Padres Take Opener Against Dodgers In Comeback Fashion 3-1

Seth Smith celebrates his game tying HR in his first at bat as a Padre.

It was PERFECT! You could not ask for anything more from this absolutely perfect season opening, 3-1 Padres victory tonight over the Dodgers that capped off what was a fun, and emotional night at Petco park.

It started with all the pre-game pageantry that you would expect for a home opener, and more.  In this case the “more” was a beautiful tribute to the late, great Jerry Coleman that featured, among other things, a well done and comprehensive video showing the various facets of his amazing life, a fly over, the Navy SEAL Leap Frogs parachuting into the stadium, his wife Maggie and youngest daughter Chelsea throwing out the first pitch, his long time friend and broadcast partner Ted Leitner waving the Coleman Star, and the reveal of the renaming of the entire press and media level to the Jerry Coleman Broadcast Center.  It was an honoring, and moving presentation that appropriately and indelibly honored our beloved Colonel.

From there the focus of the night turned to what Jerry would have wanted all along, the baseball game being played on the field.  Both starting pitchers Andrew Cashner for the Pads, and Hyun-Jin Ryu for the Dodgers, were masterful in their craft, holding a 0-0 tie into the 5th.  The Friars put pressure on early loading the bases in the 1st, and leading off the 2nd with back to back singles, but both times Ryu wiggled out of it. Cash allowed some base runners of his own in the 2nd and escaped, but in the 5th a single, walk, single produced the Dodgers go ahead run even though neither of the safeties was particularly well struck. Cash ended up going 6 innings, allowing 4 soft hits, and striking out 5 in posting an excellent  first time ever opening day effort.

Ryu, however, was looking invincible as he masterfully mixed his change up and slow curveball in with his fastball and slider, in combinations that kept the Pads batters off balance all night, and even more so as the game went on.  After 7 innings it was beginning to look like that 1 run might be the difference maker, but the Pads got the break they needed when Ryu’s night came to an end, and the Dodgers bullpen was summoned to hold the slimmest of leads.

New left handed bat off the bench, Seth Smith, was called on to pinch hit in the 8th against former SF closer Brian Wilson, and the result was explosive.  He got a hold of cutter and drove it high and majestically into the seats in right field to tie the game at 1 a piece.  The Friars were not done though.  Yasmani Grandal, making his first MLB plate appearance since last July 6th of last year, then walked, setting up a sac bunt situation for Everth Cabrera.  Everth got the bunt down to the right side where some confusion arose between Wilson and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez causing Wilson to fumble it long enough for the speedy lead off man to beat it out. Grandal then stole third on a heads up play taking advantage of the defensive mis-positioning by Uribe who was charging on the bunt.  Cabrera then reched second on a catcher’s indifference.  Chris Denorfia then came up huge lining a 3-2 pitch into center field to drive in the go ahead and insurance runs. 3-1 Pads, and that’s the way it stayed with Huston Street recording his first save.

This is the exact blueprint that the Padres will need to execute this season to be a playoff contender this season.  Solid starting pitching, a deep bullpen to help shorten the game, clean defense, and an offense that gets contributions from throughout.  Cash was the solid starter, Vincent, Torres, and Thayer the set up men all did there jobs to give it to Street for the save, and Smith, Grandal, Cabrera and Denorfia all chimed in on the offense.

A couple of personal highlights for me included watching Ted Leitner, with tears in his eyes, honoring his 35 year broadcast partner Jerry by swinging his famous Coleman star.  I then got a chance to wave the star myself tonight on an excellent Denorfia catch at the base of the wall…goosebumps seeing that star waving in the wind again!

Overall it was just a very, very, very fun night, with the Padres playing some hardball late in the game to snatch the W from the Dodgers.

Tomorrow is a day off, and Tuesday Ted and I will be back on the Mighty 1090 with you, bringing all the action from game #2 of 162.  It might not be as perfect as today ended up being, but it will hopefully be a close 2nd.

Thank you Padres front office and events staff for the superb pre-game  festivities and remembrance of Jerry, and thank you Padres players and coaches for an exciting come from behind victory to get the season under way…

OHHHHHHH DOCTOR!

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