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Padres Press Clips Saturday, August 15, 2015

Article Source Author Page

Kemp completes first cycle in Padres history MLB.com Brock 2

Padres down Rockies behind Kemp's cycle MLB.com Brock/Southard 4

Three contending Padres affiliates win MLB.com Center 7

Myers takes swings with own bat without pain MLB.com Brock 9

Versatile Spangenberg activated by Padres MLB.com Brock 11

Cashner looks to shut down Rockies at Coors Field MLB.com Brock 12

Ninth-inning triple caps cycle for Padres' Matt Kemp Associated Press AP 14

Cory Spangenberg returns to Padres from knee bruise Associated Press AP 17

Matt Kemp hits for first cycle in Padres history UT San Diego Lin 18

Myers plans to play again this season UT San Diego Lin 21

Padres activate Spangenberg UT San Diego Lin 23

How Colin Rea became a major leaguer UT San Diego Lin 25

On deck: Andrew Cashner vs. Jon Gray UT San Diego Sanders 28

Minors: Gettys starts in Fort Wayne win UT San Diego Sanders 29

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Kemp completes first cycle in Padres

history Outfielder happy to make history with ninth-inning triple

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | 1:23 AM ET

DENVER -- As he chugged hard between second and third base in the ninth inning on Friday, Matt

Kemp was well aware he had never hit for the cycle in a big league career that has spanned 10 seasons.

Kemp just wasn't aware that the Padres -- a franchise born in April 1969 -- hadn't had one of their own,

either.

After Friday's 9-5 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field, they do now.

"When I slid into third base, [third-base coach Glenn Hoffman] says, 'That's the first one,'" Kemp said. "I

said, 'Yeah, that is my first one.' He said, 'No … that's the first one for the Padres.'"

Kemp, smiling ear-to-ear as Hoffman patted him on the back, pondered that. How could a club that played

its 7,444th game on Friday never have had anyone hit for the cycle?

"It's hard to believe," Kemp said. "All those great hitters that have been here, like Tony Gwynn and all

those guys, haven't been able to get a hit for a cycle. I'm just glad to be able to do it."

Kemp came to bat in the ninth inning needing that triple -- often the elusive hit for batters who have fallen

just shy of hitting for the cycle.

The Padres know this as much as anyone. Prior to Kemp's achievement, the team had been one hit shy of

the cycle 361 times. On those occasions, 258 of them fell a triple short.

Kemp got a 1-0 slider from Rockies reliever Justin Miller that hung out over the plate. He put a good

swing on it, so much so that Kemp initially thought he had his second home run of the game.

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"I was actually looking at the ball because I thought I hit a home run, but I didn't get as much as

I thought I did," Kemp said. "It just kicked off the wall. Actually, [Rockies third baseman Nolan]

Arenado asked me a tough question. He was, like, 'Would you rather it have been a home run

or a triple?'"

Kemp, sitting in a chair in front of his locker, looked up and smiled.

"I like home runs, but it was my first cycle … so I think the cycle would be better," he said.

San Diego interim manager Pat Murphy said hitting coach Mark Kotsay told him right before

Kemp's hit that a triple was on the way.

"Kotsay sat next to me and said, 'He's going to hit a ball off the right-field fence and it's going to

ricochet,'" Murphy said. "He said it right before the pitch. That's the amazing part. Sure enough,

it happened."

Players in the visitors' dugout at Coors Field were certainly aware that Kemp was in need of a

triple -- and erupted as soon as the ball left his bat.

"It was awesome," said Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko. "I was going out to on-deck, but

you could tell the guys were pumped up. Even off the bat, guys were telling him to run.

"It's pretty cool to see the first one. I knew he had the home run, I didn't know he just needed the

triple. When it hit off the fence, I had a pretty good idea he'd be able to get there."

So did Kemp, who has two triples this season. He's not the runner he was early in his career,

but he shifted into another gear knowing what was ahead of him.

"I think everybody's a little bit tired going into August and September. But my legs are feeling

fine, feeling good," he said.

"Anytime you make history, it's special. Not everybody does that, I'm just glad I got the

opportunity to do it."

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Padres down Rockies behind Kemp's

cycle By Corey Brock and Dargan Southard / MLB.com | 12:49 AM ET

DENVER -- Matt Kemp delivered the first cycle in franchise history, and Jedd Gyorkoclubbed a three-

run homer in San Diego's crucial four-run seventh, propelling the Padres to a 9-5 win over the Rockies in

Friday's series opener at Coors Field.

"I've come close plenty of times, I've just never gotten that one hit I definitely needed. That triple is the

hardest one to get. Before I went up to bat, I heard [Melvin Upton Jr.] say, 'Hit a triple.' And I did," Kemp

said.

Brandon Barnes tied the game, 4-4, in the sixth with an RBI triple that fell between Melvin Upton

Jr. and Kemp, but San Diego immediately stormed right back. After homering in the first and singling in

the third, Kemp launched a go-ahead double off Rafael Betancourt. Betancourt, who entered in the

seventh for Ken Roberts (0-1), intentionally walked Justin Upton before serving up a three-run homer to

Gyorko. The emphatic seventh made a winner out of newly acquired Bud Norris (1-0), who tossed a

scoreless sixth. Kemp then secured the cycle with a ninth-inning triple off Justin Miller.

"I don't think it's tired arms, just the execution," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of his bullpen, which

surrendered five of the nine runs and has an MLB-worst 4.68 ERA.

