San Diego, CA
Padres notes: Jake Cronenworth’s I.O.U., Joe Musgrove’s travel plans
Not lost at all in Saturday’s 3-2 win was the tag that Jake Cronenworth made to record the first out of the ninth inning.
As he’s accustomed to doing, Manny Machado’s momentum had carried him into foul territory as he fielded a ball near the third-base line. The ensuing throw to first base carried Cronenworth up the line, where he fielded the ball in time for a swiping tag of Brenton Doyle’s knee.
A replay review upheld the out call on the field.
“For those plays specifically I try not to hold the bag just in case,” Cronenworth said. “Usually I play in front of the base just in case that has to happen with a throw up the line. Thankfully I read it pretty early and got in position where I was able to pick it and (make the tag).”
Of course, more often than not, those throws are — unbelievably — on point.
Like the one in the eighth inning, when Machado made the same play look effortless, even the throw directly into Cronenworth’s chest to retire Hunter Goodman.
The Padres’ first baseman agreed with a laugh: As easy as Machado makes things for him, he owed his third baseman the acrobatic tag play in the ninth.
“He’s been in the big leagues for 11 years and making that play for 11 years,” Cronenworth said. “It seems like it’s become routine for him.”
Really an everyman
Joe Musgrove might be in the second leg of his five-year, $100 million deal, but he’s not so different the fellow San Diegans he pitches in front of:
He, too, had a Southwest flight mess with travel plans.
His late Saturday flight to San Antonio canceled, Musgrove instead traveled to Fresno on Sunday for a rehab start in low Single-A Lake Elsinore’s 5 p.m. game.
The plan was for a start in the neighborhood of three innings and 45-50 pitches and then a flight to join the Padres in Pittsburgh.
Of course, it’s not entirely on Southwest for the change in travel plans.
Musgrove could have left earlier on Saturday, but he opted to stick around to watch Martín Pérez’s debut.
“What a teammate,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said Saturday night … before he knew of the canceled flight. “He could have easily checked out early, gotten to San Antonio, and been like, you know, I’m gonna chill out. And this guy waited, waited, waited, waited till the game was over to go catch a flight so he can be with his team today. Speaks to his leadership when he’s not on the field with us.”
Notable
- RHP Michael King threw a bullpen for the first time since taking a comebacker off his left calf in his July 27 start. King is expected to return to the rotation in Pittsburgh.
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