News
Ramos to start season finale for Padres
Rook impressed enough Tuesday to merit another look
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
09/30/09 9:25 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- The Padres needed a starter for their regular-season finale on Sunday, and the fact that rookie left-hander Cesar Ramos pitched well enough in his first start Tuesday made it easy on the Padres to give him another start.Friars manager Bud Black confirmed that Ramos will start Sunday against the Giants after Ramos allowed one run in five-plus innings against the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Black also said that left-hander Wade LeBlanc will start Saturday against the Giants. The Padres will go with 12-game winner Kevin Correia in the series opener, though that had been set before Wednesday.
"Every game is a test, whether it's a Spring Training game or a game at the end of the regular season," Black said. "Players are performing and we are always watching."
The Padres decided that they wanted to see more of Ramos and LeBlanc, one last look to take with them into the offseason. Both pitchers will head to Spring Training in February as candidates to win a job in the starting rotation.
"After the game [Tuesday], I talked to [pitching coach Darren Balsley] and the coaches and decided, 'Let's get another look,'" Black said. "As you look at next season, [Ramos] is one of the guys who will vie for a spot in the rotation."
The same could be said for LeBlanc, who is 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA in eight starts, though he's 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA in six starts since returning from Triple-A Portland.
As for Ramos, who walked three and struck out two against the Dodgers, Black and his staff relish another chance to see what the left-hander can do. He showed a fastball that ran consistently around 92 mph and a big breaking ball on Tuesday.
Ramos is 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA in four appearances (one start) covering 10 1/3 innings.
"I think we all liked what we saw last night," Black said of Ramos, who became the 15th different pitcher to make a start for the Padres this season.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
