Padres-Diamondbacks Preview

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin believes the NL West race will be competitive this season. His team's early play against the defending champion San Diego Padres is certainly one reason.
The Diamondbacks look to defeat the Padres for the eighth straight time Wednesday at Chase Field when they try to complete another three-game sweep of their division rivals.
Arizona (22-17) won its third straight game and moved into first place in the West with a 5-2 victory on Tuesday. The Diamondbacks improved to 5-0 against this season against the Padres, who fell one-half game back into a second-place tie with Colorado.
''Everybody is within shouting distance of everybody,'' Melvin said. ''I enjoy seeing the fact that to this point the division has rebounded because it got a bad rap last year.''
San Diego (22-18) was the only team with a winning record in the West last year, going 82-80. This year, every team in the West is at .500 at better - the only division in the majors that can make that claim.
''It was ugly last year,'' Melvin said. ''We thought early on this season after watching the teams in our division that it would be better. There's obviously some other divisions where teams are 10 games under .500 or something like that where you're not seeing that in this division right now.''
Arizona closer Jose Valverde has figured prominently in his club's perfect record against San Diego. Valverde was the winning pitcher in Monday's 6-5, 10-inning victory and earned his 12th save on Tuesday, improving to 3-for-3 in save chances against the Padres this year.
''You've seen a lot of closers get beat up here early in the season almost across the board other than Trevor (Hoffman),'' Melvin said. ''So it is a very comforting feeling (having Valverde). That's a psychological advantage that you have a closer that's done as well as he has and goes out there and continues to be very effective.''
The Padres have dropped two straight for the first time since a five-game slide from April 24-29, which included a three-game sweep by the Diamondbacks at Petco Park. San Diego won 14 of 15 games entering this series.
Eric Byrnes and Chad Tracy hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning to key Tuesday's win. Arizona got seven strong innings from its bullpen when Orlando Hernandez left after two innings due to a mid-back strain.
Arizona's Shawn Green, who has an NL-leading .341 batting average, is 12-for-21 against San Diego this season.
Juan Cruz (1-1, 3.33) makes his fourth start of the year for Arizona. Cruz fell to 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in his first three starts after allowing five runs and seven hits over five innings in a 5-3 loss at St. Louis on Friday.
Cruz will make the first start of his career against the Padres. He has allowed two hits over 6 1-3 scoreless innings in five career relief appearances against them.
The Padres will recall Mike Thompson (NR) from Triple-A Portland to make his major-league debut. Thompson is 5-0 with a 3.70 ERA through eight starts this year for the Beavers.
The 25-year-old right-hander has been in the Padres organization for the last eight seasons. He split time with Double-A Mobile and Portland last season, working a career-high 174 2-3 innings.

