Padres Press Clips Friday, March 30, 2018

Article Source Author Page The Padres' Opening Day loss featured an outfield tumble The Athletic Lin 3 and not enough rumble from their lineup

A solid spring has the Padres, and a loaded system, The Athletic Lin 6 heading in the right direction

Galvis ties it in ninth, but Padres fall in extras MLB.com Cassavell 10

Lucchesi to take Lamet's spot in Friars' rotation MLB.com Cassavell 13

Strong infield defense shows mettle in loss MLB.com Cassavell 16

What you need to know about the 2018 Padres MLB.com Cassavell 18

Hosmer deal marks turning point for Padres MLB.com Cassavell 20

Padres flash leather, not lumber as they fall to Brewers in opener SD Union Tribune Acee 23

Padres prospect Joey Lucchesi to make major league debut Friday SD Union Tribune Acee 27

Subtle impact of Eric Hosmer reveals itself, even on the SD Union Tribune Miller 30 tough days

Green's confidence unwavering after Adam Cimber takes SD Union Tribune Sanders/Acee 33 loss in MLB debut

Baseball's opening day a constant always worth celebrating SD Union Tribune Canepa 37

Fans appreciate safety aspect of Petco Park's extended SD Union Tribune Kenney 40 netting, but it changes game experience

First pitch: Hunter Renfroe starts on bench SD Union Tribune Sanders 44

Padres go prospecting: Joey Lucchesi draws start on Friday Yahoo! Sports Behrens 47

Brewers’ Chacin makes start against Padres in Petco Park FSSD Stats 48

Padres lose home opener to Brewers in 12 innings FSSD Hovarth 50

San Diego Padres drop 2018 season opener to Brewers, AP Wilson 53 2-1 in extra innings

Padres pitching prospect Joey Lucchesi set to make MLB debut AP AP 55 1

Andy’s Address, 3/29 Friar Wire Center 57

#PadresOnDeck: “Athlete” Describes CF Jeisson Rosario Friar Wire Center 62

The Padres' Opening Day loss featured an outfield tumble and not enough rumble from their lineup

Dennis Lin, The Athletic

SAN DIEGO — Wil Myers charged toward the ball as it rolled into his vicinity, his glove outstretched, his mind set on the next move. His backhand attempt looked ambitious. The visual turned unflattering when the right fielder tumbled to the ground. The ball continued skittering over turf. “I was just trying to do anything I could to throw that ball,” Myers said. “It was just too far to my right. Just tried to do whatever I could there.” It was not enough. Milwaukee’s Ji-Man Choi, who had taken off on contact, scored from second base. The Padres suffered an Opening Day defeat, 2-1 to the Brewers, that underscored the importance of sample size. At this juncture, there is little from which to draw conclusions. But, baseball being a sport with ample downtime, snap judgments abound. Myers, in his official reintroduction to right field at Petco Park, provided an easy subject. “He looks like it's his first time out there,” one scout commented during the game, before Myers’ 12th-inning spill. “Like he’s bored and then surprised a ball comes his way.” The Padres do not necessarily agree. Too, it was just one game. In the offseason, Myers expressed enthusiasm over a potential shift. He was more than willing to relinquish first base, the position he had declared his favorite, if Eric Hosmer landed in San Diego. Early in spring training, the idea became reality and Myers began shagging fly balls. Rival talent evaluators predicted he would acquit himself decently in a corner-outfield spot. Thursday, Myers succeeded in making a number of routine plays. On one, he fired an accurate throw to second base, though the ball hopped multiple times before it reached its target. Milwaukee’s Travis Shaw slid into the bag for a double. Myers’ recent lack of right-field experience has been taken into consideration. “I thought he was good out there,” manager Andy Green said. “I know he was trying to come through and make a throw on the play that was more right-center

3 than right field in the last inning. But he made every play out there. I thought he looked locked in. I thought it was a fine debut in the outfield.” Myers, one of the league’s most candid personalities, has acknowledged the challenge of returning to the outfield. He had not played right field regularly since 2014, and he enjoyed the chance to be involved in every infield play. The outfield, by comparison, can be dull. It is partly why Myers volunteered to play left field as well; an occasional deployment also could aid Green in determining the lineup. “It can get kind of boring just being in one spot a lot, especially being in the outfield, so I think any time I can move back and forth it will keep me engaged a little more, keep me excited,” Myers told The Athletic recently. “Like, right field today, left field tomorrow — that’s kind of cool.” Thursday, Myers sounded pleased with his effort in right. He likely will receive most of his opportunities there. He has just four career starts in left field and, as he noted, right-handed pull hitters tend to impart more topspin on the ball. He has more to learn in that corner. In right, he had completed his 151st career start. “A little nervous that first inning. Needed that first ball hit to me,” Myers said. “But I felt good, I felt pretty comfortable out there, and I liked where I was at. “Getting out there every day, figuring out the hitters and figuring out where to play, I think, is obviously going to help and just get readjusted out there.” Elsewhere Thursday, there were more familiar assignments. Third baseman Chase Headley pleased a sellout crowd by gloving a one-hopper and starting a double play. Shortstop Freddy Galvis started another double play, falling backward as he corralled a tough bounce and, in the same motion, flinging the ball to second baseman Carlos Asuaje. “That changed the complexion of the game,” said Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, who threw seven innings of one-run ball in his first Opening Day start. “If those two plays aren’t made, who knows where the game goes in the first two innings and maybe we’re not in it later in the game.” In December, the Padres acquired Galvis and reacquired Headley knowing what they could bring. Both veterans are steadying presences. Their influence might be most apparent on the infield dirt. The club can expect more of the defense they saw Thursday. Hosmer has won four Gold Gloves at first base. Asuaje, who turned the aforementioned double plays, represents a solid option at second.

What is less certain is what the Padres can expect from their lineup. They finished Thursday’s extra-inning loss with six hits, six walks and 15 strikeouts. A spring of impressive Cactus League numbers was quickly forgotten. A year ago, San Diego’s offense was the least productive in the majors. Improvement, given some new additions, is anticipated. This much, this early, is clear: The revamped infield will make for a more interesting product. More ambiguity surrounds other elements, from the offense to Myers’ reintroduction to the outfield. “Everybody knows that hits and homers can come,” Galvis said, “but the one important thing is to play defense every single day because it stops (the other team) from having a lot of runners. I think we did a good job today, and we just have to keep doing it.”

A solid spring has the Padres, and a loaded system, heading in the right direction Dennis Lin ,The Athletic

A new season has dawned in San Diego. The scenery has shifted from the land of a thousand chain restaurants to the splendor of Petco Park. Meanwhile, impressions from spring training will linger a while longer. San Diego’s Opening Day roster contains two side-arming relievers, three catchers, two left-handed hitting second basemen and five right-handed hitting outfielders. How did the Padres arrive here? Where are they going? These are good questions, particularly for a team approaching the latter stages of a rebuild. With an eye toward the season ahead, here are seven observations from the spring: 1. The Padres’ increasing organizational depth manifested itself in bona fide competition for several major-league jobs. More important, it showed on a four- field cloverleaf bustling with minor leaguers who could eventually seize those jobs. To scouts and baseball purists, the backfields of Peoria, Ariz., were hopping. General manager A.J. Preller often summarizes developmental timelines thusly: “The good ones come quick.” That statement will be tested before long. The farm system is filled with potential good ones, headlined by shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; talent evaluators can see both 19-year-olds playing in the majors before their 21st birthdays. Preller would not win a league-wide popularity contest. Some rival officials grumble about his lavish spending on amateur acquisitions, wondering what they could’ve done with, say, $78 million on the international market. Others question where the big-league Padres might be if Preller hadn’t disassembled a well- regarded system a few winters ago. But most will grant him the following: The Padres have collected an unprecedented base of young talent. Preller can really evaluate, and he’s clearly swayed ownership to his vision. The Padres possess the sheer numbers to make a highest-level push sooner than later. They remain long shots this year, but 2019 could produce a different story. 2. The Padres thought Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer would impress, but probably not to the extent they did. The lefties virtually stayed in big-league camp from start

6 to finish, outlasting other invited prospects. Scouts say that, among the team’s starting pitchers, Lucchesi and Lauer opened the most eyes. That could be perceived as a knock on the overall rotation, the Padres’ greatest weakness entering the season. Lucchesi and Lauer are not seen as future top- shelf starters. And yet, they already have surpassed expectations and their development bodes well for a franchise that has extracted sparse big-league innings from pitchers drafted since 2012. Either Lucchesi or Lauer could take the Petco Park mound well before the All-Star break. If they don’t debut by mid-April, it won’t be because of service-time concerns. “A.J. hasn’t ever worried about service time,” manager Andy Green said. (This may change when players such as Tatis and Gore are ready.) Rather, someone like Tyson Ross could provide reason to give them more seasoning in the minors. Ross’ spring was eye-opening in its own right; rival officials say the former All- Star’s stuff was back and his fastball command looked improved. His ability to stay on the field remains in question and, with Dinelson Lamet already on the disabled list, Lucchesi and/or Lauer could receive an early opportunity. 3. Including potential promotions for those pitchers, there will be more player movement between San Diego and El Paso than in years past. The Padres’ roster crunch prompted them to start major-leaguers Travis Jankowski, Phil Maton and Buddy Baumann with their Triple-A affiliate. Franchy Cordero dealt with a groin injury at the end of spring, but the outfielder should again terrorize Pacific Coast League pitchers before an inevitable call-up. Hitting savant Luis Urías will play both second base and shortstop for the Chihuahuas, ready to fly west at a moment’s notice. The El Paso infield could get even more crowded if the Padres decide they can’t carry both Carlos Asuaje and Cory Spangenberg. Relief prospects Trey Wingenter and Brad Wieck are among others waiting for opportunities. Team officials preach that the season opener is just one game out of 162. It is limited consolation for those who don’t make the cut. But there is truth to the cliche, particularly this year. A trade or two could be required to maintain a functional distribution of playing time. 4. Speaking of trades, sources say the Padres checked in on Tampa Bay All-Star Chris Archer fairly recently. “Checking in” might not mean much. A phone call,

