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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Padres Stumbled Into Off Day, But Resilient Club Makes it Easy to Stay Optimistic
After 31 games in 31 days the Padres got to catch their breath Monday. Derek and Darnay assess what they’ve seen as the club nears the midway point. Why last year’s struggles appear to be a thing of the past, and how Bob Melvin has made it easy to shrug off a mini-slump. The guys wonder if the national narrative…
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – The Padres Look Great, and Should Only Get Better in the Weeks to Come
They snapped out of their slump and came away with two very impressive series wins. Derek and Darnay discuss the Padres’ rebound, and how the lineup could look when Fernando Tatis Jr. gets healthy. What do the coming weeks look like for El Nino? Plus, Snell struggles and Gore just keeps shoving. The guys get into some trade talk, and…
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Gore Pads Rookie of the Year Resume, Padres Win Again
The Padres have not had a Rookie of the Year winner since Benito Santiago in 1987. MacKenzie Gore is making one heck of a case to end that drought. The 23-year-old lefty was dominant again in a 4-0 win over the Brewers, securing at least a series split in Milwaukee. Gore tossed 6.0 innings and struck out a career high-tying…
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Assessing the Padres at the Quarter Pole: Surprises, Concerns, and What Comes Next
The Padres have played 41 games, putting them 25% of the way into the Major League Baseball season. OK, 25.3%, but it’s as close as my remedial math skills can get. That is not an insignificant milestone for a big league ballclub so it’s a nice time to do a little dive into how things are going. The first 41…
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – What Would You Give up for Juan Soto?
It doesn’t take long for the guys to get sidetracked by the possibility of a trade for Nats’ superstar Juan Soto. After discussing Blake Snell’s debut and the rhythm of the Padres rotation, Derek and Darnay imagine what it would take to land Soto. They get back to the Philly series – piggybacking, Luke Voit’s struggles and more. Plus,...
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Clevinger, Gore Combine to Lead Padres to Shutout of Phillies
Mike Clevinger tossed one-hit ball over five shutout innings and combined with MacKenzie Gore and Taylor Rogers to lead the San Diego Padres to a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. Clevinger (1-0) won for the first time in three starts this season. He missed last season while rehabbing after Tommy John surgery. The righty tossed five…
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Manny's Overlooked Excellence and a Promising Padres Start with Jon Morosi
He is an esteemed baseball writer and broadcaster, and now he’s a member of the NBC Sports team. Jon Morosi makes his debut appearance with On Friar. The guys talk about his new role with NBC before getting into his early impressions of the Padres. Could their outfield struggles and pitching depth lead to a trade? Jon sees one...
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Hendricks Silences Bats, Padres Dealt Second Shutout in Three Games
Kyle Hendricks went as far as manager David Ross would let him. His Chicago Cubs teammates were hoping for just a little more. Hendricks came within one out of a three-hit shutout for the Cubs, who beat the listless San Diego Padres 6-0 Monday night to snap a season-high five-game losing streak. Manager David Ross came out to get Hendricks…
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Joe Deserves the Dough, A Snub for Machado, Good Signs and Roster Questions
Derek and Darnay hit on a handful of notable topics following another successful series on the road. Joe Musgrove could be having a Cy Young season. The guys discuss his continued growth and his contract uncertainty. With some fun pitching matchups coming in Cleveland they take a look at a rotation that’s getting crowded. How will it shake out,...
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Hosmer and Profar Homer, Gore Strikes out 10 in 8-5 Win
Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer, MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 over five innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-5 Wednesday night. Gore (2-0) allowed a run on five hits as the Padres won for the seventh time in nine games. “He was fantastic,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “He ran his pitch count up a…
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Profar Dazzles, Gore Delivers as Padres Complete Sweep of Reds
With a throw and a swing, Jurickson Profar gave rookie MacKenzie Gore and the San Diego Padres all they needed to beat the staggering Cincinnati Reds. Profar threw out Joey Votto at home and then hit a two-run homer for the Padres, who won 6-0 Wednesday to hand the Reds their ninth straight loss and their longest skid in five…
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Bats Sputter, Darvish Deals, Gore Impresses, Hosmer Gets Ringing Endorsement
For the third straight day the Padres mustered just two runs, but it was enough Sunday thanks to Yu Darvish. Darnay and Todd button up the first home series of 2022 with thoughts on Darvish’s bounce-back outing, and a lineup with a lot of holes in the absence of Fernando Tatis Jr. Eric Hosmer was been one of their most…
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Gore Looks Good in Debut But Padres Lose to Atlanta
In 2019, MacKenzie Gore was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the #1 pitching prospect in baseball. Then he had injury and control issues and fell off the radar of most prospect talent evaluators. On Friday night Gore showed the world he’s back and every bit as good as everyone thought he was. The 23-year-old Padres lefty made…
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Melvin Tabs Top Prospect Mackenzie Gore to Start Friday Against Braves
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore, the San Diego Padres’ top pitching prospect, is scheduled to make his big league debut Friday night with a start against the World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Takeaways from a Largely Good, Occasionally Quirky Opening Series
Three straight wins, fantastic efforts from their starters, an early visit from Slam Diego, and one strange absence. It was a mostly good opening weekend for the Padres that also included a couple strange twists. Derek and Darnay share their takeaways from four games in Arizona. Is MacKenzie Gore on the way? Who has stood out at the plate and…
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Caratini Traded, Gore Sent to El Paso in Flurry of Activity on Eve of Opening Day
The eve of Opening Day brought multiple moves for the Padres, who continue to tweak a roster with surplus at certain positions and clear needs at others. One of those spots with too many capable bodies was catcher, and the Padres thinned out that group with Wednesday’s trade that sent Victor Caratini to the Brewers for a pair of...
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Managing Expectations As a New Padres Season Approaches
A new Padres season is on our doorstep. So – how’s everyone feeling? Derek and Darnay take another look at a crowded rotation and how it might shake out. It looked a couple days ago like Eric Hosmer might be on the move, the guys discuss his presence and the team’s latest attempt to ship the first baseman. Then...
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – Biggest Questions Facing the Padres Two Weeks Out From Opening Day
Who’s playing in left field? Will MacKenzie Gore be the fifth starter? Which catcher will be the odd man out? Who’s the closer? Opening Day starter duties belong to…? Derek and Darnay dig into the major questions facing Bob Melvin and the Padres with game one fast approaching.
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LISTEN: On Friar Podcast – The Kids are Alright, Voit is Here, Is This the Roster We'll See on Opening Day?
Week one of Spring Training featured impressive performances from MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams. It also included the addition of a slugger and set up a competition in the rotation. Derek and Darnay discuss those topics, as well as questions in the outfield. Why wasn’t A.J. Preller able to land one of the big names on the market, and...
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Gore Shines, Padres Win Cactus League Opener
At the start of 2021 MacKenzie Gore was the #1 pitching prospect in baseball. Then he had all kinds of command issues in a disastrous season where he had to leave the minor leagues and work at the team’s training facility. On Friday, Gore started the Padres Cactus League opener against the Mariners. He only went two innings, your textbook…