The San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves faced off to start the MLB season for the two ball clubs.

The two teams faced off last year in the N.L. Wild Card round, with the Padres winning both games.

The two began a four-game set with an absolute thriller of a game.

Manny Machado was asked pregame what the team’s mindset was coming into this year and into Opening Day. “It’s some unfinished we gotta do and take care of,” Machado said. The Padres took care of business on Thursday with the Braves starting the year how they ended it last year, with a loss at Petco Park.

The Padres won 7-4 on the backs of Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Machado.

Merrill is now the youngest Padre ever on Opening Day with three or more RBIs. Machado got on base three times with two doubles. Tatis also got on base three times, coming around to score twice. Tatis talked postgame after the win and was asked how the win felt. “Amazing. It is going to set the tone for the rest of the season and shows what we can do,” he said.

Tatis spoke on the aggressiveness on the base paths, saying, “Since spring training, the coaches have preached staying aggressive.” Machado postgame was asked about how the comeback on Thursday will build off of what they did last year as a team who always battled and gritted their way back into games. “Emphasis all spring training was continuing to grow, and it showed today learning how to deal with these situations and getting better at it,” Machado said.

Michael King started the game for the Padres and struggled from the start.

The first two batters each hit the ball over 99 mph off the bat. King walked four batters and gave up three runs, being pulled in favor for sidewinder Alek Jacob after 2.2 innings of work.

The Padres’ bullpen came in needing to hold the Braves and contain them for 6.1 innings, and they did just that.

The bullpen gave up only one run through 6.1 innings, giving the Padres’ offense a chance to respond.

The Padres’ offense responded with a Gavin Sheets homer to center field off Hector Neris to tie the game at four a piece. Sheets on the at bat after the game with the media. “In that situation, you wanna come in and get the inning going, and obviously that sparked it,” he said.

Sheets was a bargain of a signing, and Padres fans could be in store for more big-time moments from Sheets with 161 games to go.

The Padres play the Braves on Friday in Game 2.

6:40 game time. Dylan Cease will be on the mound for the Padres against Reynaldo Lopez.

Bryant Thursby

Assistant Coach at Heritage High School. A big time SDSU fanatic and Padres fan.