7 perhaps. Or maybe a passing inquiry during a broader conversation. Most teams likely have inquired about Archer. The Rays would need a massive haul to part with the starter. But even casual interest appears to fit into a bigger picture: The Padres realize that, sooner or later, they will need to supplement their slew of pitching prospects with a proven arm or two. Most prospects don’t pan out, and the Padres have depth from which to deal. Even after Eric Hosmer’s signing, they also have financial flexibility. The latest free-agent market, with its depressed prices, encouraged the front office to sift for potential bargains. The Padres mulled the possibilities with Jake Arrieta; it’s believed they would’ve been interested at three years and between $40 million and $50 million. Alex Cobb also warranted a brief glance. Arrieta and Cobb, of course, found lucrative deals elsewhere, and the Padres may have simply been practicing due diligence. In the meantime, team officials say the focus remains within, on the continuing development of young players. 5. Some suggest the whip-smart Green can be an exacting manager. It has taken a couple of seasons for the skipper to settle on, to him, an ideal coaching staff. A decent amount of turnover has occurred. Part of this is timing. Green will acknowledge he’s learned more than a little on the job. Newcomers Matt Stairs, Skip Schumaker and Josh Johnson have received praise for their early work, though, as history has shown, things can change as soon as a season heads south. Still, there was a difference this spring. Veteran additions Eric Hosmer, Freddy Galvis and Chase Headley meshed seamlessly with a young clubhouse, and coaches no longer had to bear as great a responsibility. Green has spoken repeatedly of passing ownership to his players. That process appears to be taking root. The instances extend to the field: As much as traditional coaching, watching Hosmer and Headley work at-bats should reinforce the necessity of getting on base. 6. Hosmer’s arrival, similarly, should ease the burden on the rest of his teammates, most notably Wil Myers. The former face of the franchise gamely attempted to fill a spokesperson’s role last season — even making himself available to the media after each loss — but he’s acknowledged being a clubhouse leader was an unnatural fit.

People inside and outside the organization believe Myers, now freed from that weight, could flourish in his age-27 season. In the offseason, Myers filled out his previously lanky frame, worked with a mental skills coach and gained an appreciation for contact lenses. Scouts forecast average defense in Myers’ return to the outfield, and Hosmer’s presence in the lineup should help on offense. Myers has seemed especially relaxed of late. Last week, he celebrated his engagement to his longtime girlfriend. Wednesday, he informed a reporter he’d vowed to no longer read articles about himself. Smiling, he admitted he’d caved on one occasion during spring training. Whether these vibes translate to on-field success remains to be seen, but Myers seems to be enjoying himself as much as he has in his Padres tenure. 7. The Padres may not have an abundance of hard-throwing relievers, yet the bullpen, with no shortage of different arm angles, promises to be interesting. Kazuhisa Makita is the latest attraction, but fellow submariner Adam Cimber should not be ignored. The 27-year-old was one of the spring’s biggest surprises, flummoxing hitters on his way to his first big-league opportunity. Then there’s left- hander Kyle McGrath, another soft-tosser, albeit one who throws from an over- the-top slot. Unique looks may provide ways to combat baseball’s launch-angle craze. Makita, in particular, seems equipped for the challenge; his pitches, released just inches from the mound, often end up near the top of the strike zone. “I did have success with the use of my high fastball,” said Makita, who noted that hitters in Japan have caught on to the launch-angle revolution. “Knowing that I could use it over here is great.”

Galvis ties it in ninth, but Padres fall in extras

AJ Cassavell, MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Clayton Richard was more than up to the task of his first career Opening Day start. The San Diego offense, however, never joined the Petco Park festivities.

The Padres mounted a ninth-inning rally to force extras but ultimately dropped their fourth straight season opener. Orlando Arcia's 12th-inning RBI single was the difference in a 2-1 Brewers victory.

It spoiled an outstanding effort from the left-handed Richard, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball. As he's wont to do, Richard lived down in the strike zone, recording 12 outs via the ground ball.ar. 29th, 2018

"You trust the man, that's why you give him the ball on the first day of the season," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He was outstanding.

New Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer -- who went 0-for-4 with a walk -- received a rousing ovation during pregame introductions. Shortly thereafter the crowd was whipped into a frenzy for the ceremonial first pitch from newly-elected Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman.r. 29th, 2018

But Brewers starter Chase Anderson quickly cooled the festive atmosphere with six innings of one-hit ball.

"We pitched really well today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We've pitched really well for a while now. We haven't gotten a ton of credit for how well we've been pitching, going back to last year."

Freddy Galvis, acquired in a December trade with Philadelphia, salvaged things temporarily for the Padres. His two-out single in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 1.

"Everything was beautiful for Opening Day," Galvis said. "The fans were great, everything was very cool. I just wish we could've ended it with a win."Mar. 29th, 2018

After two shutdown frames from Brad Hand, the Padres called on right- hander Adam Cimber in the 12th. A non-roster invite to Spring Training, Cimber earned his way onto the club with a dominant Cactus League showing.

Admittedly, it was a tricky spot for a Major League debut. Cimber allowed three hits, including Ji-Man Choi's two-out double and Arcia's ensuing go-ahead knock.

"I'd put him right back in that situation tomorrow," said Green, who had already used four other relievers at that point.

In reality, it was the Padres' offense that fell short. Richard did his part. The bullpen did its part. And the defense turned three double-plays -- two of the highlight-reel variety in the first two innings.ar. 29th, 2018

"If it weren't for our defense, we wouldn't have been in it," Richard said. "They played terrifically out in the field, and they grinded through at-bats. It just didn't turn our way in the end."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Stop sign: The Padres had a chance to end the game in the 11th when Jose Pirela's bloop single trickled away from Brewers right fielder Domingo Santana. But Hosmer was held at third base, leaving the game in Chase Headley's hands. Headley smacked a hard ground ball to third base, where Travis Shaw started a 5- 2-3 double play.Mar. 29th, 2018

"Off the bat, I knew nobody had a chance at it," Hosmer said of Pirela's single. "All I was thinking was first-to-third in that situation. Obviously, he bobbled it. ... We just stopped last second. Nine times out of 10, bases loaded with Chase coming up, you don't risk that chance."

Szczur swipes a run: The Padres kept backup center fielder Matt Szczur as one of their final roster decisions this spring. His presence is already paying dividends. Serving as a pinch-runner for Carlos Asuaje, who led off the ninth with a single, Szczur put himself in scoring position with a gutsy steal of second base. He would score two pitches later on Galvis' RBI single.

"For a guy just sitting there all day to come in, get a good read and have the guts to go and be safe, that was big for us," Green said. "It gave us an opportunity to try to win the baseball game."

Welcome Crew: With two outs in the third, Anderson swatted a single to center, and the two newest Brewers made Richard pay. Lorenzo Cain singled and Christian Yelich followed suit with a blooper to left. It landed mere feet in front of Pirela, whose throw to the plate was up the line. Anderson scored -- though his slide wasn't pretty, as he smacked his head against home plate.ar. 29th, 2018

QUOTABLE "We're going to score runs. Today wasn't a great day. But if you watch enough baseball in your life, you realize great teams score one run sometimes." -- Green

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Headley's Opening Day start was his sixth as a Padre (and his first since 2014, after a 3 1/2-year stint with the Yankees). In franchise history, only Tony Gwynn, Garry Templeton and Gene Richards have more starts in the season opener.

WHAT'S NEXT After a dominant Spring Training, Joey Lucchesi will make his big league debut for the Padres on Friday night against Milwaukee at 7:10 p.m. PT. The club's No. 9 prospect, Lucchesi posted a 1.54 ERA in four outings this spring, after recording a 1.99 mark in two Minor League seasons. Clearly, opposing hitters have struggled to solve his funky left-handed delivery.

Lucchesi to take Lamet's spot in Friars' rotation

AJ Cassavell, MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- It turns out that Joey Lucchesi's dominant Spring Training will result in a big league callup after all.

The 24-year-old lefty prospect was on hand at Petco Park on Thursday, and he's slated to have his contract selected before Friday's game against Milwaukee, where he'll make his Major League debut.

Lucchesi will take the rotation place of Dinelson Lamet, who was initially slated to pitch the Padres' second game of the season. A day after Lucchesi was sent to the Minors, Lamet sustained a flexor strain in his right elbow on Sunday, and he will be out for at least a month.

That cleared the way for Lucchesi, who was excellent in his first big league camp. The club's No. 9 prospect posted a 1.54 ERA in four spring outings.

Big league hitters struggled mightily in their attempts to solve his funky left-handed delivery.

"It's good stuff, first of all, a competitive nature, ability to focus on the mound despite what's spinning around him," said Padres manager Andy Green. "His stuff plays. There's a real deception to it. It's tough to pick up. It's a real three-pitch mix that's going to play well at the big league level."

The club offered no update on the status of Lamet, who is still being examined. Early tests have revealed no ligament damage -- a very positive sign -- and club officials are hopeful for a May return. Lamet, who set a club rookie record with 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings last season, entered the year as the Padres' most exciting young pitcher. He's being replaced by another candidate for that title.

"I definitely wanted Dinelson Lamet starting tomorrow," Green said. "Coming into the year, Dinelson was arguably our top arm and arguably the biggest impact arm we have in that rotation. … We loved the things he was doing. We weren't dying for Joey to start in his spot. But we have tons of confidence in Joey starting and being part of the rotation for a long time."b. 27th, 2018

Since Lucchesi was drafted in the fourth round in the 2016 Draft, he has been dominant at every level. He owns a 1.99 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings in parts of two professional seasons.

"He made the decision a lot easier with his performance over the last month," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "We felt very comfortable putting him in a big spot.

Lucchesi's presence at Petco Park means a corresponding move is also on the horizon. The specifics of that move remain unclear. But the Padres have made it clear that Lucchesi isn't here for a spot start. He will be a part of their rotation going forward.

Even with Lucchesi's presence, there's one rotation spot available. Because of Sunday's off-day, the Padres wouldn't need to fill it until April 6 in Houston. It sounds as though they're leaning toward pitching their fifth starter on Tuesday instead, giving the rest of the rotation an extra day of rest.

Tyson Ross and Robbie Erlin are candidates to fill that last spot in the rotation. Ross pitched a Minor League game with Triple-A Peoria on Wednesday and would line up nicely to face the Rockies in the second game of the Padres' second series of the season.

If, indeed, the Padres add Lucchesi and Ross, they'd need to find room on their roster. To clear space on the 40-man, they could move Allen Cordoba (concussion) and Colin Rea (right lat strain) to the 60-day DL.

