The San Diego Padres desperately needed a game like last night’s. The Friars tacked on six runs against the Cincinnati Reds, en route to a, 6-2, series opening win.
Catcher Freddy Fermin homered again, his third bomb in as many games. That was all the Padres could muster against starter Andrew Abbott until their rally in the seventh inning.
Walker Buehler pitched well, though only went 4 2/3 innings before being pulled after surrendering three consecutive hits to the Reds after recording two outs in the fifth.
The bullpen locked it down from there despite Bradgley Rodriguez allowing a run in the sixth.
A rally sparked by San Diego’s young role players helped win the game. Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor went a combined 4-for-7 with a walk. They’ll need more of that production to take the series against Cincinnati’s ace tonight.
Taking the mound
Chase Burns (CIN) v. Lucas Giolito (SD)
After the news of Hunter Greene’s major injury at the outset of this season, Burns was expected to shoulder the burden of being an ace in Cincinnati’s rotation. He had an uninspiring 2025 campaign, though his stuff was undeniably good.
Burns has looked every bit the ace he was expected to be. He’s pitched to a 2.05 ERA and lost just one game for the Reds through 70 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old has been even better lately, posting a 1.70 ERA in his last seven starts.
Giolito has been inconsistent through the beginning of his San Diego tenure, though he’s looked like a veritable back-end option for the Friars. His last outing against the Philadelphia Phillies was solid, going four innings and surrendering just two runs.
The righty has dealt with a short leash due to his inconsistent production. That led to his early hook in the game against Philly after facing trouble in the fifth. Giolito will look to lengthen that leash with a solid performance against a struggling Cincinnati lineup tonight.
Batter up!
After a tepid weekend from the San Diego offense, the bats came alive a bit on Monday night. That said, they showed up late (though showing up at all is fantastic at this point).
- Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Ty France, 1B
- Gavin Sheets, DH
- Jase Bowen, RF
- Samad Taylor, LF
- Sung-Mun Song, SS
- Freddy Fermin, C
Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Sheets recorded an RBI-double. The former went on the paternity list this morning and will be gone for the next few days. Will Wagner was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
None of the Friars have faced Burns so they’ll need to figure him out quickly or get to the rougher Cincinnati bullpen. That will be a tall order for an offense that hasn’t produced as of late.
Relief corps
Apart from Rodriguez’s gaffe in the sixth, the bullpen was nails on Monday night. Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller each looked electric, with the latter two striking out six batters.
After a three-run eighth inning, Miller came into the game in a non-save situation. He didn’t treat it any differently and looked dominant despite struggling to command his fastball.
The Friars will still have options available today, but will be banking somewhat on Giolito to pitch deep into the game. Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta will be available out of the ‘pen.
