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Padres Press Clips Sunday, May 8, 2016

Article Source Author Page

Shields, Padres done in by 4 Mets HRs MLB.com DiComo/Paris 2

Green confident Shields will turn it around MLB.com Paris 4

Weeks strains hamstring, likely headed to DL MLB.com Paris 6

Quartet of Padres ramping up rehab stints MLB.com Paris 7

With mom in stands, Cashner starting on Mother's Day MLB.com Paris 9

Bartolo Colon clubs Mets to 6-3 win over Padres ESPN Ruben 10

Colon hits 1st career homer in Mets' 6-3 win over Padres Associated Press AP 11

Carlos Belen hits first TinCaps homer UT San Diego Sanders 14

Acee: Getting in early on believing in Padres UT San Diego Acee 16

Unlikely Colon blast sinks Shields, Padres UT San Diego Sanders 19

Kemp's outfield work with Brock paying off UT San Diego Lin 21

Lindsey intent on landing back on map UT San Diego Sanders 24

Mets-Padres Preview STATS LLC STATS LLC 26

Prospect Hunter Renfroe continues to put up numbers FOX Sports San Diego Conniff 28

April MadFriars' Players of the Month FOX Sports San Diego Jay 30

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Shields, Padres done in by 4 Mets HRs By Anthony DiComo and Jay Paris / MLB.com | @AnthonyDiComo | 1:52 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Lost in the stories, the standing ovations and the instant legend surroundingBartolo

Colon's first career homer was the simple fact that, in context, it was the critical component to the Mets

winning a game.

Colon's two-run shot allowed the Mets to lead wire-to-wire Saturday night in a 6-3 win over the Padres,

snapping the Mets' two-game skid.

"I don't even know how to explain it," Colon said. "I'm very thankful. I thank God for this amazing

moment. I wasn't expecting it."

Nor was Padres starter James Shields, who gave up a pair of two-run homers to Colon

andYoenis Cespedes. That accounted for all of New York's offense until David Wright andMichael

Conforto hit admittedly less surreal back-to-back homers in the ninth. In addition to becoming

ever more of a cult hero in Flushing with his performance at the plate, Colon delivered 6 2/3

innings of three-run ball to improve to 3-1.

"He was locating that sinker, man, and he was tough,'' Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.said.

"He had it going. I remember facing him when he was throwing 97 [mph] in Anaheim. He has

lost some [velocity], but he is still doing it."

San Diego outfielder Jon Jay did stay hot with a three-run shot off Colon, drawing the Padres

within a run of the lead in the third inning. But scoring for both sides stopped there until the

ninth.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bart's Shining Moment: When he went deep off Shields for his two-run shot in the second, Colon became the second-oldest Mets player to homer, and the oldest in big league history to hit his first career long ball. By the time Colon finished trudging around the bases in 30.6 seconds, the fourth-slowest home run trot this season, he had given the Mets a 4-0 lead. And his teammates were ready for him, giving Colon the silent treatment before mobbing the 42-year-old wonder.

"We all kind of said, 'What would we do if Bartolo hit a home run?'" Mets second basemanNeil

Walker recalled, laughing. "That made everyone's career to witness that." More >

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Painful bunt: The Padres' Jemile Weeks hit a sacrifice bunt to put Derek Norris at second base

in the seventh. Weeks was poised to reach first with no one covering, but he strained his right

hamstring while sprinting toward the bag. Colon tagged out Weeks as he was sprawled in the

basepath, unable to rise. Reliever Jerry Blevins fanned Jay on a slow curveball to end the inning

and strand Norris, maintaining the Mets 4-3 lead.

"It looks like [Weeks] is going on the DL," Padres manager Andy Green said. "It looks like he got

it pretty good." More >

Still on fire: Colon was not the only Met to show some muscle against Shields. Cespedes' two-

run homer in the first inning gave him 10 in 25 games this season, also moving him into the

National League lead with 29 RBIs. But the day's overall offensive star was Wright, who

reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances.

"The thing I feel good about is I am getting on base for the guys who are swinging the bats really well behind me," Wright said. "It's part of hitting at the top of the order." Say Jay Kid: Jay got the Padres back into the game with his first homer of the season, a third-inning, three-run blast. That made it 4-3, with Norris and Shields, both aboard on singles, scoring ahead of Jay. It was also Jay's first home run as a Padre.

QUOTABLE

"Next question, man." -- Shields, on if he was surprised Colon hit his first career home run off

him More >

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Among the more bizarre stories to come out of Colon's first career home run is this one: Most

offseasons, Colon plays in a Friday night softball game in Bonao, Dominican Republic, about an

hour's drive from his hometown of Altamira. The game has a Home Run Derby-type

atmosphere, and Colon said he often hits long balls there.

WHAT'S NEXT

Mets: Matt Harvey will look to become the second straight Mets pitcher to homer when he takes

the mound Sunday in the 4:40 p.m. ET series finale at Petco. Realistically, Harvey is simply

trying to put his rough start to the season behind him, relying on some mechanical adjustments

to improve his 2-4 record and 4.76 ERA.

Padres: San Diego will attempt to win its last outing of a series for the first time this season and

also clinch a series victory Sunday. Andrew Cashner (2-2) goes for his second straight win, with

first pitch at 1:40 p.m. PT.

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Green confident Shields will turn it

around Citing command issues, Padres righty gives up pair of

HRs, five walks in fifth loss

By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com | 1:36 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Padres pitcher James Shields was more "Big Fly" than "Big Game."

Shields was touched for two home runs -- including the first of 42-year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon's

career -- as San Diego fell to the Mets, 6-3, on Saturday night at Petco Park.

"I just couldn't find the strike zone,'' Shields said. "I was inconsistent with my fastball and I was not

making my pitches in the early innings. It was a battle all game, really. My delivery was kind of all over

today. I did the best I could after the first two innings and tried to get six innings in.''

Shields (1-5) got through six, surrendering four runs on five hits and a season-high five walks. He struck

out eight, another season high, but he was done in by two-run blasts fromYoenis Cespedes and Colon.

Cespedes hit his in the first, after Shields walked David Wright. It was good for a 2-0 Mets lead, and

Shields was left scratching his head.

