Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 48

CS SUNDAY. JUNE 7, 2009 DIAMONDBACKS THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC NOTES Quails' forearm is stiff after return Dan Josh Harcn Geer sion Saturday afternoon. "The last 10 (pitches) I cranked it up a little bit, and I felt like I was throwing fairly hard," he said. "That was good." He expects to throw a similar session Tuesday at Chase Field, take two days off and then get on the mound for the first time since April. "That will be big," he said.

"If 11 be kind of the telltale sign, how it reacts after that I was letting it go pretty good (Saturday), so I'm thinking it will be fine." Webb happy with throwing session By Nick Piecoro The Arizona Republic SAN DIEGO A day after his first appearance since May 28, closer Chad Quails said his forearm felt a "little stiff" Saturday, news that has the potential to be very troubling for the Diamondbacks bullpen. Quails, who had been given seven days off with inflammation in his forearm, threw a scoreless ninth inning on Friday night "If anything, it's a little stiff," he said. "Ifs nothing alarming. It's more frustrating." Quails received treatment on it from the club's medical staff and was not expected to pitch Saturday. Quails did not sound overly concerned about the long-term health of his arm forearm injuries are sometimes precursors to elbow issues because of assurances he has received from the training staff.

"They say it's in a good spot," he said, noting that it was on the backside of his arm. "I trust our trainers. They know how to deal with these things. We're going to figure it out and get it straightened out" Another step Feeling good following another flat-ground session Saturday afternoon, ace Brandon Webb said he is hoping to throw his first bullpen session late next week, perhaps Friday. Webb, out with a teres major muscle strain in his right shoulder, is looking forward to getting on the mound, particularly after "letting it go" in a 40-pitch ses TODAY'S GAME Diamondbacks at Padres When: 1:05 p.m.

Where: Petco Park, San Diego. Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Dan Haren (4-4, 2.42) vs. San Diego RHP Josh Geer (1-1, 5.17). TVradio: FSAZKTAR-AM (620), KSUN-AM (1400). Once again, Haren pitched well enough to win in his most-recent start, giving up just one run in seven innings against the Dodgers, but wound up with a no-decision.

This time, it was the bullpen that cost him a win. He had three hits against the Dodgers to raise his season average to .280 (7 for 25). He was not at his best in his only start against the Padres this season, when he allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings May 7. 3B Kevin Kouz-manoff is 6 for 19 (.308) with a home run and RF Brian Giles is 8 for 26 (.308) vs. Haren.

Geer has a 6.55 ERA in his past four starts. He has never faced the Diamondbacks. Geer threw an inning in relief Tuesday, the day RHP Jake Peavy left his start due to illness. Scherzer's outing is 'a battle' i is' ia Padres 6, Diamondbacks 4 DIAMONDBACKS Continued from CI have fastball command, you're not going to be successful." The Diamondbacks clubhouse was slow to open after the game, and when reporters finally were let in, manager A.J. Hinch's door was closed.

A few minutes later, reliever Jon Rauch left the office. Hinch would not reveal details of their conversation, but it seemed unusual on a night when Rauch threw a scoreless seventh inning with no visible confrontations. "It was just an internal meeting I had to have," Hinch said. "Nothing I can comment on. Just an internal issue." After jumping on Padres starter Kevin Correia for two runs in the first inning, Correia shut them down for the next five innings.

"We just didn't get it done," Hinch said. "We didn't add to the runs. We didn't get first batters out very often out of the bullpen. We simply didn't get it done." Scherzer struggled through his five innings, walking five and leaving with a pitch count of 104, but he managed to make pitches when he needed to and left with a 2-0 lead. "It was a battle," Scherzer said.

"Obviously the walks were killing me, but to go out there and not give up a run, I've got to walk away with the positives." It didn't last long. The Padres Arizona ab bi bb so Avg. F. Lopez 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .303 R.Roberts 3b 3 1 0 0 0 1 .343 J.Upton rf 4 1110 1 .317 S.Drew ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .232 Reynolds lb 2 1 1 0 2 0 .270 C.Young cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .178 Ojeda 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .245 Byrnes If 4 0 1 2 0 1 .213 Snyder 3 0 0 0 0 2 C-Monteroph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .218 Scherzer 2 0 1 0 0 1 .300 G. Parracf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .293 Totals 32 4 6 4 2 7 San Diego ab bl bb so Avg.