Bochy Praises Pitchers

In spite of the loss of lefty Shawn Estes until June, it appears, with an elbow strain, starting pitching -- the area of deepest concern all spring and into the season -- is rounding nicely into shape for the Padres, manager Bruce Bochy observed brightly.
"I think they've been doing a nice job," Bochy said, looking forward to ace Jake Peavy's fifth start Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks. "Really, all of them are throwing well. I'm very encouraged by the way our starters are throwing."
Chan Ho Park has had three solid starts since coming out of the bullpen, reminding Bochy of the Park who averaged 15 wins for five seasons with the Dodgers (1997-2001) before experiencing physical and pitching problems in Texas.
"That's very similar to how he threw with the Dodgers," Bochy said. "He's got good stuff. The stuff was there [in Texas]. It's one of those deals where the change of scenery was good for him. He's comfortable over here, very focused. I think Chan Ho's going to have a nice year."
Showing Bochy "a lot of stamina and strength," Park threw 119 pitches in Monday night's loss to the Diamondbacks, missing his first complete game since 2001 by one out. He has walked only three men while striking out 19 in 25 1/3 innings.
Woody Williams, another veteran coming off a disappointing 2005 season, is recapturing his St. Louis form of 2001-04 with three excellent outings. Incorporating a knuckleball into his repertoire, Williams has a 3.15 ERA, best among the club's starters, with seven walks and 14 strikeouts in 20 innings.
Chris Young, hindered by a circulation problem in his pitching thumb in his most recent outing against the Mets, delivered two of the team's best starts in Florida and Colorado, surrendering two runs and six hits in 13 combined innings.
Young, who hopes medication returns circulation to the thumb in time for his assignment Friday night against the Dodgers, has 19 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .198 batting average -- truer indicators of his stuff than his 4.03 ERA.
The newest member of the rotation, Clay Hensley, has responded well to the challenge in two starts. Fighting food poisoning in Denver, he went four solid innings and came back with an effective 5 1/3 innings in Sunday's win against the Mets.
With his sinking fastball and assortment of off-speed stuff, Hensley has kept hitters off balance and has put together a remarkable stat: no homers yielded in 62 Major League innings. His 6.28 ERA is skewed by one bad relief effort against the Rockies when he gave up four hits and two runs without getting an out.
"Next time out [scheduled for Saturday night against the Dodgers], Clay can go 100 pitches," said Bochy, who has had the Texan building his arm strength gradually after leaving his setup role to Alan Embree. "He's in the rotation for a while."
Roberts sits: Against his will, Dave Roberts was given Tuesday night off by Bochy on the recommendation of the medical staff. Roberts, who will be back in the lineup Wednesday, yielded left field and the leadoff spot to Eric "The Judge" Young, who, gavel in hand, conducted kangaroo court before the game.
Roberts, off to a solid start batting .266 with a .338 on-base mark, had treatment for what he called "minimal swelling in my knee" and said he was "overruled" in his effort to make the start. He has career-highs of four homers and 21 RBIs against the Diamondbacks.
"We are becoming active on the basepaths," said Roberts, thrown out stealing on a pitchout Monday night to end the club's streak of successful steals at 17. "We've only had the lineup together for a few days. We haven't come close to playing our type of baseball.
"Now that we're getting good starting pitching, we need to step up the offense."
Roberts applauded center fielder Mike Cameron's performance -- two doubles, a steal of third and a run scored -- Monday night in his second game as a Padre after coming back from a strained left oblique.
"Cam put on a nice show," Roberts said. "We're looking forward to getting this lineup rolling."
Piazza late scratch: Mike Piazza also got the night off, with Doug Mirabelli catching Peavy and Vinny Castilla in the cleanup spot. Piazza is expected to start Wednesday's matinee against veteran right-hander Orlando Hernandez. ... Bochy said "chances are good" that Young will make his start Friday night against L.A., assuming he responds favorably to medication after throwing in the bullpen Tuesday. ... Bochy thinks his defense "could be as good as any we've had," nominating the '96 and '98 NL West champs as the best defensive clubs he has managed.

Padres acquire pitcher Bobby Basham

The San Diego Padres today acquired right-handed pitcher Bobby Basham from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher David Ross. Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers made the announcement. Basham, 26, went a combined 10-5 with a 3.36 ERA (38 ER/101.2 IP) in 20 starts between Single-A Sarasota and Double-A Chattanooga. Over parts of four minor league seasons in the Reds' organization (2001-03, 2005; did not pitch in 2004 after undergoing shoulder surgery), Basham has a career record of 22-22 with a 3.55 ERA (126 ER/319.2 IP) in 57 games (all starts).Ross, 29, batted .240 (30-for-125) with three home runs and 15 RBI in 51 games between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Padres in 2005. Over parts over four Major League seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-04), Pirates (2005) and Padres (2005) Ross has a career batting average of .217 (92-for-424) with 19 home runs and 50 RBI in 169 games.

Padres Announce Roster Moves

The San Diego Padres today released right-handed pitcher Brian Sikorski, optioned catcher Pete Laforest to Triple-A Portland and outrighted right-handed pitcher Jason Anderson and first baseman Walter Young from the 40-man roster. Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers made the announcements.In addition, the Padres reassigned right-handed pitchers Seth Etherton and Jon Adkins, left-handed pitcher Ryan Meaux, infielder Ricky Gutierrez and outfielder Jack Cust to minor league camp. With today's roster moves, the Padres now have 33 players in camp.