San Diego jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but Nolan Arenado answered with a two-run homer in the

bottom half off Tyson Ross, who gave up four runs (two earned) over five innings. Barnes eventually tied

the game, 3-3, with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly before Derek Norris took back the lead with a solo

homer in the fifth.

"That Norris home run, you could tell, it kind of kept drifting and drifting," Barnes said. "I thought I had a

good chance at it until I got toward the wall. You could see the ball jumping a little bit tonight."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED How to hit for the cycle: Kemp got the Padres started fast Friday, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning. He added a single in the third inning and then an RBI double in the seventh inning. Finally, he got his milestone hit in the ninth inning. He had four hits and is now hitting .331 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs in his career at Coors Field.

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Missed opportunities: The Rockies' 2-for-13 night with runners in scoring position was littered with failed chances. Ross walked Arenado and Ben Paulsen with two outs in the third, which loaded the bases after Jose Reyes had previously singled. That brought up DJ LeMahieu, who entered Friday hitting .323 with runners in scoring position and .429 with the bases loaded this season. But all LeMahieu could muster was a harmless flyout to right field. Then after Barnes' one-out triple in the sixth, the Rockies couldn't push across the go-ahead run. Pinch-hitter Matt McBride popped out to third, and Charlie Blackmon lined out to first on a leaping grab from Norris. #GyorkStoreCalled: Gyorko made Betancourt pay for issuing Upton an intentional walk to get to him in the seventh inning. Gyorko hit a three-run home run over the wall in center field to put the game out of reach, 8-4.

Flande fights after first: Rockies starter Yohan Flande suffered through a tough opening frame,

but delivered mostly quality innings after that. The left-hander gave up as many hits over his

final five frames as his he did in the first, and the Padres mustered just two men into scoring

position after the opening frame. In total, Flande yielded eight hits and four runs over six innings

-- the first time he's lasted at least six frames since Aug. 12, 2014.

"Flande did a good job," Weiss said. "He gave up some runs early and really pitched well after

that. He always throws strikes. He always works fast and has the ability to put the ball on the

ground. He did all those things tonight."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Norris has done most of his work behind the plate this season. In fact, Friday was just his sixth

start at first base in 2015. Funny thing, though: Norris has now hit home runs in four of the six

games he's started at first base. His home run in the fifth inning gave the Padres a 4-3 lead.

QUOTABLE

"That was special. He showed tonight why he's the player he is. It's great to be a part of it. I

knew about it a few years ago, no one has ever thrown a no-hitter, no one has ever hit for the

cycle. It's a matter a time before these records are broken. I think it's fitting it's Matt Kemp, he's

part of a new beginning," -- Padres interim manager Pat Murphy, on Kemp

WHAT'S NEXT

Padres: Andrew Cashner (4-12, 4.09) gets the start on Saturday in the second game of the

three-game series at 5:10 p.m. PT. He's posted a quality start in three of his last four starts. This

will be his first start against the Rockies this season.

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Rockies: Heralded prospect Jon Gray will make his second Coors Field start on Saturday. After

a pedestrian showing in his MLB debut, Gray rebounded in his last start by tossing six strong

innings against the Mets. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m. MT.

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Three contending Padres affiliates win Gettys 3-for-5 as Fort Wayne wins sixth straight

By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | 12:10 PM ET

Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

Three Padres Minor League affiliates in playoff races all won Friday night.

Triple-A El Paso defeated Las Vegas, the only team ahead of the Chihuahuas in the Pacific Coast

League's Pacific South Division. The win at El Paso moved the Chihuahuas to within 3 1/2 games of the

division lead, with 25 games to play.

Fort Wayne defeated Cedar Rapids, 10-4, at home in a match of the two hottest teams in the Midwest

League. Playing in front of the 18th sellout of the season at Parkview Field, the TinCaps scored their sixth

straight overall win and the 11th straight home win to improve to 30-17 in the second half. They lead the

Eastern Division second-half standings by 2 1/2 games, with 25 to play.

Right-handed starter Adrian De Horta and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as Tri-City

blanked Boise, 3-0. The Dust Devils were first-half division champions in the Northwest League and are

already assured a playoff berth.

Around the farm

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (61-57): CHIHUAHUAS 3, Las Vegas 2. Starting RHP Daniel McCutchen (7-6,

4.00 ERA) gave up one run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over seven innings. RHP

Tayron Guerrero (6.23) allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless eighth and RHP Jay Jackson (2.15) picked

up his 11 save despite allowing a run on two hits with a strikeout in the ninth.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (52-66): Missions 4, ARKANSAS 3. 2B Diego Goris (.266) had a double

and a triple in four at-bats with a RBI. 1B Luis Domoromo (.264) was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly. OF

Kyle Gaedele (.167) was 1-for-2 with a hit-by-pitcher and a RBI. Starting RHP James Needy (, 3.44 ERA,

Santana High) allowed three runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts and two successful pick-

offs in four innings. LHP Eury De La Rosa (1.95) struck out two in a perfect ninth for his third save.

CLASS A ADVANCED LAKE ELSINORE (43-74): RANCHO CUCAMONGA 6, Storm 3. Starting

RHP Michael Kelly (0-2, 7.20 ERA) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in

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four innings. RHP Eric Yardley (2.96) pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings. RF Nick Schulz (.248) was 2-for-4

with a double and a RBI.