It's not quite that simple regarding the Padres' active roster, which currently features 14 position players. One of them -- perhaps No. 3 catcher Raffy Lopez -- is almost certain to be moved to the Minors before Friday's game to clear room for Lucchesi.

Across the board, Lucchesi has drawn rave reviews this spring. Count Opening Day starter Clayton Richard among the impressed. Richard was Lucchesi's throwing partner during Spring Training and came away thoroughly excited about the youngster's potential.

"From what I've seen, it looks as if he's ready," Richard said earlier this month. "He's had no problem transitioning against the highest level of hitters and seems to hold his own really well."

Strong infield defense shows mettle in loss

AJ Cassavell, MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres' new-and-improved infield defense wasted no time making its presence felt on Thursday afternoon.

First, it was Chase Headley with a slick pick to start a double play in the top of the first inning. Then, it was Freddy Galvis making an acrobatic stop-and-flip for another twin-killing an inning later. Throw in a pair of impressive turns by second baseman Carlos Asuaje, and -- even in a 2-1 loss to Milwaukee -- the Padres' infield made its case that it's destined for a turnaround in 2018.

"Today, [the infield defense] showed up big," said starter Clayton Richard. "It changed the complexion of the game. When that happens -- and it's going to happen consistently, because those guys are those types of players -- it's a great asset for us to have."Mar. 29th, 2018

It's an especially useful asset for Richard, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball in the Padres' 12-inning defeat. Richard finished second in the National League in ground-ball rate last season -- trailing only teammate Luis Perdomo.

The Padres boasted the Majors' most ground-ball happy rotation a year ago. With a sub-par infield, Perdomo and Richard both slumped to ERAs above 4.50. The club has maintained that the entire staff should see a boost this season with improved glovework behind them.9th, 2018

San Diego began its season on Thursday with four infielders who weren't on last year's Opening Day roster, including three -- Galvis, Headley and Eric Hosmer -- who arrived during the offseason.

"It's going to be pretty good," Galvis said of the Padres' infield. "We have a group of good players that can play good defense, and I think we showed it today."

Galvis -- who arrived via trade with Philadelphia in December -- is the presumed game-changer of the bunch. He's a clear upgrade after three seasons of limited range veterans Clint Barmes, Alexei Ramirezand Erick Aybar.

On Thursday, Galvis made a nice offensive contribution with a walk and two hits, including his dramatic game-tying single with two outs in the ninth. That qualifies as something of a bonus. Make no mistake, Galvis was brought on board primarily for his defense, and he's more than happy to play behind a handful of ground-ball specialists.r. 29th, 2018

"It's fun man," Galvis said. "Be ready. Be ready every single pitch, man. You're going to get a lot of opportunities, so you've got to work hard and be ready."

Defensively, the Padres made the most of their opportunities on Thursday. At the plate, they did not, stranding eight runners and mustering only six hits over 12 innings.

"We have to keep playing our defense," Galvis said. "Everybody knows the hits and homers are going to come."

What you need to know about the 2018 Padres

AJ Cassavell, MLB.com

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Andy Green departed Padres camp in Peoria extremely pleased with the level of competition this spring -- the highest in his three years as manager. That, of course, also means Green leaves Peoria with some difficult decisions still to be made ahead of Thursday's opener against Milwaukee.

The Padres' roster crunch this spring is unlike any in Green's tenure. There are no Rule 5 picks to work around. There are fewer aging veterans with places already secure. For the most part, a handful of youngsters were given opportunities to compete this spring. And compete they did.

"It's been a really intense Spring Training, and it's been very competitive," Green said. "I like that intensity a lot."

It comes on the heels of a busy offseason, in which the Padres signed first baseman Eric Hosmer to a franchise-record deal and traded for third baseman Chase Headley, shortstop Freddy Galvis and right-hander Bryan Mitchell.

Here's a breakdown of how things stand with the Padres entering the 2018 season.

Projected Opening Day lineup

1. Manuel Margot, CF 2. Wil Myers, RF 3. Eric Hosmer, 1B 4. Jose Pirela, LF 5. Chase Headley, 3B 6. Carlos Asuaje, 2B 7. Freddy Galvis, SS 8. Austin Hedges, C 9. Clayton Richard, P

Key roles

• Margot is expected to serve as the Padres' leadoff man and table-setter this season. They'd like to see him reach base at a higher clip than his .313 mark last year. If he does, his elite speed will wreak havoc on the basepaths.. 22nd, 2018

• Pirela will spend the majority of his playing time in left field. But he could rotate to second base against some tough left-handers, getting the bat of righty- hitting Hunter Renfroe into the lineup.

• Fresh off an offseason contract extension, Brad Hand is again slated to serve as the Padres' closer. But he'll do so in a less-than-traditional role. Green said he wouldn't hesitate to use the lefty Hand in the seventh or eighth inning if it's dictated by the matchups.

Injury updates

• In his final spring start, right-hander Dinelson Lamet sustained a flexor strain in his right elbow and will begin the season on the DL. Initially, Lamet had been slated to start Game 2 of the season against Milwaukee. Tyson Ross, Robbie Erlin and rookie Joey Lucchesi are options to take his place.

• No. 10 prospect Franchy Cordero was destined for a prominent role in the Padres outfield, even as a backup. Instead, he was slowed by groin tightness at the end of camp and won't return to action for another week or two.

• The Padres haven't yet decided how to use lefty Matt Strahm, who arrived via trade last July. Whether he's a starter or a reliever, his workload isn't built up enough for either role, and he'll begin the year on the DL.

Hosmer deal marks turning point for Padres

AJ Cassavell, MLB.com

PEORIA, Ariz. -- During their offseason courtship of free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer, the Padres may have reached a turning point as a franchise.

Following a disappointing 2015 campaign, general manager A.J. Preller orchestrated a teardown of his roster, shedding aging veterans and burdensome contracts while stocking the Padres' farm with talent. The process played out over a two-year stretch in which San Diego held more Draft picks and spent more on international amateurs than any team in baseball.

That part of the process is over. The Padres are still squarely in the talent- acquisition game. But the focus has turned within -- to developing those youngsters and building a Major League culture.

"It really started three years ago, in terms of building a foundation, building a core and building a farm system," said Preller. "The next stage for us, from a planning standpoint, was being able to layer in the right piece, the right players over the course of the next few years to add to that core."

Hosmer was the first piece to be layered into the master plan. He arrived in Peoria last month, having signed an eight-year deal worth $144 million on Feb. 19, making him the offseason's most expensive free agent.

It's a sign the Padres believe they're headed toward contention in the near future, even if it doesn't come in 2018.

"If you add a player like that, you're obviously accelerating the process," said Wil Myers, who will shift from first base to the outfield, clearing room for Hosmer. "Adding a player like that -- not only for the fans, but for the players here -- [shows] how serious we are of going for it."ar. 2nd, 2018

What's the goal? The Padres aren't eyeing 2018 as the year they begin to make noise in the National League West. They don't think they're far off, though. Ideally, they will use the upcoming season as a chance to make a statement for the future.

How can they do that? By developing their young talent into big league value. Center fielder Manuel Margot and catcher Austin Hedges could be in the early stages of becoming franchise players. The farm system is loaded. San Diego might not contend in 2018, but its young players are certainly capable of turning heads.d, 2018

What's the plan? For the most part, the core is already in place on offense. Hosmer, Hedges, Margot and Myers will anchor the Padres' lineup for the next half decade. Top prospects Luis Urias and Fernando Tatis Jr. could join them this season as the club's middle infield of the future. Carlos Asuaje and Hunter Renfroe are under team control as well.

It's an intriguing mix, and San Diego is banking on a few of those pieces developing into stars. It's a bit less clear on the mound, where the farm system is loaded with high-upside arms, but the big league rotation has serious question marks -- including an elbow injury to No. 2 starter Dinelson Lamet. In the long run, the Padres have five spots left to fill in their so-called "rotation of the future."Mar. 2nd, 2018

What could go wrong? Myers is coming off a down year. Hosmer is coming off a career year. In the worst- case scenario, Hosmer struggles to replicate his 2017 season, and Myers repeats his. Both would still be useful pieces going forward. But that's an awful lot of money tied into two non-premium positions.

The Padres expect to take a step forward offensively, after consecutive years in which they finished last in the Majors in on-base percentage. But there are still plenty of question marks within that offense. A repeat of the past two seasons would be nothing short of disappointing.ar. 2nd, 2018

On the pitching side, things have already taken an unfortunate turn due to Lamet's right elbow strain. He's viewed as a critical cog in the club's future rotation, and he's hopeful for a return in May. But elbow injuries often aren't so simple.

Who might surprise Preller's philosophy has always been to promote his prospects according to merit, disregarding their age. San Diego has accelerated that process for a handful of

21 young players -- Tatis, Urias and right-hander Cal Quantrill included. It's possible all three will arrive in the Majors this season.ar. 2nd, 2018

But all three are destined for the Minors during the season's first half. Lefty prospect Joey Lucchesi and outfield prospect Franchy Cordero should arrive sooner. They were arguably the Padres two most impressive performers this spring, and they're expected to contribute in the very near future.

Padres flash leather, not lumber as they fall to Brewers in opener

Kevin Acee, SDUT

There were a lot of strikeouts and not a lot of hits. Clayton Richard threw a heck of a game for naught.

So it was easy to say the 2018 season started Thursday in some ways similarly to how healthy portions of 2017 and other recent seasons played out, with the Padres’ leaky lumber dooming them to defeat.

“It’s definitely a game we could have won,” Chase Headley said after playing a big part in the Padres even being in the game and then a crucial role in them not winning their opener. “We put ourselves in position to win. And Clayton threw a great game. We just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed to. There were some positives along the way, but in the end we weren’t able to get it done.”

It was the Milwaukee Brewers that did so, winning 2-1 in 12 innings by getting a two-out run across against rookie reliever Adam Cimber.

The thing about opening day is that it is one game, even if it seemed like a lot of this club’s other games.

“Sometimes that’s baseball,” a red-faced and dejected Headley said.

He wasn’t downplaying anything, and certainly not his double-play grounder that ended a prime opportunity for victory in the 11th inning. His perspective was that of a veteran who knows what is ahead.

“Gotta come back tomorrow,” he said.

