It was a tough game for the Tucson Padres last night as they fell to the Salt Lake City Bees, 10-2.

But they've got a chance for revenge tonight—and it's Bark in the Park night at Kino Stadium, so you can bring your dog to the ballpark! Details here.

Tim Hagerty of the Padres has the details from last night's game:

One night after winning by ten runs, the Tucson Padres lost to Salt Lake 10-2 Saturday at Kino Stadium. Salt Lake scored nine runs on 14 hits against Wade LeBlanc, who suffered his first loss with Tucson. LeBlanc pitched 4.1 innings, striking out three and walking one. Kevin Richardson’s grand slam highlighted a five-run fifth inning for Salt Lake. Salt Lake’s Jeremy Moore was 5-for-5 in the win.

The Padres scored once in the first inning on an RBI single by Jarrett Hoffpauir after Will Venable singled and stole second base. After scoring in the first, the Padres didn’t have a baserunner reach second until the eighth inning, when Jason Bulger left two Tucson runners on base.

Andy Parrino was 3-for-4 for the Padres, and Hoffpauir, Jesus Guzman and Guillermo Quiroz had two hits each. Aaron Cunningham was 0-for-4, ending an 11 game hitting streak. The Padres bullpen was strong in the lopsided loss, with four different pitchers (Deduno, Munter, Hynes, Perdomo) combining to throw 4.2 innings without allowing an earned run

Next Game: Sunday, 7:00 pm — Tucson RHP Jeremy Hefner (0-4) vs. Salt Lake LHP Scott Kazmir (0-1)

• Samantha Sais

The Tucson Padres clobbered the Salt Lake Bees last night, 11-1. The Memorial Day weekend homestand continues tonight with a post-game fireworks show, so if you aren't going to see Flor de Muertos at The Loft, you sure should be heading to Kino Stadium. Oh, and tomorrow night, you can bring your dog out to Bark in the Park. More details on the promotions here.

The Padres' Tim Hagerty has details from last night:

Matt Buschmann threw the first complete game in the brief history of the Tucson Padres Friday, as the Padres beat Salt Lake 11-1. The Padres scored four runs in the first inning against former San Diego Padres pitcher Brian Lawrence, and the offense continued with two more runs in the second and three in the fourth, all to the line of Lawrence.

Buschmann had two previous complete games in his career, including a complete game loss against Salt Lake in 2009. Friday he allowed just one run on six hits, striking out four without walking a batter. He threw just 97 pitches in the game. Buschmann said getting ahead in the count was the key to his success Friday. “I threw my two-seam fastball in the strike zone,” said Buschmann. “I was getting strike one and I was able to get in a rhythm.”

As for the Padres offense, newcomer Will Venable led the way. He hit two home runs and an RBI triple. After collecting just one hit in his first two games after being optioned from San Diego, Venable exploded Friday for four RBIs. Five other Tucson players had multiple hit games — Aaron Cunningham, Anthony Rizzo, Jesus Guzman, Matt Clark and Luis Martinez. The ten-run win was the largest margin of victory the Padres have had this year, eclipsing the nine-run win over Iowa Sunday.

Next Game: Saturday, 7:00 pm — Tucson LHP Wade LeBlanc (4-0, 5.08) vs. Salt Lake RHP Eric Junge (2-3, 3.90)



• Samantha Sais

The Tucson Padres return home for a big weekend of Memorial Day baseball fun at Kino Stadium. Tonight, you'll get a free Tucson Padres T-shirt if you're among the first 2,000 fans; On Saturday, you'll be treated to a fireworks spectacular after the game; on Sunday, you can bring your dogs out for Bark in the Park; and Monday is family night, which means your crew can get four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for low, low price of $20. Details here.

The Padres just wrapped up a road trip by splitting a double-header. Tim Hagerty of the Padres provides the following wrap-up:

Jon Leicester had an excellent start for the Padres in game one, throwing six innings and allowing only one run as the Padres beat the Storm Chasers 3-1. Leicester surrendered only two hits, the only two hits Omaha had in the opening game. Evan Scribner had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 final inning to pick up his fourth save.

