San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
HADER TAKING BREAK FROM CLOSING
For the second time in three weeks, the Padres are giving the major league saves leader a break from the ninth-inning job. Last time, Taylor Rogers was traded away before that transitional role truly materialized. This time, with Josh Hader under contract through next year and considered arguably the best closer in the game, the Padres will stand by their struggling reliever as he goes under the hood.
“We’ll probably give him a break from (closing games) in the interim,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “Let him work on some things. Our guys (bullpen coach Ben Fritz and pitching coach Ruben Niebla) are really good about identifying kind of small things, whether it’s mechanical or whatever. We’ll give him a couple different outings or however long we think it takes to get him back into that role, but our best team obviously is with Josh Hader in the closer role and that’s why we got him.”
Melvin declined to drill down on what specifically is off with Hader, but the embattled left-hander on Friday night indicated he thought he’d been “too rotational” in his delivery, which has played a role in walking five batters, hitting two more and allowing six runs in 31⁄3 innings since joining the Padres.
“When I’m dominant I’m executing pitches and making pitches that are at (my standard),” Hader said.
Asked Friday night if he’d benefit from pitching lowerleverage situations, Hader said: “We’ll see. Obviously you have to be in the trenches to move forward.”
A day later, he was throwing in front of Niebla and Fritz, while Melvin revealed the news that Hader will work on looking more like the closer who has averaged 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his career. Hader had pitched the previous two games, so it was unlikely he would have sees action on Saturday, but Melvin indicated that he’d like to see Hader work regularly in lower-leverage situations in the short term.
Before back-to-back shaky outings on Thursday and Friday, Hader had not pitched since Aug. 9 because of a lack of save situations and the pitcher’s preference to work behind the scenes as opposed to simply pitching in games to get work in.
“In this particular instance, I think all parties involved think there’s probably a little bit of work that needs to be done,” Melvin said. “It shouldn’t take long. You look at his history, he’s one of, if not the premier closer in the NL for a long time. It will happen again.”
Snell recounts accident
Blake Snell had not yet put his Mercedes-benz sedan in park late Thursday night after pulling over for an alleged speeding violation on Interstate 5 near Carmel Valley Road.
It’s one of many reasons Snell considered himself lucky as he and his 22-yearold brother, seated next to him in the passenger seat, walked away without significant injuries after the car was sideswiped by a suspected drunken driver at a high speed just before 11 p.m.
“They said it was 75 mph and like veered into me,” the Padres’ left-hander said late Friday night after a 6-3 loss to the Nationals. “I didn’t park the car. My foot was on the brake. We were hit, we rolled forward and then the car automatically just broke and the other car went two lanes over.
“I just remember my hat went flying, my phone went flying. I just looked at my younger brother, ‘Are you good, are you good?’ … There’s more to it, but it was kind of crazy.”
They were good, more or less. Neither Snell nor his younger brother, affectionately nicknamed “Boots,” required a trip to the hospital after the car skidded some 12 feet after the collision.
The Padres’ medical team evaluated Snell and cleared him to start Friday’s game, although he admitted to pitching through neck pain while allowing three runs in five innings.
“It was a long night,” Snell said. “Hard to go to sleep, thinking about what could have been.”
He added: “It affected me. I’m happy I was able to pitch today, get out there and compete. I’m happy I’m alive.”
Needless to say, the ordeal was still top of mind as he discussed Friday’s outing. He threw 98 pitches, walked two, struck out seven and was again tortured by foul balls, slowing what had been a dominant start to the second half (0.94 ERA over his previous five starts).
“I’ll be better in my next one,” Snell said. “This one was kind of quick to be in that situation and then pitch the next day right after and not really … know how you’re going to feel and know what to expect . ... I gave the team a chance to win. I’m excited about that.
“I’ll get better by the next and the next one and the next one and the next one.”
Unfortunately there will be no “next one” for Snell’s Mercedes.
“It’s my baby,” Snell said. “Not anymore. It (saved me). It did its job.”
Azocar back, Mazara DFA’D
Before Saturday’s game, the Padres designated Nomar Mazara for assignment and recalled Jose Azocar from Triple-a El Paso.
The move gives the Padres speed off the bench and a right-handed bat against lefties. With Azocar’s return, the Padres no longer have a left-handed bat off the bench when their expected starting nine is in play, as was the case Saturday.