Added Byrnes, “O-Dog has been a two-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and a contributor to playoff teams, but at this point, we want to give our younger players an opportunity.”

Additionally the club placed shortstop Jason Bartlett (strained right knee) on the 15 day DL, and recalled Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista from Tucson.

Hudson, 34, hit .211 (26-for-123) with five triples, one home run, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored in 35 games for the Padres this season.  His contract of this season is for $5.5M with a $2M buyout to avoid paying an additional $8M team option for 2013.

The switch hitting Cabrera, 25, has hit .333 (48-for-144) with nine doubles, one triple, 15 RBI, 27 runs scored and is a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen base attempts in 34 games with Tucson this year.

Amarista, 23, was acquired by the Padres in exchange for Ernesto Frieri from the Angels,  along with right-handed pitcher Donn Roach.  He can play multiple infield positions including shortstop but his primary position has been second base. In 29 games between Salt Lake and Tucson this year, he has hit .278 (35-for-126) with seven doubles, two triples, one home run, 18 RBI and 17 runs scored.

Additionally the Padres made a waiver claim, acquiring LHP Eric Stults, 32, from the White Sox who made two appearances (one start) for the White Sox this year, allowing two runs in 6.2 innings of work (2.70 ERA).  A corresponding roster move will be made according to Byrnes, upon Stults’ arrival to San Diego.

Some long awaited, and likely needed moves appear to be starting to happen. Looking forward to seeing what these young players can do with their opportunities.

Scan

For the second time in a row the Pads were able to beat 2 time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay to become the first team to beat him twice in a season since 2009.  This time it was Edinson Volquez who out dueled the tough right-hander, pitching 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits, and striking out 5 on his way to recording his second win of the season.

In the midst of a season where little has gone as planned, it’s nice to see Volquez throwing well, getting better at harnessing his great stuff, and controlling his focus with the game on the line.   With Edinson pitching well, Yonder Alonzo riding a 9 game hitting streak and .301 avg., and Andrew Cashner getting guys out with his 102 MPH fastball, the Mat Latos and Anthony Rizzo trades are off to a good start.

The only negative on the night was the early departure of Mark Kotsay, who started the game in left field, but had to leave after the 1st inning with a tight back.  With a history of back problems the Pads are hoping that they got to it early enough and the tightness subsides quickly.  The team can ill afford to lose its best left handed bat off the bench.

With tonight’s win, the Pads are now in position to win their second series in a row.  Jeff Suppan (2-0 0.90) will get the ball against Cole Hamels (4-1, 2.45) in the series finale.

Go Pads!

Scan

 In what is being anticipated to be his final minor league outing outing he allowed 3 hits, while striking out 5 and walking none while throwing 78 pitches.

Assuming there are no ill side affects to his strained elbow from tonight’s outing in the days to come, it is likely that Stauffer would be reactivated of the disabled list during the upcoming road trip, with his next scheduled 5th day being Monday in Washington.

Scan

 It was brought to my attention by some upset fans.  I’ve included all the content below so that you DO NOT have to go to the site that published it, thus giving them the social media attention they are perversely craving.

This type of acrimonious, cheap shot “journalism” should not invoke any ire amongst San Diegans towards Bostonians, agnostic sports fans against athletes of faith, nor deepen the chasm that sometimes exists between athletes and the media.  Instead I think it should simply serve as a reminder to us all that there are self serving jackasses in every walk of life, and that it is always easier for the simpler of minds and weaker of characters to promote negativity and to insight discord, especially when it also serves to self promote.

Adrian Gonzalez is not the first high profile athlete Wilbur has gone out of his way to professionally and personally trash on his way to infamy.  Tom Brady was one of his previous victims after a Super Bowl loss, bringing Wilbur radio, and print interviews galore to explain his over the top attack.

As a former professional athlete, and now a member of the media, I have seen both sides of the power of the camera, microphone, and pen.  I do believe that part of being a public figure means being willing to take the blame along with the accolades, and that sometimes false idols and scared cows do deserve to be challenged and revealed for what they are.  In fact, sometimes it’s necessary.

However,  I’ve always found it sickening when the attack becomes as unnecesarily personal and arrogant as Wilbur’s does in my opinion in this rant on Gonzalez, his spiritual faith, and in an ancillary fashion San Diego.

Hey, athlete’s make mistakes, and so do journalists – I’ve made my share as both.   Maybe it’s the laissez faire, So Cal nonchalance in me, but this article to me just feels like the the line of journalistic decency has been crossed.  Let’s stay classy national media.