The Padres loaded the bases in the second inning and scored first on a wild pitch thrown by Jeremy Jeffress. Andy Parrino then hit a two-run double over the left fielder’s head, giving the Padres a three-run lead. Omaha added one when Jarrod Dyson, who had the Storm Chasers only two hits, doubled in the third.

• Today is the last day to help a local mountain biking group win a $50k grant to preserve trail access in Southern Arizona. Here is how you can help.


• A piece of the Rillito River path that has been a missing link in the system for 20 years is now paved and open to bikes. Find out where it is.


• Local bicycle recycler BICAS saved 40 bikes from the landfill during their University of Arizona donation drive. Check out the story.


• The United States' most influential bicycle advocate spent several days in Tucson this week. He gave the city a blueprint to becoming one of the best bike cities in the country. Check out what he says we need to do and check out his thoughts on Tucson's bicycling community.

Randall Mario Poffo, better known as professional wrestling legend "Macho Man Randy Savage," died this morning in a car accident following a heart attack in Tampa, Florida. The Macho Man was hands down one of the most recognizable and dynamic stars of the WWF in the 1980s and '90s, then as part of the rival WCW, and later TNA before his retirement in 2005.

I've followed wrestling on and off since I was a kid, but what do you even say about this guy? He really was the sort of character that made watching overgrown men hit each other while wearing tight pants or underwear interesting somehow. The Macho Man character was wildly larger than life, barely making sense at times, waving his arms around, and punctuating every promo aside Mean Gene with an "Ooooh Yeah", like the Kool-Aid Man personified. By now, everyone knows that professional wrestling is a rough gig for the actual participants, but still it always seemed like Randy Savage walked the balance between being aware of the ridiculous nature of the whole thing and total professionalism in giving the audience a great show. What more could anyone ask from the guy?

From Wrestlemania 3, here's one of the greatest pro wrestling matches of all time, Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Apparently, this was one of the first matches to be extensively choreographed instead of improvised on the fly, with Savage and Steamboat practicing for days to get everything just right, and it really shows.

Randall Mario Poffo, the Macho Man Randy Savage, was 58.

The Tucson Padres closed out the homestand last night with an extra-innings loss. The details from Tim Hagerty of the Padres:

Albuquerque scored three times in an eventful top of the twelfth inning and beat the Tucson Padres 11-9 Tuesday. With the score tied at eight, the Isotopes had the bases loaded in the twelfth with two outs when Ivan DeJesus hit a high chopper to second baseman Robbie Hudson, who flipped to shortstop Alex Cintron for what appeared to be an inning-ending force out. First base umpire Jason Millsap called Dee Gordon safe at second base, forcing in the go ahead run. Hudson was ejected from the game after arguing the play.

The Padres scored once in the twelfth on Cintron’s sacrifice fly, and had two runners on base for Anthony Rizzo, who grounded to second base. Albuquerque then intentionally walked Jesus Guzman to load the bases, forcing pitcher Aaron Poreda to bat for the fifth time in his professional career. Poreda struck out on a 3-2 pitch and Albuquerque won.

The Padres split the eight-game homestand and do not play on Wednesday before traveling to Iowa and Omaha.

• Samantha Sais

Anthony Rizzo homered twice as the Tucson Padres clobbered the Albuquerque Isotopes. Here are the details from the Padres' Tim Hagerty:

Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs in the first two innings Monday, leading the Tucson Padres to a 10-4 win over the Albuquerque Isotopes. The Padres have now won two of three in the series, and three of their last four games. Wade LeBlanc continues to be as consistent as any T-Pads starter, pitching seven innings, allowing three runs, while striking out eight.

One night after falling behind 7-1 early, the Padres scored eight times in the first three innings, and at one point led 8-2. Every Tucson starting position player had at least one hit, including Orlando Hudson, who was 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. In total in his injury rehab assignment, Hudson has been retired only one time in seven plate appearances.

Greg Burke pitched two innings for Tucson to close the game, allowing one run on a pinch-hit home run by J.D. Closser. Aaron Cunningham was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for Tucson, and Matt Clark went 2-for-3 with a home run, triple and three RBIs.

The final game of the homestand is tonight—and a wrapper from Kraft singles gets you two-for-one admission! Details here.

