Diamonds in the Desert: A Baseball Blog from Tucson

What fun it was last night to see friends from the days when I was a part of the Tucson Sidewinders game day staff!  And how thoughtful and generous of the Tucson Padres to provide us an opportunity for a reunion – and free tickets to the game!  A night to cherish as THE END becomes more and more real.

Former Sidewinders Game Day Staff Members – Together Again!
(Photo Credit Steve Feldman)

It was a muggy – and then WET – night at the ballpark for the game following our reunion…and Tucson’s hopes of a playoff spot grew slightly fainter as they lost the final game of the series to the Rainiers.  It was a treat to see Sean O’Sullivan take another start for the Pads, even if his outing wasn’t one of his best.  He lasted five innings and gave up four runs on ten hits – no walks, though, and six strikeouts!  San Diego used him as a reliever…I’m sure he’ll get back into “starter form” here soon!  It was also a treat to see Kyle Blanks back with the team!  It seems so long ago, but Kyle started the season with Tucson and played a couple of series with the team before being called up.  He’s on a rehab assignment now and was last night’s designated hitter.  He had an oh-fer night, but it was still neat to see him!  The Rainiers did most of their damage early, putting up three runs on Sean in the second inning.  Tucson answered with one run in the bottom of the frame, but trailed all evening.  Tacoma added a run against Sean in their fifth…and local boy Stefen Romero hit a two-run homer off our reliever Greg Gonzalez in the seventh.  Those were the final runs the Rainiers put on the board.  Tucson responded with a powerful bottom of the seventh, adding three runs to their tally.  Two of those came in on a two-run homer hit by Ben Francisco!  That dinger came against another Tucson local – one of my favorite baseball stories! – Tom Wilhelmsen.  BTW, Ben replaced leadoff batter, Reymond Fuentes, in the fifth inning.  Rey was hit by a pitch in the very first Pad AB…we fans were speculating that he was hurt enough to be pulled from the game early.  Sadly, he had not garnered a hit at that point so his hitting streak has ended (at 12 games).  Of course, I’m more concerned that he be OKAY to play soon!  But it was sad to see his streak end that way.  Ben was actually awesome in his shortened night:  two for three with the dinger giving him two RBIs and a run-scored.  Chris Robinson continues to impress – he was three for four with an RBI and a run-scored.  After Greg’s one and one-third innings of relief, we saw the Tucson debut of RHP Dan Cortes.  He was great!  In the final two and two-thirds innings he held Tacoma off the scoreboard – no hits or walks allowed either!  Fortunately, Las Vegas also lost last night, so the Padres did not lose ground against THEM last night.  Sacramento is another matter:  they won their game and are back to two games behind Vegas for the Division lead.  Reno comes to town tonight – a fitting end to AAA baseball here – and they are already eliminated from playoff contention.  I fear that means they will be playing with the wild abandon of those whose only goal is to be a “spoiler” for our T-Pads chance at first place.  Come on T-Pads – let’s ACE the Aces!  Final Score:  Tucson 4, Tacoma 6.

Another Honor for Dean Anna!  Today the Pacific Coast League announced those PCL players who league managers and media representatives elected to be on the All-PCL Team.  Tucson’s lone entry on the team is our Dean Anna, who was named second baseman for the Team!  Dean continues to lead the league in batting average with his .333.  As WE all know, he’s been a critical part of our success this year – it’s neat that others in the League recognize that.  Well done, Dean!

Transactions.  Yesterday San Diego sent 1B Kyle Blanks to Tucson on a major league rehab assignment.  He played in last night’s game at Kino Stadium.

FINAL Homestand Continues!   The Tucson Padres continue the final homestand of their history tonight at Kino Stadium…we’re now down to the final SERIES.  Pout.  Tonight they kick off a four-game series against the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks).  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tonight is the final Family Four Pack Night at the Park.  A group or family of four can get four box seats, four hot dogs and four soft drinks for only $20 – that’s a $70 value!  Any tickets purchased after four will be sold at a $5.00 price.  Additionally, it will be Community Food Bank Night at the Park!  Each person who brings two cans of food, as a donation for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, will be admitted free.  Food Bank donation boxes will be located at each entrance.  Remember, the items needed most are canned meats, canned vegetables, canned soups, canned fruit and canned tomato products.  Please, no glass containers.  Finally, the Padres will also honor one of the two youth teams that recently represented Tucson on the national stage:  the Sunnyside Softball Little League National Champions.  Tomorrow night will be the final Eegee’s Free Ticket Night – stop by your favorite eegee’s restaurant in the Tucson area and get your free tickets to this game.  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned at the ballpark as our final season here in Tucson winds down.  Only four more to go!  Get on out to at least one game before it’s too late!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

The early innings in last night’s contest between our Tucson Padres and the Tacoma Rainiers were typical pitcher’s duels.  Neither team scored early as the starting pitchers were facing pretty close to the minimum in each inning.  That changed a bit in the fourth when our starter Burch Smith gave up two runs on a homer smashed into right by Tacoma’s Nate Tenbrink (who has been the one Rainier with a very solid series).  But Tucson answered immediately with a run of its own, when Gregorio Petit hit an RBI double to score Mike Wilson (who’d walked to lead off the inning).  Burch lasted five innings, allowing those two runs on only three hits and one walk (five strikeouts!) – a very impressive outing by Burch!  Jason Lane followed Burch and took two scoreless innings of relief.  He only allowed one hit and had two strikeouts!  Gosh, he’s looking good as a reliever.  But, while our guys were getting it done on the mound, so were the Rainiers.  If anything, Tacoma’s starter, Hector Noesi, seemed to buckle down and REALLY throw after he allowed that one run in the fourth.  The Pads went down one-two-three in both the fifth and sixth.  The game was looking like a very close, low-scoring win for Tacoma.  Especially when Tommy Layne replaced Jason on the mound for the seventh.  He allowed two consecutive singles, got an out, but then allowed a two-RBI double that gave the Rainiers a four-to-one lead.  Drat!  But our Pads didn’t give up.  No sir!  In the bottom of the seventh, the finally broke through against Noesi.  Jonathan Galvez led off with a single and Cody Decker followed with a double.  Noesi got a strike out, but Tacoma decided to go with a lefty-left match up and put Brian Moran out on the mound to face the next batter.  Moran’s usually very effective.  But not so much last night!  Reymond Fuentes had a prolonged AB against him, which finally resulted in an RBI single.  Daniel Robertson followed suit with an RBI single.  Brandon Allen then brought two runners home with another single!  Seeing his strategy hadn’t worked quite right, the Tacoma skipper went to the pen and this time drew out Josh Kinney.  Another fine pitcher!  Wilson greeted him with an RBI single.  Scott Moore reached on an error – and THAT scored a run, too.  Finally, Kinney found his stride and struck out two to end the inning.  Pads had put five runs on the board in a ten-batter inning!  Tommy started the eighth inning – hit a batter and gave up a single, but struck out two – but turned things over to Kevin Quackenbush to get the final out in the Tacoma eighth.  Both Kinney and Kevin set their opponents down one-two-three in the next frames.  Another monster inning for the Padres wins the game for them!  That’s six wins in a row!  Sadly, they made absolutely no progress in the standings against Vegas.  The 51s somehow hung on to beat Fresno again, so we remain five games behind them for the Division lead.  Sacramento DID lose.  They are still in second, three back of Vegas.  One more against Tacoma (a team that swept the Pads earlier this year) – and wouldn’t it be FINE if we swept all five?  Go Tucson!  Final Score:  Tucson 6, Tacoma 4.