McAnulty among first group of Padres cuts

The first cut of the spring is usually pretty routine stuff ---- a bunch of non-roster pitchers and a catcher or two.Monday's first Padres cut contained one surprise ---- outfielder/first baseman Paul McAnulty, who appeared in 22 games for the Padres last season.
The left-hander drew praise last season from manager Bruce Bochy for his heads-up play.
And while he hit .250 in eight spring at-bats, the Padres have upgraded the competition in the outfield, bringing in free agents Jack Cust and Eric Valent, both of who have more big-league experience than McAnulty.If the Padres carry six outfielders, either Valent or Cust figures to make the club."McAnulty was a little surprised when we told him, a little disappointed, sure," said Padres manager Bruce Bochy. "We told him that just because he's going down early doesn't mean he won't be back at sometime during the season. Mac is a good ballplayer. Getting one at-bat here isn't doing him much good. He's better off on the minor-league side right now."Monday's other cuts included pitchers Jared Wells and Sean Thompson, who were optioned to Double-A Mobile, and Kenny Baugh, Cesar Carrillo, Mike Thompson and Erick Burke, who were reassigned to minor-league camp.Speedy outfielder Freddy Guzman, who has battled arm injuries, was optioned to Portland, catcher George Kottaras was optioned to Mobile while shortstop Matt Bush was reassigned to minor-league camp.Bochy said Bush, the first pick of the 2003 draft out of Mission Bay High, made a positive impression with his athleticism and arm strength.With the moves, the Padres now have 46 players in camp.Sledge struggling Outfielder Terrmel Sledge, who has been limited to two at-bats this spring because of calf, ankle and shin problems, finally got on the field Monday, taking over in left field in the sixth inning.He didn't play Sunday in Scottsdale because of wet grounds from an overnight rain, and didn't start Monday because of soreness.He struck out twice Monday ---- once swinging, once looking.Bochy said Sledge's health isn't a concern yet, "but if he's not 100 percent by Thursday, it could be," the manager said.Short hops C Doug Mirabelli hit his third home run of the spring on Monday, a two-run shot off LHP Zach Jackson. SS Khalil Greene also homered off Jackson, but the Padres fell to the Brewers 9-5 in Maryvale. OF Jack Cust had a two-RBI double in the ninth. RHP Clay Hensley took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in the sixth. ... RHP Doug Brocail, who had heart surgery Saturday, had his return to camp pushed back a day. Brocail remained in the hospital and should make an appearance in camp today before returning to San Diego for further tests.

Tucker Designated for Reassignment, Greene Released

Left-handed pitcher Rusty Tucker is designated for reassignment. The announcement was made by GM Kevin Towers.
He's 25 and appeared in relief for Double-A Mobile last season, going 3-2, with a 5.31 ERA in 52 games. His five-year career stats in the minors: 12-15, 4.23 ERA, 56 saves in 206 appearances.
In other off-season moves, catcher Todd Greene is released. (He had agreed to a minor league deal). Green, 34, hit .254, 7 HRs and 23 RBI for the Rockies in '0-5, but was limited to 38 games after being sidelined with a strained right hamstring June 5 against Cincinnati.
Over parts of ten MLB seasons, Green hit .248, 69 HRs, 70 doubles, 200 RBI in 475 games with five teams.

Piazza Agrees to $2 Million Deal with Padres

The 12-time All-Star agreed Sunday to a $2 million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres, giving the defending NL West champions a marquee player they think can still contribute.After being released by the New York Mets, the 37-year-old Piazza had been interested in signing a free-agent deal with an AL team to become a designated hitter. Instead, he'll stay in the NL and return to the West Coast for the first time since the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to Florida in 1998.
"The Padres told Mike that he could pretty much catch as much as he wanted to,'' said Piazza's agent, Dan Lozano.
Piazza is hoping to catch about 90-100 games this season, along with playing some first base and being the DH in road interleague games.
Piazza holds the major league record for most career home runs by a catcher (374). He has 397 homers overall, and is a career .311 hitter.
The deal is expected to be announced Monday. Piazza gets a $1.25 million salary this year, and the contract includes a mutual option for 2007 at $8 million with a $750,000 buyout. He can earn an additional $750,000 this year in performance bonuses.
Piazza became a free agent after last season, when he hit .251 with 19 homers and 62 RBIs in 113 games for the Mets. It was his lowest batting average since he hit .232 in 69 at-bats with the Dodgers in 1992, his first season in the big leagues.
Still, his 19 homers would have led the power-poor Padres. Ryan Klesko hit 18 for San Diego, which struggled to the division title before being swept out of the playoffs by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Padres got into the Piazza mix in December, around the time of the winter meetings. They held off making a firm offer because there was talk Piazza might have been headed for the New York Yankees, who have Bernie Williams and other players as possible DHs.
The Padres made the offer Saturday night and Piazza accepted Sunday.
Piazza reportedly had also considered playing for the Phillies. He grew up near Philadelphia.
Padres general manager Kevin Towers wasn't available for comment Sunday.
Speaking last Friday, Towers said Piazza wanted to play "with a competitive team in a desirable city. I think that his experience when he was with L.A. was a good one. He's very popular out here and is familiar with the area. We'd like to think San Diego is a desirable city and that we're a competitive ballclub.''
Piazza was slowed by injuries the past three years and has long had trouble throwing.
He was acquired by the Mets in a trade with Florida in May 1998, eight days after he was shipped from the Dodgers to the Marlins in a blockbuster deal that also included Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson and Todd Zeile.
Piazza led the Mets to the 2000 World Series, which they lost to the crosstown rival Yankees.
The Padres will have to move a player off their 40-man roster before signing Piazza.
San Diego obtained catcher Doug Mirabelli from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for second baseman Mark Loretta in December.

