Padre Spring Training Report – Mar. 11, 2014

You like numbers?  5-0…that was the score of today’s Padres victory over the Rockies today.  17…that’s the number of consecutive shutout innings the Padres pitchers have fired over the last two days.  1.60…that is the team ERA over the past 6 games during which the Friars have lost only once.  8…the total number of walks issued by the Pads over those 6 games.  39…the number of strikeouts the Pads hurlers have recorded in those same 6 games.  How do you like them numbers?

The Padres rather sneakily became one of the chic sleeper picks this off season amongst many of the national media and pundits. The reason why?  Pitching.  The Padres have it, and people are starting to take notice, including opposing batters who’ve been pretty much shut down the past week by the Friar hurlers.  Today it was Andrew Cashner’s turn to continue to build the expectations of this pitching staff, and he did not disappoint.  For the third time this spring he did not allow any runs, and although he had a runner in scoring position in every inning, there was never a moment when you did not feel like he was in total control of the situation and would strand the runners…which he did.  He’s using his 4-seam and 2-seam fastballs brilliantly to both sides of the plate, to the point where the off speed is simply a compliment but not a necessity to set up either one…they’re both so effective in their own way that they set up each other.

Meanwhile the Pads offense scored all they needed in the 2nd, thanks to a Ryan Jackson (having a great spring in every way!) 2-run home run that drove in Alex Castellanos who doubled ahead of him.  Rene Rivera would then double, reach third thanks to a Cashner single (yes he does do it all!), and scored on a wild pitch.

After Cash’s 4 scoreless he handed it off to Joe Wieland, who, like Cash, stranded runners in scoring position in each of his two innings, but basically looked good once again in his journey to return to the big leagues after TJ surgery.  Not great FB command today, but enough when he needed it, and some snappy breaking pitches for the most part.  What I really liked was that the one time he did get underneath and roll a bad curve ball up there, he came right back with the next one, and stayed on top and finished it nicely to get some late bite.  Jesse Hahn looked good in his scoreless frame, as he has all spring. I’m excited to see how he develops this season.  Then the two lefties, Patrick Schuster and Tony Sipp closed the game out with an exclamation point, each throwing a clean scoreless inning, while recording a strikeout.

The Padres pushed across a couple of insurance runs in the 8th thanks to a triumvirate (I’ve always wanted to use that word!) of doubles, by Reymond Fuentes, Rymer Liriano, and Kyle Blanks to ice it.

Done and done!  Not to be lost in the shutout victory, however, were two interesting developments that could be the foreshadowing of things to come.

• Yasmani Grandal came into the ball game to catch the final three innings. It was the first live game action he’d seen since his knee was injured last July 6th against the Nationals.  He looked to be moving fine behind the plate showing no obvious signs of trying to favor his repaired right knee.  He also singled up the middle on the first pitch he saw in his first at bat back, and threw out a potential base stealer by so much that the runner appeared to basically give up and opt not to slide.  All in all it appeared to go as well as could possibly be expected, and adds more fuel to the speculative fires of whether he will be ready for opening day, and if so will the Pads feel inclined to carry three catchers to not overload him early.
• Tommy Medica walked up to the plate today as a pinch hitter and slapped the first pitch he saw into right field for yet another hit in his torrid spring.  Ok, so Medica getting a hit has become about as surprising as the sun rising in the East.  But what was interesting was that he made his spring debut in left field after he hit.  The rumblings of him learning how to play the outfield started last year after he came up and started hitting the ball with authority, thus creating an expectation felt by everyone that whenever he came to the plate something dynamic could happen.  This spring the OF training began under the tutelage of Dave Roberts and Jose Valentin.  While Buddy even recently downplayed the progress of the experiment, it seems that the issue of him being able to play something other than 1B is being forced…by his smoking hot bat! He only had one ball hit directly to him today, which he handled without incident in a tough sun field, and was in position to make at least one other play in the gap, which he appropriately backed off and allowed his CF to make.  Not much of a sample size to go on, but day one went without any major faux pas.  The Pandora’s box has now been opened however, on playing him in the outfield, and the competition for one of the right handed bench spots may have just gotten a little more interesting.

Other camp news:

• Cameron Maybin (ruptured biceps tendon) openly spoke with the media today about his injury situation, and seemed to be in a good frame of mind about it all.  Yes, he does feel a little snake bit, but understands these things happen, and he’s just grateful that it isn’t worse.  He made it clear that he has no regrets about how hard he has played in the past, possibly to the detriment of his body, but did say that now that he is 20 pounds heavier than when he was a younger man he may need to find better ways of continuing his aggressive play so as to not hurt himself further.
• Huston Street (slight groin strain) threw a bullpen today, and assuming he feels fine tomorrow will throw in a simulated game situation soon before pitching in a live game.
• Chase Headley (calf strain) continues to take ground balls, and hit live on the field.  The last step for him will be to be able to run full speed.  He is essentially on track considering the severity of the strain to his right calf that he suffered two weeks ago during drills.

Phew…I think that’s it.  A full and exiting day in camp, with everything seeming to be going in the right direction for the Padres as we approach the half way mark of the pre season schedule.  Tomorrow the Oakland Athletics will pay a visit to the Peoria Sports Complex.  Ian Kennedy will face Sony Gray with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PST.  Hope you’ll join my man…yeah, main man, he’s definitely my main man, Ted Leitner, and myself for the webcast on Padres.com.

Ciao everybody!

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