a two-run single as the Padres defeat the Giants 4–2 at San Diego Stadium.

April 12, 1986 — Left-handed starting pitcher Dave Dravecky shuts out Cincinnati on four hits and a walk over 7 2/3 innings at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, although the Reds score three in the ninth against the Padres bullpen for a 3–2 win. Dravecky will post a 0.75 earned run average for five starts in the season’s first month — still the lowest ERA by a Padres starter for a month (minimum three starts).

April 12, 1988 — John Kruk hits a grand slam and scores after doubling to have a hand in all five runs as the Padres defeat the Dodgers 5–3 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

April 12, 1992 — Third baseman Gary Sheffield goes 3-for-4 with a homer and drives in all five runs as the Padres defeat the Dodgers 5–4 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

April 12, 2006 — First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Padres score a 7–2 victory at Miami.

April 12, 2009 — Catcher Nick Hundley is 4-for-4 with a homer and a RBI to lead the Padres to a 6–1 over the Giants at Petco Park.

April 12, 2010 — Kyle Blanks is 3-for-6 with a double, a homer, five RBIs and three runs scored and Will Venable is 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBIs and four runs scored as the Padres rout Atlanta 17–2 at Petco Park.

April 12, 2013 — Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke hits Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin with a pitch in the sixth inning at Petco Park triggering a bench-clearing melee that leaves Greinke with a broken collarbone.

April 12, 2015 — A crowd of 40,184 see the Padres defeat the Giants 6–1 at Petco Park. The Padres win three of four while the Padres draw a record 168,171 fans to Petco Park for a four-game series.

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Padres On Deck: Urías Slam

Completes AA-San Antonio Sweep

RHPs Kyle Lloyd, Chris Huffman throw zeroes

By Bill Center

Nineteen-year-old second baseman Luis Urías hit a grand slam Tuesday to give Double-A San Antonio a doubleheader sweep at Arkansas and Missions starter Kyle Lloyd and Advanced Single-A starter Chris Huffman each turned in shutout performances.

Urías, ranked the Padres’ №7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, hit his slam to cap a six-run seventh in the Missions’ 6–3 win in the second, seven-inning game of the doubleheader. Urías (.190) was 2-for-7 for the doubleheader with a walk and two runs scored to go with the slam.

Right fielder Franmil Reyes (.381) was 2-for-6 in the doubleheader with three RBIs and two runs scored. He drove in three runs in the Missions’ 5–1 win in the opener. San Antonio is off to a 4–2 start.

First baseman Fernando Perez (.318), a product of Otay Ranch High, was 3-for-6 in the two games with two doubles and a homer. Designated hitter Alberth Martinez (.417) was 2-for-6 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. Designated hitter Nick Schulz (.333) was 1-for-5 with a RBI triple.

Lloyd (2–0) has yet to allow an earned run in two starts for the Missions. Tuesday, he allowed an unearned run on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings in the opener. Left-hander Kyle McGrath allowed a hit with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.

Right-hander Cesar Vargas started the second game and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Right-hander Rafael De Paula (1–0, 0.00 ERA) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Right-hander Trey Wingenter allowed a run on a hit in the final inning.

At Lake Elsinore, Huffman and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Storm (3–3) defeated Visalia 2–0 at The Diamond.

Actually, Padres right-handed reliever Carter Capps started the game for Lake Elsinore while making a rehab assignment debut. Capps pitched the first and allowed a walk with a strikeout while throwing 11 pitches with five going for strikes.

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Huffman (1–0) took over in the second and allowed two hits and a walk with five strikeouts over the next six scoreless innings. Right-hander Gerardo Reyes worked the final two innings, allowing two walks with a strikeout.

Around The Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (3–3) — TACOMA 7, Chihuahuas 2: Starting RHP Walker Lockett (1–1, 6.30 ERA) allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and a walk in four innings. LHP Keith Hessler (0.00 ERA) allowed two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in two innings. RHP Kevin Quackenbush (4.50 ERA) allowed two walks with three strikeouts in two hitless, scoreless innings. DH Jose Pirela (.333) and LF Nick buss (.143) were each 1-for-2 for the Chihuahuas with a RBI.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (2–4) — South Bend 7, TIN CAPS 2: Starting LHP Will Headean allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts over six innings in his 2017 debut. RHP Wilmer Torres took the loss, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Louis Distacio allowed a run on five hits with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. CF Jack Suwinski (.263) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. C Marcus Greene Jr. (.250) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

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Padres Pitch a Shutout at Coors Field San Diego's pitching staff leads Friars to series win against the Rockies

By Derek Togerson

It’s only 10 games … but man does it feel good for Padres fans.

The Friars got a great start from Zach Lee and more offense from the top of the order to beat

the Rockies 6-0 on Wednesday afternoon. San Diego has won two straight series against

division opponents and is an even 5-5 on the season.

The fact the Padres are at the .500 mark after basically every national baseball reporter said

they would be the worst team in baseball in 2017 is a mini-victory of sorts for the Friar

Faithful.

It has been awfully nice to have Manuel Margot at the top of the order. For the fifth time in

the last six games Manny led off the game with a base hit. This time is was a double off

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, a knock that touched off a rally.

Wil Myers followed with a double to plate Margot with a 1-0 lead. Then Yangervis Solarte

singled in Myers for a 2-0 lead. Two batters later Ryan Schimpf hit his second home run of

the season, a 2-run laser to right field that put the Padres up 4-0. San Diego batted around in

the first inning and they didn’t know it at the time but that was going to be plenty of offense

for Zach Lee.

The former 1st round pick of the Dodgers had not started a game in 2017 and his only other

Major League start came in 2015. He was called up because Trevor Cahill went on the

disabled list but he looked like a veteran at Coors Field.

Lee threw 5.1 shutout innings, striking out three and allowing only two hits. Relievers Jose

Torres, Ryan Buchter, Jake Esch (just called up from Double-A San Antonio when Luis

Perdomo went on the DL) and Brandon Maurer finished the shutout to give Lee his first big

league win.

The Padres got two more runs in the 5th inning. Hunter Renfroe singled home Myers (who

walked) then Schimpf got his third RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to score Solarte (who

singled).

In one more positive offensive note catcher Austin Hedges got his first base hit of the season.

After starting 0-24 he hit a dribbler up the 3rd base line for an infield single.

San Diego takes Thursday off then starts a 4-game set against the Braves to open their brand

new ballpark on Friday. Former Padre Matt Kemp will not be part of that series. He’s on the

DL with a hamstring issue.

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Atlanta will have the guy they want on the mound. All-Star right-hander Julio Teheran, who

has not allowed an earned run yet this season, gets the nod against Padres righty Jhoulys

Chacin.