PITCHING-RICH VICTORY
Clevinger, Gore, Rogers combine on Padres’ third shutout of the season
Now they’re just showing off. The Padres practically flaunted their abundance of starting pitching in everyone’s face Tuesday night.
Mike Clevinger threw five scoreless innings before being replaced by rookie MacKenzie Gore, who added on three scoreless innings in his first professional relief appearance.
That got the game to Taylor Rogers, who moved into a tie for the major league lead with his 14th save by closing out a 3-0 victory over the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
“It was actually just about perfect,” said acting manager Ryan Christenson. “It worked out almost how we ideally planned it before the game.”
The Padres have seven starting pitchers and want to use them all, and Clevinger making his third start and Blake Snell making his season debut on back-to-back nights afforded the opportunity to do so.
While Christenson after the game backtracked slightly on his pregame statement that the plan was to go with a piggyback again today, it does seem the Padres will follow Snell with Nick Martinez. If that works out even close to as well as the
pitcher Joe Musgrove said. “Those things kind of go hand in hand. You have more confidence to take the reins, give the speech, to say what needs to be said.
“Sometimes when you’re not performing, for me at least, it’s been difficult for me to step up. But that’s something he hasn’t wavered in, his ability to lead guys in the clubhouse with his energy, his encouragement, support on game planning or picking apart video on a pitcher. For the younger guys, he’s always involved.
“Regardless of how he’s performing, that stuff is always there.”
Hosmer has been a mammoth part of holding down the offensive fort until reinforcements arrive. That happened Tuesday in 3-0 win over the Phillies, when eight hits were spread across seven players.
One of those hits came on an eighth-inning single from Hosmer.
“It’s been fun,” he said. Machado said the lineup protection Hosmer offers with his swing in 2022 is in addition to something he’s always provided.
“He’s always had that protection with his name,” he said. “When you go up there, you don’t want to throw to him. This year, he’s doing some more damage than in the past, but his name is already providing that.”
Name value clearly had diminished a season ago, but it’s being restored by the at-bat.
“We always look to Eric,” catcher Austin Nola said. “He’s been there before. I don’t think the numbers
matter. I’ve always thought he’s been a leader in the way he goes about his business every day. His résumé demands respect.”
Yes, it’s barely past midMay. Yes, the book on Hosmer is that the fast starts give way to sleepy summers, despite July being his careerbest OPS month with more RBIs in August trumping all others.
No matter the skepticism that will hitch a ride on the
conversation, the first 36 games would be wholly different without his offense.
“Yeah, it’s satisfying,” Hosmer said of his steamy start. “That other stuff comes with it. When you’re not producing, that stuff ’s going to happen. All that talk will stir up. You just try to stay focused. My teammates did a good job showing confidence in me and having my back.
“Just kind of kept that
tunnel vision with these guys every day and try to block out the outside noise as much as you can.”
The attitude and approach from a disappointing season for a team that cratered in 2021, players in the Padres clubhouse say, remains nearly identical.
“People might see the results (a season ago) and assume he’s not working hard, leaving something on the table,” Musgrove said.
“But we’ve been around him every day and the work is not different than last year. Maybe there’s a difference on the things he’s focusing on in the work, but the effort has not changed at all.”
Hosmer, for his part, said it’s not a matter of pinpointing any one thing, although his pre-pitch hands are lower and the stance is altered a bit.
There’s little doubt, however, that Hosmer and
Machado are feeding off each other.
“It’s kind of like when the starters are on a roll,” Hosmer said. “You get a good outing, and the next day, you get another good outing. They feed off each other. That’s kind of what we’re doing right now.”
Sound like Hosmer’s having fun? What do you think?