3 Big Takeaways from Padres Season Opener Loss
Yes, we would've definitely liked to have seen the Padres fight a little harder and now just fall apart down their stretch in their first game against the Rockies. the fans made that very clear as they held Manny Machado to his word and rained down some boo's when it became evident they weren't coming back.
We can't just ignore what happened last night because even though it could all be eluded to rust and opening day jitters, there were some issues that showed themselves, along with positives, that were discussed in the offseason.
Therefore, let's not waste any time. Here are my biggest takeaways from the Padres" first match of the seasons against the Colorado Rockies.
The Friars Miss Their Veteran Pitchers
Everybody was very happy to see Blake Snell get his first opening day start and he was able to perform in the time he stayed on the mound. Nine strikeouts through four innings was impressive but he wore himself out and had to be pulled out of the match early yet again.
The score was 2-1 with the Padres up when Snell stepped off the field in favor of Nabil Crismatt. However, between Crismatt and Domingo Tapia, they gave up six more runs including two home runs and completely shattered any progress Snell had made in winning the game.
One of the biggest talking points about the Friars this offseason was the weakness of the bullpen. It was clear that without Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove present, the team lacked their primary leaders in that regard and they'll have to adjust fast. Darvish is till warming up from the WBC and Musgrove is on the 15-day IL.
Every Star Will Have To Show Up In Order To Win This Year
Everybody has been celebrating the fact that the Padres will boast one of the scariest 4-man batting lineups in baseball when Fernando Tatis Jr. returns in April. However, the truth is that they don't have a ton of slugging power after them. Trent Grishman and Ha-Seong Kim are respectable but over the course of the season, the stars will have to drive in run after run in order to stay competitive.
We were able to see last night what it looks like when two of the main guys in Manny Machado and Juan Soto aren't in their zone. Machado only was good for a single and also helped the Padres get their first point on board with a sacrifice pop-up. Soto, on the other hand, was a no show as he went 0-4 at the plate and had a key mistake in the outfield.
Xander Bogaerts was the only one that came through with two doubles as he went 3-4 in his plate appearances. However, he revealed that he is only happy with a performance when his defense is elite too.
Bob Melvin Does Not Fully Trust This Team Just Yet
Every championship team displays a great balance between the coaches and their players as the team reaches a certain point where they are able to call some of the shots. Obviously, this is not the case with San Diego just yet.
This is a whole new roster and dynamic and Melvin is trying to see what works. Snell obviously wanted to remain in the game but Melvin went with his gut and pulled him out. Now is the time for the team manager to experiment before later in the season.
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