CLASS A FORT WAYNE (62-53): TIN CAPS 10, Cedar Rapids 4. CF Michael Gettys (.233) was 3-for-

5 with two doubles (27 total) and a triple (five) with his 15th steal, two RBIs and two runs scored. SS

Ruddy Giron (.301) was 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and a run scored. Starting RHP Ernesto Montes

(10-6, 3.53 ERA) joined Needy as the second pitcher in the organization with 10 wins. He allowed four

runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk with a strikeout in six innings.

SHORT-SEASON CLASS A TRI-CITY (30-24): DUST DEVILS 3, Boise 0. De Horta (1.71 ERA)

allowed one hit and three walks with eight strikeouts over five innings. RHPs Sam Holland (2-1, 2.37)

and Phil Maton (fourth save, 1.03) each struck out two in an inning to complete the shutout. 3B Carlos

Belen (.217) hit his fifth homer in four at-bats.

ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (18-25): PADRES 5, Royals 3. 2B Tyler Moore (.212) was 3-for-5 with

two steals and a run scored. CF Aldemar Burgos (.234) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. SS

Daniel Bravo (.308) was 2-for-4 with a triple, a RBI and a run scored. C Kyle Overstreet (.196) had his

first professional homer in three at-bats. Starting RHP Jordan Guerrero (3.26) allowed two runs on two

hits and two walks with two strikeouts in three innings. RHP Nathan Foriest (1.10) allowed a hit with a

strikeout in a scoreless inning for his third save.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (30-35): PADRES 11, White Sox 8. C Ricardo Rodriguez

(.256) was had a double and his second homer in four at-bats for three RBIs. CF Carlos Taveras (.185)

was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored. CF Angel Santos (.272) was 3-for-4 with a

double and two steals. 1B Emmanuel Arias (.212) hit his sixth homer in four at-bats. Starting LHP

Cristian Machuca (3.91 ERA) allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts

in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Diomar Lopez (1-0, 1.72) allowed a run on a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in 2

2/3 innings to get the win.

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Myers takes swings with own bat

without pain By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | August 14th, 2015

DENVER -- Nearly two months after having surgery to remove a bone chip in his left wrist, outfielder-

first baseman Wil Myers picked up a bat on Friday.

Not just any bat, but his bat, a significant step forward, he felt, in how it relates to the recovery of a wrist

that has already seen one setback.

Myers took 20 swings with his own bat before Friday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field -- hitting

balls off a tee. He took another 40 swings with a short bat, one that doesn't weigh as much as his game bat

(32 1/2 ounces).

Myers experienced a moment of trepidation before doing so, he admitted.

"I was pretty nervous about it, just getting my bat in my hand, because I've been swinging the smaller

bat," he said. "My bat's obviously heavier, so I was a little nervous, but felt fine, no pain during, no pain

after. So all good."

Myers, who on Friday missed his 51st game, will now only use his game bat as he moves forward

building strength in the wrist. He'll let the wrist dictate how fast he goes in terms of moving forward with

his rehabilitation and projected return.

"So right now, it's a lot of the mental barrier I have to get over," Myers said. "… I was actually really

nervous to swing my bat today, but was able to get through it and get over it and now I'm going to feel

more confident going into tomorrow."

This is the first time since his surgery on June 18 that Myers has been on the road with the team.

"It's good to get out of San Diego," he said.

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Myers has essentially had two setbacks with his wrist this season -- when he hurt it in May, rushing back,

which eventually led surgery. The second one occurred in July when felt soreness after swinging the short

bat.

"[I was] just trying to push it too quick. Obviously, I want to be on the field and really want to get out

there, but now I realize I have to slow it down because I have to make sure I can play this year," Myers

said.

"I want to know that my wrist is good going into the offseason. Whether I have five or six at-bats the rest

of this year or have 120 at-bats, I just want to make sure I play this year, to get back into my rhythm and

be 100 percent going into the offseason."

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Versatile Spangenberg activated by

Padres Murphy says club will make sure to get young infielder

into games

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | August 14th, 2015

DENVER -- Padres infielder Cory Spangenberg was reinstated from the disabled list prior to Friday's

game against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Spangenberg missed 37 games on the disabled list after he landed on the DL on June 28.

The Padres sent left-handed reliever Frank Garces to Triple-A El Paso to order to make room for

Spangenberg on the 25-man roster.

Now that Spangenberg is back, the biggest question is about how the Padres will use him.

Third baseman Yangervis Solarte is hitting .323 since the All-Star break. Second basemanJedd Gyorko,

who came back from El Paso when Spangenberg injured his knee, is hitting .258, but has five home runs

and 17 RBIs since June 28.

"You think that the guy you're getting back is going to fill a hole and you've got two guys playing really

well. We're going to get him in there, no doubt about it," said Padres interim manager Pat Murphy.

"He's not 100 percent in terms of mid-season form with seeing pitches. But he can contribute; off the

bench sometimes and sometimes in the starting lineup."

Murphy indicated the Spangenberg would be in the lineup on Saturday, but did not say where.

Spangenberg hit .211 in nine games during his Minor League rehabilitation stint, but had a home run on

Thursday playing for El Paso. He flew to Denver early Friday.

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"I feel great right now. The knee's 100 percent," Spangenberg said. "The timing's back. Feel good in the

field, feel good running the bases."

Spangenberg, who is hitting .254 with seven steals this season with the Padres, offers the team something

it doesn't have a lot of -- versatility and speed.

