REFINING RUNNING GAME
The Padres returned Saturday from the second of their two off days this spring. Sunday against the Angels was the second of 10 straight games before they depart for San Diego on March 29.
It’s time to buckle down a lot of details, and one in particular: the running game.
“Usually, the biggest challenge is getting guys up and moving and finding out what they can and can’t do — not only for ourselves but for themselves as well,” manager Jayce Tingler said this past week. “That comes with stealing bases, the ball in the dirt read, we’re trying to be extra aggressive right now. We understand that we may run into some outs. I think our overall plan and philosophy. … Coming (out of ) the off day is where as a group we’re focused on tightening everything up. I think there’s still some aspects of guys trying to find whatever, their rhythm and timing whether it’s on the mound or at the plate but when we come in off that off day that’s where we want all those phases of strike one, start locking in the at-bats as a group, tightening up the base running, can’t be making outs on the bases, all those things we want to see start to come together coming off the off day.”
The Padres have been running wild. Their 22 attempts through their first 18 Cactus League games were third most in the majors. They had been caught an abysmal 50 percent of the time.
They’re a better running team than that.
Their 55 steals led the majors last season, and their 80.9 percent success rate ranked seventh.
“Were giving a lot of freedom right now in trying to do things,” Tingler explained after a recent game.
There were no plays on, essentially no mind paid to the game situation. Players were just trying to get a feel for their leads and their breaks and get back up to game speed.
The running game is an important component of Tingler’s Padres, who have not attempted any steals the past two games.
They led the majors in the statistic known as power speed number, a formula created by sabermetrics guru Bill James that is simply two times home runs times stolen bases, divided by the sum of home runs and stolen bases.
The Padres’ 69.7 power speed number far outpaced second-place Tampa Bay’s 60.
So, for all those home runs and doubles they might be capable of, the Padres plan to continue trying to take extra bases as much as any team.
The Padres have five players whose best 90-foot running split was less than four seconds in 2020. Only the Rays (six) and White Sox (six) had more.
“I think it’s a huge separator of what type of offense we can be, and I think it’s a little bit who we are,” Tingler said of the running game. “We are an athletic group. We can move, and I think it’s one of the huge important factors to what type of offense we’re going to be. Can we go first to third? Can we score on base hits when we’re on second base? Can we get the extra 90 feet? Can we take advantage of pitchers that are slower to the plate? I think it’s a huge component of offensive baseball and a little bit I think it’s who we are because we’ve got some energy and we’ve got some guys that can move and run.”
Notable
Dinelson Lamet will pitch in his first spring training game Wednesday against the Giants. Lamet, who threw 29 pitches Thursday in a simulated game, is being brought along slowly this spring after not finishing last season due to elbow discomfort. The Padres are targeting a season debut in late April for the right-hander who finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting last year. Tingler said Lamet is slated to pitch one inning “and see how it goes” on Wednesday.
• Reliever Drew Pomeranz (forearm) played catch up to a distance of about 100 feet Sunday while Pierce Johnson (groin) long tossed at about 180 feet. The hope is both get game action this week and are ready for opening day.
• Center fielder Trent Grisham took batting practice on the field, his first time doing so since suffering a hamstring strain on March 11. The expectation is he will play opening day.
• Chris Paddack will take his regular turn in the rotation in a simulated game Tuesday while MacKenzie Gore pitches in the Padres’ Cactus League contest against the Cincinnati Reds.
• First baseman Eric Hosmer did not play again Saturday, but he was a full participant in the morning workout a day after he was sent home with a stomach ailment. He is expected to start today against the Royals.
• Tingler said Tommy Pham was undergoing treatment for a sore hip after banging into the outfield wall chasing a home run Saturday. Said Tingler: “My guess is he’s back in there (today).”