Padres Notes: Cronenworth's Confidence, a New Chapter For an Old Padre

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The San Diego Padres dueled the Arizona Diamondbacks to a draw in the first two games of their series at Petco Park, winning in their final at-bat Friday before losing in 10 innings Saturday. Sunday's game was no contest, as the Padres lost 9-1 in advance of Monday's off-day. Here's all the headlines you might have missed:
Jake Cronenworth's Firm Belief in the Padres
Infielder Jake Cronenworth affirmed his belief in this year's Padres club, saying the team has what it takes to win every game. His optimism is born from a season marked by wins in late and close games — a dramatic contrast with 2023.
Christian Bethancourt's New Chapter
Cut by the Miami Marlins, former Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt has signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs, a team struggling to remain relevant in the National League wild card picture. This move marks a new chapter for Bethancourt as he continues his professional baseball career.

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.
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