Transactions.  Yesterday San Diego called up RHP Brad Brach – a move which also made room for RHP Sean O’Sullivan on the Tucson roster!  Sean is expected to start for Tucson in tonight’s game.  Brach was able to join the Parent Unit’s roster because the team designated RHP Edinson Volquez for assignment.  RHP Dan Cortes has also been assigned to Tucson from High-A Lake Elsinore Storm.  Good heavens!  I thought I recognized his name!  He played with Tacoma in 2010 and 2011.

FINAL Homestand Continues!   The Tucson Padres continue the final homestand of their history tonight at Kino Stadium.  They’ll conclude the series with the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) tonight; then the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) come to town for four.  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tonight is the usual Military Appreciation and Bark in the Park Night.  As always, all military personnel (active, retired and veterans) and a guest will be admitted free when a Military ID is presented at the Padres Box Office. Dogs will also be admitted free with their owners, and the first 100 dogs will get a free Frisbee.  Fans may sit on the berms or in their seats with their four-legged friends. The Padres will also recognize former Sidewinders players, field staff, full-time staff and game day employees before the game with an on-field ceremony.  Well, you KNOW I’ll be there for that!  Tomorrow night will see the final Family Four Pack Night at the Park.  A group or family of four can get four box seats, four hot dogs and four soft drinks for only $20 – that’s a $70 value!  Any tickets purchased after four will be sold at a $5.00 price.  Additionally, tomorrow night will be Community Food Bank Night at the Park!  Each person who brings two cans of food, as a donation for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, will be admitted free.  Food Bank donation boxes will be located at each entrance.  Remember, the items needed most are canned meats, canned vegetables, canned soups, canned fruit and canned tomato products.  Please, no glass containers.  Finally, the Padres will also honor one of the two youth teams that recently represented Tucson on the national stage:  the Sunnyside Softball Little League National Champions.  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned at the ballpark as our final season here in Tucson winds down.  Get on out to at least one game before it’s too late!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

During the Tucson Padres’ post-All-Star break slump, the biggest thing missing from their game was hitting.  They’ve definitely worked through that issue (for now, anyway) and are slugging up a storm in their recent victories.  Last night was practically as good as a team can get, from the Padres’ perspective:  good starting pitching, good defense, amazing run-scoring, etc.  It all started with a very effective outing by Tucson’s starter, Matt Andriese.  After having to slip a start with arm fatigue, Matt was back in good form last night against Tacoma.  He tossed five innings and allowed only one run on four hits and two walks.  Meanwhile, the Pads were having a field day against Tacoma’s Andrew Carraway!  Tucson put two runs on the board in the first (both RBIs to Mike Wilson, who had an incredible night), then blasted away with four more in the third (this time Brandon Allen had a two-RBI double, Gregorio Petit had an RBI double, and Scott Moore had an RBI single).  Wilson picked up his third RBI with Tucson’s run in the fourth.  Yes, at the end of four, the Pads had a seven-nothing advantage!  Andriese gave up a Tacoma run in the fifth – and his evening ended.  In the bottom of the fifth, Tucson added another FIVE runs to the scoreboard!  And guess who had another two-RBI double in the frame?  Yup!  Mike Wilson!  Other RBIs in the inning went to Daniel Robertson (with an RBI walk), Dean Anna (sac fly), and Allen (RBI single).  Nine Padres reached the plate that inning!  Two of those runs were allowed by Tacoma’s first reliever, but both were charged to Carraway.  Jason Lane took two innings of relief after Andriese left – he held ‘em scoreless on one hit.  Tucson added its final run in the sixth on a D-Rob RBI single.  From there on out, Tacoma’s pen held Tucson off the board.  But still:  13 to 1!  New guy (see Transactions) Greg Gonzalez followed Jason on the mound – one hit, one walk, NO runs allowed.  Nice!  No need for our closer with a blowout going, so the Pads sent Brandon Kloess in to take the ninth.  It was not pretty.  Thankfully, the Pads held such a lead going into the frame that we could absorb the shock of a five-run ninth by our opponent…but I wouldn’t like to see us do that too often!  Kloess got an out on the first batter, but couldn’t do it again…single, walk, walk, RBI single, RBI walk, (and the worst) three-RBI triple…  Finally, Manager Pat Murphy had seen enough, and he put Arturo Lopez in the game.  Lopez allowed a single – got a strikeout – then relied on CF Reymond Fuentes to track down a hard fly ball in the gap for a game-ending fly out!  Whew!  What a game!  And just look at these numbers!  Wilson – four for five, two doubles, FIVE RBIs, and two runs-scored.  Chris Robinson – four for five with two runs-scored.  Allen – three for five, two doubles, three RBIs and one run-scored.  Rey was also three for five – his hitting streak continues to match his games-played in Tucson at 12!  There was ONE Tacoma batter who had an incredible night no matter who was pitching:  Nate Tenbrink was three for three with two doubles and a walk.  Tucson committed NO errors (two by the Rainiers) and turned THREE double plays.  See what I mean about it being a “complete” game?  Well done, Tucson!  They’ve won five straight…and doggone it if that STILL isn’t helping us in the standings.  Las Vegas trailed most of their game last night – but somehow pulled out a win in 10 innings. They remain in the lead; we’re five back.  Sacramento split their double-header in Colorado Springs last night – they are now two games back of Vegas in second place.  Fresno has been eliminated…we have seven to go before the dreaded magic “E” appears on our line.  Not mathematically impossible, folks, for the Padres to make it to the playoffs!  Hold onto that thought!  Meantime, Tucson has already won this series with Tacoma…but each game still matters for the run to the playoffs.  Go Tucson!  Final Score:  Tucson 13, Tacoma 6.