"It was a changeup, down,'' Shields said. "It was a good pitch, down and in. He is a strong

human being.''

No on ever accused Colon of being ripped. But he pummeled Shields' belt-high offering in the

second, with Kevin Plawecki aboard after a double.

Nearly every man, woman and child in Petco Park was amazed Colon went yard.

"I almost missed third base I was so excited,'' Plawecki said.

Shields wasn't as animated when asked for his reaction to Colon being the oldest Major

Leaguer to hit his first home run.

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"Next question, man,'' he said.

What's next for Shields? He already has only two fewer losses than last year.

"I don't think he needs to fix anything at all,'' San Diego manager Andy Green said. "You look up

and he has a 3.60 ERA. It falls right into line with his career norms and he's been a winning

pitcher his entire career.

"I don't read too much into that; just kind of how it has played out so far. He's going to be a

winner before it is all said and done; he already is.''

Shields, who has had limited run support, will try to iron out his woes.

"You are always working every five days,'' said Shields, who allowed a Major League-high 33

homers last year. "You're continually trying to get better. There are days out there where you

don't have your good stuff and you just have to pitch through it.''

Despite five walks, Shields said his release point isn't betraying him.

"It was my rhythm,'' he said. "I had to go to my curveball; that was really the only thing I was

feeling out there. But sometimes you are going to have those games. You have to battle and try

to keep your team in the game.''

The challenge of keeping the ball in Petco torpedoed Shields.

One came from Cespedes, a proven power source.

And another from a reliable out-machine in Colon, who won't be invited back to San Diego for

July's Home Run Derby.

"It was one swing that you really don't expect,'' Green said. "Otherwise, you are looking at two

runs in six innings.''

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Weeks strains hamstring, likely headed

to DL Padres second baseman injured running to first base

By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com | 1:53 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Padres second baseman Jemile Weeks suffered a strained right hamstring and had to exit

Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Mets at Petco Park.

Weeks, who is filling in for the injured Cory Spangenberg (quad), bunted a ball toward first when

sacrificing Derek Norris to second in the seventh inning.

It appeared Weeks was going to reach first with no one covering the bag, but his right leg revolted about

three-quarters of the way down the line. Weeks was unable to rise and was tagged out by Bartolo Colon.

"It looks like [Weeks] is going on the DL," Padres manager Andy Green said. "It looks like he got it

pretty good."

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Quartet of Padres ramping up rehab

stints Solarte, Amarista, Edwards and Thornton heading to

Arizona; Spangenberg staying back

By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com | May 7th, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- Four Padres horses are headed for the starting gate.

"I'm pulling out all the stops," said manager Andy Green, a Kentucky native.

Green was talking Kentucky Derby and mending Padres before a 6-3 loss to the Mets on Saturday night.

Infielders Yangervis Solarte (hamstring) and Alexi Amarista (hamstring) will be Arizona-bound Sunday

to accelerate their rehabilitation.

They'll be joined by two others who are on the disabled list, pitchers Jon Edwards (forearm) and Matt

Thornton (Achilles).

Second baseman Cory Spangenberg (quad) is staying behind.

Spangenberg and Solarte are key left-handed bats in the lineup.

"It's no secret to how big those guys are for us,'' Green said. "They wouldn't have been hitting second and

fifth on Opening Day if we didn't think a lot about them.''

Green said the arrow points up on the right-handed Edwards and Thornton, a lefty.

"They are both feeling very good and are throwing bullpens here,'' Green said. "They are getting close to

being ready to face live hitters for us.''

Solarte's absence cost Green a left-handed bat and forced pinch-hitter Brett Wallace into an expanded

role at third base.

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Amarista, who started 84 games last year, didn't make the club out of camp. Since being recalled April 10,

the left-handed hitter delivered a spark by batting .333 in eight games. He also gave Green flexibility off

the bench.

So if handicapping the infielders, which returns first?

"Amarista might be just a tick ahead of Solarte,'' Green said. "But there's a horse race coming up here

soon, so Solarte could pull ahead before it's all said and done.''

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With mom in stands, Cashner starting

on Mother's Day By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com | May 7th, 2016

The Padres' Andrew Cashner is pitching against the Mets on Sunday, and that's appropriate on Mother's

Day.

Many players in the finale of the four-game series will use pink equipment to raise funds to fight breast

cancer.

Cashner's mother, Jane, is a breast cancer survivor and will be in attendance.

In his last start, Cashner worked six innings and allowed three runs in earning Tuesday's win over the

Rockies.

Matt Harvey, who will oppose Cashner, is 1-1 lifetime against the Padres, striking out 21 in 18 innings.

It's New York's final contest in San Diego this season. The Mets continue their season-high, 11-game road

trip by opening a four-game series on Monday against the Dodgers.

Three things to know about this game

• Mets manager Terry Collins spoke to Harvey between starts about correcting some of the mechanical

issues that Harvey feels have plagued him in recent starts.

"Matt's feeling good,'' Collins said. "Certainly, there's no arm issues. There's none of that stuff. He's just

got to make better pitches and he knows that."

• Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes seeks his sixth homer in 11 games as he stays hot on the road trip. He

remains among the Majors' leaders in road slugging percentage.

• Regardless of Sunday's outcome, it will be the third straight series for the Padres that they didn't lose.

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Bartolo Colon clubs Mets to 6-3 win over

Padres Adam RubinESPN Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO -- Bartolo Colon slugged the New York Mets to a 6-3 victory over the San Diego

Padres on Saturday at Petco Park. Yes, slugged.

Yoenis Cespedes and Colon each delivered two-run homers against right-hander James Shields as the Mets built a 4-0 lead. Jon Jay answered with a three-run shot against Colon in the third, but the Mets (18-11) held on to snap a two-game losing streak. David Wright and Michael

Conforto contributed back-to-back solo homers in the ninth inning to provide closer Jeurys

Familia with a three-run cushion. Colon (42 years, 349 days) became the oldest player to produce his first career home run. He unseated Randy Johnson, whose lone major league homer came at 40 years, 9 days old with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003. Colon (3-1) logged 6⅔ innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five. Jerry Blevins struck Jay out to strand Derek Norris at second base and close the book on Colon’s outing. Blevins, Addison Reed and Familia combined to toss 2⅓ scoreless relief innings. Reed allowed consecutive two-out singles to Brett Wallace and Melvin Upton Jr. to place runners on the corners in the eighth but rallied by striking out Alexei Ramirez to preserve what at the time was a one-run lead.