Lifting the Curse

Maybe, just maybe, San Diego basketball's Curse of the Bamboozler has been lifted.
The sport hasn't been this much fun to watch in our town since Irv Levin brought the Buffalo Braves here reborn as the San Diego Clippers for the 1978-79 season. That first year the Clippers were 43-39 with World B. Free, Swen Nater, Randy Smith and Kermit Washington.Those were fun times at the old Sports Arena. The Clippers averaged nearly 10,000 fans a game -- a respectable number in the NBA's pre-Magic Johnson/Larry Bird/Michael Jordan days.
But then Levin sold the team to Donald T. Sterling -- the bamboozler -- prior to the 1981-82 season. Sterling proceeded to run the franchise into the ground as prelude to using the excuse of low attendance to hijack the team and move it to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 season.
But look around San Diego basketball these days.
San Diego State, an NCAA team in 2002 and NIT entry in 2003, and the University of San Diego, an NCAA team in 2003, are within reach of returns to the postseason.Both schools play in beautiful facilities -- SDSU's Cox Arena and USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion.Or as Bill Walton, San Diego's Mr. Basketball, would say, "Basketball cathedrals." When Duke's No. 2-ranked women's team played at USD last month, Duke coach Gail Goestenkors -- Coach G -- said the JCP reminded the Blue Devils of Duke's venerable Cameron Indoor Stadium.
SDSU, which won last week at Utah for the first time since 1982 and beat UNLV Saturday to exorcise last year's collapse against the Rebels, is tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference.
Did you see that decisive follow-up dunk that SDSU's Marcus Slaughter put down after a missed shot against UNLV at Cox Arena? I'm used to seeing other teams beat the Aztecs that way.
USD stumbled in its West Coast Conference openers, but the Toreros went 10-3 during the non-conference schedule.
Did you see USD's Nick Lewis score 29 points when the Toreros beat Fresno State in the Toreros' half of the second annual San Diego Slam at Cox Arena last month? That was a big-time performance.
Have you looked around at the new breed of high school players coming out of San Diego?
La Costa Canyon's Chase Budinger, a 6-foot-7 forward bound for Arizona, is ranked the No. 1 prospect in California and 10th best senior in the nation. And Hoover point guard JayDee Luster and Crawford forward Tyrone Shelley are ranked among the top 25 juniors in the nation.
All three played games Monday in the Martin Luther King Shootout, a triple-header at Hoover's gym. I don't know when San Diego assembled more local prep talent under one roof.
Budinger also is a strong candidate to be named to the McDonald's All-American High School All-Star game that will be played March 29 at Cox Arena. Greg Oden, the No. 1 high school player in the nation from Indianapolis Lawrence North High, calls Budinger a great player he hopes to play with in the McDonald's game.
Budinger is leaving town for the Pac-10 and Arizona, but SDSU and USD are both keeping local talent home.
The Aztecs' Mohamed Abukar, a 6-foot-10 junior forward from Rancho Bernardo High, transferred home after a wayward trip to Florida. He's one of those explosive big men we usually only see in San Diego on TV.
SDSU's Richie Williams, a true freshman from Steele Canyon High, is a 5-9 point guard who makes players around him better.
USD's Gyno Pomare is a redshirt freshman 6-7 center from El Camino High with a Bill Russell-like wingspan.
Players like Abukar, Williams and Pomare have been coming out of San Diego for a long time. But they didn't stay home.
Even if SDSU and USD earn postseason berths far from San Diego, the NCAA tournament is still coming to town. The NCAA awarded San Diego a sub-regional this year after SDSU staged a successful sub-regional in 2001. The NCAA liked how San Diegans filled the seats for games with schools that didn't bring many fans with them. At other sub-regionals empty seats show up on TV.
Some people will tell you San Diego is a bad basketball town, but they don't know about the Curse of the Bamboozler.
If Irv Levin had sold the Clippers to an owner who wanted to stay in town, building a new basketball arena in the late 1980s or early 1990s would be have been a political wrangling warm-up to what John Moores and the Padres weathered to open Petco Park in 2004 and the Chargers and the Spanos Family are enduring now to approve plans for a new football stadium.
San Diego sports fans, then and now, only come out to see a winner. The Clippers didn't win here because Sterling sabotaged them. At long last, with SDSU and USD on the rise, the Curse of the Bamboozler may be lifting.