Scan

By Eric Wilbur

He is the face of a franchise with no soul.

It’s the perfect role for Adrian Gonzalez.

You can take the man out of San Diego, but you apparently can’t take the laissez-faire SoCal nonchalance out of the player who is quickly becoming the maddening, non-charismatic answer to JD Drew.

Just not in God’s plan, I guess.

Oftentimes, it can be a stretch to criticize a baseball player’s fire and desire, the patient game not exactly on par with the passion exhibited in other sports. But this guy is a wonder.

Has there ever been a more forgettable MVP campaign in recent memory than what Gonzalez gave the Red Sox last season? One-plus seasons into his Boston contract, is it realistic to add the first baseman to the elongated list of colossal Theo Epstein blunders the former GM orchestrated before escaping the increasing disaster that is this franchise?

Yesterday was probably the worst game of Gonzalez’s career, an epic 0-8 afternoon with a pair of strikeouts in Boston’s 9-6, 17-inning loss to the surprising Baltimore Orioles. After the game, the stand-up Gonzalez defended his performance by slinking away, refusing to answer any questions from reporters, just what you want from a $154 million franchise cornerstone, and supposed leader.

For the second time in a week, Gonzalez’s failure to come through in the clutch spoke volumes about the man’s charisma. Think about it. Gonzalez struck out against Orioles DH Chris Davis on three pitches. That’s almost impossible to fathom, isn’t it?

In the end, the Sox fell to 11-16 on the young season, 7 ½ games in back of the 19-9 Orioles. They are just four wins up on the 7-20 Minnesota Twins for the worst record in Major League Baseball.

What a disaster. An unmitigated disaster.

The fact that Gonzalez refused to answer any inquisitions about his failures yesterday is simply the perfect way to sum up what this team has become. It’s one thing to fall apart, it’s something else to not stand up for your actions. The Red Sox are in freefall mode, losers of five in a row, and when it comes time to face the music, their star player plays coward.

That’s your 2012 Boston Red Sox.

They are a completely unlikable failure of a team, a roster built with players few fans can figure out and bloated, overrated egos. Ben Cherington should get credit for attempting to fix the team that collapsed in historic fashion one year ago, but the damage has been done. The Red Sox are in deep trouble, and thanks to ridiculous decisions about Carl Crawford, John Lackey, and yes, Adrian Gonzalez, it’s a sinkhole that doesn’t seem like it’s going to get better any time soon.

Gonzalez is a heck of a ballplayer, and perhaps he’ll even rebound from one of the worst starts of his career.

But he doesn’t belong here.

Not even two months into his second season here, that’s becoming more and more evident. A player’s “comfort” can be somewhat overrated in sports. Each person carries himself a different way, whether or not it’s effective in different markets and lifestyles is another matter entirely.

Adrian Gonzalez is signed through 2018. There’s no way he’s here through then.

One has to wonder if he ever really mentally got here. He’s totally unprepared for what it means to be a team leader in a place like Boston.

He is perhaps the most boring superstar in the game, and now it appears he’s running away from the heat. Maybe he should take a breath and dash for it.

Like back to sunny San Diego.

 Coming to the Padres organization are infielder Alexi Amarista, and right -handed pitcher Donn Roach.

It’s been no secret that the Angels have been looking for bullpen help. The Angels ‘pen is the only one in MLB yet to record a victory, is tied for most losses in the A.L. with 6, has the third worst in ERA in the A.L. at 4.89, has the fewest strikeouts, and has second highest BAA.  Frieri should be a welcomed addition to Anaheim with his 1-0 record, and 2.31 ERA in 11 appearances so far this season.

As for the Padres, they’ve had needs of their own especially with middle infielders at the higher levels of the farm system.  Amarista, who was playing for AAA Slat Lake and will report to Tucson for the Pads,  provides another close to ready infield option to go with Everth Cabrera (who has reportedly been playing better of late in Tucson), and Logan Forsythe who is still recovering from foot surgery during spring.

Amarista is only 5’7″, 150 lbs., but has put up good offensive numbers each of his 6 minor league seasons in the Angels organization, and started the season with the big league club this year before being sent down 2 weeks into the season.  Over his minor league career he is a .313 hitter with a .376 OBP, and doesn’t strike out much, fanning only 228 times over 2153 plate appearances.  He has some speed as well with 117 SB’s.  He’s played mostly 2B, but can also go to  3B and SS, and also has some time in the outfield.

