SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:
Padres punch back & Juan Soto hits 2 homers as Padres win Game 2 8-5
- Juan Soto, acquired by San Diego almost a year earlier to the day (on Aug. 2, 2022) had his 15th-career multi-HR game and his 3rd this season, going 2-for-4 with 4 RBI…his career most in a season is 4 multi-homer games in 2021 with WSH.
- Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth also had multiple hits, & Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled…SD batters went 4-for-9 w/RISP.
- Pedro Avila got the start, and he worked 4.0 innings of 1-run ball, punching out 7.
Our King: Ha-Seong Kim
- Ha-Seong Kim leads the Padres in batting average (.281), BABIP (.328), and stolen bases (22)…and per Baseball Reference, Kim’s WAR (wins above replacement) ties with Ronald Acuña Jr. for the Major League lead, ahead of 3rdplace Shohei Ohtani’s 5.0 WAR.
Makin’ moves
- At 3:00 pm MT yesterday, the Padres announced the acquisition of LHP Rich Hill and 1B/DH Ji Man Choi from the Pirates in exchange for LHP Jackson Wolf, 1B Alfonso Rivas, and OF Estuar Suero.
- In the final hour of the deadline, the Padres made acquired RHP Scott Barlow from the Royals in exchange for RHPs Jesus Rio and Henry Williams and acquired INF Garrett Cooper and RHP Sean Reynolds from the Miami Marlins in exchange for LHP Ryan Weathers.
- Added to today’s active roster were 1B/DH Ji Man Choi, INF Garrett Cooper and RHP Scott Barlow, and LHP Ray Kerr was recalled from Triple-A El Paso…to make room on the 26-man roster, LHP Tim Hill was placed on the 15-day IL with a sprained left ring finger, C Brett Sullivan was optioned to El Paso and RHP Brent Honeywell was designated for assignment…Choi will wear No. 91, Cooper No. 24 and Barlow No. 58.
Nick Martinez gets the rock for his 1st start since April 19
- The Padres announced Joe Musgrove was scratched for today’s start and Nick Martinez will get the start for the 1st time since April 19 vs. ATL (5th GS overall)…Nick began ’23 in the rotation and moved to the ‘pen after that April 19th outing…made 42 relief app. for a 3.88 ERA (22 ER, 51.0 IP) out of the ‘pen.
COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
DOG DAYS
- The Colorado Rockies conclude their six-game homestand this afternoon with the rubber match against the San Diego Padres … dropped two of three to the Oakland Athletics to begin the homestand.
- Following today’s game and an off-day tomorrow, the Rockies embark on a 10-game road trip to St. Louis (Friday-Sunday), Milwaukee (Aug. 7-9) and Los Angeles-NL (Aug. 10-13), their second and final 10-game road
trip of the season. - Colorado has gone 8-8 since the All-Star Break, winning two series, dropping two and splitting one … 11 of the Rockies’ last 12 losses since July 4 have come by three or fewer runs … conversely, six of their nine wins across that same span have been by three or fewer runs.
THIS FOR THAT
- The Rockies made five trades over the past two months prior to yesterday’s trade deadline, acquiring a total of seven Minor League pitchers in return, three of whom now rank in the Rockies’ top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline.
- On Tuesday, the Rockies acquired RHP Alec Barger from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for LHP Brad Hand … in a separate trade, the Rockies also acquired LHP Justin Bruihl from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.
- On Sunday, the Rockies acquired RHP Jake Madden (#20 Rockies prospect) and LHP Mason Albright (#21 prospect) from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for INF C.J. Cron and OF Randal Grichuk, along with cash considerations.
- On July 24, the Rockies acquired RHP Victor Vodnik (#22 prospect) and RHP Tanner Gordon from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for RHP Pierce Johnson.
- On June 24, Colorado acquired Minor League RHP Connor Van Scoyoc via trade with the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for INF Mike Moustakas.
- With the trades, the Rockies now have one of the youngest groups of position players in baseball per Stats Perform … at an average age of 27-years-and-219-days-old, the Rockies rank fifth in the Majors behind Baltimore (27-173), Pittsburgh (27-143), Kansas City (27-7) and Cleveland (26-280).
FLORIDA MAN RETURNS
- Rockies 2B Brendan Rodgers has hit safely in each of his first two games of the season after being reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Monday … placed on the IL on March 25 after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder after suffering an injury on a diving play at second base on Feb. 28.
