SAN DIEGO — Nothing from the Padres’ 2011 season should have
come as a surprise.

That’s what happens when a budget-conscious franchise removes
the best-valued contract in baseball and one of the top hitters in
the game from its lineup. That’s what happens when young players
regress and free-agent moves don’t pan out. That’s what happens
when the farm system can’t help patch holes.

With the Padres having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball,
their 71-91 record in 2011 should be considered the norm. Until
general manager Jed Hoyer’s vision of a farm system capable of
producing several prospects per season comes to fruition, the
Padres’ stunning 2010 season — in which they won 90 games and fell
one game short of the playoffs — will be nothing more than an
outlier.

The trade of Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox last
offseason placed Hoyer and the Padres in an almost insurmountable
hole. Although the Padres received several prospects that they
believe will become franchise cornerstones, an irreplaceable player
was lost.

Hoyer did everything he could to make up for Gonzalez’s absence
through free agency and trades. It wasn’t enough.

Gonzalez’s replacements — Brad Hawpe and Jorge Cantu — flopped.
Hawpe’s bat was inconsistent before his season-ending injury, and
his inexperience at first base hurt the defense. Cantu never hit
and was released in June.

The Padres hoped that the additions of middle infielders Jason
Bartlett and Orlando Hudson would strengthen the team. But neither
player lived up to expectations.

Hudson had trouble staying healthy and never hit as well as the
team hoped, and Bartlett committed 18 errors, though most were in
the first half.

The team’s bench also failed to match the 2010 group in terms of
production and leadership. Hoyer said last week that the latter
factor played a significant role as the Padres — who didn’t retain
David Eckstein, Jerry Hairston Jr., Yorvit Torrealba or Matt Stairs
— suffered from a leadership void for most of the season.

One of the team’s few bright spots, center fielder Cameron
Maybin, asserted himself in the clubhouse late in the season and
backed it up on the field with stellar play. But the Padres will
need even more internal direction from their players to improve at
Petco Park, where they won only 35 of 81 games. The team’s 35-46
home record was tied for the worst since the park opened in
2004.

With run production lacking at Petco, run prevention is
significant. The Padres were great at saving runs in 2010. They
were above-average in 2011, but only after a second-half
turnaround.

After ranking at the bottom of the fielding standings for the
first half of the season, the Padres cleaned up defensively and
finished ranked fourth in the National League.

The team’s pitching staff ranked third in the league with a 3.44
ERA. But even that performance wasn’t up to the team’s lofty
standards. As Hoyer and manager Bud Black noted, the Padres rarely
outpitched an opponent.

Before returning to form in the second half, Mat Latos struggled
through a sloppy first three months. Clayton Richard also slumped
before he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery after 18
starts.

Of the position players, outfielder Will Venable was too
inconsistent to hit leadoff. Catcher Nick Hundley was an All-Star
when healthy, but he missed 60-plus games with injuries. And Ryan
Ludwick wasn’t the middle-of-the-order threat that the Padres
expected.

Not all was bad. The Padres’ farm system produced two league
titles — Single-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio — and four
teams that reached the postseason.

And because the Padres were out of contention by early July,
they had plenty of time for evaluation. Anthony Rizzo, James
Darnell, Josh Spence, Erik Hamren and several others saw
significant field action.

Jesus Guzman came out of nowhere to produce a strong rookie
campaign. Cory Luebke developed into a good starting pitcher.
Anthony Bass put himself in position to make the 2012 roster.
Maybin became a fixture in center and a player the Padres can build
around.

But the Padres aren’t contenders yet.

With few dollars available to make significant changes, and not
enough impact prospects ready, the Padres are likely to find
themselves facing an uphill battle again next April.

The San Diego Padres have fired hitting coach
Randy Ready, general manager Jed Hoyer announced Thursday.

Ready, a former major league utilityman, was hired as Padres hitting coach
during the 2009 season. He had been managing the team’s Triple-A team in
Portland.

“I would like to thank Randy for his efforts during his time as hitting coach
for the Padres,” Hoyer said in a statement. “He has made a lasting impact on
this organization, dating back to his time as a minor league manager. Randy
worked tirelessly at what has proven to be a one of the most difficult jobs in
baseball, and we appreciate all he has done for the Padres.”

The Padres retained five other members of manager Bud Black’s staff: bench
coach Rick Renteria, pitching coach Darren Balsley, third base coach Glenn
Hoffman, first base coach Dave Roberts and bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds.

©2011 Sports Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DENVER (AP)—Cory Luebke(notes) wasn’t worried about throwing a no-hitter when he
went to a 3-1 count on Mark Ellis(notes) in the sixth inning. One pitch later, no one
else was worried about it, either.

