{"id":46113,"date":"2025-07-07T13:54:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T13:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/46113\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T13:54:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T13:54:09","slug":"big-night-for-darvish-all-star-talk-three-straight-offensive-10s-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/46113\/","title":{"rendered":"Big night for Darvish; All-Star talk; three straight offensive 10s \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning,<\/p>\n

There was a lot going on yesterday.<\/p>\n

You can read (here<\/a>) in my game story from the Padres\u2019 4-1 victory over the Rangers last night about how Fernando Tatis Jr.\u2019s plans for next week changed and how he delivered a game worthy of an All-Star.<\/p>\n

I also wrote yesterday (here<\/a>) about what Jason Adam was doing when he found out he had made his first All-Star team.<\/p>\n

Additionally, there is a possibly resurgent offense to talk about.<\/p>\n

But nothing that happened yesterday was as significant as the confirmation that Yu Darvish will start tonight\u2019s game against the Diamondbacks.<\/p>\n

We have talked about Darvish\u2019s rehab a lot, and I wrote about it again (here<\/a>) yesterday.<\/p>\n

This is one of the two returns the Padres have been waiting for in the starting rotation. They are increasingly optimistic about Michael King coming back from the pinched nerve near his shoulder, as well, though that is not happening until at least next month.<\/p>\n

Darvish (and later, King) returning has the potential to alter the Padres\u2019 season and help stave off a shortfall of quality innings that seems to be looming due to young pitchers filling the final two rotation spots and Dylan Cease having a down year (so far).<\/p>\n

Darvish will likely have a ceiling of 75 pitches tonight in his first start since Game 5 of last year\u2019s National League Division Series. Provided things go as expected, he would also pitch again this weekend before the All-Star break.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ryan Bergert is eligible to come off the injured list Thursday but will not do so until at least Friday against the Phillies, as Randy V\u00e1squez has already been named the starter in Thursday\u2019s series finale against Arizona.<\/p>\n

The way left-hander Kyle Hart pitched last night (11 up, 11 down) could make him a possibility against the lefty-heavy Phillies.<\/p>\n

Darvish and Nick Pivetta are presumably going to start Saturday and Sunday, respectively, though the Padres have some flexibility given the four days off at the start of next week.<\/p>\n

Stephen Kolek is not an option unless someone gets hurt.<\/p>\n

The right-hander, who is in his first season as a starting pitcher in the major leagues, was sent down to Triple-A yesterday for what Padres manager Mike Shildt described as \u201ca little bit of a blow.\u201d Kolek has already thrown 21 more innings in the major leagues this season than he did out of the bullpen in 2024. His 92 innings between the majors and Triple-A this season are his most since he threw 143 \u2154 innings in Double-A in 2022.<\/p>\n

Tatis\u2019 case<\/p>\n

The story posted yesterday<\/a> about Adam and Tatis joining Manny Machado as All-Stars, includes some justification for Tatis being an All-Star despite his struggles the past two-plus months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing good baseball, man,\u201d Tatis said last night. \u201c\u2026 Details. It\u2019s just a really good combination of base running, defense. Obviously, we know I can be a way better player offensively. But at the same time, I\u2019m trying to do everything at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While Tatis will happily forego the R&R he had planned for next week, he will not participate in the Home Run Derby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve been getting cramps (around) my obliques. So I\u2019m not going to take the chances. I feel like it\u2019s more important for me to stay healthy. Now it\u2019s going to be really three more months of baseball where we can turn things around and make this thing special.\u201d<\/p>\n

More All-Star stuff<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not one of the players who got \u201csnubbed\u201d or a close friend or relation of one of those players, it seems sort of silly to get too worked up over All-Star selections.<\/p>\n

That said, there are almost always a few good debates.<\/p>\n

We deal with the Padres here. So let\u2019s talk about their relievers.<\/p>\n

The argument, of course, could be made that Robert Suarez was snubbed, given that his 25 saves are five more than any other NL reliever. However, he has been no better than the Padres\u2019 third-best relief pitcher.<\/p>\n

Here is a look at their four higher-leverage relievers, in alphabetical order:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There is also the matter of a Padres starting pitcher who merited All-Star consideration.<\/p>\n

And given the likelihood that multiple starting pitchers drop out due to scheduling or workload concerns, Pivetta could be named to the NL team if he is available to pitch.<\/p>\n

That would likely require the Padres going with an alternate plan Sunday.<\/p>\n

Maybe \u2026<\/p>\n

Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Padres\u2019 offense is showing signs of life.<\/p>\n

Last night was their third consecutive game with 10 hits. They had not had double-digit hits in three straight games since doing so April 29 and 30 and May 2.<\/p>\n