Transactions.  RHP Sean O’Sullivan has returned to Tucson!  He hasn’t actually been activated on the roster yet…that will require another roster move that is yet to be determined.  The Pads added Greg Gonzalez to the pen (and he played last night) from High-A Lake Elsinore Storm.  To make room for him on the roster, the team placed INF Jesus Merchan on the 7-day DL.  It struck me last night that that means we will not see Jesus play in Tucson again.  Ever.  Goodness, how I hate endings!  Here’s a bit of a rumor or two about major league players who might be playing at Kino Stadium in the next few games…  San Diego may be sending INF Kyle Blanks to Tucson for a rehab assignment!  No sign of that yet, but the SD press is making that claim.  Additionally, the DBacks may send both C Miguel Montero and INF Willie Bloomquist on rehab assignments with Reno when Reno is here this week!  The addition of Miggie to the lineup would be a fitting bit of closure to our AAA history here…he was once a Tucson Sidewinder!

FINAL Homestand Continues!   The Tucson Padres continue the final homestand of their history tonight at Kino Stadium.  They’ll face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) tonight and tomorrow; then the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) come to town for four.  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tonight is an amazing night at the ballpark!  The Famous San Diego Chicken has decided to come out of semi-retirement to play one last gig in honor of Tucson’s baseball history and help us say farewell…Beto Coyote, a famous mascot in his own right, of the Hermosillo Naranjeros will also show up to entertain fans.  As if that wasn’t enough excitement, the staff is capping the evening off with a Fireworks Spectacular following the game!  And did I mention you can get coupons for $2 off the price of any ticket at any local Giant convenience stores?  Yup!  The Padres will also recognize former Toros players, field staff, fulltime staff and game day employees before the game with an on-field ceremony. Some of the players (and a former manager) include Tim Tolman (manager in 1996), Carlo Colombino, Dave Rohde, Terry Clark (Tacoma’s hitting coach!) and Bronswell Patrick (our pitching coach!). What a fun evening at Kino Stadium – TONIGHT!  Tomorrow night will be the usual Military Appreciation and Bark in the Park Night.  As always, all military personnel (active, retired and veterans) and a guest will be admitted free when a Military ID is presented at the Padres Box Office.  Dogs will also be admitted free with their owners, and the first 100 dogs will get a free Frisbee.  Fans may sit on the berms or in their seats with their four-legged friends.  The Padres will also recognize former Sidewinders players, field staff, fulltime staff and game day employees before the game with an on-field ceremony.  Well, you KNOW I’ll be there for that!  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned at the ballpark as our final season here in Tucson winds down.  Get on out to at least one game before it’s too late!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

I couldn’t help but worry when I heard that LHP James Paxton was starting for the Rainiers last night…  Paxton has relatively “ordinary” numbers at this point in the season:  except against the Padres!  Last time we saw Paxton here in July, he tossed his first-ever complete game shutout.  And here he was again.  So I felt an ominous sense of doom early last night, as Paxton appeared to be one-upping his previous appearance by tossing a no-hitter against us last night!  Worse, Tacoma had blasted out four runs against our starter, Robbie Erlin, in the third and added another run in the fifth. True, it’s really early in the game to be talking about a no-hitter in the fifth inning…but it felt like if anyone could do it, it’d be Paxton.  Down five…no hits of our own…and only three base-runners – two on walks, one on an error…I wasn’t holding out much hope for our Pads.  It was a relief when Ben Francisco led off the fifth with a single.  We all exhaled:  at LEAST the Pads weren’t going to be no-hit!  But then Cody Decker and Jesus Merchan followed with singles!  We’d gone from no-hit to back in the game.  Bases loaded – none out!   And I don’t know who was more surprised, fans or Paxton himself!  Chris Robinson followed Jesus at the plate and he whacked a ball that looked tailor-made for a double play.  The Rainier’s second baseman, Ty Kelly, surrounded the ball, MEANT to tag second, and tossed to first…but actually missed the bag at second!  C-Rob out, but Ben scored.  RBI groundout for Chris!  Daniel Robertson up next – ANOTHER RBI groundout!  Two out, two in…and believe it or not, the fun had just begun!  Dean Anna walked; Jonathan Galvez hit an RBI single; Mike Wilson hit an RBI single; Gregorio Petit hit an RBI single…and BEN was back up to bat!  This time, Ben smashed out a two-run triple!  Cody also got a second chance in the inning – he took a walk, and Paxton’s final pitch went wild!  Ben raced home on the wild pitch!  Tacoma went to the pen…Paxton’s night was over.  Their reliever got Jesus to strike out and end the inning.  Robbie was also done for the evening but he went from expecting a loss to being in the running for a win!  Tucson had scored EIGHT runs in the inning, for a three-run lead.  Holy cow!  The Pads put up one more run in the sixth…Tacoma added one (on a solo homer) in the seventh to account for all the scoring.  Brandon Kloess took an inning of relief work (allowed a walk, erased it on a double play), followed by Arturo Lopez (who allowed the solo homer) for an inning.  Brad Brach pitched one and one-third scoreless innings.  Tommy Layne got the final two outs in the ninth on a strike out and a pop out.  After going hitless through four innings, Tucson ended up out-hitting Tacoma, 13 to 10!  Every T-Pad had at least one hit in the evening.  Ben’s triple was the only extra-base hit by a Pad (no doubles – which is unusual for us).  After trailing five-nothing, Tucson notched up their fourth consecutive win.  Las Vegas also won last night (what else is new?) – so the Pads remain five games back of them.  Sacramento was rained out in Colorado Springs – be interesting to see how their double-header goes today.  In any case, our Padres are on a roll now!  Yay, Tucson!  Final Score:  Tucson 9, Tacoma 6.

Transactions.  It appears that no one staked a claim on RHP Sean O’Sullivan after San Diego designated him for assignment:  he has been outrighted to Tucson.

