Padres Beat Up By Cubs in Spring Training 3/15/16

The debate can rage on about how much weight to put into Spring Training games, but there wasn’t much good for the Padres to take away from Tuesday’s 11-1 drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Cubs in Peoria, Arizona. Starter Tyson Ross who is scheduled to open the season for the Padres in just a few weeks wasn’t able to get out of the first inning before being lifted.

More from Padres News

• Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. trade rumors, Seth Lugo chase, Manny Machado
• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher
• This veteran DH target seems ideal for contending Padres roster
• Padres got steal with Xander Bogaerts after Carlos Correa’s mega-deal
• Failed Padres top prospect makes stunning return with minor league deal

The Cubs – with drastically higher expectations than the Padres this season – have had a sluggish start to the spring themselves. They came along though Wednesday with Jason Heyward and Dexter Fowler leading the attack.

Ross got just one out before allowing the 5 runs on four hits and 3 walks which might be a bigger cause of concern for what counts as concern in Spring Training. Walks though – like home runs for James Shields – was seen as a key area of focus for the Padres starters to control and improve upon from their stats a year ago. Last season Ross walked batters a rate of 10.2% of hitters faced, the second highest rate in the majors of qualified starting pitchers.

For the Cubs was a familiar face for Padres fans, with Clayton Richard starting for the Cubs after getting back to baseball last season. He worked through trouble in the first before a 1-2-3 second inning and by that time had a sizable help which also helps.

John Andreolli provided an inside the park home run in the 8th inning after his hit caromed off the top of the center field wall and went far enough way from Jabari Blash to allow him to run around all four bases.

More from Friars on Base

• Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. trade rumors, Seth Lugo chase, Manny Machado
• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher
• This veteran DH target seems ideal for contending Padres roster
• Padres got steal with Xander Bogaerts after Carlos Correa’s mega-deal
• Failed Padres top prospect makes stunning return with minor league deal

The Padres have the day off tomorrow before facing the Giants Thursday night in Scottsdale. Andrew Cashner, who has been sharp this spring in 5 IP, will take the hill for the Padres.