And then 160 more tomorrows, most of which won’t have a sellout crowd that finally had something to get to its feet about late in the game — after the Padres had gone eight innings with just three hits and eight total baserunners, just one of those getting to second base.

“Love having them here, love the atmosphere they create,” manager Andy Green said of the announced sellout crowd of 44,649. “We’re going to score runs. I know today wasn’t a great day, but you watch enough baseball in your life, you realize great teams score one run sometimes.” 23

The Padres scored that run with some ninth-inning drama, Freddy Galvis’ two-out single through the right side scoring Matt Szczur from second base two pitches after the pinch-runner’s steal.

That would be it for the team that had the major leagues’ most anemic offense last season.

Their chances included Hunter Renfroe coming to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the seventh with Carlos Asuaje on second base, the first Padres runner to get that far. Renfroe struck out.

Manuel Margot led off the eighth with a single before a fielder’s choice by Wil Myers and a double play grounder by Eric Hosmer ended the inning.

In the 11th, they loaded the bases with one out — on Hosmer’s walk, Jose Pirela’s single and an intentional walk of pinch-hitter Raffy Lopez. That brought up Headley, who was looking to hit a ball in the air to the outfield. Instead, facing a barrage of low breaking pitches from Jeremy Jeffress, he smacked a grounder to third baseman Travis Shaw, who threw home to force Hosmer with catcher Manny Pina then completing the double play with a throw to get Headley at first.

“I came up in a big spot and wasn’t able to get it done,” he said. “You try to come back tomorrow and get it done.”

It was Headley, at third base, who backhanded a scorched grounder to start a double play that ended the first inning. Galvis, at shortstop, did the same to end the second inning, falling back as he fielded a rocket and backhanding the ball to Asuaje, who fielded the toss on a hop and completed the play.

“That was a missile that Chase fielded and turned two,” Richard said. “And then a terrific play by Freddy on a very difficult hop – and to get rid of it quick to turn two. That changed the complexion of the game. If those two plays aren't made, who knows where the game goes in the first two innings. And then we're not in it later in the game.”

Richard’s sinker was diving in a way it had not in the thin Arizona air during spring training. He would at one point retire 10 straight and ended up scattering six hits over seven innings. His trouble came in the third, when Brewers pitcher Chase Anderson reached on a two-out single, went to second on Lorenzo Cain’s single 24 and scored on another base hit by Christian Yelich, whose looper fell in front of left fielder Pirela.

“I was definitely hopeful he would be able to catch that,” Green said of Pirela, who appeared to get a bad break on the ball. “I will have to go back and look at that and really gauge the jump.”

Otherwise, Richard was same as usual, as good as usual, inducing grounders that an improved infield scooped.

That was the facet of Thursday’s game the Padres will try to keep with them — the infield play they anticipated would be better with the additions of Galvis and Headley via December trades and the signing of Hosmer, a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base.

“When that happens, it's going to happen consistently because those guys are those types of players that are going to be there every day and do everything to prepare to compete and make those plays every day,” Richard said. “It's a great asset to have.”

Said Green: “The defense was really good. … All we have to do is swing the bats better. That’s going to come too. I’m not worried about that.”

There was at least one sign that new hitting coach Matt Stairs’ constant harping on not giving away at-bats might actually pay dividends.

Other than chasing Anderson’s high fastball too often — getting them started on their way to 15 strikeouts — the Padres did assemble some judicious at-bats. Their six walks was a level they reached just 12 times last season.

And while past results don’t bode well, one-third of the lineup on Thursday consisted of players that weren’t Padres last season. And the 2017 on-base percentages of Galvis (.309), Headley (.352) and Hosmer (.385) would have ranked sixth, second and first, respectively, on last year’s team.

So they went home unhappy on the first day — same as they had in Green’s first two opening days, at least this time closer than in 2016 (15-0) or ’17 (14-3) against the Dodgers.

Having that trio of three veterans, though, means this Padres clubhouse is rife with perspective, far more than in recent years.

“It’s real disappointing,” said Hosmer, who was 0-for-3. “When a guy goes out there and throws the ball like (Richard), you want to get him some runs and you want to get him a ‘W,’ that’s for sure. We just couldn’t find a way to get it done. But it’s Day 1, a lot of guys getting their feet wet, getting comfortable, so bounce back tomorrow and see if we can get a ‘W.’ ”

Padres prospect Joey Lucchesi to make major league debut Friday

Kevin Acee, SDUT

How long it takes, we will have to (get to) watch and wait.

But it will start right away.

The Padres brought the first of their highly touted prospects to town Thursday, and he will make his major league debut Friday night.

Left-hander Joey Lucchesi, who started opening day for Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2017 and was in Double-A by mid-summer and wowed the Padres during spring training, will start against the Brewers in place of the injured Dinelson Lamet.

“We’re excited about him,” manager Andy Green said before Thursday’s opener. “We said from the beginning we’re going to take guys that have earned the right to be here. He did that.”

Lamet, whose ascension last year and noticeable improvement in March has the Padres believing he is on the threshold of dominance, felt pain in his throwing elbow Sunday in the Padres’ final game of spring training. He has been diagnosed with a strained muscle and has begun the season on the disabled list.

“We’re not dying for (Lucchesi) to start in this spot,” Green said. “But we have a ton of confidence in him. We have tons of confidence in him being part of the rotation and being part of the rotation for a long time.”

That confidence is based on Lucchesi’s ability to precisely command three pitches — a curve and change-up to go with a mid-90s fastball — from a funky delivery and release point that leaves batters off-balance.

“His stuff plays,” Green said. “There’s a real deception to it. It’s tough to pick up. … It’s a real three-pitch pitch mix that will play well at the major league level.”

The 24-year-old, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Padres’ No.9 prospect, did not allow a run in the Cactus League until his final outing. That, after posting a 2.20 ERA in 139 innings between Lake Elsinore and San Antonio last season. He had a 1.79 ERA and .994 WHIP in 10 games with Double-A San Antonio.

The Padres acknowledged weeks ago that Lucchesi was ready for the majors. They anticipated calling him up not too far into the season, perhaps as soon as mid-April.

Their preference was to wait until the 17th day of the season, which would have delayed the start of Lucchesi’s service time clock while potentially truncating his season by just two starts.

But that wasn’t enough to keep them from going to their best option sooner.

So there was Lucchesi, warming up at Petco Park before the season opener.

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He will not be placed on the roster until Friday and, thus, was not allowed on the field or in the dugout during the game and was not available to the media.

Lamet’s injury happened so late that the team had already set up its other four projected starters for certain turns in the rotation.

They had to wait until Tyson Ross threw in a minor league game Wednesday to make sure he was healthy in his first game action since taking a line drive of his right (throwing) forearm last week. Robbie Erlin was the option if Ross was not healthy.

When Ross came out of Wednesday’s outing fine, the decision to insert Lucchesi was made.

Ross, who is coming off an injury-plagued two seasons, was on a minor league invite for the spring and earned a spot by showing he was healthy. He is expected to make his first start Tuesday against the Rockies.

Before that, Luis Perdomo will close out the opening series by starting Saturday against the Brewers, and Bryan Mitchell will make his Padres debut Monday in the opener at Colorado.

Green said the Padres will not go to a six-man rotation, but neither do the Padres necessarily plan to send Lucchesi down any time soon. If he pitches well, a team source said, “somebody else’s job will be jeopardy.”

“Nothing is guaranteed, so we’ll see how it plays out,” General Manager A.J. Preller said. “But we don’t see it as him getting one start and going back down for another pitcher. I think we’re going to give him an opportunity. … Whether that’s three or four starts or ends up being for the whole season, a lot of that depends on how he handles it.”

Subtle impact of Eric Hosmer reveals itself, even on the tough days

Bryce Miller, SDUT

In Hollywood, the $144 million guy digs in his cleats and sprays a ball into a throbbing mass of fans on the other side of the outfield fence for a game-salvaging home run in the eighth inning.

When Disney smudges its storytelling fingerprints on the script, Eric Hosmer rotates his hips against Brewers right-hander Matt Albers on Thursday, heads into a determined trot and the Padres steal opening day.

Cue the popcorn. Roll the credits.

Instead, Hosmer grounded into an inning-ending double play on an 0-for-4 day and the Brewers eventually escaped Petco Park as fortunate 2-1 winners in 12 innings.

The investment in Hosmer, though, is miles more complex, nuanced and patient. Sometimes, gigantic multimillion-dollar contracts yield dividends in subtle ways. Sometimes, the big payoff is built with the smallest of details.

That’s why, moments after Hosmer raced from first to third in the 11th inning on Jose Pirela’s blooper and the Padres loaded the bases with one out, he bent backward at the waist as his body language screamed, “Man, that’s close” on a Chase Headley pop-up that drifted just foul in short-left.

“A foot to the right and we’re getting some dinner with a win under our belts,” Hosmer said of Headley’s foul ball, which was followed by an inning-ending double play. “That’s just the way it goes. Close one. We almost had the game right there.”

Part of what Hosmer can bring to the Padres, on days when the bat decides to pound on the snooze button, is reading a play like that and racing to within 90 feet of a victory.

What he can deliver, as he did during his first day in uniform, is the unbridled enthusiasm he displayed while dangling from the dugout rail like an over- caffeinated Little Leaguer when Freddy Galvis singled to tie the game in the ninth.

When starting lineups were announced, Hosmer skipped the tired old fist-bumps. He bro-hugged manager Andy Green, then Manny Margot, then Myers. He pulled them in, in the most literal kind of way.

Padres’ Cy Young winner Randy Jones smiled when he explained what he witnessed as he walked into the clubhouse at 9:10 a.m., four hours before first pitch.

“The first guy I saw at his locker was Eric,” Jones said. “It didn’t surprise me one bit.”

This is the kind of guy who sweats the small stuff … until it all gels into the big stuff.

Baseball, by its unrelenting statistical stubbornness, is a game pockmarked with failure. There are more of those 0-for-4 days, more of those missed-the-big-swing days than not. You learn what someone can mean when the contributions must come in the ways that fail to grab headlines.

When Galvis smartly breathed life into an inning by dropping a one-out bunt in the seventh, Hosmer pointed to him and planted his hands on his head to signal “smart play.” In the top of the ninth, he was the first one clapping at the top of the steps on a single by Carlos Asuaje. In the bottom of the ninth, he made a fancy scoop on Asuaje’s throw to clip Manny Piña.

