Good morning,
It was a busy day at Petco Park.
None of the busyness had to do with the Padres getting hits with runners in scoring position.
They didn’t do any of that until they trailed by seven runs in the ninth inning of last night’s 8-3 loss to the Mets.
You can read my game story (here) for the highlights and lowlights of the evening and what it means for the Padres in the playoff chase.
But before all that happened, there were two big developments for the Padres, which you can read about in my notebook (here).
And let’s discuss them further now.
First, starting pitcher Matt Waldron was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. I alluded to a likely rest in yesterday’s newsletter, and that is what this is.
“It’s just a reset for Matt,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said last night.
Waldron won’t be pitching in El Paso in five days. He might not even go to El Paso right away. He could go to the team’s complex in Arizona to get some throwing in.
As mentioned in the game story from Waldron’s tough start Wednesday, he is in his first full season as a starting pitcher in the major leagues. And he has taken the mound on the regular.
“He’s taken the ball,” Shildt said. “He’s been on pretty much regular rest, or getting an extra day here or there. Even at the All-Star break, he only got an extra day. … He’s been carrying the mail for us and done a really good job. Big part of what we’re doing, how we’re doing it. Just looked up and realized, ‘You know what, we need to take a reset.’ You know, for him to be able to go and work on a few things and regroup a little bit and be ready to come back.”
And speaking of comebacks, the Padres made their first real public declaration that Fernando Tatis Jr. will be back.
He is expected to face live pitching today at Petco Park and could be back in the lineup by the first week of September. (There are more details in my notebook.)
Next month has been the target for a while, but no Padres official had been willing to say so publicly. The fact Shildt did so yesterday was significant.
“What he provides is like nothing else,” Jake Cronenworth said of Tatis’ return. “It’s going to be a huge boost for us when he does come back.”
Cease’s stuff
Dylan Cease’s biggest issue last night was that he left a few sliders in the wrong places.
He allowed nine hits, which tied a season high, but did what a top-flight starter does when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He limited the damage to three runs (two earned) in 6⅓ innings.
“It was decent,” he said. “Obviously, I would prefer to give up no runs and less hits and all that. But I battled.”
It was Cease’s 14th quality start of the season, two shy of his career best set in 2022.
The right-hander has a 1.88 ERA over his past nine starts. The 52⅔ innings he has thrown in that span include the start Aug. 6 in Pittsburgh that lasted just one inning because of a rain delay that ended his night.
One thing that is noticeable about his recent starts is that his fastball velocity is down. But it is only really down from his July peak.
Here is a look at the average fastball velocity and number of pitches 98 mph or faster that Cease threw in each of his past 15 starts:
Cease’s average fastball velocity last night was practically identical to what it was the first three months of the season.
Cease attributed his uptick in July to a mechanical adjustment that has been explained in this space before. He said last night that nothing has changed.
“I’ve still got it in the tank,” he said. “It’s just some games, it seems easier to bring out than others. That’s baseball. We’re not robots.”
Both his 98 mph pitches last night came in his final inning.
“I’m putting the same effort in,” he said. “Those starts (where the velocity is up) it’s like for whatever reason it’s synced up and it’s coming out 98. Some of these starts, it’s like this, where it’s a little bit lower, and it’s just something I have to work with. And then, towards the end, when I need to go into closer mode, I can really reach back and get after it. It’s just more what my body has that day.”
In the trenches
It didn’t work out for the Padres last night, but Bryan Hoeing did his part again.
The right-hander took over for Cease with one out and a man on second in the seventh inning, stranded the runner and threw another scoreless inning to keep the Padres within two runs.
Logan Gillaspie allowed five runs in the ninth, making Hoeing’s effort in vain but not diminishing it.
“He’s been great,” Shildt said. “He’s been good with the lead. He’s been good, ideal in that situation.”
The acquisition of Hoeing at the trade deadline was overshadowed by the Padres also getting high-leverage relievers Jason Adam and Tanner Scott. But Hoeing, who came from the Marlins with Scott, has been a crucial part of multiple victories while posting a 0.69 ERA (two runs, one earned) and stranding all five runners he has inherited over his eight appearances (13 innings).
Here are four games in the past 2½ weeks in which Hoeing has played a significant and somewhat unsung role in Padres’ victories:
It is a cog the Padres lacked at times this season, as multiple games in which they might have had a chance got away from them.
“Yeah, you don’t see that in the box score so much, but it is an important role,” Hoeing said. “It’s a new role. I mean with Miami, I was more like long relief, up big or down big. But I think the staff here has trusted me a little bit lately. I’ve done well, to kind of come in there in middle innings to clean up whatever — base runners on, maybe get a ground ball, get a strikeout, and then kind of go back out there for more. Just kind of bridge it until Jason and Tanner and (Robert) Suarez, just find a way to get the ball to those guys. You probably feel pretty good about our chances if they get the ball with the lead. And our offense, if you can just keep it within two or three, at some point they’re going to come back.”
Recognize
Shortstop Mason McCoy made his major league debut last season for the Blue Jays, at 28 years old.
Last night, he made his first MLB start.
“There’s not enough words to describe that,” he said before the game. “Been grinding for a while. … I was grateful to get the opportunity to come up here and in the midst of an unbelievable month, an unbelievable push that we’re putting together, and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
McCoy, was called up Wednesday and entered that night’s game in the sixth inning and got his first big-league hit.
Last night, he added another single, two walks, scored a run and got his first big-league RBI.
Should be a fun series
Give Padres fans credit. And give Jesse Winker credit.
The Mets designated hitter was booed every time his name was mentioned last night, as Padres fans remembered he was among the most vocal players on the Nationals to take exception with how Jurickson Profar celebrated his June 24 walk-off hit against them.
Winker, who was traded to the Mets on July 28, went 2-for-5 with a double, scored twice and drove in a run last night.
Presumably, Winker did not make himself any more fans here when he celebrated his RBI double that gave the Mets a 7-1 lead in the ninth inning as if it had broken a 1-1 tie.
Jesse doing Jesse things. pic.twitter.com/goAp9i3ZP9
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 23, 2024
Tidbits
- The Twins had 18 hits on Wednesday and the Mets 17 last night. It is the first time the Padres have allowed 17 or more hits in back-to-back games since 2006.
- David Peralta was 2-for-3 last night and is batting .367/.404/.653 over his past 14 games (52 plate appearances).
- Luis Arraez was 2-for-5 last night. His .442 career average (23-for-52) against the Mets is second only to his .458 average (27-for-59) against the Reds.
- The Padres did not have an extra-base hit last night for the first time in 33 games.
All right, that’s it for me.
Talk to you tomorrow.
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