FINAL Homestand Continues!   The Tucson Padres continue the final homestand of their history tonight at Kino Stadium.  They’ll face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) tonight through Sunday; then the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) come to town for four.  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tonight the Padres pay tribute to the University of Arizona with Bear Down Friday.  All fans wearing Wildcats-related attire will get a box seat for only $5 (half off regular price!).  There will also be a U. of A. alumni athlete softball game on the field from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.  Perhaps the biggest night of the homestand – and of the season – will be tomorrow night!  The Famous San Diego Chicken has decided to come out of semi-retirement to play one last gig in honor of Tucson’s baseball history and help us say farewell…Beto Coyote, a famous mascot in his own right, of the Hermosillo Naranjeros will also show up to entertain fans.  As if that wasn’t enough excitement, the staff is capping the evening off with a Fireworks Spectacular following the game!  And did I mention you can get coupons for $2 off the price of any ticket at any local Giant convenience stores?  Yup!  This is a biggie, folks!  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned!  Mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Note to self…If you’re trying to stay under the radar while ditching your first scheduled choir rehearsal of the season, you should probably not participate in a TV news interview from the ballpark.  How nice that everyone saw me on the 10 o’clock news!  Not!  But MAN!  What a great night at the ballpark, as the Tucson Padres returned home to kickoff their final homestand at Kino Stadium!  Amazing rainbow over the batter’s eye early…eerie moonrise through the clouds during the game…awesome pitching by our starter, Anthony Bass…and a pregame photo with Padres’ comedian – last night’s designated hitter – Cody Decker…all capped off by one dollar hot dogs.  Oh my.  This is exactly what I’ll miss next year when Kino is silent and “our boys” are playing in El Paso.  But I digress…

The Funny Man and Yours Truly

Last night’s game was also a very well-played game by the Tucson Padres who fielded a much different lineup than in the final games out in Sacramento.  Manager Pat Murphy  rested 3B Scott Moore, C Chris Robinson, and CF Reymond Fuentes.  OF Mike Wilson returned from the DL to play in right – Daniel Robertson shifted to center – Gregorio Petit took third.  With Bass on the mound, it all seemed to work.  Anthony went eight innings and allowed only one run to score (in the sixth) on five hits and no walks.  Not a lot of strikeouts, but he was effective without them.  On offense, Tucson began scoring in the first with a single run (Dean Anna scored while the Rainiers were turning a double play off Jonathan Galvez’s bat) and added one more in the second (solo homer by Cody!) and third (Galvez scored after reaching on a hit-by-pitch, stealing second, and racing home on Wilson’s RBI single).  Since they didn’t put up a run in the fourth, they added two in the fifth (RBIs to Petit and Cody).  At that point it was five to nothing, Pads!  And the way Bass was cruising, it looked like a quick and easy victory for the Pads.  That mostly held true, though the team gave us a bit of a scare in the ninth.  Murph sent Jason Lane in to close the game…and it’s really not all his fault that he could only get one out and allowed two runs to score!  Tucson had a sudden breakout of fumble fingers, as both Petit and Galvez made fielding errors backing Lane.  Neither of Lane’s two runs was earned.  Unfortunately, they still showed up on the scoreboard!  Murphy then called in Kevin Quackenbush to rescue the team.  It wasn’t particularly clean – he hit a batter and allowed an RBI single (charged to Lane) – but he finished strong, with two strikeouts to end the game with his second save of the season.  Bass earned his fourth win.  If he can keep doing that kind of work – with that confidence – he’ll surely be back in The Bigs soon!  Such fun to see our guys once again – to chat with them and to cheer for them – but especially fun to see them win!  Our relative position in the standings was not affected by the win, however, since both Vegas and Sacramento also won last night.  But we’ve got a three-game win streak going and are now six games over .500 for the season!  Also cool:  Dean collected two hits to raise his batting average to .335 which is best in the Pacific Coast League!   Final Score:  Tucson 5, Tacoma 3.

Reymond Fuentes Had the Night Off

Local Boys Back in Town.  As you may recall, the Tacoma Rainiers team includes a couple of players with strong ties to Tucson.  OF Stefen Romero was featured in several articles and cheered by local fans during Tacoma’s last visit here.  This time he’s day-to-day with, in the words of his manager, “an owie” on his leg.  I don’t know if we’ll see him play here in the series.  Today’s paper contains a nice write up on another local kid with a great baseball story:  Tom Wilhelmsen. Tom’s one of my favorite stories, since I had the pleasure of seeing him pitch for the Indy Tucson Toros some years ago at Hi Corbett.  It was a thrill for us when he landed back in affiliated ball and eventually went on to much success in the Mariners family of teams.  Lately the road’s been a bit tough for Tom – today’s article talks about how he’s dealing with the challenges.  Good attitude, Tom!  Tom’s expected to work relief in tonight’s game against the T-Pads.

Transactions.  As noted above, yesterday the Tucson Padres activated OF Mike Wilson from the 7-day DL.

FINAL Homestand Continues!   The Tucson Padres continue the final homestand of their history tonight at Kino Stadium.  They’ll face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) tonight through Sunday; then the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) come to town for four.  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tonight is the ever-popular Toros Thirsty Thursday with dollar beverage specials from 6pm to 9pm – and the team will be wearing the ‘90s version of the throwback Toros jerseys.  Remember:  college students with school IDs can purchase tickets for just $4!  On Friday night the Padres pay tribute to the University of Arizona with Bear Down Friday.  All fans wearing Wildcats-related attire will get a box seat for only $5 (half off regular price!).  There will also be a U. of A. alumni athlete softball game on the field from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.  Perhaps the biggest night of the homestand – and of the season – will be Saturday night!  The Famous San Diego Chicken has decided to come out of semi-retirement to play one last gig in honor of Tucson’s baseball history and help us say farewell…Beto Coyote, a famous mascot in his own right, of the Hermosillo Naranjeros will also show up to entertain fans.  As if that wasn’t enough excitement, the staff is capping the evening off with a Fireworks Spectacular following the game!  And did I mention you can get coupons for $2 off the price of any ticket at any local Giant convenience stores?  Yup!  This is a biggie, folks!  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned!  Mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Another meeting night – another partially followed game…BUT good news:  another Tucson win!  While in Sacramento they lost three and won two – not a bad record.  In the process, we kicked Sacramento down into second place in the standings (YAY!) because Las Vegas also won last night.  That means we’re still five games back – but now that’s to Vegas alone.  Sacramento is one game back.  By the time I tuned into the game last night, play was in the middle of the fourth inning and the Padres had a lead, five to four.  The box score shows that both teams put up three runs in the first inning.  Sacramento was next to score, with one run in the third, but Tucson came back with two runs in the fourth to take a one-run lead.  That’s where I came in.  Keyvius Sampson, our starter, was still in the game for the fourth, but that was his final inning of work – he’d allowed only four hits (and four runs, three earned), but had given up six walks and that total was piling up the deeper he went into the game.  Sacramento’s starter was also still in the game, and he gave up an additional two runs to the Pads in the fifth.  One came on a leadoff solo homer by Brandon Allen; the other on an RBI single by Cody Decker that brought home Scott Moore.  Tucson now ahead seven to four!  New Padre reliever, Arturo Lopez (see Transactions) faced the Cats in the bottom of the fifth and held them scoreless.  In the bottom of the sixth, however, he allowed a leadoff solo homer to Sacramento’s Jake Goebbert.  That was all the Cats would get off Lopez.  As it happens, Tucson was done scoring for the evening…and it looked like Sacramento might have been done, too.  Brad Brach came in for the seventh and wiggled out of a jam to hold the Cats scoreless.  Brach then allowed a leadoff single to Goebbert in the eighth, but got the next two players to strike out.  Still, Manager Pat Murphy decided it was time for Miles Mikolas to take the mound.  Miles got the final out in the eighth on a lineout.  No runs for Sacramento.  Top of the ninth – Tucson did not score.  BUT Reymond Fuentes finally got a hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 games!  He worked his way over to third, but we stranded him there.  So, bottom of the ninth and Miles still in the game.  The first batter he faces slams out a solo home run!  Tucson’s lead now only ONE run!  The next batter also hits a deep one!  Oh no!  But Daniel Robertson banged up against the wall in right and saved us from another homer!  Whew.  Even for a “Miles save outing,” this inning was looking more scary than normal!  Next up to the plate:  Michael Taylor.  Pretty decent power hitter.  He hits one that somehow shimmied its way under Gregorio Petit’s glove at SS (for an error).  Taylor makes it safely to second on the error.  Then he notices that ALL our infielders are congregated out beyond second base and he makes a fascinating choice:  he takes off for third!  Fortunately, the Pads noticed this in time and Miles sprinted alongside Choice, caught the ball, and tagged the runner out before he made it to third.  I’ve never heard of that before!  That was the tying run out there, too!  Well done, Miles!  Two out and Anthony Aliotti at the plate.  He’s been a potent offensive force for the Cats in this series.  He launches another deep ball – going, going, nope!  Jonathan Galvez tracks it down in deep leftfield to end the game.  Wow!  It’s really great that the Pads return home in the middle of a winning streak!  They have a better record at home than on the road, so there’s reason to hope that this will be a productive homestand for them.  Both series at home are against teams not in our Division, so we’ll still need help from other teams to gain ground on our Division leaders…but I have hope.  What is troubling me, however, is simply the knowledge that THIS – the nine-game homestand ahead – is truly THE END of the Tucson Padres era of AAA baseball here in town.  And, quite likely, the end of pro baseball, period, in Tucson.  At least for the short-term.  As General Manager Mike Feder said in a recent press release, “you can never say never as far as Triple-A baseball returning to the Old Pueblo, but this is goodbye for now.”  Cue the weeping and gnashing of teeth from the big-time fans of the game, like yours truly!  Final Score:  Tucson 7, Sacramento 6.