In the 10th, he cradled a pickoff throw from Brad Hand to calmly erase Hernán Pérez.

No moping. No me-me-me. All us-us-us.

That’s what $144 million looks like, too.

At his locker before the game, I asked Hosmer what his opening-day message would be for his new teammates — many young and eager for cues.

“Just stick together, go out there and be a team,” he said. “We don’t have to worry about what the outside view on us is. Create a culture and create a mentality and work together and be the team we’re capable of being.

“I think it starts here. It starts with the confidence in this room.” 31

That’s what $144 million needs to buy, as well.

Asked about what he thought of hitting in the 3-hole, which allowed Myers to settle into the place where he’s most comfortable, Hosmer rolled with the lineup punches.

“I told Greenie, I don’t mind hitting wherever,” he said.

Hosmer seemed to press on a couple of eighth-inning swings before the double play. They were those “win it right here” kinds of cuts. When it didn’t happen, though, the glove work and cheerleading hardly missed a beat.

When it ended, Hosmer still managed a smile when asked about his first opener in something other than a Kansas City Royals jersey.

“It’s the first time I’ve experienced an opening day with no sleeves on, so that was nice,” he said.

There are plenty of days for Hosmer to hit — and he will. He’s been an All-Star Game MVP in San Diego and hammered a game-winning homer against Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic here. All-time, he was hitting a downright silly .458 at Petco Park.

On the days he doesn’t?

Hosmer has a way of making those look pretty promising, too.

Green's confidence unwavering after Adam Cimber takes loss in MLB debut

Jeff Sanders and Kevin Acee, SDUT

A 27-year-old side-armer and a non-roster invitee to spring training, Adam Cimber was an afterthought when camp began. Quietly, he became a marvel. On Thursday, on opening day in his major league debut, Cimber walked off the mound with the ‘L’ attached to his name after yielding a run on three hits in the 12th inning.

The confidence of Padres manager Andy Green in Cimber, however, is as steadfast as ever.

“I just told Adam Cimber I’d put him right back in that situation tomorrow,” the third-year skipper said after falling to 0-3 on opening days. “He threw the ball well. For a debut, first time on the mound, he did great. It’s a dicey situation. I like what he did. He got ground balls.”

Cimber appreciated the sentiment.

His fiancé, parents, sister and several friends from his college days at the University of San Francisco were among the 44,649 at Petco Park. He’d hoped to add another chapter in a storybook-like rise from obscurity into a big league bullpen.

He nearly got it, too, when Manny Pina’s double-play ball to shortstop erased Domingo Santana’s leadoff single.

But pinch-hitter Ji-man Choi yanked a line drive into the right-field corner for a double. Then Orlando Arcia snuck a grounder through the infield for a go-ahead single.

Cimber fanned Hernan Perez for his first career strikeout to end the inning, but the first loss was hanging over all of it when the Padres went down in order in the 12th.

Green’s confidence at least softens that blow.

“It’s big; it’s a pick-me-up,” said Cimber, who won the job with 12 strikeouts over 10 1/3 scoreless frames this spring. “I’m obviously not feeling as happy as I would

33 have liked, but it means a lot to have some seasoned veterans and the manager come out and kind of give me a pat on the back and say keep your head up.”

Renfroe’s chance

Hunter Renfroe hit a franchise-rookie-record 26 homers last year. On Thursday, he found himself on the bench – behind Jose Pirela and Wil Myers in the corner outfield spots – with an important reminder from Green: “You’re not in the lineup on opening day. You could have the most impactful at-bat on opening day. The game could hinge on what you do in the batter’s box.”

Green was right.

He called on the right-handed-hitting slugger to pinch-hit for Clayton Richard with two outs and runners on first and second against left-hander Josh Hader in the seventh inning, the team’s first opportunity with a runner in scoring position. The at-bat ended after three pitches: a called strike on an inside 95 mph fastball, a swinging strike on a slider in and another called strike on another 95 mph fastball in on the plate.

“He missed his spots,” Renfroe said, “but they were strikes in the umpire’s eye. All I can do is hang with them.”

The pinch-hit at-bat was Renfroe’s only action of the day. It’s a role he’ll have to adjust to when not getting starts, presumably against left-handed pitching.

Renfroe is certainly up for it. The alternative – at least at this point – would be a return to Triple-A El Paso.

“It’s great to be here,” he said. “You don’t want to be in the minors. You want to be here. This is the end goal. That’s the biggest thing – doing whatever I have to do to be here, whether it’s coming in to pinch-hit or starting a game or being a great teammate. I’m here to do whatever I need to do.”

From Bridgeport to San Diego

Raffy Lopez was one of six Padres players who on Thursday was on a major league opening-day roster for the first time.

The 30-year-old backup catcher has arguably come the farthest. (Figuratively, at least, since relief pitcher Kazuhisa Makita came from Japan.)

Lopez has played in the majors for three other teams, but he was in Double-A to start last season and two Aprils ago was being introduced on opening day in the independent Atlantic League as a member of the Bridgeport (Conn.) Bluefish.

“I definitely had that moment standing on the line,” Lopez said before Thursday’s game thinking, ‘How did I get here? Two years ago, I made my (major league) debut. Two years later, I’m here. How did this happen?’ ”

Lopez worked his way back to the majors at the end of both 2016 (Reds) and ’17 (Blue Jays). He signed a minor league contract with the Padres this winter and his left-handed bat and improved defense impressed the Padres enough that they decided to keep both Lopez and A.J. Ellis as backups to Austin Hedges.

As he jogged to the first base line after being introduced during the pregame ceremony, Lopez looked into the stands pointed and waved to his wife, Heather, who flew from St. Louis, where she is an OB-GYN resident.

“She’s been through a lot,” Lopez said. “… She’s my rock.”

Good excuse

Eric Hosmer’s parents usually make it to opening day, but they missed their son’s Padres debut for a good reason.

They became grandparents for the first time, as Hosmer’s brother and sister-in- law welcomed a daughter on Wednesday.

The new uncle understood.

“A newborn baby girl takes precedence,” Hosmer said.

Extra bases

• The roster set for opening day will not last long. The Padres will have to clear 25- and 40-man roster spots for both LHP Joey Lucchesi’s MLB debut

on Friday and RHP Tyson Ross, who is expected to start Tuesday’s game against the Rockies. • General Manager A.J. Preller did not have an update on RHP Dinelson Lamet’s elbow. He said the team would likely discuss his course of action next week.

Baseball's opening day a constant always worth celebrating

Nick Canepa, SDUT

For the past half-century, baseball’s Opening Day has been a movable feast.

Thursday, it simply was a feast — for the eyes, the 5-plus-1 senses — the sixth being the game itself, all encompassing, the one that includes the five others.

You have to go back 50 years to find a moment when all teams had Opening Days on the same date, a first for 30 teams (although weather canceled two games). And this is how it should be, how it was March 29.

And it’s even better when the Padres are home for Opening Day, as they were Thursday to meet the Brewers at freshly mowed and laundered Petco Park, fans basically filling the joint, under a blue spring umbrella.

Opening Day is Charlie Brown awakening to a seamed sun.

It so reminds me of one of my favorite film passages, from “Field of Dreams” and the magnificent James Earl Jones’ Terence Mann telling Ray Kinsella:

“... And they’ll walk out to the bleachers and sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it will be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick that they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. ...

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.”

Baseball has changed, with more focus on analytics, WAR and launch angles and exit velocity and the anti-baseball DH and shift, garbage we didn’t have to think about when we just went to Lane Field and watched games as kids, when big league ballplayers were larger than life because we couldn’t always see them — or at least see them often enough.

But, Mr. Mann was right. Baseball always has been the one constant. Bases are 90 feet apart, the pitchers’ mounds 60 feet, 6 inches from the plate, nine players on the field at one time. Hit, pitch, field and throw — at least in the National 37

League, where it matters most. The last time I saw an entire regular- season American League game was when the Yankees were on every Saturday because CBS owned them.

And it is never too long. If you enjoy baseball, you know it lopes along, rarely in a rush. Maybe it seems different from when we were kids, when there were fewer teams and we watched minor league players who belonged in the bigs but never could get past the numbers game.

Simpler times then, but baseball remains a simple game, which doesn’t need to be squeezed until silly numbers spill out of it.

The first great baseball moment — and still the greatest baseball moment — I can remember was Bobby Thomson’s Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff/Shot Heard ’Round the World homer in 1951 that beat the Dodgers for the pennant in the Polo Grounds. Russ Hodges’ legendary call magically came over the radio from somewhere under sheets in our living room, which my father and uncle, both Giants fans, were painting.

I was far too young to really know what was happening, why they were hollering. But it was baseball. My first real taste, sound and feel of baseball, how it affects the imagination, without seeing it or being there.

Baseball always has been a better radio game because of that and Vin Scully and all the other voices, Al Schuss for so long with the minor-league Padres, and on to Jerry Coleman, the incredibly underrated Dave Campbell, the encyclopedic Bob Chandler and now, for so long, Ted Leitner.

Two years ago I spent Opening Day interviewing Scully, the greatest of all baseball broadcasters, and Dick Enberg, who voiced all sports better than anyone ever has. It was to be their final seasons. Sadly, Dick has left us since then, but I’ll always remember his first words on Opening Day:

“It’s in our DNA.”

And that’s it, exactly. There is one Opening Day, then 161 others. And they don’t feel the same. This is fresh-picked produce, not canned and shipped.

“There’s an excitement to Opening Day that’s unlike any other,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “Just what it means, to the city and fans … you wouldn’t be human if you couldn’t feel it. It’s a special day, not at all like the other 161.

“It just seems the grass is a little bit greener, the sky a little bit bluer. I won’t say the second game is a letdown, but after Opening Day, you fall into a grind. You remember standing on the line Opening Day, the pomp and circumstance. You never forget that.

“It’s a national holiday, a special day for our country. Our goal should be to make every day like that.”

It would be nice, but we’re fortunate we get one day like that, one that’s not painted over, but always new. At no other time is every team 0-0.

“It’s all the cliches,” Padres TV broadcaster Mark “Mud” Grant was saying. “It’s a rejuvenation, bringing in new life. It never gets old.”

It doesn’t. What gets old is another Padres Opening Day loss, as their young wind-making machines struck out twice — plus a baker’s dozen — in 12 innings and fell softly 2-1 to Milwaukee.

