The San Diego Padres continued to shine as the Padres won, 5-4, in a spring sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, thanks to a number of prospects that continue to impress this spring.
Starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore went 3-⅔ innings and struck out two batters and induced six groundouts along with two flyouts. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect looked sharp against a Cincinnati lineup with the exception of a home run given up to one of the hottest hitters in baseball, Nicholas Castellanos, in the third inning.
The 2017 third-overall draft pick has tallied 9-⅔ innings, striking out 10 batters and walking seven. Gore owns a 3.72 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP in four games (three starts) this spring.
26-year-old minor leaguer Nabil Crismatt relieved Gore in the fourth inning, where he got the final out of the inning, and pitched a one-run fifth after a lead-off double. Tim Hill and Reiss Knehr combined for two shutout innings, giving up no hits but giving up three walks. Daniel Camarena gave up a run in 1-⅓ innings before Parker Markel shut the door in the ninth.
Hitting-wise, the Padres got off to a hot start, hitting three consecutive singles to start the inning off by lead-off hitter Tommy Pham and infielders Jake Cronenworth and Fernando Tatis Jr. The top three batters in the lineup each scored on the following three plays from Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers.
Tatis Jr. left the game in the third inning after making a long throw to first base. The young star suffered left shoulder discomfort and is listed as day-to-day as he will be re-evaluated Wednesday.
The Padres are optimistic, but cautious for Tatis Jr. to return by Opening Day, coming in just nine days, but even if he does not make it, he would be back before too long, and an injured list stint could be what Padres’ no. 6 prospect Tucupita Marcano needs to crack the Opening Day roster in 2021.
In 36 plate appearances this spring, Marcano has hit a .467/.543/.767/1.310 slash line and leads San Diego in many categories this spring. The 21-year-old infield prospect also hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning that gave the Padres the lead and an insurance run that was necessary in the Tuesday victory over the Reds.
The Venezuela-native is one of just two position player prospects still on the major league spring training roster, along with the club’s no. 2 prospect C.J. Abrams. The difference that gives Marcano the edge in the competition is that he already owns a spot on the 40-man roster, which would allow the Padres to keep the 40-man roster how it currently is.
San Diego will next face NL West rivals, the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday night as Dinelson Lamet makes his 2021 spring debut after a slow start in recovery from last season’s injuries. Lamet will face most of the San Francisco starters as new Giant Anthony DeSclafani steps up to the mound at Scottsdale Stadium.