Transactions.  Yesterday, the Tucson Padres placed reliever Jorge Reyes on the seven-day DL with an oblique strain.  This is the first time in 2 years that Jorge has been out of commission for the Padres!  To fill his spot in the pen and on the roster, the Diablos Rojos del Mexico (Mexican League) traded Arturo Lopez to Tucson.  Arturo is a former San Diego Padre (among other MLB teams).

FINAL Homestand Begins Tonight!   The T-Pads kick off their final, nine-game homestand of the season (and most likely for pro baseball in Tucson, period) tonight at Kino Stadium.  The Pads will face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) for five, followed by the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) for four.  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tonight is Wiener Wednesday and Social Media Night.  Dollar hot dogs all night long!  AND check the Tucson Padres Facebook page for this week’s great special offer!  Tomorrow night will feature the ever-popular Toros Thirsty Thursday with dollar beverage specials from 6pm to 9pm – and the team will be wearing the ‘90s version of the throwback Toros jerseys.  Remember:  college students with school IDs can purchase tickets for just $4!  On Friday night the Padres are presenting a salute to the University of Arizona with Bear Down Friday.  All fans wearing Wildcats-related attire will get a box seat for only $5 (half off regular price!).  There will also be a U. of A. alumni athlete softball game on the field from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.  Perhaps the biggest night of the homestand – and of the season – will be Saturday night!  The Famous San Diego Chicken has decided to come out of semi-retirement to play one last gig in honor of Tucson’s baseball history and help us say farewell…Beto Coyote, a famous mascot in his own right, of the Hermosillo Naranjeros will also show up to entertain fans.  As if that wasn’t enough excitement, the staff is capping the evening off with a Fireworks Spectacular following the game!  And did I mention you can get coupons for $2 off the price of any ticket at any local Giant convenience stores?  Yup!  This is a biggie, folks!  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned!  Mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Last night proved that even the Division-leading River Cats can have a seriously bad night of baseball!  It was almost hard not to feel sorry for them in their very lopsided loss versus the slugging Tucson Padres…ALMOST.  The Pads slammed out four runs in the top of the first inning, batting around so that young Reymond Fuentes was able to make the first and last outs for the team.  In between, there were five singles, a double (Daniel Robertson continues to play hot), and a walk.  We scored four and still left the bases loaded!  Even so, I worried when our starter, Burch Smith, allowed two consecutive walks to kick off the bottom of the frame.  It wasn’t clear yet that this would be a blowout on behalf of the Pads, and you never like to GIVE the River Cats anything to work with.  But after the two walks, Burch got three consecutive outs to end the threat.  I should mention that no pitcher was getting away with easy matches against batters.  There were very few three-pitch strike outs or four-pitch walks…most batters on both sides seemed intent on running up the pitch count of the opponent on the mound.  That – and all the scoring throughout the game – made for a very long night of baseball for everyone.  In the top of the second, Dean Anna reached on a one-out single and Jonathan Galvez reached on the Cat’s first error of the evening.  But Sacramento was saved from additional runs by a double-play ball to end the inning.  In the bottom of the frame, Sacramento’s catcher, Ryan Ortiz launched a line-drive homer over the left field wall for their first run in the game.  The Pads answered with another two runs in the third (in an inning that also ended with a double play).  Burch had his best inning in the bottom of the third, when he sent the Cats to their seats with three consecutive strike outs!  And then Tucson added another two runs to the scoreboard in the fourth:  D-Rob reached on the second Cat error and Dean followed with a single that chased the Sacramento starter from the game.  Poor Carlos Hernandez left after three complete innings, having allowed 11 hits and a walk to the Pads.  He’d eventually be “credited” with eight of the Tucson runs, too, of which six were earned.  It looked like Sacramento’s reliever, Kyler Newby was just what they needed to stop the bleeding at first.  He got two quick strikeouts, but then gave up a two-RBI double to Gregorio Petit for another two-run inning for Tucson.  Newby did prevent us from scoring in the fifth, but his evening was then over.  Burch allowed another Sacramento run in their fifth and Tucson was back at work against another reliever in the sixth.  Nine batters reached the plate in the inning, and the Pads scored five runs…not all of which were earned, because Sacramento had a defensive meltdown and committed THREE errors in that frame alone!  Yikes!  I did feel bad for former T-Pad, SS Andy Parrino…he’s usually absolutely flawless at short – but he was charged with two errors in the game, and was pulled in the seventh.  BTW, Rey finally got a hit in the seventh inning – a two-RBI double – to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.  He’s hit safely in each game he’s played at the AAA level.  Impressive!  So…after six innings, the score was 13 to 2 in favor of Tucson!  Tommy Layne took the sixth inning and shut ‘em down one-two-three, but he had a bit of a problem in the seventh.  With one out, he walked a batter, and then allowed a single, though that runner was erased on a fielder’s choice.  Runners at the corners – and Tommy walks another batter on four pitches to load the bases.  You know what’s coming, don’t you?  Yes, he walked in another run…and took his exit from the mound.  Kevin Quackenbush came in to get the final out in the inning and then got out of a jam in the eighth to continue to hold the Cats scoreless.  Meanwhile, Sacramento’s latest relievers were quite effective at getting the Padres out:  we went down one-two-three in the eighth and ninth.  Quite possibly we were just ready to call it a night!  Miles Mikolas took the bottom of the ninth – certainly not a save situation, but he needed to get some work in – and he didn’t mess around!  Two ground outs and a fly out and the game was, mercifully, over!  Tons of outstanding offensive numbers from the team as a whole (everyone, except our pinch hitters, had at least one hit – three batters had three each)…but I want to just focus on Burch’s pitching stats.  In five complete innings, he tossed 102 pitches, surrendering only four hits and three walks for two runs.  He struck out nine (which tied his previous record for a game) and took his fifth win on the season.  Well done Team Tucson!  Las Vegas won again last night, so they were thrilled to have Tucson’s help against Sacramento – they are again tied for number one in our Division.  And Tucson is only five games back.  Still a very steep road to the playoffs.  But not impossible.  I’d love to see the Padres take this final game in Sacramento, too.  Go T-Pads!  Final Score:  Tucson 13, Sacramento 3.