Padres Agree to Terms with Shawn Estes

The San Diego Padres today agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Shawn Estes on a one-year contract. Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers made the announcement. Estes, 32, went 7-8 with a 4.80 ERA (66 ER/123.2 IP) with two complete games in 21 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. He was limited to 21 starts, his lowest total since 1996, after suffering a stress reaction in his left ankle July 5 at St. Louis. Over parts of 11 Major League seasons with the San Francisco Giants (1995-2001), New York Mets (2002), Cincinnati Reds (2002), Chicago Cubs (2003), Colorado Rockies (2004) and Diamondbacks (2005), Estes has a career record of 99-89 with a 4.71 ERA (853 ER/1628.2 IP) in 273 games (272 starts). Estes, who won a career-high 19 games with the Giants in 1997, ranks among active leaders by a left-handed pitcher in wins (99; 13th), complete games (14; 13th), shutouts (eight; tied for ninth) and strikeouts (1,187; 12th).

After 8 years, Randa Returning to Pittsburgh

Joe Randa, third baseman on the 1997 Pirates, the last Pittsburgh team to contend for a division title, is returning to the city. The Pirates were close to agreement on a $4 million, one-year contract with Randa, pending results of a physical. Randa, 36, a career .285 hitter, has since played for the Tigers, Royals, Reds and Padres.- After passing two physicals, pitcher Kevin Millwood signed his $60 million, five-year deal with the Rangers.

Padres battle Dodgers for Wells

Padres General manager Kevin Towers yesterday renewed talks with the Boston Red Sox regarding David Wells and spoke to the agent of Pedro Astacio as division rivals also pursued both pitchers.
The Dodgers have reportedly put together a package of prospects in their attempt to get Wells.
And Colorado has made an offer to Astacio, a free agent who has a home in the Denver area and is the Rockies' career leader in wins and starts.
"We're talking with parties regarding both pitchers," said Towers. "There's still a gap with Astacio. The Red Sox know what we're prepared to do regarding Wells.
"We could wind up with both, one or none. We're still having discussions. But we're not going to overpay, either." Towers said he spoke yesterday to Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox's president and Towers' former boss with the Padres, about Wells. The pitcher, a San Diego product, has expressed a desire to conclude his career in Southern California. Most believed that to mean San Diego before the Dodgers made their own pitch last week.
But the Dodgers' package of pitching prospects could make them the favorites in the Wells derby. The Red Sox earlier rejected the Padres' offer of Woody Williams, although Boston is interested in outfielder Dave Roberts – whom Towers has ticketed as his starting left fielder and leadoff hitter.
"If we got Wells, it probably would mean a pitcher going back the other way," said Towers.
Since the Red Sox have rejected Williams, Jake Peavy is untouchable, Akinori Otsuka is gone and it's extremely unlikely that the Padres would part with the recently acquired Chris Young (from Texas for Adam Eaton and Otsuka), the list of starter candidates shortens to Tim Stauffer and Clay Hensley.
The Padres cannot trade any pitchers taken in last June's draft (rules require players remain with the organization one year before they can be traded).
Wells was 15-7 with a 4.45 ERA for the Red Sox last season. He was 12-8 in 31 starts for the Padres in 2004. Before signing as a free agent with the Red Sox last winter, Wells had talked to Towers about a post-playing career position with the Padres.
Astacio was 4-2 with a 3.17 ERA in 12 appearances (10 starts) with the Padres after they signed him off waivers from Texas in June. He was the Padres' second-most effective starter at the end of the season.
The Padres have reached an agreement with right-handed starting pitcher Dewon Brazelton for a one-year contract for $500,000. The Padres acquired Brazelton from Tampa Bay this month in a trade for third baseman Sean Burroughs.