s "normal." Thursday would have been his turn

LOS ANGELES -- With the All-Star Game coming up next week, Drew Pomeranz made a strong case to pitch in his home ballpark.He tossed two-hit ball over seven innings, Melvin Upton Jr. homered leading off the game and the San Diego Padres beat the Dodgers 6-0 on Thursday night in a rough comeback for Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu.Pomeranz (8-7) struck out six and walked two in his third straight start of seven innings with one run or less. The left-hander has 26 strikeouts in his last 27 innings. He helped himself offensively, singling in a run with two outs in the second for a 2-0 lead.I dont know what else Im supposed to do for that, Pomeranz said of a possible All-Star berth in San Diego. I try not to focus on it. My goal is to go out there and do what I did every single time. Seven innings, three starts in a row, thats an improvement for me, and thats what I want to do, be out there in the game longer.The National League is in need of a replacement for injured Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Pomeranz deserves the nod, Padres manager Andy Green said.Hes been outstanding. Sometimes the opportunity doesnt present itself. Were hopeful that it does the next couple of days, Green said. Anybody who is tuned into this game, if theyre looking for somebody to replace Kershaw, I think he is clearly the candidate.Ryu (0-1) got a rude welcome back to the major leagues, giving up six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. The South Korean left-hander was reinstated earlier Thursday from the 60-day disabled list to make his first major league start since Sept. 12, 2014. He had shoulder surgery in May 2015, causing him to miss all last season.Overall, I felt really great, Ryu said through a translator. My shoulder felt really great. I didnt see any issues.Ryus struggles extended an unwelcome streak for Dodgers starters, with none of them going seven innings since May 14 except for the now-injured Kershaw.However, just having Ryu back in the rotation was a welcome sight for the Dodgers. Brandon McCarthy recently returned to the rotation and Brett Anderson is soon to follow.He looked very comparable to where he was, Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. Well see the Hyun-Jin of 2013-14 really soon. Hes going to be a huge weapon for us in the second half.Dodgers rookie All-Star Corey Seager went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, ending his 19-game hitting streak, which was the longest in the National League this season.San Diego won for the fifth time in seven games, rapping out 10 hits.Alexei Ramirezs RBI double extended the Padres lead to 3-0 in the fourth. They tacked on three runs with two outs in the fifth on Yangervis Solartes RBI double and Alex Dickersons first career triple to deep right. Yasiel Puig misplayed the ball, which went over his head, and then he missed the cutoff man, making it 6-0 and chasing Ryu.GREAT CATCHDodgers center fielder Trayce Thompson made two nifty catches to rob former Dodger Matt Kemp. He snagged Kemps liner before crashing into the wall in the seventh and then grabbed another long shot from Kemp in the ninth. One batter earlier, Puig made a highlight catch on Wil Myers in deep right. In the first, Puig made a running grab of Solarte over the low wall in right field to end the inning.HIT IT HERESeager has a tall task in the first round of the Home Run Derby during All-Star festivities next week. The rookie takes on Baltimores Mark Trumbo, the top seed and current major league leader with 26 homers. Seager ranks second among major league rookies with 17 homers. Hes flying his family from North Carolina to San Diego to watch.Hes going to be nervous and there are some guys who get shut out, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Theres a lot of pressure. Youre kind of like a man on an island out there.ALL IN THE FAMILYMyers is making the Home Run Derby a family affair. He picked his 19-year-old brother Beau to pitch to him during the contest. Beau just completed his freshman year as a third baseman at Appalachian State.He sent me a couple videos of him throwing BP in the cage, so hopefully hes ready, Wil Myers said. Win or lose it doesnt really matter. Its a cool thing for me and him to go out there and do, and its something that well remember for a long time.DODGERS MOVESLos Angeles recalled RHP Carlos Frias from Triple-A Oklahoma City for his second stint on the active roster this season. He was recalled June 19-21 but didnt appear in a game. The reliever pitched last Sunday for OKC against Nashville, allowing one run and one hit in 1 2/3 innings for his third win of the season. ... They designated OF Will Venable for assignment and will send LHP Luis Avilan to OKC.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder inflammation) had a rehab bullpen session pushed back after twisting an ankle while in his room exercising Wednesday. An X-ray was negative. He is resting the ankle and expected to throw in the next few days. ... 2B Cory Spangenberg (hamstring) and 2B Jemile Weeks (hamstring) are progressing in their rehab in Arizona and expected to begin playing minor league rehab games by the middle of next week.UP NEXTPadres: RHP Andrew Cashner (3-6, 4.42 ERA) makes his second start since being reinstated from the DL.Dodgers: LHP Scott Kazmir (7-3, 4.37) is 1-0 with a 4.37 ERA in four career starts against the Padres while limiting them to a .217 average. Rafael Devers Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Craig Kimbrel Jersey .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. http://www.theredsoxteamshop.com/Red-Sox-Carl-Yastrzemski-Kids-Jersey/ . