
The San Diego Padres did something Thursday they haven’t done in five years — win on Opening Day.
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Left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer, the youngest opening day pitcher for the Pads in 43 years, pitched four scoreless innings in the 2-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in Petco Park. It was the first shutout opening day win since 2008.
“That was some of the most butterflies I’ve ever had,” Lauer said. “I kept telling myself it was a normal game. After the first pitch, it was the same.”
In 70 pitches, Lauer allowed four hits — all singles — one walk and struck out three. Including Spring Training, Lauer hasn’t allowed a hit in 2019.
The scene around Petco Park was energetic, more so than other years, and filled with hope and optimism for the new season. Fans hope this will be the year when the Padres will finally have a winning season.
The Padres haven’t had a winning season since 2010 and haven’t been to the playoffs in 12 years.
With the signing of Manny Machado, Ian Kinsler, Eric Hosmer, Franmil Reyes and the promotion of top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres showed that they are here to play.
“It’s different. This is a real team, this is a real lineup,” left fielder Wil Myers said. ” We’ve got six guys who can do what I did today. That’s what’s cool about this lineup. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
Myers hit a 456-foot home run at the bottom the third inning off Madison Bumgarner to give the Friars a 1-0. He added an RBI single in the sixth.
Tatis also made history Thursday, recording two hits on his major league debut and became the youngest player to record multiple hits on opening day since Robin Yount, who was 19, in 1975.
Tatis singled to the left on his first at-bat in the second inning and bunted toward third in the fifth.
With the win, the Padres are now officially over .500 the first time since June 2015 and for the first time in general manager Andy Green’s tenure.
“The scoreboard was different, we can start with that,” Green said. “These guys have a belief in themselves that we’ve been trying hard to manufacture the past few years.”
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