Transactions.  Yesterday, San Diego recalled Brad Boxberger to play in The Show.  In fact, he got in the game last night and pitched two scoreless innings of relief in the Padres’ loss to the Pirates.  This is his fourth stint with San Diego this season.  To make room for Brad on their roster, the Parent Unit designated Sean O’Sullivan for assignment.  This was hard news to hear…but, as this article makes clear, it was also a hard decision for San Diego to make.  I think it’s likely that Sean will be picked up by some other club in the days while he sits out on the waiver wire…if not, it’ll be interesting to see if he accepts an outright assignment back to Tucson.

FINAL Homestand Begins Tomorrow Night!   The T-Pads conclude their series with the Sacramento River Cats (AAA Athletics) in CA tonight.  You can catch the game LIVE at 7:05pm on 1290AM The Source or live-streaming off the Tucson Padres website.  The team returns home for the final, nine-game homestand of the season (and most likely for pro baseball in Tucson, period) tomorrow night.  The Pads will face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) for five, followed by the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) for four.  All games will be played at 7:05pm.  Tomorrow night will be Wiener Wednesday and Social Media Night at Kino Stadium.  Dollar hot dogs all night long!  AND check the Tucson Padres Facebook page for this week’s great special offer!  Thursday night will feature the ever-popular Toros Thirsty Thursday with dollar beverage specials from 6pm to 9pm – and the team will be wearing the ‘90s version of the throwback Toros jerseys.  Remember:  college students with school IDs can purchase tickets for just $4!  On Friday night the Padres are presenting a salute to the University of Arizona with Bear Down Friday.  All fans wearing Wildcats-related attire will get a box seat for only $5 (half off regular price!).  There will also be a U. of A. alumni athlete softball game on the field from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.  Perhaps the biggest night of the homestand – and of the season – will be Saturday night!  The Famous San Diego Chicken has decided to come out of semi-retirement to play one last gig in honor of Tucson’s baseball history and help us say farewell…Beto Coyote, a famous mascot in his own right, of the Hermosillo Naranjeros will also show up to entertain fans.  As if that wasn’t enough excitement, the staff is capping the evening off with a Fireworks Spectacular following the game!  And did I mention you can get coupons for $2 off the price of any ticket at any local Giant convenience stores?  Yup!  This is a biggie, folks!  I hope you’ll take advantage of all the fun events planned!  Mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

I just keep hearing Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” in my head.  You know…the part where it goes, “Oh, trouble trouble trouble!”  Because, fans, the Tucson Padres are in trouble – their playoff hopes are growing fainter and fainter and they just don’t have that FIRE thing going on for them.  Nevertheless, there were a couple encouraging signs in last night’s loss at Sacramento; the best being that they came back with two runs in the ninth to make it a very close game.  Like they finally said, “No more.”  That would be good, if that were to become a continuing trend.  After scoring the first run in the game on Brandon Allen’s solo homer in the second, the Pads were having a heck of a time producing runs, until they finally got their second run in the eighth.  But check this:  the Pads out-hit the River Cats, 13 to 10.  We stranded nine on base.  But I wonder if the third inning was a real turning point in the game.  Chris Robinson, back from his stint in The Show, led off with a single and while Reymond Fuentes was at the plate, C-Rob was picked off/caught stealing by Cat’s pitcher (and former T-Pad), Andrew Werner.  Well, Rey drew a walk.  We could’ve had two on, but instead one on, one out.  Daniel Robertson at the plate…and REY is picked off/caught stealing by Werner!  D-Rob lined out to end the inning.  I get trying to be aggressive and trying to make something happen, but to have two consecutive runners fall into the same “trap” was pretty heart-breaking.  Both Chris and Rey can fly…but lefty Werner is pretty good at that one-three-six pickoff move.  Right there I think the Pads got the wind knocked out of their game plans.  No more stolen base attempts.  It didn’t help that Sacramento came up with a huge third inning of their own against our starter, Brandon Kloess.  Kloess is a special kind of pitcher…we last saw him as a closer, remember?  He’s bounced through all of the pitching jobs for the Pads, doing a pretty steady job no matter where he’s placed.  Last night he was taking a spot-start for Matt Andriese, who’s skipping a start to rest up his arm.  Kloess has had better starts – he was only able to make it through three and two-thirds innings, allowing four of the Cat’s five total runs.  As I mentioned, the bottom of the third was the worst – Kloess gave up a single, a walk, a fielder’s choice (lead runner out), an RBI single, and a two-RBI double (to Cat Shane Peterson, who’s having a monster series – had five hits in the game on Saturday night!) before getting out of the inning.  Tucson down three to one.  Sacramento added one more against Kloess in the fourth…and THAT was fortunate because we left the bases loaded with River Cats.  I say “we” because Kloess didn’t actually make it through that entire inning:  Jason Lane, recently converted to reliever with Keyvius Sampson’s arrival in Tucson, picked up the final out in the inning (though he also allowed an RBI walk that was charged to Kloess).  Good work to hold the scoring to only one run in that frame!  Lane took three and two-thirds innings and he allowed one more run (in the fifth – the last time the Cats would score) on four hits and two walks.  I’m really liking Jason as a reliever!  He’s had two outings in that role and he seems able to go long (having just been a starter, that makes sense) and do a pretty effective job holding the opponent at bay.  Lane was followed by Tommy Layne in the eighth when it looked like Jason was wearing down.  With two on and only one out, Layne got a strike out, but then tossed a wild pitch that took C-Rob much less time to corral than the runner at third expected.  Anthony Aliotti has also been having a great series for Sacramento, but he misjudged that wild pitch badly…practically walked right into C-Rob’s tag out at home!  Way to save a run, Chris!  Inning over, taking us to the top of the ninth.  Facing the River Cat’s excellent closer, Brian Gordon, Scott Moore leads off with a single.  Ben Francisco followed with a single.  Two on, no outs!  C-Rob was a strikeout, but Rey followed with a single (by the way, with that hit Rey has hit safely in each of the nine games he has played as a Tucson Padre – remarkable!), and D-Rob followed him with an RBI single.  Bases still loaded with Pads, Dean Anna steps to the plate:  his groundout also scores a run!  Jonathan Galvez up next and we just need one more run to tie the game.  Galvez swings and the ball looks like it could make it through the infield…but drat!  Old friend, former T-Pad, Andy Parrino, makes a terrific play on the ball and they get Galvez on a groundout.  Game over.  But for an inning there, it looked like Tucson was going to turn the game upside down!  Good to see a late-inning comeback attempt, even if it fell just short!  But, reality time:  the Pads have lost four consecutive games and are now six games behind Sacramento in the Division standings.  Our loss also kept Vegas from gaining any ground on the Cats after their win yesterday.  While Tucson’s number to elimination is technically at 10 games, I think last night’s loss makes it really really unlikely the team is going to pull off a miraculous run to the playoffs.  There are only 15 games left and we’d have to win practically every game to make it.  Possible…not probable.  So my new goal for our team:  end with a winning record.  It’d also be nice if Dean could win the batting title for the League – he’s got a good chance, so let’s cheer for him to bust out with the hits!  And I’d also love it if the Pads could somehow keep Sacramento from being the team that advances to the playoffs!  In the 13 years of their existence, the Cats have hogged the Division title 11 times…let’s keep ‘em from doing it again this year, Tucson!  (Okay, I admit that’s not a very elegant suggestion because it means helping Vegas win…and we still have to play Vegas…and we can’t NOT try to beat them in that series…I may have to recalculate again…)  Go Tucson – no matter what, do not let them sweep you away!  Final Score:  Tucson 4, Sacramento 5.