The Padres also received the 22-year old right-hander Roach, who through 6 starts for A-team Inland Empire was 5-0, with a 2.16 ERA, and 9.67 K/BB ratio.  He usually works at 91-92, will touch 94, and keeps the ball down.  Out of college he was throwing a CB and SF, but not sure exact what he is featuring now.  He was originally projected by some to be a 4th or 5th starter.  He’ll likely start off with the Pads in the California League with Lake Elsinore.

The padres traded from their strength, right-handed bullpen pitching, to add another option to their thinnest organizational position middle infield.  One thing Josh Byrnes has said he learned from his time as the Diamondbacks GM is that no matter how good your strength is, if you don’t address your weakest link, it can undermine the rest of the team.

I’m definitely going to miss The Big Ern, who was 3-3 with a 2.33 in 105 appearances with the Pads over the past 4 seasons, and was one of the most likable fun spirits you’ll ever have in a clubhouse.   Who knows how Amarista and Roach will turn out, but with the addition of the Angels’ 12 and 16th rated prospects to their organization, the Padres conceivably added some depth that may help them in the very near term, and longer out as well.  As with most trades, only time will reveal it’s true value to helping the Pads win games.

Scan

THE GOOD:

• Clayton Richard finding the fastball command that had deserted him in Colorado, and starting off the ball game with 6 solid innings of scoreless ball.  He was finally touched for 2 runs in the 7th, but overall it was another encouraging sign that Clayton Richard is back to throwing the ball as good as he ever had before the shoulder surgery that ended his season prematurely last year.  Clayton touched 95 MPH on one punch out pitch that ended a 6th inning rally, and had good command with al of his pitches most of the night to both sides of the plate.
• After opening the first inning with an error, the Padres defense helped Richard pitch over it with a nice scoop by Yonder Alonso to finish a double play, and a running catch at the base of the wall by Will Venable.
• The stingiest bullpen in MLB posted another 2.2 innings with no earned runs.

 Out pitching two time Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay, Luebke hurled 8 shutout innings while allowing only 2 hits.   The Pads actually got some help from Halladay in the 2nd inning as he walked 3 consecutive batters for the first time ever in his 15 year career, setting up a run to score on Orlando Hudson’s ground out.  Then the following inning Yonder Alonso drove in Chase Headley for what would be the game winning run with a 2-out double.

THE GOOD:

• Cory Luebke was better that good, he was great.  Using his 93-95 MPH fastball mostly at the knees and always on the corners, Luebke was overpowering.  He also had his slider biting for the second game in a row, and only had to work out of serious trouble in the 4th.  He probably could have finished the game himself, but gave way to Huston Street for the 9th. Stellar overall effort by the sophomore lefty.
• 5 runs crossed the plate tonight as the Pads took advantage of what was offered them.  While they only scored 2 runs against Halladay, that was a far cry better that the 1 run total they scored over the previous two games.  Nice to see the offense add on as well with 3 insurance runs in the 8th, thanks to RBI hits by Jason bartlett, Orlando Hudson, and Jesus Guzman to take a little pressure off the bullpen.

Vance Worley was working his entire repertoire from the first pitch, making especially good use of his 2-seam fastball inside to lefties to record a career high 10 K’s.

THE GOOD:

• Joe Wieland looked MUCH better in his second career start.  He showed some signs of jitters in the first walking the leadoff man, Juan Pierre, who would eventually score the deciding run, but after working out of the early trouble he settled down nicely retiring 17 of the last 19 batters he faced.
• The bullpen notched another 3 innings allowing zero earned runs, lowering their already N.L. leading ERA to 2.03.
• Chase Headley reaching base safely 3 times tonight, and has now reached base safely in 6 of his last 8 plate appearances.

 That being said the Rockies’ starter Juan Nicasio figured out how to keep the damage to a minimum while Padres’ starter Clayon Richard did not.

THE GOOD:

• Chase Headley having the firs multiple HR game of his career, hitting first a Nicasio fastball opposite field for a home run #3 on the season, then later hitting a change up to the same part of the ballpark for #4.  Chase had 4 home runs all of last season, so it’s nice to see some early power out of the veteran third baseman.
• Will Venable with 2 hits from the leadoff spot.
• Nick Hundley with 2 hits tonight, giving him 6 in the past 4 games.  He also had a nice throw out of Chris Nelson trying to steal second in the 8th.
• 2.2 more scoreless innings out of the Pads bullpen.

LINEUP:

• Venable – CF
• Denorfia – RF
• Headley – 3B
• Guzman – LF
• Alonso – 1B
• Hundley – C
• Bartlett – SS
• Hudson – 2B
• Richard – P