He can play second base and third base and the outfield in a pinch. In many ways, he's the ideal National

League bench player, especially in that he hits left-handed.

Murphy was asked if Spangenberg stood to benefit more from additional at-bats in the Minor Leagues.

"I think there's a need here now; he's a weapon off the bench in a lot of ways, speed off the bench. I think

there's a lot of ways we can use him," Murphy said.

Spangenberg played one game at shortstop on his rehab assignment, but that was more because the team

needed someone to play there that specific day. There's no plan in the works for him to play shortstop

with the Padres.

Garces has a 4.94 ERA in 31 innings during two separate stints with the Padres this season.

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Cashner looks to shut down Rockies at

Coors Field By Corey Brock / MLB.com | August 14th, 2015

It's been a tough season for Andrew Cashner -- and a slightly misleading one, too.

Cashner, who gets the start on Saturday at Coors Field against the Rockies, has allowed 21 unearned runs

this season and has been the victim of poor run support of late. The Padres have scored one run in each of

his last three starts.

Cashner will face Jon Gray, the Rockies highly-touted prospect, who will be making just this third Major

League start and his second at home.

Gray has allowed just three earned runs in his first 10 big league innings, including a gem last week

against the Mets where he allowed one run over six innings.

Things to know about this game

• Matt Kemp, who had a two-run home run on Friday, has the most home runs (32) and second-most RBI

(114) of any active player against the Rockies. The home run was his 13th of the season and only his third

of 2015 against a left-handed pitcher. The Kemp home run gave the Padres at least one home run in five

consecutive games. That's their longest streak since hitting at least one home run in eight consecutive

games in April.

• Gray will again be on a strict pitch count as he makes his second home start. He needed 33 pitches to get

through the first inning in his Coors Field debut. But Gray settled in after that, requiring 44 pitches over

his final three frames.

• Both Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu have hit Cashner in their careers. Arenado is hitting .308 (4-for-

13) with two extra-base hits, while LeMahieu is batting .500 (5-for-10) with a double.

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Ninth-inning triple caps cycle for Padres' Matt Kemp Associated Press

DENVER -- Surely, Dave Winfield or Tony Gwynn hit for the cycle during their distinguished careers in San Diego. That's what Matt Kemp was thinking as he stood on third after a triple in the ninth to complete the rare feat. But those legendary Padres players never did. No one had until Kemp in San Diego's 7,444th game as a franchise. Kemp's history-making cycle lifted the Padres to a 9-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

Kemp didn't even realize the magnitude of his accomplishment until he was brushing himself off after sliding into third base. His coach, Glenn Hoffman, explained to him this was the first one. He thought Hoffman meant it was the first for Kemp.

"I was like, 'Yeah, that is my first one,'" said Kemp, who finished 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. "He said, 'No, that's the first one for the Padres.' I was like, 'Wow.' It's hard to believe, all the great hitters that have been here, Tony Gwynn and all those guys, haven't been able to hit for the cycle. I'm just glad to be able to do it."

Scratch that off the Padres' list. Now the Miami Marlins are the only major league franchise without a cycle.

What's next -- a no-hitter? San Diego is the only team in the majors without a no-no.

"We just witnessed history," Jedd Gyorko said. "That was pretty cool. Matt was definitely locked in."

Kemp had a two-run homer in the first, a single in the third and an RBI double in the seventh. His triple in the ninth went off the fence in center, and he easily made it to third.

Out of breath, too.

"I need to start running a little bit more," joked Kemp, who was acquired from the Los Angeles

Dodgers last December. In addition to his conversation with his third-base coach, Kemp was asked an interesting question by Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado: Would Kemp prefer the homer or the triple? "I like home runs, but that was my first cycle," Kemp said.

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According to the Padres, there have been 361 times when a player has finished one hit shy of the cycle. Of those, 258 times a player was a triple short.

Kemp has been one hit shy of the cycle on five separate occasions, most recently on Sept. 26, 2012, when he was with the Dodgers and they were playing the Padres. He missed that one by a triple, too.

"He showed tonight why he is the player he is," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "That was special, special to be part of. We won a game that went back and forth and had some miscues. He responded every at-bat."

Kemp, 30, ignited a four-run rally in the seventh with a two-out, RBI double and Gyorko later followed with a three-run homer.

The hit by Kemp in the pivotal seventh was a measure of redemption after a fluky outfield play allowed the Rockies to tie the game. Brandon Barnes' high fly landed between center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. and Kemp in right, with both expecting the other to catch it. Barnes hustled around the bases for a run-scoring triple. "Just a miscommunication, man," Kemp said.

For Barnes, it was a confidence-building hit -- he was in an 0-for-21 slump before that triple.

"Figured it was a catch," Barnes said. "As soon as I saw them both look at each other and start to slow, I turned it on and went for it."

Derek Norris also homered for the Padres. Recently signed Bud Norris (1-0) pitched the sixth in relief of Tyson Ross to pick up the win. Reliever Ken Roberts (0-1), called up from Triple-A Albuquerque earlier in the day, took the loss.

Arenado had a two-run homer off Ross, one of the stingiest long-ball pitchers in the league. It was just the fifth homer Ross has issued in more than 145 innings this season.