Colon earned career win No. 221. He ranks second among Dominican-born pitchers, trailing only Juan Marichal (243).

Wright reached base all five times -- on three walks, a single and the homer. Wright also stole a base, which gives him a team-best three steals on the season. Conforto snapped an 0-for-17 drought with his ninth-inning long ball. The Mets have six sets of back-to-back homers this season.

Jemile Weeks departed for the Padres with a right hamstring strain. What’s next: Matt Harvey (2-4, 4.76 ERA) tries to get his season on track when he faces right-hander Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.85) in the 4:40 p.m. ET series finale. The Mets will then bus to Los Angeles for a four-game series against the Dodgers.

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Colon hits 1st career homer in Mets' 6-3 win

over Padres Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- Bartolo Colon turned on an inside fastball from James Shields, launching a home run that was as improbable as it was historic. Colon became the oldest player to hit his first major league home run, connecting Saturday night less than three weeks before his 43rd birthday, to help the New York Mets to a 6-3 victory over the San Diego Padres.

As the Mets' dugout went wild, Colon watched the ball all the way to its landing spot in the seats in the left-field corner. He didn't toss his bat until he was well more than halfway to first base. The portly pitcher's trot around the bases after hitting the impressive two-run shot took about 30 seconds.

When he returned to the dugout, his teammates were hiding in the tunnel before coming out to mob him.

"I don't even know how to explain it," Colon said. "I'm very thankful. I thank God for this amazing moment, and I wasn't expecting it. Once I hit it I knew it was gone. The ball in San Diego travels well.

"Anytime I see a fastball I swing hard because I'm not a curveball hitter," he added.

"I don't really know what to say about that," Padres manager Andy Green said. "Certain things leave you speechless.

"I don't know what the odds were of the Kentucky Derby for the trifecta today," added Green, a Kentucky native, `'but I figure the swing was probably a lot longer odds than that. It's one of those things that you just don't expect to see. Good swing."

Shields said only that it was a fastball in.

Asked if he were surprised with Colon's swing, Shields said, "Next question, man."

Colon's teammates were amazed.

"You just shake your head," David Wright said. "You watch him take BP and he's got very good hand-eye coordination and you see him hit some home runs in BP and you think to yourself, `What would happen if he ever did it in a game?' And to do it here with as many Mets fans as here, the 7 Line out there, I mean the place just went nuts, and it's one of those things where you come to the ballpark never knowing what you're going to see, and you saw it." Kevin Plawecki was aboard on a double for Colon's homer.

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"I almost missed third base I was so excited," Plawecki said. "Just kind of in awe about the whole thing. It was really cool."

Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer for the Mets, who scored only three runs and had seven hits in losing the first two games of this four-game series. Randy Johnson hit his only homer shortly after turning 40 in 2003. He was the oldest to finally hit a home run before Colon. Colon hasn't had to worry about his hitting. He won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award while with the Los Angeles Angels, and is a three-time All-Star.

Nonetheless, his at-bats are always a highlight. He usually swings hard and his helmet often falls off in the process, frequently drawing cheers and laughs from fans at home and on the road.

Before his home run, he was a career .089 hitter in 225 at-bats, striking out 119 times.

At 42 years, 349 days, Colon is the second-oldest Mets player to homer. Julio Franco homered on May 4, 2007, when he was 48 years, 254 days old.

Colon's major league debut was April 4, 1997, in a no-decision for Cleveland against the Angels. Franco was his teammate. The opposing manager was Terry Collins, now in his sixth season as the Mets manager.

Colon (3-1) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out five and walking one. Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his ninth save in as many chances.

Cespedes hit his 10th homer with two outs in the first. Wright was aboard on a walk.

Wright and Michael Conforto hit consecutive homers off Carlos Villanueva with one out in the ninth. It was Wright's fourth and Conforto's fifth. Jon Jay hit a three-run homer to right-center off Colon with one out in the third, his first with the Padres. Shields and Derek Norris were aboard on singles.

Shields (1-5), who singled twice, allowed four runs and five hits in six innings, struck out eight and walked five.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: 2B Jemile Weeks strained his right hamstring running out a sacrifice bunt in the seventh and collapsed in the base path well short of first. He had to be helped off the field.

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UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (2-4, 4.76) is scheduled to start the finale of the four-game series. Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.85) is scheduled to start for the Padres.

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Carlos Belen hits first TinCaps homer Recapping the previous day of action for the Padres' minor league affiliates

By Jeff Sanders | 8:19 a.m. May 8, 2016

The Padres opting for a delayed start to his season, Carlos Belen is off to a slow start at low

Single-A Fort Wayne. Maybe Saturday’s effort will jump-start the 20-year-old Dominican.

Belen drove in three runs on his first homer of the season to key a game-winning rally in

the TinCaps’ 7-4 win over Kane County in the Midwest League.

The homer was the lone hit on the afternoon for Belen, who also had a throwing error and is

hitting .143 after starting the season in extended spring training.

Signed for $1 million in the 2012 international free agency class, Belen fashioned an .890 OPS

in 37 games in the Arizona Rookie League in 2014 only to see that number drop to .682 over 66

games last summer in the short-season Northwest League.

In 185 games, Belen has struck out 257 times.

Catcher Kyle Overstreet, a 2015 draftee, drove in two runs on two hits in his first game of the

season, while shortstop Ruddy Giron committed two errors (10) and went 0-for-5 to drop his

average down to .180.

Right-hander Jacob Nix (3.24) started the game with a run allowed in two innings, right-hander

Enyel De Los Santos (3.16) struck out five and allowed two runs in five innings and left-hander

Jerry Keel (1-3, 2.84) earned the win with a scoreless eighth ahead of the TinCaps (17-13)

ninth-inning rally.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (13-15)

Chihuahuas 6, Fresno 4: SS Nick Noonan (.307) drove in four runs on two hits, including a

double and RF Hunter Renfroe (.291) doubled and tripled and knocked in a run in four at-bats.

