[August 27, 2014]SAN DIEGO -- Tyson Ross is no longer a secret.
"We talk," Padres manager Bud Black said
Tuesday night about baseball people. "Other managers are talking about
Tyson being a force. There is a chatter, a clamor about him. Tyson is
one of those guys who are talked about a lot.
"He's growing into one of those pitchers you talk about."
Tuesday night, Ross evened his record at 12-12 and lowered his ERA
to 2.64 by holding the National League Central-leading Milwaukee
Brewers to one run on four hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings in
the Padres 4-1 win at Petco Park.
For good measure, Ross hit an opposite-field double and scored to
ignite a three-run third against Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson (2-5).
Offensively, the Padres also got a first-inning, solo homer and a
third-inning, run-scoring single from outfielder Abraham Almonte,
who was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. First baseman
Yasmani Grandal also had two hits and an RBI.
Tuesday's start was the franchise-record 13th straight quality start
by Ross, who has a 1.96 ERA during the run that started on June 21.
In only one of those starts did Ross allow three runs in six
innings.
"He's got an incredible arm," Scooter Gennett said of Ross after the
Brewers' second baseman drove in Milwaukee's lone run with a two-out
double in the fourth. Gennett's double came after Ross had struck
out Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez with a runner on third.
"His arm is real fast," Gennett continued on Ross. "He's nice and
smooth and relaxed. And then once he starts throwing the, his arm is
so quick that it adds the deception factor. He's got a good slider,
a good fastball and coming from a 6-foot-7 body it's not the easiest
thing to hit in the world."
Padres catcher Rene Rivera says the approach taken by rival hitters
is evidence of how good Ross has become.
"The way they swing at the first pitch tells you they don't want to
get two strikes down," said Rivera. "Guys have no chance of hitting
the slider on the corner."
"The slider is that good," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of
Ross. "It's always been that good. When he's down in the zone,
you're not going to be able to hit it, so you have to make him get
it up. The trouble is, when it's down you think it's a fastball and
you can't pick up the spin on it, and you swing and it ends up in
the dirt.
"You see the stuff that he has and if he's on with his command,
you're going to have a tough night. Great fastball and a great
slider. He throws his slider 3-and-0 and 3-and-1. It doesn't matter.
"When you are facing a guy that tough, you're not going to get much."
And the Brewers didn't.
The top four hitters in the Brewers lineup -- center fielder Carlos
Gomez, catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Braun and Ramirez -- went 1-for-12
against Ross with five strikeouts.
The Padres built a 4-0 lead before the Brewers got on the board.
Nelson (2-5) allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks
with seven strikeouts in five innings.
Right-hander Joaquin picked up his ninth save for the Padres.
NOTES: The Padres on Tuesday renamed one of the busier areas of Petco
Park "Selig Hall of Fame Plaza" in honor of the retiring Commissioner.
The plaza is just inside the Gaslamp Gate adjacent to the Western Metal
Supply Co. building and will be the focal point for the future Padres
Hall of Fame. ... Brewers RHP Matt Garza threw a successful bullpen
session Tuesday and will either make a rehab start this weekend or join
the Brewers after Sept. 1. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso will have surgery
to repair the torn tendon in his right forearm.