That helped the Rockies climb back into the game after Yohan Flandesurrendered three runs in the first, including Kemp's homer and an RBI double by Gyorko.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: INF Cory Spangenberg was reinstated from the DL after missing 38 games with a bruised left knee. To make room on the roster, the Padres optioned left-hander Frank Garces to Triple-A El Paso. Rockies: 1B Justin Morneau (cervical strain and concussion symptoms) took batting practice Friday. He's been sidelined since May, but still hopes to return this season. "That's the goal," Morneau said. "We'll see." ... Reliever Boone Logan went on the DL with left elbow inflammation.

UP NEXT

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Rookie righty Jon Gray (0-0, 2.70) makes his second career start at Coors Field on Saturday against San Diego. The Padres will throw righty Andrew Cashner(4-12, 4.09).

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Cory Spangenberg returns to Padres from knee bruise Associated Press

DENVER -- The San Diego Padres have reinstated infielder Cory Spangenbergfrom the disabled list after he missed 38 games with a bruised left knee. To make room on the roster, the Padres optioned left-hander Frank Garces to Triple-A El Paso on Friday. Spangenberg hit .211 with a homer and four RBI in nine rehab games with Double-A San Antonio and El Paso. A first-round pick in 2011, Spangenberg is batting .254 with two homers and 11 RBI this season.

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Matt Kemp hits for first cycle in Padres history Ninth-inning triple ends wait in franchise's 7,444th game

By Dennis Lin | 8:53 p.m. Aug. 14, 2015 | Updated, 10:20 p.m.

DENVER — At first, Matt Kemp thought he had hit his second home run of the game. This was

Coors Field, after all.

Then, as he moved toward first, he saw that he hadn't gotten quite enough of the ball. Then he

watched it glance off the fence in right-center and hop away from Rockies center fielder Charlie

Blackmon. Then he was charging past second base. Then he was sliding into third.

Safe on a one-out triple in the top of the ninth, Kemp popped up and smiled. Third-base coach

Glenn Hoffman patted him on the back.

"Hoffy says, That’s the first one," Kemp recalled afterward. "I said, Yeah, that is my first one. He

said, No, that’s the first one for the Padres. And I was, like, Wow. It’s hard to believe, all those

great hitters that have been here, like Tony Gwynn and all those guys, haven’t been able to get

a hit for a cycle. I’m just glad to be able to do it."

So it was that in Friday's 9-5 victory over the Rockies, in the Padres' 7,444th all-time game, a

player who'd been with the franchise less than a full season completed the first cycle in its 47-

year history.

That he finished it in the most difficult way imaginable only added to the shock and awe. The

Padres, a club that had entered the day as the only one with neither a cycle nor a no-hitter, at

long last had checked a gaping hole off their list. With one swing, the Miami Marlins became the

only major league franchise without a cycle.

"Anytime you make history, it’s special," said Kemp, who launched a two-run homer in the first,

singled in the third and doubled with two outs in the seventh before connecting with a 1-0 slider

from Justin Miller in the final frame.

Kemp finished 4-for-5 and drove in four runs for his second time in a Padres uniform. He

homered for the second time in as many games, extended his hitting streak to seven games,

raised his average to .262,his highest since May. The last knock scored Yangervis Solarte from

first, supplying the final margin, though, of course, all eyes had tracked Kemp's progress around

the bases.

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Standing by third, Hoffman had feared Kemp might be thrown out, so he "was waving him down

no matter what." The relay throw never came. Kemp was safe by a mile.

"I’ve come close plenty of times, I’ve just never gotten that one hit I definitely needed," Kemp

said. "That triple is the hardest one to get.

"A little bit easier in this ballpark, it’s bigger, but definitely not easy to do."

Kemp, the headline acquisition of the Padres' voracious winter, had finished a hit shy of the

cycle five times in his career. His arrival in San Diego signaled the return of unbridled

expectation to a historically downtrod organization.

And while the Padres' 2015 season has proved a massive disappointment, and Kemp has not

been the player they envisioned, what he accomplished Friday still represented a boulder off

their backs.

Before Friday, the Padres had finished one hit shy of the cycle 361 times, a triple short 258

times.

"I got goosebumps. It was so awesome," said Hoffman, in his 10th season with San Diego.

In the visiting dugout, Padres interim manager Pat Murphy had just heard a bold prediction

when Kemp made contact.

"(Hitting coach Mark Kotsay) sat next to me and said, ‘He’s going to hit a ball off the right-field

fence, and it’s going to ricochet,'" Murphy said. "He said it right before the pitch. That’s the

amazing part. Sure enough, it happened."

Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko, who hit a towering, three-run homer shortly after Kemp's

seventh-inning double, was preparing to step into the on-deck circle when his teammate did the

unprecedented.

"You could tell the guys were pumped up," Gyorko said. "Even off the bat, guys were telling him

to run. It’s pretty cool to see the first one. I knew he had the home run, I didn’t know he just

needed the triple. Off the bat, I thought it had a chance to go out. When it hit off the fence, I had

a pretty good idea he’d be able to get there."

Not long after Kemp did indeed get there, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado posed a

thought-provoking question.

"He was, like, Would you rather it have been a home run or a triple?" Kemp said. "I like home

runs, but it was my first cycle, so I think the cycle would be better. We got the ‘W,’ so that’s all

that matters."

The game had been back-and-forth for most of the evening. In the top of the first, Kemp's first

home run and Gyorko's RBI double gave the Padres a 3-0 lead. The Rockies responded in the

bottom of the inning with a two-run homer by Arenado.