3B Casey McElroy (.378) and DH Diego Goris (.344) also both had two hits and RHP Daniel

McCutchen (5.56) allowed four runs in seven innings in a no-decision. RHP Aaron Northcraft (2-

0, 1.35) and LHP Frank Garces (S 1, 3.94) each pitched a scoreless inning.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (9-20)

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Corpus Christi 2, Missions 0:RHP Bryan Rodriguez (2-2, 3.29) allowed two runs in seven

innings. 2B Nelson Ward (.240) went 2-for-4 and CF Auston Bousfield (.198) collected the

Mission’ lone extra-base hit, a double.

LOW SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (12-18)

San Jose 2, Storm 1: CF Franchy Cordero (.248) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored

and SS Javier Guerra (.216) went 0-for-3 with a walk and his first steal. RHP Elliot Ashbeck (0-

1, 0.00) allowed an unearned run in 3 1/3 innings in his first start since a promotion from Fort

Wayne, where he was 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA over 21 innings.

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Acee: Getting in early on believing in Padres Signs of success aren’t necessarily pertinent for this season, but they are there

By Kevin Acee | 8:38 p.m. May 7, 2016

This isn’t about this season. Hasn’t been, won’t be.

This isn’t about getting you to buy into these Padres.

You just can’t do it. Not as playoff contenders. If not “no way,” certainly “not yet.”

But when assessing a future commodity, buying low is advisable. And that, we can and should

do with this team.

It seems clear the Padres are heading the right direction under the right man.

With a 6-3 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday, the Padres slid back into last place in the

National League West. And they won’t get much higher if they can’t ever win more than two

games in a row. But we ought not be invested in standings right now. Nothing we see this

Padres season is pertinent to this Padres season. We must be watching for what will be.

And if you can allow your viewing of the present to not be tainted by the past, you will find Andy

Green’s club is most often fun to watch. You can at least appreciate what they’re trying to do.

Increasingly, you can like what they’re actually doing.

The Padres play defense close to superbly, certainly as well over the past five weeks as they

did it horribly virtually the entirety of last season. The Padres’ hitters are increasingly disciplined,

including some of the same guys who were not last season or the first 10 games or so of this

one. They run the bases like they’re familiar with the concept. Their manager makes

substitutions liberally but not wantonly. He and his coaches clearly know a bit about aligning a

defense.

Players being removed are rooting for the guys replacing them, vocally and vehemently. Pinch-

hitters and defensive replacements understand what they are.

There is rhyme and reason and, evidently, the participants are liking the rhythm.

“We’re having fun with each other,” catcher Derek Norris said. “It took a long time last year to

warm up to each other.”

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As Norris spoke prior to Saturday night’s game, Matt Kemp was riding a skateboard through the

clubhouse. And if you know this team, you know Kemp is pretty important to how things go with

this team. That’s not just his on-field production, but his off-field engagement. He has a lot to

offer and seems to be making the effort to share his 11 seasons of knowledge. By all signs and

all the telling, Kemp is enjoying himself more than he was last year. And he’s playing pretty well.

As refreshing as his eight home runs are after it took him 57 games to hit his second homer last

year, is his seeming to enjoy playing the game and joking with teammates. As impressive as

any of the 33 hits that have his batting average at .280, was a sacrifice fly Friday night in the first

inning.

Down 1-2 against Noah Syndergaard, Kemp choked up and reached out to poke the ball to

center field and score Jon Jay. It didn’t make him the National League’s MVP or qualify him for

the Nobel Peace Prize. But, c’mon, he’s Matt Kemp.

“It fired me up,” Green said. “… When your offensive leader says, ‘I’m getting this run in, I’ll

scratch, fight, claw, whatever I have to do ...“

Said Norris: “Guys just are playing their roles,” catcher Derek Norris said. “There are not people

fighting to do above and beyond what they’re capable of doing. That’s what I think was the big

problem last year – a lot of people were trying to carry the load.”

Norris is walking that walk, even when he’s striking out. It’s been a terrible start statistically for

the Padres’ catcher, who went 2-for-4 Saturday to raise his average to .175. But he’s hit the ball

hard a lot. And an 11-pitch strikeout to end the fourth inning Friday night was one of the more

impressive at-bats you’ll see.

“When you’re not having success as far as numbers,” Norris said, “the only thing you can control

is the competitiveness of your at-bats.”

It’s called doing what you can do. And it’s among the things that make you think Green is not

simply spouting a cliché when he says, “Guys have bought in.”

Pitching coach Darren Balsley is careful to say he isn’t contending this Padres team isn’t more

interested in winning than past versions. It’s just doing more of the things it takes to win.

“There’s less interest in what the stats are saying,” Balsley, who has been with the team since

2003, said of the difference between this year and last. “I think it’s more of a just-win approach.”

When will the winning match the approach?

Let’s catch up on how these first five weeks have gone. The Padres didn’t score in their first

three games. They got to 3-8. A five-game losing streak had them at 7-15 on April 27. They are

now 13-18.

“It’s been a good battle,” Green said.

It has.

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To be sure, though, this team has many more battles to go before it wins a war. Bud Black was

not the only problem. Green is not the solution on his own. Players are the ones playing. The

Padres need more good ones of those.

This is not an end, but a means. This season may at least develop into a light at the end of a

long tunnel.

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Unlikely Colon blast sinks Shields, Padres Mets' 42-year-old pitcher becomes oldest player to hit first career homer

By Jeff Sanders | 8:33 p.m. May 7, 2016 | Updated, 9:48 p.m.

For years, Bartolo Colon has defied logic in extending the second wind of his career into his

early 40s. The improbable ventured into darn near unbelievable territory Saturday night, the

285-pound pitcher turning on a straight-down-Broadway fastball and lifting it high into the sky

and over the wall at Petco Park.

Wait.

Bartolo Colon?

Yes.