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. Jackie Bradley Jr Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Xander Bogaerts Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift.SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecums no-hitter last weekend at San Diego provided a rare first-half highlight for the stumbling San Francisco Giants. And, perhaps, a glimpse into the Freaks immediate future in the Bay Area. General manager Brian Sabean said on his regular radio show Thursday that the Giants dont plan to trade the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner this season. "Thats definitely good. Ive always had a great time here in SF and I just hope to see that go further," Lincecum said after the Giants held a post-All-Star break workout at AT&T Park on Thursday night. Lincecum is in the final season of a $40.5 million, two year contract. "I expect Timmy to be in a Giant uniform," Sabean said on KNBR-680. "I find it hard to believe that hed pitch elsewhere this year." Now, the defending World Series champions must get back to work in a hurry if they want to hang around in an NL West that is still wide open. The first-place Arizona Diamondbacks are in town for a three-game series starting Friday night to kick off the second half. "We know where were at, and what has to happen in the second half, and thats us getting more consistent in all facets of the game," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said as the Giants held a light workout Thursday evening. "This things not going to happen right away as far as getting right back to where you want to be. Its a gradual thing, and that happens by playing good baseball." At 50-45, Arizona leads the fourth-place Giants (43-51) by 6 1/2 games -- so this series will be important for both clubs. Arizona will look to separate, while San Francisco hopes to gain ground in a tight division. The Giants are struggling in every phase, with a daunting August schedule on the horizon. First, theres an important nine-game homestand, which includes a 10th game at AT&T Park on Tuesday in a doubleheader with Cincinnati in which the first game features the Reds as home team to make up a July 4 rainout. Players and coaches held a team meeting Friday in San Diego. Nobody is counting out the Giants at this stage. "This is the team thats won two out of the last three World Series. Theyre still the king of the hill in this division," D-backs infielder Cliff Pennington said. "Just being ahead of them after the first half doesnt knock the team that won the World Series two out of the last three years out of it." Still, San Francisco has lost 14 of its last 20 games and is desperately seeking some momentum. Not to mention some good fortune. "They seem eager to get back. Thats great news," Bochy said. "I think its pretty simple, really: Early, our pitching wasnt what it normally is, and we went through a month really not hitting, not putting runs on the board. That was oour biggest issue.dddddddddddd It got contagious and we had a hard time getting out of it. ... Its going to be up to us to find a way to get some runs. We just got shut down too many times the last four or five weeks." Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson expects the Giants to fight their way back into the race despite all the challenges, saying, "I dont look at them as a fourth-place team." While centre fielder Angel Pagan hit an inside-the-park home run May 25, he hasnt played since and had surgery on his left hamstring that will sideline him perhaps for the rest of the year -- though the Giants and Pagan remain optimistic it wont be that long. It was a tough blow for the Giants after Pagan re-signed during the off-season for $40 million over four years. "He feels he will be back before the seasons over," Bochy said. The Giants hope to get right-hander Ryan Vogelsong back sometime next month after he heads out on a rehab assignment, perhaps soon. The 2011 All-Star broke two bones in his right pinkie area and also dislocated a knuckle in the hand on a swing May 20 and underwent surgery the next day. Vogelsongs return would be a boost to a rotation that, aside from All-Star lefty Madison Bumgarner, has been far from steady. Both Vogelsong and Pagan have been in Arizona working back from their injuries. Lincecum tossed a 148-pitch gem against the Padres last Saturday at Petco Park for his first career no-hitter. "Im just glad I dont see a cast on his arm," Bochy said. Lincecum said he feels "normal." Thursday would have been his turn to pitch without the break. He is set to start Monday night at home against the Reds. "I felt fine today throwing," he said. "I felt like if I had to throw, if today had been the would-be day, I would have been fine." If Lincecums outing provides a positive entering the second half, Bochy will take it. Hell take just about any advantage right now. Yet plenty of teams would like nothing more than to take down the franchise that has won two of the past three World Series championships. Gibson, for one. He is thinking big in mid-July, like October big. "I dont want a vacation. I want a short off-season," he said, referring to a long post-season run. "That goes without saying." Notes: The Giants All-Stars, Buster Posey, Bumgarner, Sergio Romo and Marco Scutaro, had the night off. So did Jeff Francoeur and Sandy Rosario, as both were waiting for the births of babies. ... Arizona RHP Ian Kennedy had his beard shaved off at a barber shop during the break. "I treated myself to an actual shave Monday," he said. "Its the first time in 26 months since my daughter, Nora, was born." Why the new look? At 3-6, "I needed a change." ' ' '