{"id":208996,"date":"2025-09-08T01:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T01:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/208996\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T01:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T01:22:10","slug":"jackson-merrill-breaks-out-a-coors-mindset-for-dylan-cease-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/208996\/","title":{"rendered":"Jackson Merrill breaks out, a Coors (mindset) for Dylan Cease \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

DENVER \u2014 To say Jackson Merrill was unsettled as he walked up the first base line in the second inning Saturday would be an understatement. He\u2019s fine with a hit-by-pitch giving him a free bag, but a 94 mph sinker off the same left ankle that forced him to the injured list in late August?<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, what the (expletive), man?\u201d Merrill said with a laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s so annoying. \u2026 It could have hit me anywhere else, but it went to the same exact spot that I have been dealing with. So that was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he got over it.<\/p>\n

And on Sunday, Merrill got back to himself.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old hit his first homer since returning from the injured list and finished a triple shy of the cycle in the Padres\u2019 8-1 win at Coors Field. Better yet, both extra-base hits \u2014 his second-inning homer and seventh-inning double \u2014 were left of center field, a good sign moving forward after he\u2019d been 0-for-10 through his first three games back in the lineup, beginning on Tuesday against the Orioles.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to see him do that,\u201d Padres manager Mike Shildt said. \u201cThe ball was coming off his bat well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrill was pulled late from Saturday\u2019s game for precautionary reasons, but he did collect his first hit since returning from the injured list \u2014 a single off first baseman Warming Bernabel\u2019s glove \u2014 before his exit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve actually felt good \u2014 my consistent one lineout per game; it\u2019s been awesome,\u201d Merrill said late Saturday night, still dripping in good-natured sarcasm. \u201cBut I\u2019ve felt good. Just getting back to it is the most important thing. Got a good stretch of baseball coming. Just get hot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrill had another idea about how to get his season back on track after hitting his first home run since Aug. 12 on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it goes over the fence, they can\u2019t catch it,\u201d Merrill said. \u201cLet\u2019s just do that. No, I felt good. Just hitting balls hard all day. Had good swings, easy swings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Coors mindset<\/p>\n

Five innings of one-run ball on Sunday lowered Dylan Cease\u2019s<\/strong> career ERA at Coors Field to 3.62 through four starts, all since a clunker in 2023 (4 \u2154 IP, 4 ER) with the White Sox.<\/p>\n

But Cease has won all three starts at Coors as a Padre, most notably the seven innings of one-run ball last April, when he struck out eight, didn\u2019t walk a batter and allowed just one hit.<\/p>\n

No one had ever thrown that many innings with one or no hits and no walks at the Rockies\u2019 infamous hitters haven.<\/p>\n

Even the only no-hitter thrown at Coors Field saw Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo<\/strong> walk four batters in September 1996.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just have to really mix,\u201d Cease said after throwing 34 four-seamers, 33 sliders, 17 sweepers, 13 sinkers and five knuckle curves in his 102-pitch effort on Sunday. \u201cYour fastball, everything plays down a little bit, so you have to make sure you mix and make sure to get your fastball to locations and use that smartly. For the most part, it really is just mixing and doing what you can, because it definitely is more challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hunting assists<\/p>\n

Fernando Tatis Jr.\u2019s<\/strong> assists from dropped from 12 in 2023 when he debuted as a full-time right fielder to six last year to just four so far this season.<\/p>\n

Such is life as a Platinum Gold Glover: They just don\u2019t run on him like they used to.<\/p>\n

So the 26-year-old has to create opportunities.<\/p>\n

Like in the fourth inning Saturday.<\/p>\n

He ran in to catch Kyle Karros\u2019<\/strong> shallow fly ball and knew Jordan Beck<\/strong> wasn\u2019t about test him at third base. But Tatis made sure Beck\u2019s first steps to the plate would be halted before he unleashed a throw to Manny Machado<\/strong> instead of home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew he was going to give me a hard couple steps,\u201d Tatis said. \u201cI just wanted to see if his first move was back to third and trying to get a good throw. But then it just kept sailing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed. The throw sailed over a leaping Machado, but the carom bounced right back to him and Beck \u2014 who thought he had to slide into third \u2014 had no chance in his dash to the plate in avoiding the 9-5-2 double play to end the inning.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like we drew it up,\u201d Tatis said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Notable<\/p>\n