After a delayed start due to rain, the Padres took the field on their March 30th opening night. Following their impressive 2022 season, in which the Friars eliminated the favored Dodgers to make it to the NLCS, the stadium drew nearly 3 million in regular-season attendance.

Coming into the game, the Padres were missing their No. 1 starting pitcher and their projected leadoff hitter. Yu Darvish was 300 miles to the east, throwing five innings against minor leaguers in what is expected to be his final spring tune-up. Fernando Tatis Jr. was also in Arizona, continuing his preparation for an April 20 return from his PED suspension.

Despite this, the Padres were favorites to win against the Colorado Rockies, who finished bottom of NL West last season. 

“I thought it would be an easy win for the Padres, especially after the events of last season. I wasn’t prepared to lose 7-2,” explained JV Canyon HIlls baseball player Nathan Grinblat. 

It was obvious the Padres were not at full strength that Thursday at Petco Park. At the bottom of the first, they notched multiple hits that leveled the score at 1-1. Three innings later, and they took a 2-1 lead thanks to Matt Carpenter’s fielders choice RBI. 

Things took a turn for the worst following Blake Snell’s departure in the fourth inning, leaving Nabil Crismatt to pitch. The Colombian reliever served up a go-ahead homerun to C.J. Cron, handing the Rockies an easy four points.

An inning later, Crismatt would let in another run, eventually being replaced by Dominican pitcher Domingo Tapia. The Rockies continued to dominate for the rest of the game, getting back-to-back home runs. The fixture ended in a 7-2 loss for the Padres, a huge disappointment for one of the most expensive teams in the league.

“I was disappointed by the loss, of course, but it’s just one game. We’ve had bad starts to the season before, and this year was no different,” stated baseball fan Ethan Welch. “The Padres have a lot of good players, and I’m sure they want to make the fans happy by winning.”