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A sacrifice fly by Brandon Barnes tied the game in the fourth. Derek Norris homered in the fifth

to give the Padres a 4-3 lead. A Barnes triple in the sixth tied it again.

In the seventh, Kemp doubled over Blackmon's head with two outs. Moments later, Gyorko

skied a ball over the fence, scoring three runs and making it 8-4. Kemp's jumpstarter had scored

Solarte, not for the last time.

"In this ballpark, you never know what can happen," said Kemp, who in 67 career games at

Coors Field is hitting .331 with 15 home runs. "I’ve played here a lot, and there are a lot of crazy

things that can happen."

For the Padres, Friday night was one you wouldn't believe.

"He showed tonight why he’s the player he is," Murhy said. "It’s great to be a part of it. I knew

about it a few years ago, no one has ever thrown a no-hitter, no one has ever hit for the cycle.

It’s a matter a time before these records are broken. I think it’s fitting it’s Matt Kemp. He’s part of

a new beginning."

21

Myers plans to play again this season Padres outfielder-first baseman looking to be 100 percent heading into offseason

By Dennis Lin | 5 p.m. Aug. 14, 2015 | Updated, 5:10 p.m.

DENVER — Wil Myers admitted Friday that he has tried to rush back this year from the disabled

list, but the Padres outfielder-first baseman maintained that he fully intends to play again this

season - and that he is now proceeding with greater caution.

"The reason I’m still on the DL is I’ve rushed it twice," Myers said after taking his first swings

with his usual, 34-inch bat since he underwent left wrist surgery. "So I definitely want to make

sure that I take it slow and make sure I’m ready to come back.

"I want to know that my wrist is good going into the offseason. Whether I have five or six at-bats

the rest of this year or have 120 at-bats, I just want to make sure I play this year, to get back into

my rhythm and be 100 percent going into the offseason."

Myers is traveling with the team for the first time since he had a bone spur in his wrist trimmed

on June 18. He had begun swinging a shorter, 28-inch bat, but he soon was diagnosed with

"general soreness" late last month and shut down. Last weekend, he resumed taking swings

with that bat. Friday afternoon, he took 40 swings with it and then another 20 with his normal

bat.

"The weight difference is a lot because I swing a pretty heavy bat, 32 1/2 ounces," Myers said.

"So right now, it’s a lot of the mental barrier I have to get over. I was actually really nervous to

swing my bat today, but was able to get through it and get over it and now I’m going to feel more

confident going into tomorrow. I’ve graduated from a short bat now, so I’m going to be swinging

my bat from now on."

Myers estimated he swung at 50-60 percent intensity with his bat Friday.

"It’ll probably 60, 70 percent be tomorrow, off the tee and flips," he said.

Myers' troubles began when he was diagnosed with wrist tendinitis in mid-May. He rehabbed the

injury, eventually returning for three games in June, but was shut down immediately after that

with more inflammation. Having determined that a bone spur he'd had since middle school was

the root cause, Myers had it removed by hand specialist Dr. Donald Sheridan in Scottsdale,

Ariz.

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After his most recent setback, he visited Sheridan again and was told post-surgery soreness

was not out of the norm. Meanwhile, an original target return of mid-August was scrapped.

"I can honestly say I don’t know," Myers said of when he thought he might be able to play again.

"It’s all a feel thing.

"Obviously, I want to be on the field and really want to get out there, but now I realize I have to

slow it down because I have to make sure I can play this year."

A linchpin for the offense early this season, Myers hit .291 with five home runs in 32 games

before he first went on the DL.

Valverde suspended

Jose Valverde's major league career, which the veteran reliever attempted to revive with the

Padres this spring, appears to be all but over. The right-hander has received an 80-game

suspension after testing positive for stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance, Major

League Baseball announced Friday.

The suspension will become effective immediately upon the right-hander's signing with a major

league organization. Valverde signed a minor league contract with the Padres in January and

made a push for a roster spot in spring training before being released April 2. The former All-

Star signed another minor league deal, with the Nationals, later that month. He was released in

July.

Valverde has 288 saves over his career, but the 37-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since

last May.

23

Padres activate Spangenberg Infielder returns after more than a month on DL

By Dennis Lin | 2:10 p.m. Aug. 14, 2015 | Updated, 6:37 p.m.

DENVER — The Padres gave themselves a boost before Friday's series opener at Coors Field,

activating infielder Cory Spangenberg from the disabled list and optioning left-hander Frank

Garces to Triple-A El Paso. In doing so, they also added a question mark for the remainder of

the season.

Where will Spangenberg play?

The 24-year-old did not immediately return to the lineup, opening Friday's game against the

Rockies on the bench. He had missed 38 games due to a bone bruise in his left knee, sustained

June 27 when D-backs shortstop Nick Ahmed made a hard slide into second base.

In the meantime, that position had been filled daily by Jedd Gyorko, who'd lost playing time to

Spangenberg earlier this season. Gyorko entered the day with two home runs in his previous

nine games, and in his first at-bat, he drilled an RBI double. Of Spangenberg's 45 starts this

season, 38 have come at second.

The other seven were at third base, which has been manned by Yangervis Solarte, the Padres'

most consistent offensive performer recently. Solarte, who'd bounced around the infield earlier

this season, went into Friday having hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games, batting .356 during that

stretch.