No worries. Another tradition, Green’s Grind, begins today.

Fans appreciate safety aspect of Petco Park's extended netting, but it changes game experience

Kirk Kenney, SDUT

Among the favorite baseball memories for Poway’s Ben Hout was going to games at Petco Park as a kid and being able to interact with players behind the Padresdugout.

“I came to Petco all the time and would get autographs from them,” Hout said before Thursday’s season-opening game against the Brewers. “I’d always take my glove and toss it over there and they’d give me autographs. ... I don’t do that anymore, but if I was that age I’d be bummed now.”

Young Hout’s disappointment would be due to the extended netting, which has changed the experience for fans sitting on the field level.

Major League Baseball recommended teams extend the netting to the edges of the dugouts this season for fan safety. All 30 teams complied.

The Padres went even further, extending the approximately 24-foot high netting three sections past the dugouts before it tapers down and connects to a spot adjacent to where the ballgirls sit along each foul line. The net has a green tint to minimize the obstruction for fans.

Fan safety has been a growing concern in recent years from batted balls lined into the field-level seats.

The tipping point for the Padres, however, may have come from a bat, not a ball.

Last May, a woman sitting behind the visitors’ dugout was hit in the head by a bat that flew out of the hands of Padres hitter Hector Sanchez. She was fortunate not to be seriously injured.

“I see the reason why because of line drives that come through here,” said Hout, who was sitting begin that same dugout. “As a kid you’d come here and get autographs and they’d toss you balls and stuff, but I guess I’d rather have the net there and not get a line drive hit to my face.

“It does kind of obstruct my view a little bit, but it’s not bad. I think I’ll get used to it by the end of the game.”

Discussion coming into the season concerned how the extended netting would impact the view of fans as well as the interaction with players.

There’s one other element to be considered — players no longer will be able to reach into the stands to make a play.

Remember two years ago when Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte tumbled into the stands to snared a foul ball hit by the Giants’ Angel Pagan — and came up with the ball covered in nacho cheese?

The net now extends past where Solarte made that play.

Padres broadcaster Mark Grant has as much fun as anyone — and more — with the fan interaction at the game.

In fact, on the Solarte play, Grant quipped: “Excuse me, sir, but there’s a third baseman in my nachos.”

But Grant sees a bigger picture here.

“We’ve seen things happen in the stands,” Grant said. “I think having the netting is really going to eliminate problems. It’s two-fold. I think it’s going to be good for the players as well. Think about it, the last thing a player wants to do is smoke a foul ball over a dugout and have to worry about it. They’re human beings, too. ... It’s for the players’ well-being and it’s also for the well-being of the families.”

On Thursday, reaction was mixed, although several people interviewed said they would reserve judgment.

Virtually everyone understood safety taking precedence over all else.

A sampling of opinions:

From Clairemont’s Terri Wood, sitting in section 113: “It’s always been wide open in baseball and you know the risks and you just deal with it.

“Right now it feels like I’m at a hockey game, waiting for someone to come ramming up against the fence. It’s not going to have the same flavor of what we’ve known before.”

After the game, Wood was not pleased, saying via text: “We don’t like it at all! We lose the ball easier! On a day game the sun glints against it making it even harder to see the ball. We no longer feel part of the game but distanced!”

From Linda Vista’s Barbara Cooke, who was sitting with Wood: “For me, the jury is still out. I need the safety net because sometimes I talk too much. ... Kudos to the Padres going above and beyond. They went a little further to protect us.”

From San Diego’s Tomi Arbogast, sitting behind the Padres dugout in section 105: “That ball comes off that bat so hot that even if you’re paying attention, you have no chance. And you want to get up close. You want to feel like you’re in the game. ...

“That ball is $6.50 at Walmart. Why would you risk your life for a ball that happened to be in a game that happened to have grass stains on it. Life’s not worth that.”

Padres COO Erik Greupner said the team will try other ways to allow players to interact with fans, especially young ones.

“We did start last year a kids-only autograph zone down on the field,” Greupner said. “That’s intended to allow kids access to the players without having to fight through bigger people.”

The foul ball experience will definitely be different. So, too, will be those occasions when a player ends up with the ball at the end of the inning.

Visiting players would frequently flip it to a fan sitting behind their dugout. When he was playing first base for the Padres last season, Wil Myers seemed to get great joy from throwing a ball several rows up into the stands.

“During the game it’s really a question of how foul balls get into the stands,” Greupner said. “We have a plan for that as well. We think we can accommodate safety concerns of fans while also giving them as much connectivity as possible to players and foul balls.

“… The plan is the first baseman will actually flip a ball to one of our batboys and those will be collected and distributed to fans.

“We think outfielders will continue to be able to do what they’ve done in the past in terms of distributing foul balls.”

That will come as a relief to Myers now that he’s in the outfield.

First pitch: Hunter Renfroe starts on bench

Jeff Sanders, SDUT

Hunter Renfroe endured an 0-for-4 effort in Los Angeles on opening day a year ago. Today, the 26-year-old power hitter – the owner a franchise rookie record 26 homers a year ago – might be lucky to get more than one plate appearance.

Renfroe is not in Padres manager Andy Green’s opening day lineup. The third- year skipper told him that doesn’t mean he won’t matter in a big way as the season opens today against Milwaukee.

“We made sure he knew early (that he wasn’t going to be in the lineup),” Green said Thursday morning. “You’re not in the lineup on opening day. You could have the most impactful at-bat on opening day. The game could hinge on what you do in the batter’s box.”

Renfroe will start this series, most likely when left-hander Brent Suter starts Saturday night.

Until then, he’s one of two right-handed outfield bats playing behind three right- handed-hitting outfielders: Wil Myers in right, Manuel Margot in center and Jose Pirela in left field.

Some might say Renfroe would be better off improving last year’s 29.2-percent strikeout rate by playing every day at Triple-A El Paso. Green doesn’t think so.

“Hunter's going to be a big part of this,” Green said. “We kept him because we thought he would develop more being here than in Triple-A and we thought we'd be a better club with him. It doesn't mean it's going to be this way all season. It's how we're starting out right now.”

The two-hole

Myers has appeared in more games in his career in the two-hole (644 plate appearances) than anywhere else in the lineup, although No. 3 is a close second (625). Green’s initial lineup construction started there.

“We mixed and matched all spring training,” Green said. “We wanted to see how guys played in certain spots in the lineup. Just coming into the season, I really liked Wil in the two-hole and everything falls from there. Wil seems comfortable in that spot in the batting order, has (Eric Hosmer) hitting behind him. After you put Wil in that two-spot, everything just falls into place if you make that choice. Everything else gets pretty obvious.”

Extra bases

• The big news out of today’s pre-game Q&A with Green is that rookie left- hander Joey Lucchesi will start Friday’s game – his big league debut (Union- Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee has that story here). Right-hander Luis Perdomo will start Saturday, followed by right-hander Bryan Mitchell on Monday. The expectation is that right-hander Tyson Ross will start Tuesday, although that has yet to be formally announced. The Padres will need to clear both 25- and 40-man roster spots for Lucchesi and Ross. • General Manager A.J. Preller did not have an update on RHP Dinelson Lamet’s elbow. He said the team would likely discuss his course of action next week.

Around the water cooler

• In an assessment of the offseason free agent deals, Fangraphs.com’s Jay Jaffe says“it’s hard to hate” Eric Hosmer’s eight-year, $144 million deal with the Padres, the longest and most lucrative contracts handed out: “The Padres, who are rebuilding, don’t have anything else in the way of long-term obligations besides that of Wil Myers, who’s better deployed in an outfield corner rather than first base, anyway. Hosmer is relatively young (28 last October) and coming off his best season — and his best two seasons within the last three years. His bilinguality and Hispanic heritage makes him a good fit for the San Diego market, and his experience as part of two World Series teams in Kansas City will give him some credibility in a young clubhouse.” • The Padres open the season 27th in ESPN’s power rankings. The Union- Tribune’s preseason predictions on division-winners, the World Series and the major awards can be found here.

TODAY’S GAME | Brewers at Padres

Game 1: 1:10 p.m. Thursday

Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (12-4, 2.74 ERA in 2017)

• The 30-year-old is making the first opening day start of his four-year career. He is 3-1 with a 3.99 ERA in eight career starts against San Diego, but allowed seven runs in 12 1/3 innings last year in a pair of no-decisions.

Padres LHP Clayton Richard (8-15, 4.79 ERA in 2017)

• The 34-year-old veteran is making his first career start on opening day. Improved infield defense could help Richard take a step forward in 2018 as his 59.2-percent groundball rate was topped only by Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (62.1) and teammate Luis Perdomo (61.8) last year.

On deck

• Friday: Brewers RHP Jhoulys Chacin (13-10, 3.89) vs. Padres LHP Joey Lucchesi (MLB debut), 7:10 p.m. • Saturday: Brewers LHP Brent Suter (3-2, 3.42) vs. Padres RHP Luis Perdomo (8-11, 4.67), 5:40 p.m.

Padres go prospecting: Joey Lucchesi draws start on Friday

Andy Behrens, Yahoo! Sports

San Diego’s starting rotation is not exactly loaded with exciting names. Clayton Richard is perhaps not an ideal opening day option. But the Padres have a deep, interesting pool of prospects at various levels, and the team has selected one for an early season start in the majors. Joey Lucchesi, 24, will oppose Milwaukee’s Jhoulys Chacin on Friday night at Petco Park.

Lucchesi is a 6-foot-5 left-hander who was terrific in four spring appearances, allowing just two runs and five hits over 11.2 innings while striking out nine. His fastball is generally in the low-to-mid 90s, and his curve and change are both regarded as MLB-quality. His delivery is also irregular enough to disrupt hitters. Take a look; he’s fun. Lucchesi might be only the fifth or sixth best pitching prospect in San Diego’s system, but there’s no shame in that. Again, this is a talent-rich organization.

We aren’t normally in the habit of hyping every prospect’s debut, but Lucchesi is notable because his minor league numbers have been unreasonably great. He’s pitched 181.0 innings over two seasons, striking out 204 batters and walking just 36. His career ERA is 1.99 and his WHIP is 0.93. He hasn’t yet made a start at Triple-A, but he was plenty good in 10 appearances at Double-A last season: 1.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 53 K, 14 BB in 60.1 IP.