James Shields could hardly watch as the 42-year-old Colon, grinning all the way, lumbered

around the bases with the decisive blow in the Padres’ costly 6-3 loss in front of a sellout crowd

of 41,028 that included several thousand orange-clad Mets fans who paraded into the Gaslamp

District for the game.

They might have banked on the two-run shot that two-time home run derby champ Yoenis

Cespedes drilled in the first inning off Shields, who tied for the most home runs allowed a year

ago.

But a blast the next inning from a pitcher with an .089 career average, two extra-base hits in his

19-year career and not a single hit on his 2016 resume?

Even with a runner on second and the count even, that was just about the furthest thing from

Padres manager Andy Green’s mind as Shields grooved a 90 mph fastball through the heart of

the strike zone.

“I don’t know what the odds were at the Kentucky Derby for the trifecta today, but I figured that

swing had a lot longer odds than that,” Green said. “It’s one of those things you don’t expect to

see.”

Certainly not.

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The swing in question sent the ball hurtling toward the Western Metal Supply Co. building at

99.6 mph. When it came to rest some 357 feet away from home plate, the Mets were sitting on a

4-0 lead and Colon was in possession of a new record: The oldest player in major league history

to hit his first homer, eclipsing a 40-year-old Randy Johnson’s blast on Sept. 19, 2003.

Shields gutted his way through four more scoreless innings before exiting with the four runs

allowed on five hits. He fanned more batters than he had all season (eight), but also issued a

season-high five walks in an outing the Padres can only hope is a hiccup after a string of seven

quality starts from the rotation.

“I thought he settled in as the game went on,” Green said. “I thought the first couple innings was

a little bit of a battle. He had (velocity) today. I think I saw him up to 93. He had life on his ball.

Cespedes kind of dug down and got that change-up down and in. … That’s a nice swing from a

very good hitter and that Colon homer, I don’t know what to say about that.

“Certain things leave you speechless.”

Shields certainly was. At least on the topic of Colon: “Next question,” he said.

Naturally, Colon welcomed them all.

“I don't even know how to explain it,” said Colon, who struck out in his other two at-bats. “I'm

very thankful. I thank God for this amazing moment, and I wasn't expecting it.”

No, Colon’s expectation was to pitch the Mets back into the win column after the Padres struck

early in victories of young guns Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. On Saturday, Colon –

an AL Cy Young winner all the way back in 2005 – avenged those two losses at the plate and

on the mound, pairing his historic home run with 6 2/3 quality innings to improve to 3-1.

He struck out five, walked one, allowed three runs on Jon Jay’s third-inning homer – his first as

a Padre – and gave way to left-hander Jerry Blevins after striking out pinch-hitter Jabari Blash

with a runner on second in the seventh inning.

Presented with an opportunity to land a second momentum-sapping blow, Jay instead struck

out, adding insult to the injury sustained earlier in the inning when Jemile Weeks collapsed

under a strained right hamstring as he attempted to turn a bunt up the first base line into a hit

and perhaps an extensive rally in a game the Padres trailed 4-3.

“I saw it; I smelled it,” Weeks said. “I tried to get there.”

But he didn’t and he may not attempt to leg another hit out for quite some time. Although Weeks

said he was unsure of his status, Green indicated that the Padres were likely adding a fourth

middle infielder to a growing disabled list population.

“It’s frustrating obviously,” said Green, whose team is out of infielders on the 40-man roster. “I

don’t think you ever thought you’d look up a month into the season and you’ve got four infielders

down. That’s been tough for us to swallow. He’ll get his rehab going and try to get back as

quickly as possible.”

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An inning later, Mets right-hander Addison Reed had runners on the corners after back-to-back

two-out singles from Brett Wallace and Melvin Upton Jr. when he struck out Alexei Ramirez to

hand the game over to Mets closer Jeurys Familia.

After David Wright and Michael Conforto padded the Mets’ lead with back-to-back solo shots off

Carlos Villanueva, the Padres went down one-two-three in the ninth to come up shy in the bid

for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

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Kemp's outfield work with Brock paying off Duo spent mornings in spring training focusing on basics

By Dennis Lin | 5:15 p.m. May 7, 2016

Matt Kemp's reaction to a defensive play he made during Friday's 2-0 victory over the New York

Mets served two purposes: Besides providing an unintentional plug for a live-sports app, it

highlighted the fruits of the Padres right fielder's efforts since before spring training opened.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, New York's Yoenis Cespedes smoked a line drive toward

right-center. Kemp took three steps to his right and, seeing how far the ball could travel,

adjusted his path slightly for a more direct route to the fence. A moment later, he was on the

warning track, hopping for a backhanded catch, bracing himself for impact. The out secured and

the half-inning over, he celebrated by smacking the padded wall just above the "FOX Sports

GO" logo.

"It was awesome," Padres manager Andy Green said after the game. "...A lot of credit goes to

the work he’s put in. Even before spring training started, he was out there working with (first

base coach) Tarrik Brock. He took a lot of pride in it, worked incredibly hard at it. I think him and

Tarrik have put together a really good game plan as far as positioning goes. It’s not just him. I

think (center fielder Jon Jay) and (left fielder Melvin Upton Jr.) are both positioned very well. I

think Tarrik’s been all over that."

Much of the discussion, however, has centered on Kemp, the Padres' highest-profile acquisition

in recent memory. He homered 23 times last season, but much of that value was negated by

misadventures in the field.

Entering Saturday, Kemp had complemented eight home runs with, according to multiple

advanced statistics, above-average defense. Sites such as FanGraphs say he hadn't rated

positively in that department since 2009, when he won a Gold Glove with the Los Angeles

Dodgers.

The 31-year-old's work with Brock began in earnest three months ago. Kemp was an early

arrival at spring training in Arizona, where the duo spent many a morning together, typically

starting around 7:30.

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They did drills in which Brock repeatedly tossed Kemp tennis balls. They did drills with Kemp

wearing a weighted vest. They focused on first steps and drop steps, Brock laying foam pool

noodles on the ground to ensure Kemp "was getting open and clear."

"It was stuff that we had done before in the past, but now it was just reinforcing it, mastering the

basics," said Brock, who was promoted from outfield and baserunning coordinator in November.

