The San Diego Padres are starting to get contributions from their key leaders, including shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The San Diego Padres got off to a slow start to the season, and one of the issues was the noticeable lack of contributions from veteran leaders like outfield Fernando Tatis Jr., third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
All three are starting to emerge from their early-season slumber, though, with Bogaerts being the latest example. He had some key hits in the Padres’ recent road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and last night he ended what was a very long night for San Diego with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning against the Colorado Rockies.
“Just try to get something up and hit it to the outfield,” Bogaerts said in a piece written by AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “I just had one job to do right there. You just try to get the run in. Didn’t have to be the big hero. I actually didn’t have to hit it out.”
Bogaerts’ biggest reaction was one of relief, but manager Craig Stammen was more focused on his shortstop’s swing and approach, which have been steadily improving.
“He’s just swinging it really good right now,” said manager Craig Stammen. “He’s got a lot of confidence. Him being in that spot, we felt really good about it.”
This was the longest game the Padres have played since a July contest in Philadelphia back in 2023, and it’s the first time San Diego has played at least 12 innings at Petco Park since 2021. The length of this game reflects the newfound status of the Colorado Rockies so far this season, as the Rockies have bee playing respectable .500 baseball to date. This is a new development, and this win put the Padres a game up on Colorado.
One downside of this win was that the bullpen got seriously taxed. The Padres got off light in that category during the Pirates series, but last night they had to use a total of five relievers due to the extra frames, with David Morgan finally getting the win after pitching 1-2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
It’s a minor issue at this point in the season, but the Padres haven’t had a day off in a while. Randy Vasquez had another excellent start as he made it into the sixth inning, but the long game took a toll.
“It took a little longer than I think we wished,” said second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who was the leadoff hitter last night.