As for Spangenberg, he was hitting .254 with two home runs and seven steals at the time of his

injury, providing a left-handed presence and rare speed to the Padres' offense. Now, he will

have to shake off some rust.

"You think that the guy you’re getting back is going to fill a hole, and you’ve got two guys playing

really well," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "We’re going to get (Spangenberg) in

there, no doubt about it. He’s not 100 percent in terms of mid-season form with seeing pitches.

But he can contribute, off the bench sometimes and sometimes in the starting lineup."

Murphy said Spangenberg likely would be in the lineup Saturday, though he declined to say at

which position. Spangenberg split a nine-game rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio

and El Paso between third and second. He hit .211 (8-for-38), with his performance Thursday

for El Paso (one home run, two steals) confirming his health.

"I feel great right now," Spangenberg said. "The knee’s 100 percent. The timing’s back. Feel

good in the field, feel good running the bases."

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It seems likely that, for now, Spangenberg will see most of his action coming off the bench while

toggling between third and second when he does start.

Asked if the infielder could've benefited from more rehab games, Murphy said: "I think there’s a

need here now. He’s a weapon off the bench in a lot of ways, speed off the bench. I think there’s

a lot of ways we can use him."

An intriguing, if faint, possibility was raised while Spangenberg rehabbed with San Antonio. He

made one start at shortstop, his first in five years; Spangenberg had made some appearances

there as a college freshman at Virginia Military Institute but hadn't played the position since the

summer of that year.

The reason: San Antonio's only shortstop, Benji Gonzalez, fractured a wrist earlier in the season

and arrived at the field that day feeling sore.

"It was good, it was a little different," Spangenberg said. "Just because I haven’t been over there

in a while, but it went well."

Shortstop, currently a platoon between Alexi Amarista and Clint Barmes, has been the Padres'

most glaring need, but there currently are no plans to give Spangenberg an extended audition at

the position. Even so, he didn't seem to mind his recent cameo.

"I think so," Spangenberg, asked if he could play there in an emergency at the big-league level.

"I’m athletic enough to be able to fill the spot if they needed.

"I mean, you never know. I didn’t think I’d be playing third base, either." (Spangenberg began

his professional career as a second baseman.)

25

How Colin Rea became a major leaguer Padres prospect has made a rapid ascent, but there's more to it

By Dennis Lin | 11 a.m. Aug. 14, 2015

There is a theory among the scouting community, borne out of conventional wisdom, that taller

pitchers take longer to develop. The frames that need filling, the moving parts that require

constant calibrating, the slightest tweaks that can mean the difference between dominance and

wildness, they all conspire to make repeated success elusive.

It would seem an apt description for the career trajectory of Colin Rea, the 6-foot-5 right-hander

who made a rapid ascent from fringe prospect to major leaguer, a winner in a debut more than

four years after the Padres took him in the 12th round.

There was no lightbulb moment. Instead, as so often happens in these cases, Rea's victory

Tuesday at Petco Park was the culmination of things.

Go back, for example, to a summer night in 2013. Rea, recently turned 23 and recently

demoted, was back in Low Single-A, pitching for Fort Wayne. His family and Jeff Stewart, the

Padres' Midwest area scout who signed him, were in attendance. His mother, Bridget, asked

Stewart to talked to her son after the game. Rea had struggled to throw strikes in High Single-A,

and the thought that he might be on his way out was creeping in.

Stewart told him it wasn't true, that if it were, Rea already would be back in Cascade, Iowa, a

small town that had produced only one major leaguer ever, Hall of Famer Red Faber. That

scouts who'd watched him earlier in the season in the California League loved the frame and the

stuff but would say, "Stew, he nibbles too much."

"I shared that with Colin," Stewart recalled. "I told him, 'You have to pitch aggressively.'"

Go back, further, to June, 2011. Inside the Padres' draft room, then-scouting director Jaron

Madison posed a question. How far could they let the lanky kid from Cascade slip?

Rea hadn't been drafted as a high school senior. He'd played for three colleges in three years,

going from Northern Iowa, a program that was scuttled by budget cuts, to St. Petersburg

Community College in Florida, which was when Stewart lost track of him, to Indiana State,

where he resurfaced on Stewart's radar. In May of that year, with Madison watching from the

stands, he'd thrown 7 1/3 shutout innings against Wichita State.

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"By the time we got our heads settled down and executed the draft and saw he was still on the

board, we said, 'Let's draft this guy,'" Stewart recalled. "He's got the body, the arm and the stuff.

If he can learn to put it all together, he could take off. To get a guy like Colin in the 12th round,

the stars had to align."

And then after he began his pro career, they didn't, at least not for a few years. Rea opened the

2013 season with Lake Elsinore, averaged nearly a walk an inning and was sent back to Fort

Wayne.

"I was a big guy that flew open a lot," Rea said. "My mechanics weren't really smooth."

So Fort Wayne pitching coach Burt Hooton, who won 151 games in the majors, worked with

him. Rea worked on repeating his delivery, on commanding both sides of the plate, on

something as simple as playing catch the right way. He went back up to Lake Elsinore last

season, made 28 starts, won 11 games, issued just 2.4 walks every nine innings.

"Things just started clicking," he said. "I don’t want to say I was scared before that, but I didn’t

have a good mental approach. I was just going out there every day, kind of hoping and wishing I

would do good or have a good outing or go seven innings or whatever. I think it was just a

process every day, and it just led me to taking it one pitch at a time instead of thinking I’ve got to

go up there and go seven innings."