"He worked his rear end off. It’s showing during the games, and it’s just fun to watch him do his

thing on both sides, be a good two-way player."

Scouts continue to note how much mobility Kemp, once one of the game's premier athletes, has

lost due to injuries in recent years. This season, though, the criticisms have been less frequent.

As Green said, defensive metrics "were very unkind" to Kemp in 2015. "Now, if you look at him,

he’s an above-average right fielder in the major leagues right now. That’s the way they rate

him."

Said Kemp: "I ain’t worried about what people say about me. I’m just going to go out there and

play my game, man."

Arizona-bound

On Sunday, four Padres players on the disabled list will head to the team's spring-training

complex to ramp up their rehab. The contingent is comprised of relievers Matt Thornton (left

Achilles tendinitis) and Jon Edwards (right flexor strain), third baseman Yangervis Solarte (right

hamstring strain) and utility infielder Alexi Amarista (right hamstring strain). Meanwhile, second

baseman Cory Spangenberg (left quad strain), whose progress has been slower, will remain in

San Diego.

"Both are getting closer to facing hitters now, so that’s exciting for us," Green said of Thornton

and Edwards, who have been throwing bullpen sessions.

Solarte and Amarista have been taking ground balls and batting practice.

"They’ll be able to take live (batting practice) out there, get into games, get acclimated to

extended play for a while before we officially get them a rehab assignment," said Green, who

indicated that could happen around the time the Padres return from their upcoming, seven-

game road trip.

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Lindsey intent on landing back on map Former Angels top prospect thriving after doubling down on offseason preparation

By Jeff Sanders | 2:10 p.m. May 7, 2016

Taylor Lindsay began the 2014 season as Baseball America’s top-ranked Angels prospect, one

reason he was a prime target in the Huston Street trade talks later that summer. He’d slipped to

20th in the Padres system when he lost more than 100 points off his OPS the next year and

then off the 40-man roster entirely when his production bottomed out while bouncing between

the Padres’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.

Today, the 24-year-old Lindsey is intent on getting back on the map.

“It was an eye-opener last year, especially being a top prospect my whole career,” Lindsey said.

“It was a kick in the (behind) to say, ‘Let’s go. You need to prove guys wrong.’ It’s a challenge.

I’ll show you who I am again.

“It really got me back to where I need to be.”

Which is on the rise.

The 37th overall pick in 2010, Lindsey is off to the sort of start that made him a prospect to

watch after homering 17 times as a second baseman at Double-A Arkansas in 2013. He’s hitting

.280, his on-base percentage is up to .378 and he’s homered three times and driven in 11 runs

while adding first base to resume in his best showing to date in the Padres organization.

The effort to date includes nearly as many walks (12) as strikeouts (16) and an OPS (.844) well

above his career rate (.749), all of it the product of an offseason that saw Lindsey double-down

on his preparation for a make-or-break year. Thanks to a better diet and work in the gym,

Lindsey showed up to camp 25 pounds lighter and his frame of mind continues to improve with

each passing day as his game rounds back into shape.

“I came over here trying to do too much to prove who I was; it didn’t work,” said Lindsey, who hit

.189 while bouncing between Double-A and Triple-A and missing a chunk of time to plantar

fasciitis. “In really good shape this year and I feel like my mental side is back. My swing is back,

I’m working every day in the cage with (hitting coach) Johnny Washington and manager (Phillip)

Wellman. They’ve got my back and I’ve got a lot more confidence now, which is a big thing.”

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Around the farm

Triple-A El Paso: 1B James Loney hit his second homer Friday night. He is hitting .333

through his first 24 games of his minor league deal.

Double-A San Antonio: SS Jose Rondon is tied with INF Taylor Lindsey for the team lead

with 35 total bases. Rondon is hitting .318 with 14 RBIs and four steals.

High Single-A Lake Elsinore: A 36th-round pick in 2015, LHP Kyle McGrath has 23

strikeouts, one walk and no runs allowed through his first 14 2/3 innings.

Low Single-A Fort Wayne: With 10 strikeouts in a quality start Friday (6 IP, 1 ER), RHP Brett

Kennedy (2-1, 2.54) has 19 strikeouts, two earned runs and one walk over his last 11 innings.

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Mets-Padres Preview Stats LLCMay 8, 2016 at 2:16a ET

The New York Mets' stud pitchers put in stellar work during an eight-game win streak in

April, but a lack of run support since then led to some ordinary results.

The New York Mets' stud pitchers put in stellar work during an eight-game win streak in April, but a lack of run support since then led to some ordinary results.

The Mets regained some pop in their previous game - and even their 42-year-old starting pitcher got in on the act.

New York will try to continue scoring when Matt Harvey takes the mound Sunday looking to help the club salvage a four-game split against the San Diego Padres.

The Mets' rotation posted a 2.51 ERA during their streak April 22-30.

Harvey (2-4, 4.76 ERA), Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz led the way with two victories apiece, and Noah Syndergaard also pitched well in his one start during the surge.

Bartolo Colon has earned two wins and Matz picked up one in the seven games since the streak, but Syndergaard lost twice while Harvey and deGrom have both taken a loss.

The starters, however, shouldn't shoulder the blame because they posted a 2.84 ERA in the six games after the streak. Run support was the issue for the Mets, who scored 50 times during the eight-game run but only 16 times in the six that followed.

That dip in production appeared to end Saturday when New York (18-11) went deep four times in a 6-3 win over San Diego (13-18), including a two-run shot by Colon, who turns 43 on May 24 and became the oldest player to hit his first major league home run.

Yoenis Cespedes hit his 10th of the season and fifth in 10 games before David Wright and Michael Conforto added back-to-back solo blasts in the ninth.

New York will try to keep it up to back Harvey, who is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Padres.

The right-hander received 10 combined runs of support in winning his previous two outings before the Mets were shut out for the second time when he starts in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to Atlanta. In two of his other starts, New York has put up one and two runs.

Despite the lack of support, Harvey is blaming his early struggles on bad mechanics and not his heavy 2015 workload in his comeback from Tommy John surgery. He was 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA after his first six starts last season.

