SAN DIEGO -- Over the past month and a half, as Eric Hosmer fell into one of the worst slumps of his big league career, the Padres maintained that their prized first baseman would work out the kinks. He has quite the track record, after all.
An 11-6 loss to the Cubs on Saturday night at Petco Park offered reason for both optimism and skepticism regarding Hosmer. In his first at-bat, Hosmer demolished a fastball from Kyle Hendricks, sending it into the right-field seats. It was his first home run since June 12, and perhaps a sign he's poised to break out.