Ellis hit a two-run homer to break up Luebke’s no-hit bid with two outs in
the sixth, but the San Diego Padres cruised to an 8-2 win over the slumping
Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

“You see it but I can’t say I thought about it a whole lot,” Luebke said.
“It’s the sixth inning. There’s still a lot of game to go yet. It’s not
something you think about until the last inning.”

The Padres have never thrown a no-hitter in their 43-year history, though 19
times they’ve held an opponent hitless into the eighth. The last time was July 9
when five pitchers kept the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless through 8 2-3 innings
before Juan Uribe(notes) broke it up with a double.

“I think you always (think about it) because you want it to happen for your
guys,” San Diego manager Bud Black said. “You’re always aware of it as you
move deeper into the game. We’ve seen it a number of times in the past.”

Luebke (6-9) tried to become the first pitcher in franchise history to
accomplish the feat. He walked three and retired 12 straight at one point
through five innings. He got Chris Nelson(notes) to line out to open the sixth before
walking Eric Young(notes) Jr.

Luebke momentarily preserved the no-hitter in the sixth when he slid to grab
Dexter Fowler’s(notes) slow roller near the mound and threw out the speedy outfielder
at first for the second out of the inning.

“I was definitely thinking this was his night,” outfielder Cameron Maybin(notes)
said.

One batter later, Ellis ended the no-hit bid with his seventh homer to make
it 8-2. It was Colorado’s only hit of the game.

“A game like that, the only way you let a team back in is by putting guys
on base yourself,” Luebke said. “I just wanted to pound the zone.”

It wasn’t a guarantee Luebke would finish the game had he kept the no-hitter
going. Entering the sixth his pitch count was 86 and he finished the game with
119 pitches, a total due in large part to nine three-ball counts.

“That would have been a tough decision,” Black said. “There probably
would have been a limit at some point.”

Luebke was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He struck out a
career-high nine.

“You don’t like to give credit to pitchers,” Ellis said. “You might have
to do it tonight.”

Ernesto Frieri(notes) pitched two hitless innings to finish the game. The Rockies
have lost five straight and six of seven.

Maybin and Aaron Cunningham(notes) homered and had two hits each, and Jason
Bartlett(notes) also had two hits for San Diego, which has won three of four.

Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki(notes) (left hip), first baseman Todd Helton(notes)
(back) and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez(notes) (right wrist) were out of the lineup.

“We obviously don’t have some of the best players out there,” Ellis said.
“But the guys that are out there are playing hard. We’re just not winning a lot
of games.”

The Padres jumped on Kevin Millwood(notes) (3-3) early. They took a 1-0 lead in the
second on three straight singles and made it 3-0 in the third on RBI singles by
Bartlett and Kyle Blanks(notes).

San Diego broke it open in the fourth and chased Millwood. Jeremy Hermida(notes)
led off with a walk and scored on Cunningham’s homer to left-center, his second.

One out later, Luebke singled to right and Maybin hit the first pitch he saw
into the right-field bleachers for his ninth homer to make it 7-0.

“I made a lot of hard outs the past week and a half, and it was nice to
finally get some balls to find some gaps and hit the ball out of the park,”
Maybin said.

Jim Miller(notes) relieved Millwood and got the final two outs of the inning.

Millwood allowed seven runs—six earned—and nine hits. He struck out one.

NOTES: Maybin is hitting .372 against the Rockies. Three of his nine home
runs have come against Colorado. … Tulowitzki has missed six straight games
and eight of the past 10. Helton has missed six consecutive games and 12 of the
past 14. Gonzalez missed his fourth game in a row. … Padres INF Jesus Guzman(notes)
(sore neck) was not in the lineup. … The Padres will send RHP Matt Latos to
the mound against Colorado RHP Jhoulys Chacin(notes) in the second game of the series
Tuesday.

A good effort by San Diego’s Aaron Harang wasn’t enough against
the Arizona Diamondbacks and Joe Saunders.

Saunders took a five-hitter into the ninth inning, Paul
Goldschmidt drove in three runs and the Diamondbacks beat the
Padres 5-1 Sunday to cut the magic number to five for their first
NL West title since 2007.

Harang (13-7) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings. He
has lost four of his last five starts despite a 3.19 ERA in that
span.

“He pitched a game that was good enough to win,” San Diego
manager Bud Black said. “But we just couldn’t get to Joe Saunders.
His assortment of fastballs in, fastballs down and away. We just
couldn’t get enough balls squared against him.”

Both runs off Harang came on solo homers _ by Miguel Montero and
Goldschmidt. The home runs were decisive, as they have been in many
of Harang’s losses.

The right-hander is 8-1 in the 14 starts where he has not
allowed a home run. In his other 13 starts, Harang has given up 20
homers and has a 5-6 record.

Cameron Maybin had a leadoff single in the third, stole second,
took third on Montero’s throwing error from behind the plate and
scored on Jason Bartlett’s groundout.

Montero’s 17th homer tied the score leading off the fourth.
Goldschmidt put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer in
the sixth.

