The Padres played fresh, clean and exciting baseball on their first road trip of the season.
Tuesday night was not one of those games.
The Friars want to forget their 8-4 loss against the Pirates as soon as possible. Blake Snell had the second shortest start of his career, bringing his pitch count to 38 in the first inning. Wil Myers retired in the fourth inning with an infected right knee. The Padres left an unfathomable 15 runners and made a few mistakes as well.
But while the game was shoddy – and at times downright ugly – it featured some notable developments for the Padres. Here are a few quick takeaways:
1) Snell has to bounce back quickly
His next start is the one he’s been waiting for – a rematch with the Dodgers on Sunday after his quick hook in Game 6 of the World Series last year. Snell has been mostly sharp since he got to San Diego, but he wasn’t nearly as efficient as he’d like. Tuesday’s start brought that to the limit. He lasted only two-thirds of an inning, his shortest appearance since June 2019.
“There’s no reason for me to have the outing I had,” said Snell. “I have to learn from it, from the mistakes I’ve made.”
Snell consistently found himself in two-strike counts, but was unable to knock out batters. Afterward, he was visibly annoyed at being removed so early, but later said he understood the logic – it was a long season and all. As for that start against the Dodgers:
“I can’t wait,” he said.
2) The Padres miss Austin Nola
Victor Caratini has done an excellent job as the team’s main catcher. But rookie Luis Campusano looks in every way like the raw defensive product you’d expect from a 22-year-old just starting his 146th professional game behind the plate, including Minor Leagues.
“He’s going to make mistakes,” said Tingler before the game. “That’s okay. We understand this isn’t going to be the best version of him right now. It could be three, four, five years from now. But we want to make sure he keeps growing.”
Perhaps the best place for that growth for Campusano are regular representatives in the Minors. Speaking of Nola, who should return later this month, Tingler said, “It’s just a matter of keeping the swelling down and [him] game-sharp. “
3) Ryan Weathers didn’t pitch – which is remarkable
If ever a match needed Weathers as the tall man in the Padres’ bullpen, it was this one. Unless, of course, Weathers is no longer the tall man in the San Diego bullpen.
Remember, there is a vacancy in the rotation of the Padres for Friday’s opener against the Dodgers. Weathers already seemed the most likely candidate to fill that void. Tingler’s decision-making on Tuesday evening offered perhaps the biggest clue in that direction to date.
4) Nabil Crismatt saved the bullpen
Snell’s appearance was the second time in three games that a Padres-starter failed to make it into the first inning. That didn’t bode well for a beleaguered pen from San Diego – until Crismatt intervened with five innings and 85 pitches, both career heights.
“If he can’t, our bullpen is in really bad shape,” said Tingler. “But we should be in decent shape tomorrow just because of the way he performed.”
Don’t be surprised, however, if the Padres call for reinforcements soon, as right-handed Pierce Johnson nears a return.
5) It’s a bad time for an injury
Not that there ever is a good time. But the Padres are in the early stages of a trajectory with 17 races in 17 days, and their depth will be tested if Myers misses further time.
Myers is from day to day, according to Tingler, and Jorge Mateo replaced him in the right field on Tuesday night. Most of the time, Jurickson Profar would have been pushed to the correct field during Myers’ absence. But Profar has been forced into additional infield service with Fernando Tatis Jr. at the IL.
6) Are there fireworks in the offing?
Tuesday’s game featured seven batters – only the ninth time on record that both teams hit three batters. Most of them were clearly unintentional. Pirates-pitchers were erratic all night, walking 13 Padres – a record in San Diego for a nine-inning game.
But an HBP stood out. Half an inning after Mateo was hit on the wrist for the second time, Padres righthanded Taylor Williams pushed Phillip Evans in the back with a fastball with two outs and no one on board.
“Personally, I was not surprised,” Pirates-catcher Jacob Stallings said, adding that he does not expect Tuesday’s procedure to be carried over.
Fine because of the Padres. They wouldn’t mind forgetting Tuesday night ASAP.