SAN DIEGO -- As the two longest-tenured Padres, Cory Spangenberg and Robbie Erlin have established themselves as very useful roster pieces in San Diego -- Spangenberg as a reliable utility man and Erlin as a lefty capable of pitching in multiple roles.
Thing is, both Spangenberg and Erlin are out to prove that they're more than merely fringe roster options. In a 3-2 loss to the Angels on Wednesday night at Petco Park, they made their cases heard.
Spangenberg homered and reached base three times. Erlin worked six solid innings before the Padres fell on Rene Rivera's tie-breaking home run in the ninth.
"He deserved to win," Padres manager Andy Green said of Erlin. "He pitched well enough to win a baseball game."

As for Spangenberg, his increase in playing time is no coincidence. At the beginning of August, Green sat down with the five-year Padres infielder and informed him he'd be getting more regular playing time at second.
No doubt, Spangenberg is making the most of it. He's reaching base at a .513 clip since the month began, and has started nine of the team's 13 games and played in 12 of them.
"Windows close pretty quick up here," Spangenberg said. "When it opens, you've got to take advantage of it."
Erlin, meanwhile, was sharp for six innings, as he continued to stake his claim for a rotation spot. He allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings, and he owns a 2.81 ERA in three games since the Padres moved him back to a starting role at the beginning of the month.
"He's doing what he needs to put himself in a rotation going forward," Green said. "That's good to see. We're looking for more answers than questions, and that type of performance on a consistent basis gives answers."
Erlin's long-term role remains up in the air. He's been very effective in long relief, having posted a 2.05 ERA in 27 appearances out of the bullpen this season. But if Erlin can prove himself as a starter, it might increase his value to the club.
"I'm really just trying to put the team in the best spot to win," Erlin said. "I really haven't thought about anything further than the next start."
Erlin exited with the Padres trailing, 2-1, but Spangenberg evened things up in the seventh. After falling behind against Angels right-hander Cam Bedrosian, Spangenberg swatted an 0-2 curveball to the opposite field for his first home run since June 11.

The Padres came undone in the ninth when closer Kirby Yates surrendered his first home run at Petco Park since May. Rivera crushed a first-pitch fastball from Yates into the second deck in right field, just the ninth run Yates has allowed in 47 1/3 innings this season.
"He's good, those things happen," Green said. "They wouldn't bite us if we did more offensively." 
FLASHY FREDDY
Freddy Galvis' defensive gems are a nightly ritual at this point. His best play Wednesday came on a Justin Upton chopper in the top of the fourth inning.
Upton hit a hard ground ball up the middle, and Galvis ranged to his right. He made a sliding grab in the hole, then rose to his feet in one motion. His throw beat Upton by two steps.

Galvis has cemented himself as a Gold Glove Award candidate in the National League, though the D-backs' Nick Ahmed, the Cubs' Addison Russell and the Giants' Brandon Crawford all rank ahead of Galvis in defensive runs saved.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani owns one of the best split-finger fastballs in all of baseball. So does Yates. The Padres closer gave Ohtani a taste of his own medicine in the top of the ninth inning, striking him out with an excellent splitter off the outside corner.

HE SAID IT
"Sometimes you give guys too much credit. [Angels starter Felix Pena] has pitched fine. But for us, at some point in time you've got to lay off pitches that aren't strikes. … You're not going to win baseball games in the big leagues by swinging at balls and taking strikes." -- Green on Pena, who pitched six innings of two-hit ball
UP NEXT
Jacob Nix became the seventh Padres pitcher to work at least six scoreless frames in his debut. He held Philadelphia scoreless over six innings, lowering his ERA between the Minors and Majors this season to 1.67. Nix gets the ball Thursday night against the D-backs at 7:10 p.m. PT. Arizona counters with righty Clay Buchholz.