"My body doesn't feel bad," Harvey told MLB's official website. "I don't feel tired. I don't feel any downside from the workload last year. It's just right now, I'm in a little funk with my mechanics, and we're working to get rid of that."

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Opposing Harvey will be Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.85), who has notched three quality starts in his last four outings. The right-hander tossed six resilient innings and allowed three runs and five hits in a 6-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday.

Cashner's first two innings were rough - he allowed all three runs while laboring through 57 pitches - before he bounced back to clamp it down. He'll now try to win consecutive outings for the first time since a three-start streak in September 2014.

"You never use your last start as motivation - you forget about it," Cashner said. "Today's over with, and it's on to the Mets on Sunday. Can't really look back. You've just got to keep looking forward, good or bad."

Cashner is 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in three career starts against New York.

Padres second baseman Jemile Weeks strained his right hamstring running out a bunt in the seventh Saturday and was helped off the field. His status is unclear.

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Prospect Hunter Renfroe continues to put up numbers Hunter Renfroe, 24, has always been one of the most physically gifted prospects in the Padres'

system, the classic five-tool player - hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and play

defense. Since last July, the talents so many scouts have dreamed on have begun to emerge.

By John Conniff, MadFriarsFOX Sports San DiegoMay 3, 2016 at 11:45a ET

EL PASO -- Hunter Renfroe, 24, has always been one of the most physically gifted prospects in the Padres' system, the classic five-tool player - hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and play defense. Since last July, the talents so many scouts have dreamed on have begun to emerge.

After making some mechanical adjustments to his swing in Double-A San Antonio last year, Renfroe hit .333/.358/.633 with six home runs in 21 games after a late-season promotion to Triple-A El Paso. This year, he is off to an equally hot start with the Chihuahuas, closing out April at .291/.333/.582.

"I saw Hunter when he destroyed the Cal League in 2014," said Rod Barajas, his manager in El Paso this season and last year with the Missions. "He did it all on physical talent in [High-A] Lake Elsinore, he was just better than everyone else in the league."

"The difference now is that he realizes it has to be more than just physical talent."

One of the big separators in the minor leagues is the jump from High-A to Double-A, where pitchers have the ability to throw more than one pitch and much better command of their fastballs. Hunter struggled after he was first promoted from the Storm in the second half of 2014.

Renfroe hit .232 in 60 games in the second half of 2014 and was hitting a paltry .184 last April before getting together with his hitting coach Morgan Burkhart, who is also with him again in El Paso this season, to make a few changes.

"I made some adjustments in late May and in June last year," said Renfroe after one of the Chihuahuas' recent games. "I was always kind of a toe-tap guy in college and we really cut that down. The main thing was just getting smoother, or quieter, to the ball instead of jumping at it."

However, as Barajas mentioned, what has impressed most observers in the organization is not the mechanical adjustments that he has made with his swing, but the mental growth that they have seen in the past year.

"I had this conversation with Morgan and he noticed that Hunter has started coming up to him in games and asking pretty advanced questions about hitting; what he should or should not do in certain situations," said Barajas. "In essence, he's looking at more of the mental challenges of the game than just the physical, which didn't happen as much last year."

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While Renfroe does acknowledge the mental growth in his game, particularly in his approach at the plate, to him it is just part of the continuum of his development.

"The higher you go, the mental part becomes bigger than the physical," Renfroe said on the differences between levels. "Every year you come to a different level and you are trying to learn something different. You get more at-bats, you see more balls and you just try to get better."

In addition to his growth at the plate, his defense has also improved. Renfroe, who was a catcher throughout Little League and high school, did not begin to play the outfield until his sophomore year at Mississippi State and focused more on improving his footwork and routes during spring training.

"A lot of it comes naturally, but I do work on it every day and try to just work on my jumps by running after balls in BP. "

"I work on my turns and drop steps, being able to get the balls that are hit over my head. If I can become more efficient, I can get to more of them."

While he has the ability to play all three outfield positions †“ and he is usually the backup centerfielder for Manuel Margot †“ it's always been his arm in right field that draws the most attention.

"I'm always kind of hoping the third base coach is going to send the runner from first when the batter hits the ball to him," laughed Barajas. "Hunter has a cannon and it's fun to watch."

"He's always been solid out there. Every now and then he might misplay a ball, but he has always been a plus defender. He charges the ball well and he likes to throw."

Since he was first drafted by the Padres with the 13th overall selection in the 2013 draft, the organization and his teammates have always been amazed at just how many things Hunter can do well - and moreover, what he may be able to do in the future.

"He can do a lot of things well †“ and he can hit a lot of pitches well. I think sometimes that can get him into trouble too," said Burkhart. "It's ongoing, we are getting him to learn situations and play to his strengths."

"He has come a long way from last year, but still has some finishing. But the attitude, effort and ability that I have seen from him is going to pay off."

Much of the growth in Renfroe's development just comes from getting a chance to play more. At Mississippi State, he only played in 14 games as a freshman, six of them as a pitcher. He had a mediocre year as a sophomore before being propelled to the first round after a monster junior year with a .345/.431/.620 slash line and 16 home runs.

He still ended up with only 560 plate appearances, which is about 200 less than other comparable college players that San Diego has drafted like Auston Bousfield and Nick Torres.

As Burkhart said, Hunter isn't quite ready to be an everyday player in the big leagues yet, but he's also not that far away either.

"He has the desire to get him over the hump on the mental and physical side and he's willing to work at it; so it's all there."

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April MadFriars' Players of the Month Each month, MadFriars reports the top level performers across the San Diego Padres' minor

league affiliates. Here are the best from April, 2016.

By David Jay, MadFriarsFOX Sports San DiegoMay 3, 2016 at 11:37a ET

The MadFriars.com team, which provides the most comprehensive coverage of the Padres' minor league system, is back again this year to report on top performers at every level of the organization each month. These reports are not meant to be revisions of their top prospect rankings, but rather news about recent performances worthy of attention.

El Paso Chihuahuas (Triple-A)

After the first month of the season, the Chihuahuas lead the Pacific Coast League in most offensive

categories. Hunter Renfroe and Alex Dickerson have been the biggest contributors, with Dickerson slightly edging out his higher-profile teammate. The Poway native hit .364/.419/.576, good for an OPS nearly 80 points better than Renfroe's.