The UA Athletic Department reports:

University of Arizona men's basketball player Lamont "MoMo" Jones announced Monday that he will transfer to another school. He has not yet made a decision on which school he will attend.

Jones, a 6-foot, 196-pound guard from Harlem, N.Y., averaged 9.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 38 appearances (all starts) in his recently completed sophomore season. He connected on 41.8 percent of his field goal attempts (130-of-311), including 31.6 percent (25-of-79) from three-point range, and averaged 26.0 minutes per game. He posted career-high totals of 27 points on Feb. 5 at California and six assists against both Duke (March 24) and Arizona State (Feb. 13).

"I would like to thank my coaches, my teammates and all of the U of A fans for making my two years at Arizona very special," said Jones. "After much thought, I have decided to pursue my goals at a school closer to home. My desire to be closer to my family, and in particular my grandmother, is the reason I am transferring. I want it to be known that I love this program, my coaches and teammates. I appreciate everyone for supporting me through this tough time."

In his two-year career, Jones appeared in 68 games (39 starts), helping the Cats amass a 46-23 (.667) record. Along the way, Arizona won a Pac-10 regular-season championship and advanced to the 2011 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

He posted career averages of 8.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 41.8 percent from the field (208-of-498). Jones notched improvement in nearly every statistical category in 2010-11.

"This spring MoMo expressed to me his desire to be closer to home while continuing his life as a student-athlete," said UA head coach Sean Miller. "After considering this for several weeks this spring, he's decided to leave our program. He did a great job in his two years here and helped us win a Pac-10 championship this past season. We wish him great success in the future."

Jones leaves the program in good academic standing.

I took Wilco (the Dog) out to Kino Stadium for Bark in the Park night yesterday, but she got completely freaked out by something (perhaps the PA system or the Kino Bambino?) and had the doggie version of an anxiety attack, so I wasn't able to stay very long, despite the delightful weather. As it worked out, the Albuquerque Isotopes clobbered the Padres 10-5, but the T-Pads have a chance at revenge tonight. Get out to the ballpark with three other people and you'll get a great bargain: Four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for just $20 bucks, as long as you mentioned KIIM FM. First pitch is 7 p.m. Details here.

Here's a summary of last night's game from the Padres' Tim Hagerty:

The Albuquerque Isotopes scored seven times before the fourth inning Sunday and beat the Tucson Padres 10-5. Isotopes catcher Damaso Espino capped off a third inning rally with a long home run over the left field bullpen. In the third, Padres center fielder Luis Durango nearly made a sliding catch to leave the bases loaded, but the ball fell out of his glove, and three runs scored after the attempt.

Tucson starter Matt Buschmann allowed seven runs in five innings in his 2011 Triple-A debut. Buschmann was transferred from Double-A San Antonio and will fill the rotation spot of Simon Castro, who is on the disabled list with a right lat strain.

The New York Times reports:

Last month, in a Midtown office adorned with sports memorabilia, two longtime friends met for a private talk. David Stern, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, sipped his morning coffee, expecting to be asked for career advice. Across from him sat Rick Welts, the president and chief executive of the Phoenix Suns, who had come to New York not to discuss careers, but to say, finally, I am gay.

In many work environments, this would qualify as a so-what moment. But until now, Mr. Welts, 58, who has spent 40 years in sports, rising from ball boy to N.B.A. executive to team president, had not felt comfortable enough in his chosen field to be open about his sexuality. His eyes welling at times, he also said that he planned to go public.

By this point, Mr. Welts had already traveled to Seattle to share his news with another friend, Bill Russell, one of the greatest basketball players ever and the recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He had also met with Val Ackerman, the founding president of the Women’s National Basketball Association, in New York, and would soon be lunching in Phoenix with Steve Nash, the point guard and leader of the Suns and twice the N.B.A.’s most valuable player.

In these meetings and in interviews with The New York Times, Mr. Welts explained that he wants to pierce the silence that envelops the subject of homosexuality in men’s team sports. He wants to be a mentor to gay people who harbor doubts about a sports career, whether on the court or in the front office. Most of all, he wants to feel whole, authentic.

“This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits,” said Mr. Welts, who stands now as a true rarity, a man prominently employed in professional men’s team sports, willing to declare his homosexuality. “Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation.”