On Thursday at Goodyear Ballpark in Arizona, the Cincinnati Reds defeated the San Diego Padres in a thrilling 11-10 game, marked by explosive offense from both teams. Manny Machado quickly made his presence known with two powerful hits, including a two-run homer and a grand slam, fueling the Padres’ offense early in the spring season.
Machado and Teammates Spark Early Offensive Fireworks
Manny Machado launched the first two hits for the Padres this spring, both showing remarkable exit velocities above 107 mph that briefly tied the game back up. Alongside Machado, catcher Rodolfo Duran impressed with a 2-for-3 performance, highlighted by his first home run of the spring, as he vies to claim the backup catcher role behind Luis Campusano. Additionally, Sung-Mun Song recorded his first hit with a single to left field while making his debut at second base, also drawing two walks. Defensive replacements Nick Solak and Anthony Vilar each contributed doubles after entering the game.
Pitching Performances with Mixed Results
Right-hander Nick Pivetta made his spring debut for the Padres, pitching two innings and yielding three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one. His outing included a key moment where he stranded Elly De La Cruz’s two-out triple in the first inning. Bullpen efforts included scoreless innings by David Morgan, Wady Peralta, and Ryan Och, who combined to keep the Reds off the scoreboard late in the game. Meanwhile, two newly added prospects to protect them from the Rule 5 draft struggled: Miguel Mendez gave up four runs in less than an inning, while Garrett Hawkins allowed a run over three innings with two strikeouts.
Review Challenges and Game Dynamics
ABS review attempts were largely unsuccessful for the Padres, going 1-for-5 with two challenges during Fernando Tatis Jr.’s third-inning plate appearance. Tatis contested a first-pitch strike low in the zone, which was upheld, and later benefited from a ball call that withstood a challenge from Reds catcher Will Banfield, enabling Tatis to earn a walk—one of two he recorded that game.
Up Next for the Padres
Looking ahead, right-handed pitcher Randy Vásquez is scheduled to start Friday’s game at 12:10 p.m. against the Colorado Rockies in Scottsdale, aiming to build on the team’s promising offensive and pitching efforts from this spring appearance.