Austin Hedges was off to a stellar start, hitting .333 and a .583 slugging percentage before he suffered an

injury to the hamate bone in his wrist. He'll now be sidelined for a few months. In his absence, Jason

Hagerty has absolutely crushed the baseball, with a 1.059 OPS in 40 plate appearances, though he'll continue to log most of his work at first base and designated hitter.

Things have not been nearly as encouraging on the mound. The four guys who've taken a turn each time through the Chihuahuas' rotation have combined to give up a 6.98 ERA and sport an uninspiring 43:26

strikeout-to-walk ratio in 80 innings. Carlos Pimentel was the best of the bunch, putting up a 4.87 ERA in April.

The bullpen has been a bit better as Tayron Guerrero and minor league free agent signees Derek

Eitel and Jose Dominguez have all had positive results at the back end. While they posted a 1.71 ERA, they've still allowed 18 free passes in 25.1 innings for the month.

El Paso Player of the Month: Alex Dickerson

San Antonio Missions (Double-A)

The early surprise in the organization has been the performance of Jose Rondon and Taylor Lindsey up

the middle for the Missions. Both were acquired from the Angels for Huston Street at the deadline in 2014, and they both carried averages north of .300 through April.

Lindsey, now getting his third taste of Double-A after going backward last year, had the strongest line in April with an impressive .322/.400/.559. The 24-year-old appeared to be in much better condition this spring than he was last year. Rondon bounced back from a rough introduction to the Texas League and an elbow injury last year, hitting .314 while logging 18 games at shortstop this month..

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After the 2015 Lake Elsinore pitching staff limped through the season, the Padres turned to the minor league free agent market to try to find some stability for the Missions this year. While the strategy hasn't paid off in

general,Cesar Vargas made a pair of strong starts as the organization moved him back out of the bullpen, ultimately earning a spot on the big league roster based on 12.2 strong innings. The only returner in the

rotation, Bryan Rodriguez, threw three strong games to secure an early-season promotion to El Paso.

Jose DePaula, who struggled as a starter, has embraced his relief role, and owns a 1.35 ERA with an

impressive 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first six innings. While unheralded righty Jason

Jester missed some time on the disabled list, he also has laid claim to the closer's spot and recorded three saves in as many chances. The 2014 draftee is an under-the-radar name to watch.

San Antonio Player of the Month: Taylor Lindsey

Lake Elsinore Storm (Advanced-A)

While the middle infield duo of Javier Guerra and Luis Urias get plenty of (well-deserved) attention, it's 21-

year-old Josh VanMeter who paced the Storm offense through April. After missing most of last year after suffering a broken leg, VanMeter hit .304/.371/.518, leading the club in all three categories while splitting time between second and third base. Among players with 50 plate appearances, Guerra was next on the club with a .713 OPS.

Coming into the season, the important pitching storylines for the Storm wereDinelson Lamet's progress and a deep bullpen. Through the first month, both have been positive. Lamet, whose career didn't get started until last year when he was 22, has been fantastic through his first five games, posting a 1.73 ERA with only 17 hits allowed in 26 innings. After working on a short leash last year, the Dominican has already gone six innings twice in April, and he'll be given a chance to stretch out more as the season goes on.

The Storm bullpen has depth, balance, and a lot of talent. Lefty Kyle McGrathhas been the best of the

bunch, working 12.2 innings of scoreless ball with a ridiculous 19:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Righty Jimmy

Brasoban, who landed on the disabled list late in the month, didn't allow a run in 8.2 innings. Righties T.J.

Weir and Colby Blueberg, and lefties Jose Torres and Brad Wieck have all been dominant as well, combining for a 1.67 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.

Lake Elsinore Player of the Month: Dinelson Lamet

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low-A)

Austin Allen's pre-draft profile last year was a bat-first catcher. A month into his first full season in the minors, he's wearing that "bat-first" label pretty well. The 22-year-old from St. Louis got off to an absurdly hot start and finished April with a .460/.539/.603 slash line. While that's fueled in part by an unsustainable average on balls-in-play over .500, he's also posting very good strikeout and walk rates, and hitting the ball hard.

As strong as Allen's been, the team leads the Midwest League in runs because of a number of encouraging

performances. Luis Tejada, playing the outfield in his fourth stint with the TinCaps, only went hitless in three of his 15 starts, posting an OPS of .905 that was good enough to earn a promotion to Lake Elsinore. Corner

infielder Ty France posted an impressive .453 on-base percentage, continuing the trend since he was

drafted out of San Diego State last summer. Meanwhile, big first baseman Brad Zunica clubbed three homers early and has an isolated power rate of nearly .200, though he'll need to cut his strikeout rate through the summer.

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The TinCaps pitching staff is one of the strengths of the system, and many pitchers showed their upside in the

season's first month. Logan Allen stood out among the teenagers on the roster, posting a 2.08 ERA with a

strikeout an inning. Fellow trade acquisitions Jean Cosme (4.50 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 20 innings)

and Enyel De Los Santos (2.70, 17K in 16.2 IP) also looked strong in their first Padres exposure. The club's

top two selections in last year's draft,Jacob Nix and Austin Smith, had matching 3.86 ERAs, though both issued more walks than they'd like.

Among the 2015 college draftees, Brett Kennedy and Elliot Ashbeck led the way. Kennedy, an 11th-round pick, had a club-best strikeout rate with 19 in 17.1 innings, while Ashbeck, a product of Bradley University, led

the team with a 1.63 ERA. With so many arms and several games lost to weather, only Walker

Lockett logged more than 20 innings in the month, though you can expect to see the team stretch out their starters in the coming month.

Fort Wayne Player of the Month: Austin Allen

System Player of the Month: Austin Allen

Allen certainly has plenty to prove after just one month of full-season ball, especially behind the plate, but he reached base in significantly more than half his plate appearances in April, spraying line drives around the field in the process. He enters May leading all of minor league baseball in batting average and on-base percentage, so it's hard to imagine a more impressive start to the season.