The Padres took a trip over to Goodyear to face off with the Cincinnati Reds in what could be their last game in a while without some of their superstars.

San Diego erased a 9-3 deficit at one point in the game, and the back-and-forth classic ultimately went to the Reds by an 11-10 final. 

Tricky Nick Back on the Mound

Nick Pivetta made his first Cactus League start of 2026, scheduled to throw two innings.

The right-hander turned down the opportunity to pitch for Team Canada to focus on his craft to help the Padres, and there were some novelties on display. While Pivetta allowed three runs in two innings, he used six pitch types to work against the Reds. His four-seam fastball and sweeper had the same sharpness as in 2025, but his command was not as sharp as he is used to.

His curveball landed in the zone 71.4% of the time he used it. Also of note were his cutter and sinker, which were not overly used in 2025. Both landed in the zone over 50% of the time, even though the sinker did not grade out overly well with the Stuff+ gods. A new addition for Pivetta was his splitter, which averaged 87.3 mph with a 1572 rpm spin rate. The splitter could be an important tertiary weapon for the right-hander, considering the mostly north-south movement profile of his arsenal. It is not Pivetta’s first time throwing a splitter, as he previously experimented with such an offering in 2022. 

Manny on a Mission

Manny Machado is set to depart the Padres for the WBC in a matter of days, but he is just heating up. Machado finished the game 2-for-3 with two home runs and six runs batted in. Machado homered off Reds southpaw Nick Sando in the third inning, sending a drive out to left field at 107.8 mph, scoring Fernando Tatis Jr to tie the game at three. His sixth-inning grand slam to center field off Graham Ashcraft tied the game at nine.

With his six RBI, Machado tied the Padres’ spring leaderboard (Romeo Sanabria led the team with six RBI before the game). If this carries over into the WBC, the Dominican Republic team will be even scarier than on paper. Machado is set to play Friday against Colorado before heading off, per AJ Cassavell. 

Who is Manny Machado? For the blind, he is vision. For the hungry, he is the chef. For the thirsty, he is water. If Manny thinks, I agree. If Manny speaks, I’m listening. If Manny has one fan, it is me. If Manny has no fans, I do not exist. pic.twitter.com/aatfFDHoMW

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 26, 2026

San Antonio Bullpen Show

Four of the Padres’ last five pitchers to appear in the game saw time with the San Antonio Missions last season. The results in this game were mixed. Miguel Mendez was back on the mound, and his fastball was in the zone 64.7% of the time, averaging 97.0 mph. That was the good part for him, as poor execution on his secondary pitches led to three hits and two walks.

Mendez would depart the game after recording only two outs, ultimately being charged with four runs. Two of those were bequeathed runners that were left for Justin Yeager, who allowed both inherited runners to score. Mendez’s outing saw him be more in the zone, but he was leaving pitches down the heart of the plate. It was a learning experience for the young flamethrower, for sure. 

Lol another XBH for Elly pic.twitter.com/zLxQ0JK7an

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) February 26, 2026

Manuel Castro allowed a solo home run to Tyler Callihan in the sixth inning, breaking the 9-9 tie at the time. Castro threw six pitch types in his outing, and his arm angle has gone up from 2025; he is now at a 67-degree arm slot while keeping his 5.9-foot release height. Ryan Och, who has not thrown an inning above Double-A, continues to pitch well in Spring. Och threw a scoreless seventh, working around base traffic to keep the game at one run.

While the Stuff+ models are not too fond of his stuff, he has the sort of low-release slot that gives opposing left-handed hitters all kinds of conniptions. Garrett Hawkins was the last Padres arm to throw in the game, and he allowed one run on two hits, striking out two. His four-seam fastball and cutter were particularly effective in the chase and whiff department, but a pairing of an infield single and misplaced fastball led to the Reds scoring the deciding run on a single by Cam Collier. 

Best of the Rest

Rodolfo Duran launched his first home run of the spring, a 94.1 mph drive into left field at 32 degrees. Duran showed an ability to produce excellent launch angles with El Paso in 2025, and if he continues to do so, he will be a big piece of depth for the organization. Sung-Mun Song checked off his first hit of the spring, taking a Graham Ashcraft cutter to left field. Song was the catalyst for the six-run Padres rally, and held down the fort at second base. Marcos Castanon notched his first spring training RBI of the season with an eighth-inning single to tie the game. Samad Taylor and Bryce Johnson each registered an outfield assist in the game as well. 

In other news, Joe Musgrove threw a simulated game in Peoria. Musgrove threw three innings and 34 pitches against Padres minor leaguers. Minor league catcher Brendan Durfee was Musgrove’s battery-mate in the game. 

Joe Musgrove pitched three innings and threw 34 pitches in a simulated game today in Peoria. pic.twitter.com/iRMdUh2ca4

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 26, 2026

Next Game Preview

The Padres remain on an Arizona road trip, as they now head over to Scottsdale to face off with the Colorado Rockies. The Padres send Randy Vasquez to the mound for his second spring start, while Colorado sends right-hander Tanner Gordon to the hill. First pitch is at 12:10 pm Pacific, and will be carried on the radio stream at MLB.com.

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.