Mike McKisson runs TucsonVelo.com, a great site covering local cycling news. Once a week, he recaps the biggest local two-wheel, pedal-powered news for The Range.

• Samantha Sais

It was a beautiful spring evening to be at the ballpark last night, even if the Padres lost another one to Round Rock.

The T-Pads are back on the field tonight and the ZOOperstars will be hand to entertain the kids. (We caught a glimpse of Harry Canary last night!) And there's lots of fun on deck all weekend long, including a visit by Myron Noodleman tomorrow night and Bark in the Park on Sunday, so put your dogs on leashes and bring ’em to the ballpark. Details here.

Here's Tim Hagerty of the Padres with a game summary:

The Round Rock Express have shown why they have the best record in the PCL, overcoming Tucson leads in all three games of the series so far. Thursday the Padres had a 5-3 lead slip away and Round Rock won 10-8. The Padres have now dropped two of three in the series, and have lost five of their last six games.

Matt Clark hit two home runs for the Padres, both to right field, his third and fourth of the season. Clark’s previous two home runs were both on the road. He was one of three Padres players with two hits in the loss; Robbie Hudson and Alex Cintron were the others. Tucson starter Jeremy Hefner left with the lead, but was unable to get his first Triple-A win, pitching five innings, allowing four runs on six hits.

The Padres showed life in the ninth inning when they were trailing 10-7 and down to their final out. Jesus Guzman hit a double over the right fielder’s head to score Anthony Rizzo, who had walked one batter earlier. Clark then came up representing the tying run and flied to left.

Next Game: Friday, 7:00 pm vs. Round Rock — Tucson RHP Will Inman (1-3) vs. Round Rock RHP Seth McClung (2-0)

• Samantha Sais

A 10th-inning rally fell short last night as the Tucson Padres lost another close game. But they're back on the field tonight—and fans can enjoy $1 Budweiser beer from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (First pitch is 7 p.m., but the beer stands are opening early tonight, so enjoy a happy hour and watch the sunset from Kino Stadium.) Details here.

The Padres' Tim Hagerty sums up last night's game:

The Tucson Padres scored once in the bottom of the tenth inning but left two runners in scoring position to end the game, losing to Round Rock, 7-5 in extra innings Wednesday. It was an eventful bottom of the tenth inning that saw the first two Tucson batters reach base, before the lead runner was taken off the base paths when the umpires reversed a call and said Jesus Guzman was tagged out by Round Rock’s Esteban German on a ground ball by Matt Clark. Two batters later, Terry Kennedy was ejected by home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski.

The Padres scored four times in the first inning before their first out. The rally included a three-run double by Jesus Guzman. Round Rock scored once in the third and three times in the fifth on a home run by Endy Chavez. With the score tied, the Padres had baserunners in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings but were unable to score.

Wade LeBlanc pitched seven innings and tied a season high with seven strikeouts. LeBlanc allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits. Scott Munter suffered the loss for Tucson after surrendering three runs on four hits in the top of the tenth inning.

Next Game: Thursday, 7:00 pm — Tucson RHP Jeremy Hefner (0-3) vs. Round Rock RHP Derek Hankins (4-1)

• Samantha Sais

Bring your appetite to tonight's Tucson Padres game—hot dogs are just $1 on Wiener Wednesday! First pitch is 7 p.m. at Kino Stadium. Details here.

The T-Pads won last night with a three-run, eighth-inning rally. Here are details from the Padres' Tim Hagerty:

The Tucson Padres scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a tie and beat Round Rock 11-8 Tuesday. The win ended a three-game losing streak for Tucson and snapped a five-game winning streak for Round Rock. The Padres sent ten batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring six times, the most runs in a single inning the T-Pads have plated this year.

Rob Musgrave had a strong start for Tucson the day he was added from Double-A San Antonio. Musgrave pitched four innings, allowing two runs on six hits. Randy Flores had another strong outing for the Padres, throwing a scoreless inning, lowering his ERA to 3.12. Pat Neshek collected his first Tucson Padres win, entering the game tied at eight, and pitched a scoreless ninth after the Padres took the lead in the bottom of the eighth.

Tucson nearly turned a game-ending triple play. With two runners on base and none out, Jesus Guzman fielded a ground ball hit by Esteban German, stepped on third base, threw to second baseman Robbie Hudson for the second out, but German beat Hudson's throw to first. One batter later, Guzman bare-handed a ground ball by Brian Barden and threw to first to end the game.

The Padres are now 15-18, with an 8-5 home record, in fourth place, six games behind first place Sacramento.

• Samantha Sais

The Tucson Padres return to town tonight for the start of an eight-game homestand, loaded with some great promotions, including $1 hot dogs tomorrow, $1 beers on Thirsty Thursday, appearances by the ZOOperstars on Friday and Myron Noodleman on Saturday, and a chance to take your pooch to the ballgame on Bark in the Park Sunday. Oh, and some terrific baseball, too.

Details on all the promotions here.