Rea went just two innings the night of March 30, though it was by design. Padres General

Manager A.J. Preller had organized an exhibition for the top prospects in the organization, to be

played near the end of spring training. Most of the front office made the trip to Peoria, Ariz.

Stewart, who'd watched a game earlier in the day in St. Louis, caught a flight to Phoenix.

"I heard guys talking about him being potentially the next guy up," Stewart said. "I was, like, Are

you talking about Colin? They said, Wait until you see him.

"It was better than at Petco the other night. It was special. Colin kind of stole the show. I think I

had a smile on my face for two innings and beyond."

From there, Rea posted the lowest ERA in the minors with Double-A San Antonio, recorded the

final two outs of the Futures Game in Cincinnati, made the jump to Triple-A less than a year

after his final pitch for Lake Elsinore.

"A lot of buzz our pitching group had on him on the minor league side, he took that right into the

season and was very consistent," Preller said.

Tuesday, six weeks after his 25th birthday, Rea went five-plus innings before walking off to a

standing ovation. More than 70 vocal supporters from Rea's hometown were there, watching the

unassuming kid who grew up on a corn and soybean farm pitch in front of 26,588. So was

Stewart, who'd had four players he signed reach the majors (Cory Luebke, Anthony Bass, Dean

Anna and Matt Stites) but hadn't been able to attend a debut until then.

The morning after, sleep-deprived but still basking in the glow of a career highlight, Rea took a

moment to reflect on how he got here.

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"I think it comes with just cleaning up mechanics and really just confidence and believing in

myself," he said. "I always heard from other people that I could have a big-league future, but I

never really believed in myself."

And then he did, going from a fringe prospect to a major leaguer seemingly overnight, though

those who know him saw there was much more that went into it.

"How did he make the leap he made? I don't know that you could put a finger on one thing,"

Stewart said. "I think he matured. He went from a young country boy to a man. He got married

(in November) to a great gal (Megan). It maybe eased some concerns young guys have about

the future. I think his life took shape for him.

"I'm looking forward to watching his progress. He's proven, over the last couple years in

particular, that he can get better and better. We've talked about it: 'Hey, don't be satisfied with

just making one trip up there. Go up with the idea that you can be in the majors for a long, long

time.'"

28

On deck: Andrew Cashner vs. Jon Gray Rockies right-hander making third career start

By Jeff Sanders | 10 a.m. Aug. 15, 2015

THE SERIES

Padres at Colorado Rockies

Game 2: 5:10 p.m. Saturday

PROBABLE PITCHERS

Padres RHP Andrew Cashner (4-12, 4.09)

The Padres have lost both of Cashner's last two starts, a pair of quality starts and defeats for

the 28-year-old Texan. He has a 7.00 ERA in six appearances (two starts) at Coors Field.

Rockies RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 2.70)

Two starts into his MLB career, Colorado's top pitching prospect has struck out nine, walked

four and allowed six hits in 10 innings. He has yielded one homer.

GAME 3

Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (7-10, 4.37) vs. Rockies LHP Chris Rusin (3-5,

4.43)

29

Minors: Gettys starts in Fort Wayne win Recapping the latest action from around the Padres' farm system

By Jeff Sanders | 8 a.m. Aug. 15, 2015

Michael Gettys drove in two runs on two doubles and a triple in low Single-A Fort Wayne's 10-6

win over Cedar Rapids on Friday night.

A second-round pick last year and the top remaining selection from the 2014 draft class, the 19-

year-old Gettys also swiped his 15th bae. His three hits upped his average to .233 on the

season and his two doubles gives him 27 in his first full year in pro ball.

Shortstop Ruddy Giron (.301) drove in three runs on two hits and Luis Tejada (.303) drove in

two runs on two hits. Second baseman Josh VanMeter (.188) went 0-for-4.

Right-hander Ernesto Montas (10-6, 3.53) allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (62-57)

Chihuahuas 3, Las Vegas 2: 3B Cody Decker (.263) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run

scored. RHP Daniel McCutchen (7-6, 4.00) struck out four and allowed a run in seven innings.

RHP Jay Jackson (2.15) allowed a run but still converted his 11th save.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (52-66)

Missions 4, Arkansas 3: 3B Diego Goris (.266) went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and an RBI.

RHP Stephen Kohlscheen (4-2, 2.65) pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win after

RHP James Needy (3.44) allowed three runs in four innings.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (43-74)

Rancho Cucamonga 6, Storm 3: CF Donavan Tate (.221), RF Nick Schulz (.248) and 1B

Marcus Davis (.250) each had two hits. RHP Michael Kelly (0-2, 7.20) allowed four runs in four

innings and RHP Zech Lemond (5.79) turned in a scoreless inning in his second relief

appearance.

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SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (30-24)

Dust Devils 3, Boise 0: SS Kodie Tidwell (.243) and RF Mason Smith (.223) each had two hits.

RHP Adrian De Horta (1.71) struck out eight and allowed just one hit and three walks in five

shutout innings in a no-decision.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (30-35)

Padres 11, White Sox 8: C Ricardo Rodriguez (.256) hit his second homer and drove in three

runs and LF Carlos Taveras (.185) drove in three runs in three hits.

ROOKIE AZL PADRES (18-25)

Padres 5, Royals 3: C Kyle Overstreet (.196) hit his first homer and 2B Tyler Moore (.212) had

three hits.