Low the way to go for hard-hit Lawrence

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Friday, March 26, 2004 10:17 PM PST ∞

TEMPE, Ariz. ---- The Padres' Opening Day starter surrendered 13 hits and seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings Friday afternoon. Brian Lawrence's spring totals now stand at 41 hits and 22 earned runs allowed in 19 innings for a 10.42 ERA.

But Lawrence and the Padres remain unconcerned.

"I'll have better results when I start getting the ball down," Lawrence said after leaving what became a 9-8 loss to the Anaheim Angels. "That's pretty much all I'm going to take from this. When I'm throwing the ball belt-high, I'm not going to get people out. That's pretty much what happened."

Lawrence gave up five of the runs and eight of the hits in the first two innings. Manager Bruce Bochy preferred to focus on the three scoreless frames that ensued.

"It was good to see him regroup," Bochy said. "I thought he had good stuff there for three innings. He was crisper with the sinker, the slider. He found himself there, so that's a good sign. Obviously, you don't like (him) getting off to a rough start, but he did."

General manager Kevin Towers said Lawrence is throwing better than he did early in the spring and reiterated that the desert air tends to adversely affect his sinker.

"I'm not going to dwell on it," Lawrence said. "I'm getting there. I feel good, I'm healthy. I'm going to be right back in the groove. It's just a matter of time."

Trade winds

With the end of spring training, there inevitably comes trade dialogue.

About three weeks ago, the Dodgers approached the Padres about a whopper: pitcher Odalis Perez and third baseman Adrian Beltre for Sean Burroughs. Towers quickly rebuffed the idea.

Batting .373 this spring, Burroughs looks poised for a breakthrough season, while Perez and Beltre are both eligible for free agency after this year.

But that doesn't mean there will be no action. A team has inquired about the availability of Triple-A pitcher Ben Howard, and Towers said a deal could be worked out by the end of camp. Also, the Padres have dangled lefty reliever Kevin Walker, but he hasn't received much interest, a team source said.

Payton update

Center fielder Jay Payton ran the bases at about 70 percent speed in minor-league play Friday. Trainer Todd Hutcheson said the next three days should give the Padres a better idea of when Payton will be able to play in the outfield.

"He won't play in the field until we're satisfied that he can do the type of running we want him to do," Hutcheson said. "We can't take a chance on him doing something that will set him back."

Towers said that if Payton isn't back by Opening Day, his replacement won't come from outside the organization. The internal candidates are Terrence Long and either Brian Hunter or Gene Kingsale.

Short hops

Injured 1B Phil Nevin (shoulder) took soft-toss swings Friday and will take batting practice today. Nevin is scheduled to receive some minor-league at-bats Monday. ... The Padres have placed SS Rey Ordonez on the minor-league restricted list. ... LF Ryan Klesko hit his first home run this spring, a three-run shot to right-center in the first inning. ... 1B Todd Sears, who has been out all spring because of a back injury, struck out in his first at-bat.

Ballpark tour

A look at baseball's other stadiums, from oldest to newest, as we count down to Petco Park's April 8 opener. The 18th of 29:

COORS FIELD

Team: Colorado Rockies

Opened: 1995

Cost: $215 million

Capacity: 50,449

Dimensions: LF 347 feet, LC 390, CF 415, RC 375, RF 350

Fast facts: Few, if any ballparks, have had such a dramatic effect on the game itself as Coors Field. Actually, it's as much the location as the facility. With Coors Field nestled 5,200 feet high, the game is played in thinner air and less humidity. That means balls carry much further, and pitchers have difficulty controlling breaking pitches. Home runs increased by some 50 percent before the Rockies took steps to reduce the number of 13-11, 10-9 type of games. A couple years ago, they started keeping game balls in a humidified room to give pitchers a fighting chance. Even so, the spacious outfield ---- fences had to be distant because the ball hopped so well ---- means plenty of singles drop in front of the defense. And that means homers often produce runs in bunches. As for the stadium itself, it was built of brick and steel, just like Camden Yards in Baltimore. Since HOK Sport was the primary architectural firm of both, that's no surprise. Coors Field was supposed to seat 43,000, but huge crowds in the Rockies' two seasons at Mile High Stadium prompted the team to expand capacity. The Rockpile bleachers beyond center field were added, blocking most views of the scenic Rocky Mountains beyond.

Did you know?: The 20th row of the upper deck is colored purple, signifying the point 1 mile above sea level.

Sources: Colorado Rockies media guide, ballparks.com