Lucchesi is getting this early shot because Dinelson Lamet will be sidelined in the opening weeks, dealing with an elbow issue. It’s clear enough that if the kid is effective, he’ll stick in San Diego:

[Andy] Green said the Padres will not go to a six-man rotation, but neither do the Padres necessarily plan to send Lucchesi down any time soon. If he pitches well, a team source said, “somebody else’s job will be jeopardy.”

Just to be clear, we are not declaring Lucchesi to be an immediate add in any format. No one is telling you to drop your proven vets. It’s not like that. He isn’t some can’t-miss prospect. Failure is definitely a possibility. But Lucchesi’s numbers have been ridiculous, and the opportunity ahead is significant. He’s worth watching. If you’re an N.L.-only owner, he’s probably worth a speculative pickup. 47

Brewers’ Chacin makes start against Padres in Petco Park

FSSD, Stats

SAN DIEGO — Jhoulys Chacin can go home again, sadly if only for a day.

Chacin will start for the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night against the Padres at Petco Park. Chacin loves Petco Park. Just ask him. He’ll tell you.

“This is my favorite ballpark,” the right-hander said of Petco Park at the end of the 2017 season. “I like the mound, I like the weather, I like the ballpark a lot.”

For good reason. As a Padre in 2017, Chacin was 9-3 with a 1.79 earned run average at Petco Park. It was the lowest home ERA by a National League starter. At Petco Park, Chacin allowed less than a runner an inning to reach base.

On the road, it was a totally different story. He was 4-7 with a 6.53 ERA and a 1.638 WHIP. Combined, he was 13-10 with a 3.89 ERA in 32 starts divided equally between Petco Park and the road.

Chacin has always had success at Petco Park. He has an 11-4 career record in the Padres’ downtown home with a 2.03 ERA in 20 appearances (18 starts). He has also had career-long success against the Padres, going 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 games and 10 starts.

But he has never had success against the Padres’ starter Friday night.

That would be unconventional left-hander Joey Lucchesi, who will be making his major league debut in an 11th-hour rotation shuffle.

Dinelson Lamet was supposed to be starting for the Padres Friday. But the prized right-hander opened the season on the disabled list after experiencing elbow soreness in his final spring training start.

Enter the 24-year-old Lucchesi, who was sent to the Padres’ minor league camp a week ago after posting a 1.54 ERA in 11 2/3 Cactus League innings this spring. The 6-foot-4 Lucchesi divided the 2017 season between Class A Lake Elsinore

48 and Double-A San Antonio, posting a combined 2.20 ERA in 24 games (23 starts). Lucchesi was the Padres’ fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft.

“We’re excited about Joey,” said Padres manager Andy Green. “I think we said from the beginning that we’d take guys with us who earned the right and the opportunity to be here. Joey did that. He had a really good spring training.”

Lucchesi won’t be added to the Padres’ 25-man roster until Friday.

“He’s not officially on the roster, but he’s here,” Green said. “He went through a workout (Thursday) morning. He has good stuff, a competitive nature and the ability to focus on the mound despite what’s spinning around him. Watch him when he’s pitching. His stuff plays. There’s real deception to it. It’s tough to pick up.

“It’s a real three-pitch mix that is going to play well at the big league level. The word to him is just go pitch like you’ve always pitched. Don’t worry about the venue, the setting, the scenario. Just go pitch.”

The Padres will have to make a roster move before Friday’s game to create room for Lucchesi. But it might be difficult to eliminate a reliever after five Padres relievers worked a total of five innings Friday in a 2-1, 12-inning loss to the Brewers.

Padres lose home opener to Brewers in 12 innings

FSSD, Hovarth

SAN DIEGO- The Padres rallied in the ninth and threatened in the 11th, but it was not enough.

Ji-Man Choi doubled off Adam Cimber and Orlando Arcia singled him home in the 12th inning, propelling the Brewers to a 2-1 victory on Opening Day in front of 44,649 fans at Petco Park.

Milwaukee scored their first run of the contest with the help from an unlikely source– the pitcher. With two outs in the third, starting pitcher Chase Andersonlined a pitch up the middle off starter Clayton Richard for a base hit. Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich followed Anderson with singles, with the latter one scoring Anderson.

It ended up being the only run that Richard allowed. The Padres starter threw seven innings of one-run baseball, giving up six hits and striking out four.

Andy Green complimented Richard after the game, who was making his first Opening Day start at age 34: “Clayton was outstanding, his sinker was very good, and he was beneath the zone consistently. We definitely want to win games when Clayton Richard throws the ball like he did.”

Talking about his start, Richard said he only had two pitches he would take back; them being the 1-2 pitch that Anderson hit his single on, and the 0-2 pitch in which Yelich hit the RBI single. He also said getting the Opening Day nod was “special,” especially because he was able to have his family there to watch him.

The Brewers’ starter, Chase Anderson, was able to one-up his counterpart. He did not allow a hit until one out in the fourth, when Jose Pirela slashed an opposite- field single past a diving Jonathan Villar. It was the only hit he would allow in an impressive Opening Day performance. Anderson ended up throwing 97 pitches, 61 of them for strikes. He allowed the previously mentioned base hit, walked three, and punched out six in six innings.

After a breakout 2017 in which he went 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA, his 2018 is off to a tremendous start.

Down 1-0 in ninth, San Diego tied the game on a two-out Freddy Galvis run- scoring single. The rally came off of 2017 All-Star Corey Knebel, who saved 39 games a year ago. With one out, Carlos Asuaje lined an opposite-field base hit. After Chase Headley flew out, Matt Szczur came in to pinch-run for Asuaje. Szczur promptly stole second base to get himself into scoring position, and on the Galvis single, scampered home to tie the game up.

The Padres had a golden chance to walk-off after loading the bases with one out in the 11th inning, but Chase Headley grounded into a 5-1-3 double play to dash the hopes of the San Diego faithful.

“His pitches had a lot of sink,” Headley stated when asked about the double play. “I hit the ball relatively hard, but that’s baseball. We just could not get the big hit today when we needed to.”

What we learned Infield Defense

The much-improved and much-talked about infield defense showed potential of what it could be in 2018. The Padres turned two highlight-reel double plays in the first two innings.

The first came from Chase Headley, who picked a hard-hit line drive to start a 5-4- 3 double play off the bat of Ryan Braun. Per StatCast, the ball was hit at 106 miles per hour.

In the second inning, Freddy Galvis fielded a ground ball on an awkward hop, which caused him to end up on the seat of his pants. From there, he flipped to Carlos Asuaje, who threw the ball onto first to complete the twin-killing. Richard, who led all of baseball with 32 ground-ball double plays last season, said those two plays on defense “changed the complexion of the game. If it was not for the defense, we would not have been in the game late.”

The Padres have not been shy about their confidence in their infield defense, and if today is any indication, it should help not only Richard but the rest of the pitching staff in 2018.

New Digs

Eric Hosmer went hitless in his Padres’ debut, going 0-4 with two strikeouts. He did walk once. The $144 million man grounded into a rare 5-6-3 in the eighth inning.

“It’s day one, a lot of guys getting their feet wet.” Hosmer said of his debut. “We have to come back and bounce back tomorrow.”

Freddy Galvis went 2-4 in his first game as a Padre. His two-out, game-tying RBI single in the ninth brought home the Padres’ first run of 2018.

Chase Headley’s return to San Diego was an 0-4 day with a walk.

For the Brewers, Lorenzo Cain made his presence felt in the lineup immediately. Hitting out of the leadoff spot, he was 3-5 with three singles on the day. Christian Yelich went 1-4 with a walk and an RBI single.

Matt Albers, who signed a 2 year, $5 million deal with Milwaukee in the offseason, threw a scoreless 8th inning.

New position for Wil

Wil Myers played in right field on Thursday for the first time since 2016. After the game, he said he “felt good” in right field. Myers handled three putouts on the day.

Opening Day Blues

The Padres are now 21-29 as a franchise on Opening Day, and have not won the season opener since 2014. They fell to 25-25 as a franchise in home openers.

San Diego Padres drop 2018 season opener to Brewers, 2-1 in extra innings

BERNIE WILSON, AP

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Orlando Arcia singled in Ji-Man Choi with two outs in the 12th inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers over the San Diego Padres 2-1 on opening day Thursday.

Arcia's hit came off sidearmer Adam Cimber (0-1), who was making his big league debut. After getting Manny Pina to hit into a double play, Cimber allowed Choi's pinch-hit double before Arcia's go-ahead RBI.

Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) pitched two innings for the win. Jacob Barnes struck out the side in the 12th for the save.

The Padres had the bases loaded with one out in the 11th, with newcomer Eric Hosmer poised to score the winning run, but Chase Headley, back with San Diego after 3 1/2 seasons with the New York Yankees, grounded into a double play.

The Brewers were one out away from winning 1-0 on a four-hitter when Freddy Galvis, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia, singled to right off Corey Knebel, a first-time All-Star last year, to bring in Carlos Asuaje and send it into extra innings. Asuaje singled with one out and stole second with two outs.

Milwaukee's Chase Anderson allowed one hit in six innings in his first opening day start. He had six strikeouts and three walks.

The right-hander also singled to center off Clayton Richard with two outs in the third, advanced on Lorenzo Cain's single to left and scored on Christian Yelich's single to left. A late, awkward slide left the pitcher shaken up momentarily, but he stayed in the game.

Richard, making his first opening day start at age 34, went seven innings, allowing one run and six hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

The Padres flashed some nice defense. Galvis, San Diego's fifth different starting shortstop in five opening days, made a terrific play in the second when he fielded

Pina's hard one-hopper as he went to the ground and flipped the ball to second baseman Asuaje to start an inning-ending double play. Headley, the third baseman, made a nice play on Ryan Braun's hard grounder to start an inning- ending double play in the first.

Hosmer, signed to a $144 million, eight-year contract early in spring training, went 0 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts in his Padres debut.

Padres pitching prospect Joey Lucchesi set to make MLB debut

AP, AP

SAN DIEGO -- The rebuilding Padres will get their first real look at one of their hotshot pitching prospects, Joey Lucchesi, earlier than originally expected. The 24-year-old lefty, sent down to the minors on Saturday after a strong spring training, is scheduled to make his big league debut Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers. He'll start in place of Dinelson Lamet, who strained his right elbow on Sunday in the Padres' final game in Arizona and is expected to be out for a month. The Padres figured they'd bring up Lucchesi sometime this season, just not this quickly.