Mucho Macho Man (or 3M) is a horse with a story to tell. He was considered dead at birth and did not move for ten minutes before springing to life. His trainer, Kathy Ritvo, received a heart transplant in 2008 and is a rare female trainer in the famous Kentucky Derby. In the race’s 136 runnings, only 14 female trainers have had horses in the Derby, and no woman has ever had a winner.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo knocked another one out of the park last night as the Tucson Padres won again last night in Tacoma, Wash. The Padres' Tim Hagerty has details:

The Tucson Padres are back at .500, beating Tacoma on Tuesday 5-4, putting their record at 13-13. All five Padres runs came on home runs, with a three-run shot by Anthony Rizzo in the first inning and a two-run homer by Guillermo Quiroz in the fourth. Rizzo’s home run was his eighth of the season, and Quiroz hit his second of the year, and the 100th of his professional career.

Will Inman secured his first win in 2011, pitching five innings, allowing two runs, while striking out five. Inman, along with the three relievers that followed him, did not walk any Tacoma batters. Randy Flores pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings, striking out four batters and Pat Neshek picked up his second Tucson save, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings.

Alex Cintron went 2-for-4 with a double in his Tucson Padres debut. Cintron was signed by the Padres and assigned to Tucson today when Everth Cabrera was placed on the disabled list with a fractured right hamate bone. Anthony Contreras went 0-for-2 in his Tucson debut. Contreras was transferred from Double-A San Antonio earlier in the day.

Next Game: Wednesday at 7:05 pm — Tucson RHP Jon Leicester (1-0) vs. Tacoma (Mariners' Triple-A affiliate) RHP Blake Beavan (1-0)

To be honest, the fewer occasions that I'm forced to watch Oregon State football games on Fox Sports Arizona, the better:

The conference’s football games will be shown on ABC and Fox — a combined five will be in prime time each season — and on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and Fx. Basketball will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and Fox Sports Net. ESPN will also carry a package of about 15 Olympic sports.

ESPN and Fox will also rotate the conference’s annual football championship game, while the basketball tournament will alternate between the ESPN networks and Fox and Fx.

The Pac-10’s new channel will carry at least 350 sports events. The conference is also creating a digital channel, like ESPN3, to carry at least 500 events annually, and a properties division to handle sponsorships.

[NYTimes]

The Tucson Padres completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox last night. Tim Hagerty of the Padres has the details:

The Tucson Padres earned their first sweep of the season and fourth straight win, cruising to a 9-3 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox Sunday at Kino Stadium. The Padres had five different players notch two hits in the game. Altogether, the T-Pads secured nine runs on 13 hits, with only one going for extra bases.

In all four games against the Sky Sox, the Padres came back from being down two runs or more. In the first inning Sunday, the Sky Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead with four hits against Wade LeBlanc. Eric Young Jr. doubled to left field and later scored on a Chris Nelson single. Brad Emaus’ line drive up the middle plated Nelson two batters later.

The Padres bats came alive in the third and fourth innings, scoring eight unanswered runs. Sky Sox pitchers saw 17 Tucson batters come to the plate in the third and fourth innings combined. The Padres scored five runs in the third and three in the fourth to take the lead for good.

During the third inning rally Luis Martinez, coming back from an April 11 injury, had his first hit. Martinez, along with Jesus Guzman, Aaron Cunningham, Patrick McKenna and LeBlanc, chipped in two hits apiece during the game. Guzman and Anthony Rizzo each had two RBIs, while Cunningham had three.

The T-Pads are tied for second in the South Division, two games back of Sacramento.
Next Game: Monday, 7:05 pm — Tacoma LHP Fabio Castro (0-0) vs. Tucson RHP Jeremy Hefner (1-2)

Next Home Game: Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 p.m. vs. Round Rock

It was great to be back at Hi Corbett Field for a Triple-A baseball game last night, even if the weather was a little chilly. (On the bright side, it helped sales of Padres sweatshirts.) The Padres' fourth inning rally—which included a monstrous shot by Anthony Rizzo that bounced off the left-field wall for his first triple of the season—was a wonder to behold.

The T-Pad's beat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 9-8 in another nail-biter. They've won three straight and go the sweep tonight. First pitch is 6 p.m. at Kino Stadium.

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

Matt Clark’s seventh inning double off the left field wall propelled the Tucson Padres over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 9-8 at Hi Corbett Field Saturday on “Roll Back the Clock Night.” It was the Padres third win against the Sky Sox in a row.

For the third straight night the Padres made a comeback after falling behind early. Tucson scored seven unanswered runs after falling behind 4-0, including three each in the third and fourth innings, before the Sky Sox answered with solo home runs by Chris Nelson and Josh Fields in the fifth and two runs in the seventh on bases loaded walks to tie the game.

Padres’ hurler Simon Castro had his first hit of his career to start the fourth inning rally. With two outs in the fourth, Jesus Guzman chopped a double down the right field line to score Castro and Everth Cabrera for the T-Pads first lead of the game. Anthony Rizzo’s first triple of the year plated Guzman for the Padres’ seventh run. A solo homerun by Guillermo Quiroz in the fifth padded the T-Pads lead to 8-6.

Four different Padres had two hits in the win. The Padres have won three games in a row for the first time.

Next Game: Sunday, 6:00 pm - Tucson LHP Wade LeBlanc (0-0) vs. Colorado Springs RHP Billy Buckner (0-0)