San Diego Padres: Padres Keep Rolling, Dismantle Mexican National Team

The San Diego Padres were victorious once again on Tuesday, easily handling the Mexican national team in Peoria. During the win, the club got a good look at some of their starters and top prospects.

It was another productive March afternoon on the diamond for the San Diego Padres. The club kept rolling with their second consecutive victory, this time defeating the Mexican national team by a final of 7-3 at San Diego’s training complex in Peoria.

This game was a true team effort, as each of the seven runs the offense put on the board were driven in by different players. Pitching was also solid throughout, as seven different hurlers combined for nine innings surrendering just three runs.

Although it wasn’t against a major league club, Tuesday’s contest went exactly how a spring exhibition game should go for the Padres. The club began by getting a good look at their starters, as Erick Aybar, Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe, and Luis Sardinas put forth solid efforts. Then, the non-roster invites and minor leaguers got their opportunity, making the most of it and leading the Padres to a fairly comfortable victory.

Cory Spangenberg had the strongest afternoon of any Padre hitter, recording three knocks and scoring twice in his three at-bats hitting second in the order. This further supports his quest to win the everyday job at second base. His competitors, Carlos Asuaje and Ryan Schimpf, have not been as impressive this spring.

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As for pitching, it was a very strong afternoon for San Diego. The only rough portion of the game was in the ninth when Kyle McGrath was unable to record the third out of the inning and gave up two runs on four hits. Fortunately, Christian Bethancourt came through and cleaned up the mess, retiring the one batter he faced to earn the save and seal the win.

Walker Lockett was strong in two innings, and potential starter Christian Friedrich pitched three scoreless following Lockett’s outing. So far, both of these pitchers have impressed the coaching staff and are easily in the mix for Opening Day spots.

Next: Padres: Speed Demons

The Padres will now take Wednesday off, a much deserved day away from the diamond. Thursday, the club will return to action in Peoria against the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch is set for 12:10 PM PT.