- In 2022, was named the winner of the National League Gold Glove at second base, his first career Gold Glove Award … one of two Rockies’ second basemen to win the award along with DJ LeMahieu (2014, 2017-18) and the eighth player overall in franchise history to win a Gold Glove.
- His 22 defensive runs saved in 2022 led all second basemen and ranked second overall in the Majors … 3.0 dWAR (Baseball Reference) was tied with Ke’Bryan Hayes for the highest among all Major League position players … 4.4 bWAR overall led the Rockies.
GOLDEN
- Third baseman Ryan McMahon leads the Majors with 17 defensive runs saved while shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s 11 defensive runs saved are tied for 11th in the Majors and rank third among all shortstops … the Rockies are the only team in the Majors with two players on the left side of the infield with at least 10 defensive runs saved.
- Rookie center fielder Brenton Doyle was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Month by Fielding Bible/Sports Info Solutions after he led all center fielders with six runs saved in July … his eight defensive runs saved on the season are tied for third among all center fielders while his 95.3 MPH average arm strength ranks ninth among all position players, fifth among outfielders.
- Outfielder Nolan Jones has totaled four DRS … his seven outfield assists are tied for the 10th-most in the Majors and are tied for the Major League lead since June 21 … his average arm strength of 99.2 MPH is the fastest among all outfielders.
DO IT LIKE TOVAR
- Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar recorded his 100th career hit on Friday, the 12th Rockie in history to reach the Mark in 105 or fewer games, the first since David Dahl in 2018 … Tovar accomplished the feat four days before turning 22-years-old on Tuesday, the fifth-youngest Venezeuelan born player to log at least 100 games, 100 hits and 10 home runs before his 22nd birthday … youngest to do so since Ronald Acuña Jr. on Sept. 18, 2018 (20-years-and-274-days-old).
- Has begun his Rockies career by starting 109 consecutive games, the longest stretch of consecutive starts without a bench appearance to begin a Rockies’ career, per Elias … the previous streak was 69 games by Trevor Story in 2016.
BOMBERS BACK
- The Rockies hit 33 home runs in July, their first time hitting at least 30 home runs in any month since September 2021 … Colorado has connected on 26 home runs since the All-Star Break, tied for the sixth-most in the Majors.
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #21 KYLE FREELAND LHP
DENVER KID
- Kyle Freeland will make his 21st start of the season today, his 12th at Coors Field.
- Reinstated from the 15-day injured list prior to his last start … placed on the IL on July 14 with a right shoulder subluxation, suffered on a diving play in his start on July 9.
- The 30-year-old Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, 15 minutes south of Coors Field … selected in the first round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (eighth overall), the third player in University of Evansville history to be drafted in the first round.
BROWN & GOLD
- Freeland has pitched against San Diego 22 times in his career (20 starts), going 7-6 with a 4.28 ERA (111.1 IP, 53 ER) … half of his starts have been quality including one this season (March 31).
- In two starts against the Padres this season he is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA (11.0 IP, 1 ER), nine hits allowed and three walks (1.09 WHIP) … tossed six scoreless innings on March 31 in San Diego, a 4-1 Rockies win … last outing came on June 10 in Colorado, a 3-2 Rockies loss (5.0,6,1,1,2,5).
LAST TIME(S) OUT
- Suffered his 11th loss of the season July 28 vs. Oakland, tied for the most in the NL and tied for a career high (fourth time, last: 2022) … tossed 4.0 innings with five runs (three earned), nine hits and three strikeouts.
- Has lost seven-straight decisions over 11 starts since his last win on May 14 vs. Philadelphia, the longest single-season losing streak of his career, tied for his longest overall (also: Aug. 20, 2017-April 18, 2018) … has gone 0-7 with a 6.31 ERA (55.2 IP, 39 ER) with 22 walks and 28 strikeouts over that span … allowed 79 hits (.333 opp. average) with nine home runs … has received 13 total runs of support this stretch (2.10 average).
SUPPORT SYSTEM
- Has averaged 3.03 runs of support this season, the lowest mark among qualified ML pitchers.
- Has received a total of 10 runs of support in his nine road starts, a 1.78 average that is the lowest on the road in the Majors … has received no runs in six of nine starts.
- 4.05 RSA since 2020 is the fourth-lowest among qualifying pitchers … 4.64 career RSA is the second-lowest in franchise history (min. 50 GS).
