Padres pregame: Sticking with cold Cronenworth; Musgrove facing old Astros teammates

Jake Cronenworth’s ninth-inning home run on Aug. 21 helped the Padres salvage their only win during a 1-5 homestand last month. He has not had an extra-base hit since and is hitting just .125/.255/.125 over his last 10 games, all in the four-spot or higher.

Don’t expect that to change anytime soon.

Cronenworth will play shortstop and hit third in the lineup for Saturday’s 5:40 p.m. start against the AL West-leading Astros.

A night earlier, after the Padres missed a chance to move a half-game ahead of the Reds in the race for the NL’s second wild-card spot, Padres manager Jayce Tingler explained his reluctance to drop Cronenworth in an order that’s hitting .201/.286/.342 across the board during this 5-15 rut.

Cronenworth’s current cold spell, in particular, is comparable to him hitting .183/.275/.268 over the last month of 2020 before hitting .389/.542/.667 over six playoff games.

“I think Jake has been, arguably, one of the two most consistent players we’ve had throughout the year,” Tingler said. “And we’ve put a lot on Jake’s plate now, obviously shifting over to shortstop. And so, I definitely think about a lot of scenarios, but I also think Jake’s one of the better ballplayers on the team, and he’s been in the middle of a lot of good things that (have) happened. And so, even if he hasn’t been swinging it to his capability or (been) as hot as he’s been, I’ve got as much confidence in Jake as about anybody on the team.

“Obviously, we want him to get out of this little funk, but I know Jake. He’s going to battle and give everything he’s got.”

With the Astros throwing left-hander Framber Valdez (9-4, 2.91 ERA), the Padres will play Jurickson Profar at first base over Eric Hosmer — .638 OPS over the last 20 games — and start their three right-handed-hitting outfielders: Tommy Pham in left, Fernando Tatis Jr. in center and Wil Myers in right.

Cronenworth and Adam Frazier are the only lefties in the lineup against Valdez, who has already set career highs in wins, innings (105) and strikeouts (99).

Valdez allowed a run on two hits and two walks in four innings in a start against the Padres in May in Houston. The one run scored on a solo homer from Pham, the only hit any Padre has in his career against Valdez.

The Astros’ Framber Valdez vs. current Padres

(Baseball-reference.com)

Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (9-8, 2.85 ERA) won a World Series in the Astros’ bullpen in 2017 before he was flipped to Pittsburgh in the Gerrit Cole trade. He discussed his thoughts on his former teammates still getting booed for the sign-stealing scandal in this story, as well as what his time in the Astros bullpen meant for his career.

Musgrove threw five no-hit innings in relief against the Astros in May and has not allowed a run in 11 career innings against his former team.

Here is how he’s fared in his career against current Astros:

The Padres’ Joe Musgrove vs. current Astros

(Baseball-reference.com)

Here is the Astros’ lineup: