--RF Brian Giles was dropped to the seventh spot in the Padres lineup Wednesday night in Chicago. It marked the first time since Sept. 27, 1998, that Giles hit seventh or lower in the lineup as a starter. Giles hit ninth that night in Minnesota while a member of the Cleveland Indians. Giles was 1-for-3 with a walk Wednesday to raise his average to .165. He is in a 7-for-51 (.137) slump since April 27.
--RHP Chris Young had allowed only one homer this season in 39 2/3 innings going into Wednesday night's start at Wrigley Field, where the wind was blowing out due to a storm. Not a good formula for a flyball pitcher. Young gave up back-to-back homers to Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot, the first two hitters he faced. He gave up a two-run homer to Giovany Soto in the third and a second solo homer to Theriot in the fourth, accounting for four of the five runs he allowed. --C Henry Blanco, who is Jake Peavy's personal catcher, is 2-for-19 in Peavy's last six starts.
--1B Adrian Gonzalez believes the Padres should call up Kyle Blanks, whose best position is first base. Blanks has just started playing left field with Class AAA Portland. "I think he's a guy who should be up here," Gonzalez told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
BY THE NUMBERS: 4-13 -- The Padres' record during a 17-game in 17-day stretch that ended May 10 in Houston.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We've had bad schedules before, but nothing like this." -- Brian Giles, on the Padres' run of 21 road games in a 28-game stretch, the only home games being three games against the Pirates and a four-game homestand split between Colorado and Arizona.
