The focus on Spring Training 2018 for the Padres is on the youth movement (plus one large free agent), and rightfully so. The list of prospects in camp is impressive.
But don’t forget about the “old” guys. On Saturday a pair of familiar faces returned to the mound for the Friars looking to extend their careers with another run in San Diego.
Tyson Ross and Chris Young both pitched against the A’s in an 8-3 Oakland win. Ross started and struck out four in 2.0 innings. But he gave up a pair of runs, one of them coming on a solo homer by A’s shortstop Franklin Barreto.
Young followed Ross and looked pretty darn good. CY tossed an efficient 2.0 innings, allowing no hits with one walk and one strikeout. Both Young and Ross are among eight or nine guys going after three spots in the Padres five-man starting rotation. Clayton Richard and Bryan Mitchell are the only ones who have locked up a starting job while Dinelson Lamet and Luis Perdomo have the inside track on two more.
Offensively the Padres got a big blast from Franchy Cordero. One of the franchise’s better outfield prospects, Cordero ripped a 2-run HR off A’s starter Andrew Triggs in his first Cactus League at-bat. Franchy had a 30-game cup of coffee with the Padres last year and is coming off an MVP performance in the Dominican Winter League so he’s put himself in the hunt for an Opening Day roster spot.
San Diego got its other run in the 2nd inning on an RBI single by centerfielder Manuel Margot to take a 3-1 lead but after that the youngsters played like youngsters. Errors by 23-year-old pitcher Walker Lockett, 17-year-old infielder Gabriel Arias, and 20-year-old infielder Luis Urias led to four unearned runs for Oakland.
The Padres fall to 0-2 in Cactus League play. They head to Tempe to play the Angels on Sunday with Mitchell making his National League debut. The Friars will not see Shohei Ohtani on the mound. The super prospect that chose the Angels instead of the Friars threw on Saturday, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings against the Brewers.