Gwynncf 2 1 2 0 3 0 .325 Eckstein 2b 3 1 1 1 2 0 .249 Ad.Gonzalez lb 3 1 0 0 2 1 .281 Headley 3b 110 110 .243 Kouzmanoff 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .219 Giles rf 5 0 2 2 0 2 .198 Venablelf 5 12 10 1 .154 H. Blanco 4 0 1 0 0 1 .197 C.Burke ss 4 12 10 1 .213 Correia 2 0 0 0 0 1 .231 ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .209 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Totals 32 6 10 6 8 8 Arizona 200 000 011-4 62 San Diego 000 006 00x-6 10 0 LiA a-flied out for Correia in the 6th. b-struck out for Gregerson in the 7th. c-grounded out for Snyder in the 9th. Reynolds (8), Scherzer (1).

LOB Arizona 4, San Diego 12. 2B Gwynn (2), Venable (1). HR (11), off Mujica. RBIs J.Upton (34), S.Drew (16), Byrnes 2 (21), Eckstein (17), Headley (22), Giles 2 (21), Venable (1), C.Burke (5). SB -Gwynn (2), C.Burke (4).

Runners left in scoring position Arizona 2 (Snyder 2); San Diego 6 (Giles 4, H.Blanco, Ad.Gonzalez). Runners moved up Ojeda, Byrnes, Eckstein, H.Blanco. GIDP Ad.Gonzalez, Venable, C.Burke. DP Arizona 3 (F.Lopez, S.Drew, Reynolds), (S.Drew, Reynolds), (F.Lopez, S.Drew, Reynolds); San Diego 1 (Ad.Gonzalez). wl lTv My er bb so np 6 104 0 16 cut it to 2-1 in the sixth against reliever Leo Rosales, who departed with two out and a runner on first, at which point Hinch called upon Schlereth, who struck out the side in his inning of work on Friday night.

But against Schlereth on Saturday, the Padres drew two walks and singled to tie the game and then took the lead when a Schlereth curveball hit Chase Headley on the foot. That brought on another lefty, Clay Zavada, who gave up two more hits as the Padres built the lead to 6-2. Arizona Scherzer L.Rosales Schlereth Zavada Rauch J.Gutierrez San Diego Correia Gregerson Mujica Bell era 4.10 6.94 13.50 0.00 5.47 2.90 era 5.13 3.34 2.63 1.61 er bb so 2 2 14 0 0 0 2 110 1 1110 DENIS POROYASSOCIATED PRESS Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew jumps over the Padres' Henry Blanco as he turns a double play during the second inning of Saturday night's game in San Diego. Correia (2-4). Schlereth (0-2).

Save -Bell (16-17). Schlereth pitched to 4 batters in the 6th. Inherited runners-scored Schlereth 1-1, Zavada 3-3. HBP by Scherzer (Headley), by Schlereth (Headley), by Correia (R.Roberts). WP Bell.

PB Umpires Home, Paul Schrieber; First, Chad Fair-child; Second, Joe West; Third, Paul Nauert. 2:59. A 23,592. Key number How they scored REPORT Key player Padres right-hander Kevin Correia struggled through the first inning but settled down to make it through the sixth and pick up the win. VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX Manager A.J.

Hinch wouldn't say what he was discussing with reliever Jon Rauch after Saturday's game, but it's unusual for any player to meet behind closed doors postgame. And it's even more unusual when the length of the meeting spills into the media's allotted time in the clubhouse. Nick Piecoro Two-out RBIs by the Padres in the sixth inning. Key moment It took the Diamondbacks forever to get the third out of the sixth inning, needing seven tries and two relievers to finally end what was a six-run inning. DIAMONDBACKS FIRST F.Lopez infield single to shortstop.

On H.Blanco's passed ball, F.Lopez to second. R.Roberts was hit by a pitch. J.Upton flied out to left fielder Venable. S.Drew singled to left, F.Lopez scored, R.Roberts to second. Reynolds walked on four pitches, R.Roberts to third, S.Drew to second.

C.Young struck out. Byrnes infield single to shortstop, R.Roberts scored, S.Drew to third, Reynolds to second. Snyder struck out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Diamondbacks 2, Padres 0.

PADRES SIXTH L.Rosales pitching. Venable doubled to right. H.Blanco flied out to right fielder J.Upton, Venable to third. C.Burke infield single to shortstop, Venable scored. E.Gonzalez pinch-hitting Scouting efforts intensified for vital draft ror correia.

b.lionzaiez rued out to right fielder J.Upton. Schlereth pitching. Gwynn walked, C.Burke to second. Eckstein singled to center, C.Burke scored, Gwynn to second. Ad.Gonzalez walked, Gwynn to third, Eckstein to second.

