Spring season is here. Baseball is in the air.

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers opened the season on Thursday in Peoria.

For the Padres, there are still many uncertainties regarding the roster. For L.A., these games are nothing but a formality as the loaded roster prepares for an epic run in 2024.

The first inning on Thursday was a 40-minute debacle that saw the Padres run through three pitchers in allowing five hits, two walked batters, and a hit-by-pitch.

Joe Musgrove started the game and failed to record an out in his spring debut. Musgrove coughed up four earned runs, facing only four batters. Carter Loewen relieved Musgrove and allowed four earned runs on three hits. The right-handed pitcher was removed from the game, only recording one out in his appearance. Gabe Mosser came on and got two quick outs to end the inning. Dodgers were on top 8-0 at this point and did not look back.

The end result was a 14-1 loss.

San Diego’s offense did not get on track in the game as they only managed seven hits in the game.

There were some bright spots as the relief staff looked well in the loss.

Jeremiah Estrada is showing a high-riding fastball and appears to be throwing a split-finger fastball or hard slider. The right-handed pitcher has an excellent shot at earning some high-leverage opportunities for the Padres this season.

Jeremiah Estrada is someone to keep an eye on for a Padres bullpen spot. #Padres pic.twitter.com/zRPJNcXIRT

— James E. Clark 3 (@EVT_JClark) February 22, 2024

Yuki Matsui made his debut and looked very impressive. The Japanese left-handed pitcher mixes speeds well and hides the ball tremendously well. He should be an excellent option for the Padres late in the game.

Yuki Matsui strikes out the side in his #SpringTraining debut. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wOMuTO8wdP

— MLB (@MLB) February 22, 2024

The Padres also got a homer from Jake Cronenworth. Who has put on weight and hopes to become more of a power threat in 2024.

The bounce back season starts now! pic.twitter.com/NeD619eQlK

— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) February 22, 2024

San Diego takes this first loss on the chin, but there are plenty of games this spring to right the ship.

The Padres look to further evaluate talent as they grow the roster for the 2024 season.

San Diego and Los Angeles matchup on Friday as Jhony Brito is set to debut for the Padres against Landon Knack and the Dodgers. 12:08 PM game time

Notes from the game
– Jackson Merrill made a nice catch in left field and looks good early in the season
– Veteran lefty Austin Davis struck out three batters in his one inning of work
– Ha-Seong Kim singled and walked in his two plate appearances
– Manny Machado was in attendance in the dugout for the Padres
– Ethan Salas got his first at-bat and was rung up on a pitch timer violation in the box with a 3-2 count. He struck out again, looking in the 8th.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.