“I wish I could have gone back out there for the seventh,”
Harang said. “But Buddy had his reasons. I felt good but two balls
they did a good job of hitting.”

Goldschmidt combined with Aaron Hill for RBI singles in the
seventh against Brad Brach and added a sacrifice fly against Erik
Hamren in the eighth.

Arizona maintained a five-game lead over second-place San
Francisco with nine games remaining, stopping a three-game losing
streak. The Diamondbacks open a nine-game homestand Monday against
Pittsburgh, then host the Giants for a three-game series next
weekend.

Saunders (12-12) limited last-place San Diego an unearned run
and seven hits in 8 2-3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 1.47 ERA
against the Padres this season. After two-out singles by Blanks and
Alberto Gonzalez in the ninth, J.J. Putz struck out pinch-hitter
Nick Hundley for his 41st save in 45 chances.

San Francisco kept the pressure on the Diamondbacks with its
eighth straight win, 12-5 at Colorado.

“It’s been a couple of days, so it’s a good feeling,” Arizona
manager Kirk Gibson said. “Every victory at this point of the
season is great. The Giants have been playing great and are on a
big winning streak. We needed to match that and take care of our
own business.”

NOTES: Arizona was 11-7 against San Diego, which is 23-43
against the NL West. … San Diego LHP Corey Luebke (5-9, 3.27)
will start the opener of a three-game series, the club’s final road
games, at Colorado against RHP Kevin Millwood (3-2, 3.68).

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SAN DIEGO (AP)—With the San Francisco Giants getting hot, the Arizona
Diamondbacks know they have to keep winning.

Joe Saunders(notes) took a five-hitter into the ninth inning, Paul Goldschmidt(notes)
drove in three runs and the Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 Sunday to
cut the magic number to five for their first NL West title since 2007.

Arizona maintained a five-game lead over second-place San Francisco with
nine games remaining, stopping a three-game losing streak. The Diamondbacks open
a nine-game homestand Monday against Pittsburgh, then host the Giants for a
three-game series next weekend.

“When you go on a little stretch and you get a little antsy like that, you
start to press a little bit,” Saunders said. “You just need to relax. When you
relax, things come easier to you. I think that’s what happened. They didn’t try
to do to much and we just played our game.”

San Francisco kept the pressure on the Diamondbacks with its eighth straight
win, 12-5 at Colorado.

“It’s been a couple of days, so it’s a good feeling,” Arizona manager Kirk
Gibson said. “Every victory at this point of the season is great. The Giants
have been playing great and are on a big winning streak. We needed to match that
and take care of our own business.”

Saunders (12-12) wanted to make sure he did his job at Petco Park, where he
has pitched his best games this season.

The lefty limited last-place San Diego to an unearned run and seven hits in
8 2-3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 1.47 ERA against the Padres this year. He
threw his only complete game this season in a 6-1 win at San Diego on July 26.

“I came in this morning and decided I need to go out there and throw my `A’
game,” Saunders said. “We got some clutch hits down the stretch. We’re
grinding it out. It was a good win for us.”

After Saunders allowed two-out singles by Kyle Blanks(notes) and Alberto Gonzalez(notes)
in the ninth, J.J. Putz(notes) struck out pinch-hitter Nick Hundley(notes) for his 41st save
in 45 chances.

Goldschmidt led the Arizona offense, which managed just three runs during
the losing streak. Goldschmidt had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the
sixth that put the Diamondbacks ahead for good at 2-1.

“We just couldn’t get to Joe Saunders,” Padres manager Bud Black said.
“His assortment of fastballs in, fastballs down and away. We just couldn’t get
enough balls squared against him.”

Aaron Harang(notes) (13-7) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings. He has
lost four of his last five starts despite a 3.19 ERA in that span.

Cameron Maybin(notes) had a leadoff single in the third, stole second, took third
on Miguel Montero’s(notes) throwing error from behind the plate and scored on Jason
Bartlett’s(notes) groundout.

Montero’s 17th homer tied the score leading off the fourth. Goldschmidt put
the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

“It was just a first-pitch fastball up and away,” Goldschmidt said. “He
likes to get ahead with fastballs, so I was looking for it.”

Goldschmidt combined with Aaron Hill(notes) for RBI singles in the seventh against
Brad Brach(notes) and added a sacrifice fly against Erik Hamren(notes) in the eighth.

NOTES: Arizona was 11-7 against San Diego, which is 23-43 against the NL
West. … RHP Ian Kennedy(notes) (19-4, 2.99 ERA) will attempt to become the NL’s first
20-game winner this season Monday when he faces Pittsburgh RHP Jeff Karstens(notes)
(9-8, 3.45). … San Diego LHP Corey Luebke (5-9, 3.27) will start the opener of
a three-game series, the club’s final road games, at Colorado against RHP Kevin
Millwood(notes) (3-2, 3.68).