Transactions.  I don’t see anything new to report today…but it’s early yet!

FINAL Homestand Begins Wednesday!   The T-Pads are on the road playing the Sacramento River Cats (AAA Athletics) in CA.  You can catch the final two games – with our outstanding Broadcaster Tim Hagerty – at 7:05pm tonight and tomorrow on 1290AM The Source or live-streaming off the Tucson Padres website.  The team returns home for the final, nine-game homestand of the season (and most likely for pro baseball in Tucson, period) on Wednesday, August 21st.  The Pads will face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) for five, followed by the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) for four.  The staff is planning all kinds of fun, farewell events – I hope you’ll mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

When the Tucson Padres put up two runs in the first inning versus Sacramento last night, I just sat back and smiled.  When the Pads score first in a game, they almost always win!  Really!  The stat is something like 32 wins to 12 loses in that situation.  Well, perhaps I wasn’t taking into account the fact that Sacramento had – at the last moment – been told to send one of Oakland’s pitchers in for the start on a rehab assignment.  LHP Brett Anderson, dealing with an ankle sprain, took the start for the River Cats and the Padres found him extremely vulnerable on the mound.  Reymond Fuentes led off the inning with a walk – Brett got an out, but then delivered three consecutive singles that scored two runs (then Gregorio Petit – a former River Cat who has just been itching to get into a game in this series – hit into a double play).  Nice start for Tucson!  LHP Robbie Erlin pitched for Tucson – he allowed a run in the Sacramento first inning, as well.  I wasn’t so worried about that run as much as the fact that the home plate umpire had a very hitter-friendly zone, and both pitchers had to toss a lot balls to get through each frame.  While neither pitcher went one-two-three, both DID get out of the second with no more runs scored.  After one batter into the third, it was the end of the evening for Anderson.  The scheduled Cat starter, RHP Arnold Leon came in for the third and stayed into the eighth.  Sadly, he was only hittable in the third.  Scott Moore had struck out to end Anderson’s outing, and the first batter Leon faced – Jonathan Galvez – hit a double by way of greeting.  Brandon Allen was up next and he launched a lovely two-run homer to give Tucson a four-to-one lead in the game!  Leon got the next two outs…and really never looked back.  He was like a different guy next time out.  BUT meantime!  Erlin was facing his own problems in the third.  He allowed a single, but then Jesus Merchan (Jesus?  No!) committed an error that got the next batter to first.  Both those runners would later score on a Sacramento triple. Back to a one-run game.  There was – get this! – an in-game, on-field WEDDING (not just a proposal) between the third and fourth innings!  What fun!  Broadcaster Tim Hagerty said the staff in Sacramento was pretty sure that was the first ever event of that kind.  I think that was the last time I smiled during the game.  Sacramento put up another run in the bottom of the fourth – another error (this one by Galvez – a much more common occurrence) contributed to that run scoring.  Brad Brach took the mound in the fifth and gave up one run in that frame…and two runs in the bottom of the sixth.  So, we tried Jorge Reyes in the seventh.  He got two outs eventually, but allowed three runs to score.  Kevin Quackenbush did mop-up work, getting the final K in that inning (actually, they took Jorge out of the game with an apparent injury…sure hope that doesn’t land him on the DL!).  You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned Tucson’s offense in awhile…that’s because, sadly, they were not scoring.  They did have one last fling with the scoreboard in their eighth inning.  Galvez led off with a double and Allen hit a single that got Galvez to third.  One out later, Ben Francisco brought Galvez home with an RBI single.  Cody Decker was up next (he was our catcher last night – third time STARTING at catcher for us this season)…and he struck out against new pitcher (former T-Pad) Evan Scribner.  Jesus then popped out.  So, only one more run for the Pads.  Manager Pat Murphy decided against further depleting his bullpen in what was now a Sacramento blowout, so he put Jesus on the mound for the bottom of the eighth.  It’s been a long time since Jesus pitched for us and he was a little rusty!  He was able to hold the Cats to only one additional run-scored (on three hits, a wild pitch, and a hit batsman) – which beat Jorge’s line, for sure.  Scribner allowed Rey a single in the top of the ninth and then got three outs (two were strike outs) to end the game.  Sacramento had one batter with a five-hit/four-RBI evening – another with a four-hit/three-RBI night!  On our side, both Galvez and Allen went three for four at the plate – and Allen had three RBIs.  That’s the good stuff…  But, the loss in last night’s game REALLY hurt the T-Pads.  Mostly because they had an early lead and lost that…then totally fell apart, making defensive mistakes (which we’ve just NOT done this season) and pitching fairly ineffectively!  But also because Las Vegas lost last night…and a Tucson win would’ve tightened up the Division race considerably. Vegas has already played and won today, so they’re only ½ game back of Sacramento (in the lead – again) today.  Tucson fell to FIVE games back.  It’s funny how different things became with the loss last night.  IF the Pads win-out the rest of this series, they’ll still be two games back of Sacramento for the lead.  Had they won last night through the end of the series, they’d be in a tie with Sacramento.  Here’s the bottomline – I don’t think Tucson can make the race to the end ON THEIR OWN.  We’ve still got to win…but we need everyone else to start beating both Sacramento and Las Vegas pronto.  I’m not giving up!  Go Tucson!  Final Score:  Tucson 5, Sacramento 11.

