San Diego Padres: Padres Shellacked in Exhibition Opener

The San Diego Padres opened up Cactus League play on Saturday afternoon, and were defeated decisively by the Seattle Mariners by a final of 13-3.

The good news is, baseball is back. The bad news is, the San Diego Padres had a really tough time in their Cactus League opener against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

The final was 13-3, as the game did not go quite the way fans were anticipating it to. Starter Paul Clemens and the Padres fell behind right off the bat, thanks to a Nelson Cruz three run home run. San Diego pitching struggled as a whole, as only two of the afternoon’s seven hurlers avoided surrendering earned runs.

The only highlights of the afternoon were with San Diego at the plate in the bottom of the fourth. The rally was highlighted by a Hunter Renfroe RBI double which drove in Wil Myers. Renfroe then scored on a Yangervis Solarte groundout. With the bases empty, outfielder Travis Jankowski then homered over the right center field wall.

With San Diego’s three run burst in the fourth, the score was even at three. This didn’t last long however, as Seattle got right back on top in the fifth, and poured it on with a four run sixth.

The loss was officially handed to San Diego right-hander Aroni Nina, who pitched the fifth inning in which Seattle scored the go ahead run. But it was an ugly day all around for Padres pitching, as only César Vargas and Barry Enright pitched scoreless innings.

More from Friars on Base

• 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
• Padres fail to land ideal Xander Bogaerts teammate at catcher

Still, no projected starters made an appearance. Clemens and possibly Vargas are in contention for the fifth starter’s role, and Clemens certainly didn’t make a strong first impression. The Opening Day rotation won’t be impacted by Saturday’s action, though roster spots in the form of bullpen openings may be once the coaches analyze the film.

Other bright spots of the game included Austin Hedges‘ two knocks in his two at bats, as well as a hit from Cory Spangenberg and Erick Aybar. For the most part though, the starters were removed from the game after the second time through the order, and any sort of offense began to fizzle as bench players were inserted.

Next: Five Things to Watch for in Early Cactus League Action

Saturday’s contest was not the most enjoyable game for fans to watch, without a doubt. But baseball is back, and that alone is reason to celebrate. Sunday’s game will feature the same two clubs, once again at 12:10 PM PT.