{"id":208172,"date":"2025-09-07T17:40:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T17:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/208172\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T17:40:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T17:40:11","slug":"jake-cronenworth-at-shortstop-for-coors-field-finale-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/208172\/","title":{"rendered":"Jake Cronenworth at shortstop for Coors Field finale \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

DENVER \u2014 Padres manager Mike Shildt<\/strong> has made it clear that he\u2019s not going to make a habit of sacrificing defense for offense.<\/p>\n

But Coors Field is as good a place as any to chase runs from the start.<\/p>\n

So Jake Cronenworth<\/strong> will start at shortstop for the first time since the 2022 regular season finale in Sunday\u2019s 12:10 p.m. start (Padres.TV). That allows the Padres to start Luis Arraez<\/strong>, Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/strong> and Gavin Sheets<\/strong> as the Padres look to win their first series since taking two of three from the Dodgers at Petco Park in late August.<\/p>\n

Arraez will play second base, O\u2019Hearn will play first and Sheets will serve as the DH.<\/p>\n

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Today’s #Padres<\/a> lineup pic.twitter.com\/EfkYyPulex<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) September 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Cronenworth has appeared in two games this year at shortstop, both as defensive replacements in eighth and ninth innings of losses to the Orioles on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.<\/p>\n

Between those two appearances, Shildt explained the reasoning like this:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when we\u2019re down and we\u2019re chasing it, you know?\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, the one thing that I can confidently say is defense is important and we don\u2019t want to \u2014 I\u2019ve done this long enough to see (what happens) when you\u2019re chasing offense for the sacrifice of defense. And if you\u2019re not on top of your game on the mound as much, you need your defense. So it\u2019s an opportunity there to slide Croney over, get Luis to second, keep O\u2019Hearn\u2019s bat in the lineup, but it\u2019s something more that we\u2019ll see when we\u2019re down, because we need to make sure we also field our best defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause, it\u2019s not the sexiest thing that we talk about a lot, and we talk about the lineup construction and all the different things, but (defense) does show up. You know, there\u2019s nine innings of defense \u2014 to catch the baseball and make outs. Outs are important. But good news is we do have some flexibility, and we\u2019ll use it appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the Padres aren\u2019t down and Dylan Cease<\/strong> should give the Padres a leg up on Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon<\/strong> (see pitching matchup below), but the Padres sprinted out to a 10-2 lead on Saturday only to sweat out the tying run on base in the eighth and ninth innings, all with Sheets on the bench.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Arraez sat and O\u2019Hearn had seen his share of bench duty too before Jackson Merrill\u2019s<\/strong> injured list stint as the Padres are trying to figure out how to best deploy all the pieces acquired from the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

There have been no complaints from inside the clubhouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s gonna have to be workable,\u201d O\u2019Hearn said after reaching base five times Saturday. \u201cWe have really good players. That\u2019s one of the downsides of it. Somebody\u2019s going to have to be on the bench. I just kind of show up and do whatever I need to do if my name\u2019s in the lineup and I get called. Just going to keep going, keep trying to win games and get after it.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three are in the lineup Sunday, along with Cronenworth, who has 10 homers and a .758 OPS that would be his highest since 2021 (.800) if the season ended today.<\/p>\n

Conversely, his 10 errors are a career high and tied with the Orioles\u2019 Jackson Holliday<\/strong> for the most among MLB second basemen. That said Mason McCoy,<\/strong> who is here for his defense, made one throwing error in his start on Saturday at shortstop and was saved from another by Arraez at first base.<\/p>\n

Holding on for a win on Saturday finally allowed the Padres to gain a game in the NL West on the on Dodgers, who lost a fifth straight when the Orioles spoiled a no-hitter with two outs and ultimately walked off a win.<\/p>\n

The same Orioles, O\u2019Hearn\u2019s old friends, had just swept the Padres to start the week.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, what a finish, I just watched it,\u201d O\u2019Hearn said. \u201cInsane. They are a good team. I\u2019m not surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is how the Rockies, who will not have All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman \u2014 who has three homers in seven games this year against the Padres \u2014 will line up for the rubber match:<\/p>\n

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Today’s #Rockies<\/a> lineup pic.twitter.com\/HTYOUIKvbO<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) September 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s pitching matchup<\/p>\n

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (6-11, 4.81 ERA)<\/strong><\/p>\n

He has a 5.96 ERA over his last five starts and has completed five innings just twice in that stretch. Cease has not faced the Rockies since going 2-1 in three starts last year (3.44 ERA). He has a 4.15 ERA in three career starts at Coors Field.<\/p>\n

Here is how Cease has fared against current Rockies:<\/p>\n

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Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (5-5, 6.07 ERA)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second-year starter has a 7.05 ERA in 90\u2154 innings since last year\u2019s debut and has allowed 17 home runs so far, including seven in 56\u2153 innings this year. Gordon, however, has turned in three straight quality starts (2.00 ERA), including one at home, where he has a 4.50 ERA in seven starts this year. Gordon limited the Padres to one run in six innings in a no-decision at Petco Park.<\/p>\n

Here is how Gordon has fared against current Padres:<\/p>\n

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