Padres Opening Weekend Thoughts

By: Steve Atkinson

The San Diego Padres split the opening weekend series with the Colorado Rockies. The first two games looked shaky from the Padres standpoint. The bats couldn’t get going and the pitching was below par. But, in the last two games of the series, the Padres came to life. Winning Saturday 8-4 and Sunday 3-1. Wacha on Saturday went six innings giving up six hits and striking out two. On Sunday Seth Lugo went seven strong innings striking out seven and only giving up four hits.

Padres Xander Bogaerts Hit Two Home Runs This Weekend

Xander Bogaerts hit two home runs this weekend to put the Padres in the lead. He also was batting .500 before Sunday’s game and now has five RBIs in his young Padres career.

“Felt good, man,” Bogaerts said. “I turned on an inside pitch, down and in. It was a good swing. … Off the bat, you know that it’s gone.”

Manager Bob Melvin also spoke highly of Xander after Saturday’s game

“He can really hit, I know that,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “And he likes to hit in different spots in the lineup, too. It’s fluctuated a little bit here early on, and you’d like to have some stability with our guys. But we’re trying to find it. … It’ll probably be a little bit more stable when [Fernando Tatis Jr.] comes back.”

Padres Sign Jake Croneworth

On Saturday Jake Croneworth signed a seven-year $80 million extension. He was excited about it during Saturday’s press conference.

“I’m obviously super excited, pretty surreal day for me,” said Cronenworth. “Come from a small hometown and to be sitting up here now surrounded by friends, family, teammates, coaches, it’s all thanks to A.J. and Peter. I just couldn’t be happier and, like A.J. said, I want to bring that first championship to the city.”I think if you had asked me when I was younger or even 2-3 years ago if I’d be sitting up here talking about this, I probably wouldn’t have said yes,” said Cronenworth. “But to be up here is definitely surreal. But to call San Diego home for the next seven years is pretty special.”

He was also asked about the other big contracts the Padres have given this offseason and what it means to him.

“If look at the core group of guys, and a lot of them are sitting in here and hopefully there’s more to come to keep us all together, I don’t think you’d ask for a better group to stay together for a long period of time,” said Cronenworth. “It’s a pretty special organization and a special group of guys and I think it’s going to be a fun ride.””I think it’s just the dedication from Peter and his family to put us in the best position to win,” said Cronenworth. “And along with A.J. and his crew, I think things are looking really good in San Diego.”

Padres Games Went By Fast

The other great thing about opening weekend was the pace of play. Sunday’s game finished in just a little over two hours. Not one Padres game was over three hours this weekend. That’s how it should be. The hitter needs to get in the box and the pitcher needs to just throw the ball. Nobody has the time to sit through a three-plus hour baseball game.

The pitch clock was the best thing to ever happen to the game. If there are people that don’t like the pitch clock then they must’ve liked sitting through three-plus hour baseball games on a nightly basis.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead the Padres will play the Arizona Diamondbacks which should be wins. Then the Padres will travel to Atlanta to play the Braves for a four-game series beginning on Thursday.