He had a 1.54 ERA in four spring starts.

"He made the decision a lot easier just by his performance over the last month," general manager A.J. Preller said Thursday.

"He throws strikes with three pitches and he did that all last year in the minor leagues and did that in spring training. I think he's earned the right to be in the rotation from the beginning of the year," the GM said.

Lucchesi was a fourth-round draft pick in 2016.

Preller said it will be more than a spot start for Lucchesi.

"Nothing's guaranteed, so we'll see how it plays out. But we don't view it as him making one start and then going back down for another pitcher. I think we're going to give him an opportunity, whether that's three or four starts or that ends up being the full season, a lot of that depends on how he handles it."

Lucchesi made the jump from Single-A to Double-A last season, going a combined 11-7 with a 2.20 ERA, with 148 strikeouts and 33 walks in 139 innings.

"We said from the beginning we're going to take guys we thought earned the right, earned the opportunity to be here, and he did that," manager Andy Green said. "He had a really good spring training."

Preller has focused on restocking the farm system with draft picks and international signings since flopping with a win-now attempt with-high-priced veterans in 2015 flopped.

"The exciting part is the system's not about one person, not one player, not one pitcher," Preller said. "We feel like we're going to have a lot of guys here over the course of the next few years who are going to come up and make their debuts and be contributors to a good team. To see Joey here the first week of the season it will be exciting to see how he handles it."

Andy’s Address, 3/29 By Bill Center

Opening Day is special to Andy Green and his family.

Jessica Green pulled the couple’s three daughters out of school to join the Padres manager at Petco Park Thursday afternoon.

“It’s a national holiday,” said Green. “Today is definitely special for our country. We celebrate this day. To have a part in it is awesome for me. I enjoy Opening Day very much. We’ll get through today and then it will be business as usual tomorrow. Today is definitely special.”

It was also special for left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi, who the Padres sent to their minor league camp last week after a strong spring showing. Lucchesi was also at Petco Park Thursday afternoon and will start Friday night’s game in the injured Dinelson Lamet’s spot.

“Joey’s on the taxi squad today,” said Green. “He will be starting the game tomorrow in place of Lamet. We’re excited about Joey. I think we said from the beginning that we’d take guys who earned the right and the opportunity to be here.

“He did that. He had a really good spring training and today he can come and be around a little bit. He won’t be on the foul line for introductions, he’s not officially on the roster today, but he’s here. He went through a workout this morning. Good stuff.

“Joey has a competitive nature and the ability to focus on the mound despite what’s spinning around him. Watch him when he’s pitching. His stuff plays. There’s real deception to it. It’s tough to pick up. It’s a real three-pitch mix that is going to play well at the big league level. The word to him is just go pitch like you’ve always pitched. Don’t worry about the venue, the setting, the scenario. Just go pitch.”

“Joey is fun, a very unique person. He’s a breath of fresh air almost. He’s going to tell you what he thinks and what he feels. He can get big league hitters out and I think he’s going to be a really fun guy in the clubhouse, fun with teammates.”

“The mentality is huge. Eric Lauer has it, too. They are drastically different guys but they both pitch the same way with confidence and bravado and the understanding that they’re made for the situation. Until you step on the mound in the big leagues, everything is new. That’s the same for everybody. How you respond to that first outing doesn’t dictate the pitcher you are going to be. We have a lot of belief in who Lucchesi’s going to be.”

Lucchesi’s Major League debut was forced by the events of the past week starting with Dinelson Lamet leaving his last spring training start with an elbow injury. Lamet opened the season on the 10-day disabled list.

“I definitely wanted Lamet starting tomorrow,” said Green. “Coming into the year, Lamet was arguably our top arm and arguably the biggest impact arm we had in that rotation. We expect him to be a №1 or 2 starter in the big leagues. So we loved the things he was doing and not dying to have Joey start the second game of the season, but we have tons of confidence in Joey’s being a part of the rotation and a part of the rotation for a long time.”

Lucchesi got word of the possible assignment in Arizona Monday while the Padres were in El Paso.

“A.J. (Preller) told Lucchesi he was on standby,” said Green. “We made a change because he was scheduled to throw another game that day and we just had him throw a bullpen that day. So we had to tell him something. And we wanted to see how Tyson (Ross) pitched in his game (Wednesday) because if Tyson didn’t come out of that start well, Robbie (Erlin) might have had to take the ball at a certain spot and we would have to re-arrange things a little bit.”

As it stands now, Lucchesi will start Friday and Luis Perdomo will start Saturday. After Sunday’s off day, Bryan Mitchell will start Monday at home against the Rockies with Ross likely on Tuesday.

Green again discussed his goals for the 2018 Padres.

“Playoffs,” the Padres manager said. “Win totals don’t really matter. You can pick a number, but that’s arbitrary and doesn’t really motivate anybody. You don’t want to win “X” number of games. You want to get to the playoffs, win your division, be the team to beat at some point in time.”

“We recognize how the outside world sees us and we’ve known that for a while now. But there’s a group of guys in there who really want to win baseball games. They don’t want to just go through the motions and collect their big league paycheck. They want to win. And I think that drive is going to put us in a position where other people don’t expect us to be.”

Green discussed the batting order of his Opening Day lineup.

“We mixed and matched all spring training to see how guys played at certain spots in the lineup,” Green said. “Coming into the season, I really liked Wil (Myers) in the two hole. Everything else just kind of falls from there. Wil seems comfortable in that spot in the batting order as does Eric Hosmer hitting behind him. When you put Wil in the two spot, everything else just kind of falls into place. If you make that choice, everything else gets pretty obvious.”

Green said the Padres aren’t concerned with the limited mound visits this season.

“What I’ve told the catchers is ‘if you have something pressing to tell the pitcher, get out there and tell him.’ We’ll worry about six mound visits later in the game. It’s one of those things, if you put a number on people and they’re used to going out five, six, seven times a game and now you’re telling them they can only go out one or two, you’re not using all your mound visits.”

“My message to Austin (Hedges) in particular is if you have something to deliver walk on out there, you don’t need my permission. We’ll make adjustments as the game goes on if we get our numbers up . . . if we’re sitting on four or five at that point, we’ll dial it back a bit. My expectation is you’re not going to hit that number as frequently as people think you’re going to hit that number. Freddy Galvis comes in to clean his spikes quite often and get a little resin on his fingers. He’s always 59

done that and now they’re going to watch him and make sure he doesn’t speak. He’s allowed to come in and do that, but he’s not allowed to speak. So we’ll do foot taps or something to get the message across.”

Green returned to the excitement of Opening Day and his first two outings as the Padres’ manager. The Padres. The Padres lost those two games by scores of 15– 0 and 14–3.

“Those first two games last year and the previous year were rough starts,” he said. “You don’t put too much weight in one game. You show up the next day expecting to win. I’m not a guy who sits and hangs on the details of every single game. Most get flushed from my memory.”

“Hopefully, we’ll get a win. What really matters is the guys go out and play good baseball. We’re going to enjoy the crowd, enjoy San Diego, enjoy the weather . . . but it’s all about winning baseball games, so that’s what the goal will be today.”

“Being on the Opening Day roster for the first time, you’re going to have jitters. Welcome to Major League baseball. You’re supposed to feel a little bit of butterflies in your stomach and you’re supposed to feel a little uncomfortable. That’s a sign you care.”

“As the season unfolds, those guys here for their first Opening Day are going to feel more comfortable. What’s not going to change is the level of intensity and drive to win baseball games today as well as Aug. 3. That’s what we’re going to preach. That’s what we’re going to expect. We’re going to expect to get better between now and Aug. 3. These guys what to play. You put them on the roster because you believe in them, not because you want to hide them.”

Green was asked what he likes about his club coming out of spring training.

“I felt like spring training went really well. The guys who came in who were veteran guys, those guys have been places and in Hosmer’s case won a World Series. They know what it looks like and I think that education for a lot of our young guys has been quick, profound, impactful. I think you’re going to look out here and see a different brand of baseball.” 60

“I like the position player depth. I like the guys we have. You look on the bench. The last couple of years, we’ve carried multiple Rule 5 guys, one played Rookie ball, another played in low A when they got here last year. They provided value and they are going to provide value to this organization for a long time. But here this year on Opening Day you have Hunter Renfroe and Cory Spangenberg and Raffy Lopez, who swung the bat really well, so you’ve got guys on the bench who can impact a Major League baseball game and impacted games in spring training. We feel good about that group of guys.”

“To have Freddy (Galvis) here is probably the biggest change for us defensively. We’ve searched for that anchor in the infield for some time now. We expect Freddy to do what he does and lead the club in the field. Galvis going to have a real impact on the guy starting today (Clayton Richard) and the guy starting the last day (Luis Perdomo).

“We trust Clayton, trust the way he is wired, trust who he is as a human being. He’s going to go out and give you what he’s got. He’s going to compete. He’ll sink the baseball and try to get a lot of ground balls. We’re just hoping this infield defense we’re putting behind him this year with Freddy Galvis at shortstop changes the dynamic a lot. And that’s the expectation. Clayton is going to get ground balls and hopefully we’re going to field them and throw guys out.”

Over the season’s first two innings, third baseman Chase Headley and shortstop Galvis turned stops of sharp grounders into double plays.

#PadresOnDeck: “Athlete” Describes CF Jeisson Rosario By Bill Center One Padres prospect who deserves attention this season is center fielder Jeisson Rosario.

Now 18, Rosario was ranked the ninth-best player available on the international market by MLB Pipeline in 2016 when he signed with the Padres. Baseball America had him ranked sixth.

What stood out about the left-handed hitter was his pure athletic ability combined with a baseball acumen.

The Dominican Republic native is 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds with excellent speed, range and defensive skills. The left-handed hitter, who is considered one of the best pure athletes in the Padres’ system, also knows how to use his tools.

Debuting as a 17-year-old in the Arizona Rookie League last summer, Rosario hit .299 (56-for-187). But he also drew 33 walks against only 36 strikeouts for a .404 on-base percentage. He also had 10 doubles, a homer and 24 RBIs with 31 runs scored in 52 games. He had a .773 OPS.

Going into his first full professional season, Rosario is ranked the 19th-best prospect in the Padres’ system by the MLB Pipeline.