Headley was hit by a pitch, Gwynn scored, Eckstein to third, Ad.Gonzalez to second. G.Parra in as center fielder. Zavada pitching. Giles singled to right, Eckstein scored, Ad.Gonzalez scored, Headley to third. Venable singled to left, Headley scored, Giles to second.

H.Blanco struck out. 6 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Padres 6, Diamondbacks 2. DIAMONDBACKS EIGHTH Mujica pitching. Kouzmanoff in as third baseman.

F.Lopez grounded out, second baseman Eckstein to first baseman Ad.Gonzalez. R.Roberts struck out. J.Upton homered to center on a 2-2 count. S.Drew grounded out, shortstop C.Burke to first baseman Ad.Gonzalez. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on.

Padres 6, Diamondbacks 3. DIAMONDBACKS NINTH Bell pitching. Reynolds walked on four pitches. On Bell's wild pitch, Reynolds to second. Ojeda grounded out, shortstop C.Burke to first baseman Ad.Gonzalez, Reynolds to third.

Byrnes grounded out, second baseman Eckstein first baseman Ad.Gonzalez, Reynolds scored. Montero pinch-hitting for Snyder. Montero grounded out, third baseman Kouzmanoff to first baseman Ad.Gonzalez. 1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Padres 6, Diamondbacks 4.

COMING UP Projected starting pitchers for the next three games: Monday: At San Diego, 7:05 p.m. RHP Jon Garland (4-5, 5.34) vs. San Diego RHP Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.10). TUesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m. RHP Billy Buckner (2-1, 5.24) vs.

San Francisco TBA. Wednesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m. LHP Doug Davis (3-6, 3.36) vs. San Francisco TBA. agents and wanted more opinions on amateur players whose signing bonuses rose into the seven-figure range.

Diamondbacks scouts believe they are being watched closely by the rest of the industry, saying that other teams are wondering how the interaction between the two scouting staffs will play out. Some onlookers have speculated that the change will lead to less draft-room authority for Allison and more for Dipoto, who is Byrnes' right-hand man for pro evaluations, but Byrnes said that isn't the case. Byrnes said most decisions are reached by consensus, but for those that aren't Allison will have the final call. "But he and Jerry have worked side by side through this," Byrnes said. Allison said he has been very comfortable with the process.

"Having Jerry, with his wealth of knowledge and ability, it's been awesome," he said. "We're trying to make decisions that are best for the By Nick Piecoro The Arizona Republic SAN DIEGO In preparation for a draft in which they have the most premium picks seven selections among the top 64 in franchise history, the Diamondbacks have poured more resources than ever into their preparation. And they turned back the clock to do it. As a way of getting more opinions on players, the Diamondbacks this year implemented a "hybrid" scouting system in which their scouts have been writing reports on players at all levels, from high school talent up to the major leagues, an unusual change given this era of specialization in baseball. "It's what 28 clubs were doing 15 years ago," Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes said.

"I think it's always good for any scout in a 12-month period to go see a wide variety of players teenagers here and in Latin America, minors, majors. It keeps the knowledge of the players cur rent. I think ifs been a good thing." More important for next week is that they got more looks at a draft class that Byrnes believes matches up well with his team's selections. Scouting director Tom Allison estimated that the organization produced between a third to 50 percent more scouting reports than in previous seasons, information that will be indispensable in what figures to be the most important draft in franchise history. "We knew that this scenario would be in front of us, and we started gathering information in the summer and getting multiple looks at guys," Allison said.

"It's been great." Like most clubs, the Diamondbacks' major-league scouts, headed by Director of Player Personnel Jerry Dipoto, previously had scouted only professional players while the area scouts, who cover specific regions, and their supervisors all of whom report to Allison largely focused on amateurs. But this year has been an all- hands-on-deck approach. On the, pro side, Dipoto and scouts Tim Schmidt, Mike Piatnik and Joe Bohringer have been most involved in amateurs, but even Chad MacDonald, the director of international scouting, has had a hand in draft coverage. For example, rather than an area scout seeing an amateur player for the third or fourth time, he would trade coverage with a pro scout, allowing an extra person in the organization to render an opinion without the' club missing a beat on its professional coverage. The Minnesota Twins are believed to be the only other team in baseball running their scouting department in such a way, but they are said to be doing it more by necessity (i.e., budgetary reasons) than by design.

The Diamondbacks insist they aren't trying to reinvent the wheel, noting that all teams used to scout this way. But rising player costs led to specialized scouting staffs. Teams needed more information on other teams' organizations when trading departing free.