The Padres began Sunday’s spring exhibition with a bang, notching a pair of solo home runs early on, but couldn’t hang on to the lead as they fell 4-3 to the Royals at Peoria Stadium.
Yu Darvish, one of San Diego’s prized acquisitions this offseason, shined in his spring training debut with four Ks across the first two innings of the game, three of which came in the opening inning, alone.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 7, 2021
Most of the Padres’ usual starters participated in Sunday’s game, minus Fernando Tatis Jr. and Austin Nola. In their place, Ha-Seong Kim started at shortstop and Victor Caratini held things down behind the plate.
Both Trent Grisham and Eric Hosmer went yard against Kansas City with Grisham’s coming in the first and Hosmer’s bomb falling over the center field fence three innings later. Top prospect CJ Abrams recorded the team’s third RBI of the day when he laced an RBI single into center to score Jorge Mateo in the bottom of the eighth.
Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 7, 2021
[Yu with the gun check on the last one ...it was 96mph] pic.twitter.com/fvA36eObN6
The Royals came back to win in the final inning thanks to an RBI single by right fielder Seuly Matias and a two-run homer by third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez off of the Padres’ Nick Ramirez, who finished with three runs allowed and a single strikeout in the game’s final two innings.
The Friars have the next two days off before returning to Peoria Stadium to face the White Sox on March 9. The game is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.