Padres Spring Training Report – Feb. 27, 2014

Cactus League play finally started for the Padres this afternoon, and even though the score did not favor the Friars some of the individual performances did.  The final tally on the scoreboard for the 21st annual charity game was 7-1 in favor of the Mariners.

Eric Stults started for the Pads, and did not have the great feel for the fastball nor off speed pitches that helped him lead the team in wins, games started, innings pitched, and strikeouts last season, allowing 3 runs over his 2 innings of work.  Donn Roach followed and posted 2 scoreless innings of work. He pitched over a walk and and hit in the 3rd thanks in part to a nicely turned 3-6-1 double play, that started with an athletic spinning throw by Alonso, and was finished by an equally impressive off balance throw by Jackson showing off his well above average arm.  Anthony Carter also put a zero up on the board to keep the Pads in reach through 5 at 3-0.

Things started to get out of reach in the 6th due to some youthful pitching and fielding by Rule V left hander Patrick Schuster. It started with a lead off single, but the next batter put one half way between home plate and the mound which Schuster picked up cleanly, but could not quite get his feet underneath him and threw the ball way wide pulling Medica off the first base bag.  An ground ball single scored the runner from second, followed by a line drive RBI single, and a Cactus League high hop single…3 runs across on only one really well hit ball.  Tony Sipp followed allowing an unearned run, and Blaine Boyer logged a scoreless frame.

Meanwhile, the Pads offense couldn’t get anything meaningful going against any of the seven Mariners pitchers first year skipper Lloyd McClendon ran out to the mound.  Rico Noel finally broke up the shutout leading off the 8th with a double, and eventually scoring on Cory Spangenberg’s ground out to shortstop.

The most frustrating part of this game was the four Padres errors, and several misplays that put unnecessary pressure on the pitchers, and allowed 3 unearned runs to cross.  All of the fielding faux pas’ were made by rookies getting their feet wet, so certainly not something reflective of the big league defense we are anticipating.

Good pitching from four of the 6 Pas hurlers today, and several excellent defensive plays by the big league regulars including 3 by Jackson, were the silver lining to a lopsided final score.  Friday it will be Andrew Cashner going to the mound, and hopefully the Friar bats coming to life.  Hope you’ll join Jesse Agler and me for the webcast on Padres.com, starting at 12:05 PST.

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