Transactions.  San Diego activated C Nick Hundley off the Paternity Leave List and optioned C Chris Robinson back to Tucson.  Chris should rejoin the team today.  Sadly, he did not get into any games in The Show.  (But I’m glad he’s back with us – he gives us a bunch of extra tools you don’t often see from a catcher!)

FINAL Homestand Begins on August 21st!   The T-Pads are on the road playing a crucial series versus the Sacramento River Cats (AAA Athletics) in CA.  You can catch all of those games – with our outstanding Broadcaster Tim Hagerty – at 7:05pm (except for tonight’s game, which will start at 6:05pm) on 1290AM The Source or live-streaming off the Tucson Padres website.  The team returns home for the final, nine-game homestand of the season (and most likely for pro baseball in Tucson, period) on Wednesday, August 21st.  The Pads will face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) for five, followed by the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) for four.  The staff is planning all kinds of fun, farewell events – I hope you’ll mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

The biggest series of the Tucson Padres’ history kicked off last night in Sacramento and, unfortunately, the River Cats prevailed for a win.  It wasn’t an explosive game by any means, and Tucson was never totally out of it, even though they never had a lead in the contest.  Both starters (Anthony Bass for the Pads; Travis Banwart for the Cats) were actually quite effective, but each had to throw a ton of pitches as batters made them work in every at-bat.  Bass allowed single runs in each of the first three innings (RBI singles and RBI groundouts…nothing huge) before the Pads finally made an appearance on the scoreboard.  That happened in the fourth, when Brandon Allen led off with a triple (that was maybe a FOOT from being a home run), and came in on a sacrifice fly by Ben Francisco.  Down three to one didn’t sound bad!  Bass seemed inspired by that bit of offensive support and he set the Cats down one-two-three in the bottom of the frame – the first inning in which Sacramento did not score.  He also worked himself out of a jam in the fifth inning, when two different Cats were tagged out at home while trying to score!  Tucson put an unearned run on the board in the sixth (Dean Anna walked to lead off the inning and came around on an error that got Allen to second) and both teams went to their pens.  Tucson was behind by only one run and suddenly Sacramento wasn’t scoring – catching up and going ahead seemed totally doable!  Especially because Brad Boxberger had another incredible evening on the mound:  he tossed two scoreless innings, faced six batters and struck out four of them!  A strike-throwing machine!  Brad was lifted for Tommy Layne in the eighth because a couple of lefties were up in the Cat’s batting order.  Tommy faced two – walked the first and got a groundout (that advanced the runner) – and his evening was over.  Next up:  Miles Mikolas.  Huh.  This was still the eighth inning…and we sent in our closer?  Yup.  I can’t second-guess Manager Pat Murphy’s call on that, but I do know it didn’t work out as Murph had hoped.  The first batter Miles faced got a single – runner to third.  Next batter brought the runner (charged to Tommy) home on a sac fly.  Two out!  Miles then gave up two singles (one brought home a run) and a four-pitch walk before getting the final out in the inning.  Eight batters came to the plate – two additional runs scored – Tucson now in a three-run hole!  Sacramento sent their closer in to take the ninth and, fortunately, he struggled just enough to give us some hope of another miraculous comeback.  Scott Moore – our third-baseman, who started the season with Sacramento – reminded the home fans how much they should miss him by launching out a leadoff, solo homer!  Pads now down only two runs!  Daniel Robertson reached on a single and Murph sent backup catcher, Cody Decker, in to pinch hit!  I could totally picture Cody smashing out a game-tying homer!  I was still picturing that when Cody struck out.  Drat!  Two more fast outs followed and the game was over.  Padres fall and lose a whole game in the standings.  Las Vegas won their game, too, so the 51s and River Cats continue to be knotted in first place with Tucson in second, four games back.  I completely believe we can turn this around!  Go get them tonight, Padres!  Final Score:  Tucson 3, Sacramento 5.

Major Realignment of PCL for 2014.  With the impending move of the franchise known as OUR Tucson Padres to El Paso next season, the Pacific Coast League has announced a planned realignment of teams within its two Conferences.  Read the  article here.  Essentially, the Padres’ affiliate and Las Vegas will stay in the Pacific Southern Division, but will be joined by Salt Lake and Albuquerque (jumping to a new Conference).  Sacramento and Fresno shift to the Northern Division.  Colorado Springs will shift to the American Conference North Division – the only other team to swap Conferences in the realignment.

Transactions.  I don’t see anything new to report today.  Some of our guys are taking a few days off with aches and pains (INF Gregorio Petit – battling a bit of hip soreness; RHP Matt Andriese – arm fatigue), but haven’t been added to the DL.

FINAL Homestand Begins on August 21st!   The T-Pads are on the road playing a crucial series versus the Sacramento River Cats (AAA Athletics) in CA.  You can catch all of those games – with our outstanding Broadcaster Tim Hagerty – at 7:05pm (except for tomorrow’s game, which will start at 6:05pm) on 1290AM The Source or live-streaming off the Tucson Padres website.  The team returns home for the final, nine-game homestand of the season (and most likely for pro baseball in Tucson, period) on Wednesday, August 21st.  The Pads will face the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) for five, followed by the Reno Aces (AAA DBacks) for four.  The staff is planning all kinds of fun, farewell events – I hope you’ll mark your calendars and plan to attend at least one of the final nine games at Kino Stadium!

(Disclaimer – This posting has not been reviewed or approved by Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Tucson Padres, Tucson AAA Baseball, San Diego Padres, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)