MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres 6-5 on Tuesday at Sloan Park in a tightly contested spring training matchup. Nick Castellanos played a key role for the Padres, delivering a two-run double in the fourth inning that highlighted his early spring performance.
Key Offensive Contributions from Padres Players
Nick Castellanos showed impressive form during his second at-bat, driving the 11th pitch he saw into the center field wall for a two-run double after singling in his first plate appearance. Bryce Johnson had a productive day, recording two singles and a walk while demonstrating his ability to get on base through multiple approaches. Johnson, who has appeared in 102 games for the Padres over the last two seasons, is off to a strong start this spring with a 3-for-8 batting line and a walk across three games.
Sung-Mun Song made his first start against a left-handed pitcher, striking out once, walking once, and grounding out against right-handers during his outing. Although the Padres likely will limit Song’s exposure to left-handed pitchers initially, he showed poise during his first start. Outfielder Tirso Ornelas, who is expected to begin the upcoming season in Triple-A after making his major league debut last year, went 1-for-2. Nick Schnell, a former first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, finally found his swing, launching a first-pitch homer off minor-leaguer Grant Kipp during the ninth inning with two outs. This marked Schnell’s first hit in seven spring training at-bats after spending the past two seasons in Double-A and Triple-A leagues. Jose Miranda continued to impress, batting 1-for-2 and leading the Padres with a .667 average and a .729 on-base percentage through four games.
Pitching Performances Highlighted by Recovery and Fresh Arms
Marco Gonzales made his first start since undergoing flexor tendon surgery last August, allowing three runs over 1â…” innings. The 34-year-old left-hander, currently in camp as a non-roster invitee, surrendered a long hit to Michael Busch on his very first pitch and gave up several singles along with hitting two batters. Relief pitcher Ron Marinaccio stabilized the game after entering with two runners on and two outs, securing the next four outs. Marinaccio, preparing to leave soon to pitch for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, has retired all seven batters he has faced this spring. Young right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez threw two scoreless innings, striking out two batters, in his second appearance of the spring. Left-handed pitcher Jackson Wolf recovered from a rough start earlier this spring to retire all four batters he faced while entering the game with a runner on second base.
Strategic Plays and Team Performance Update
The Padres successfully pulled off a double steal involving Bryce Johnson and Miguel Andujar during the first inning, showcasing their aggressive base running early in the game. Despite energetic efforts from several players, the Padres stand at 2-3 so far in spring training.
Upcoming Pitching Debut to Watch
Right-hander Michael King is set to make his spring training debut against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. PT in Peoria, Ariz. His performance will be closely observed as the Padres continue to evaluate their pitching staff ahead of the upcoming season.