On May 10, in their 38th game of the season, they had their MLB-leading 20th game with at least 10 hits. From May 11 through Wednesday, they had reached double digits nine times in 48 games.<\/p>\n

What the Padres are also doing lately is walking more.<\/p>\n

They walked five times last night after doing so four times Saturday and five times Friday. That followed their walking nine times in the first game of Wednesday\u2019s doubleheader in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

The Padres\u2019 7.9 percent walk rate since the start of last season (the Victor Rodriguez era) is ninth lowest in the major leagues.<\/p>\n

The Padres saw 4.24 pitches per plate appearance last night. That was seventh most this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to be stubborn,\u201d Shildt said last night. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be an aggressive team. We\u2019re not looking to be a non-aggressive, passive kind of club, but we\u2019ve got to be more stingy about what we\u2019re swinging at.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the Padres scored just 11 runs in the three games against the Rangers. They hit two home runs, doubled twice and tripled.<\/p>\n

They are making opposing pitchers go inside the strike zone more. What they need to do now is do more damage on pitches in the heart of the zone.<\/p>\n

Catching up<\/p>\n

The Padres decided quite a while ago to try to add a catcher at the trade deadline if at all possible.<\/p>\n

However, a few times this season it has looked as if Mart\u00edn Maldonado is cooked \u2014 and then he does something like what he did last night.<\/p>\n

Maldonado entered the game hitless in 10 at-bats over his previous six\u00a0 games but had two hits that both helped the Padres score.<\/p>\n

His two-out single kept alive the fourth inning, and Tatis followed with an RBI double to give the Padres a 2-1 lead. And Maldonado\u2019s single in the sixth inning drove in the Padres\u2019 third run.<\/p>\n

There is a split in the organization regarding the importance of the defense Maldonado brings, considering that he carried a .172 batting average into yesterday\u2019s game. But Shildt has made it clear he does value what happens behind the plate to a great extent and credits Padres catchers with helping guide a pitching staff that has MLB\u2019s eighth-best ERA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve led the league in shutouts,\u201d Shildt said. \u201cThe catchers are a huge part of that. We\u2019re one of the better staffs in a lot of different things that get measured in this league. Pitchers get ultimate credit. The catchers are a huge part of that. \u2026 When you start to see a game from a catcher\u2019s lens, like I was raised to do in player development and the big-league level, you can appreciate the value of that and where the outs are and how they get (pitchers) through it. So that value is extremely high for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then, listen, we\u2019re not going to say we don\u2019t want any offense from the catching position. And clearly, contributions from all parts of the lineup are huge. \u2026 And so those guys being able to contribute absolutely helps out<\/p>\n

Last night was the first time in six starts in which Maldonado was not pulled for a pinch-hitter.<\/p>\n

The .206 average and .594 OPS that Maldonado and Elias D\u00edaz are collectively putting up rank 26th and 27th, respectively, among all teams\u2019 catching corps.<\/p>\n

With the belief a catcher might not become available until right before the July 31 deadline \u2014 or might not become available at all \u2014 the Padres have also discussed bringing up Luis Campusano to see what he can do playing regularly after he struggled at the plate while getting limited plate appearances in two call-ups this season.<\/p>\n

Getting ready<\/p>\n

With the draft beginning this coming Sunday and the trade deadline at the end of the month, A.J. Preller\u2019s closest lieutenants are in San Diego rather than spread around the country looking at big-league and amateur players.<\/p>\n

The Rangers just left town, and you have to wonder if any of their players might be back in a few weeks. Word while they were here was that there aren\u2019t too many players on their roster that aren\u2019t available.<\/p>\n

The Padres, as has been the case since May, are looking for a right-handed batter (or two). At least one would likely play left field and\/or serve as designated hitter.<\/p>\n

Teams continue to ask the Padres about their young relief pitchers \u2014 both in the major leagues and minor leagues. But the Padres seem more inclined to add to that strength than deal from it.<\/p>\n

K mark<\/p>\n

Luis Arraez struck out last night for just the ninth time in 364 plate appearances this season.<\/p>\n

He still has a chance to do something that has not been done in the major leagues in 32 years and has been done by just one Padres player ever.<\/p>\n

Not since the Cardinals\u2019 Ozzie Smith in 1993 has a player with at least 300 plate appearances reached the All-Star break with fewer than 10 strikeouts. Tony Gwynn did it once, in 1992.<\/p>\n

Those are the only two players to accomplish the feat since 1977. Both had nine strikeouts at the break, Gwynn in 366 plate appearances and Smith in 345.<\/p>\n

Tidbits<\/p>\n