Padres Open 2020 with a Special Night
- Updated: July 26, 2020
After nearly four months of inactivity, baseball returned to San Diego. For the first time since 2010, the Padres opened the season Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Due to the circumstances of a global pandemic, the game took place inside an empty stadium. While no fans could attend the game, numerous fans could be seen on nearby rooftops and balconies. A special sight to see as many try to make the best of the current situation. Overall, the Padres built a special night for all the fans watching from home.
San Diego kicked off the season opener with great pitching, and timely hitting. Starting pitcher Chris Paddack threw six shutout innings. Paddack induced some key double plays early on in the game to keep Arizona off the board. The final line for Paddack four hits, four strike outs, and one walk issued. The bullpen would take over from the seventh inning onward. Collectively the bullpen allowed two runs over three innings of work. While Paddack was the star of the game in terms of pitching, the offense broke out in a big way, one player in particular.
First baseman Eric Hosmer had an opening night to remember. Hosmer went 3-4 while driving in six runs. According to the Padres, six RBIs is the most by a Padres player on opening night, and the most by any player since 2010. The offense as a whole looked different. With players like Tatis Jr. and Machado returning, and the new additions of Grisham and Pham, expect a more productive offense in 2020. The Padres have been a bottom tier offensive team for over a decade. As the season progresses, the Padres offense will be a story to watch throughout the course of the season.
With a shortened season, every game is going to be must win. On top of there only being 60 games this year, most of them is going to take place within the division. One twist to the 2020 season guaranteed to benefit the Padres is expanded playoffs. Instead of 10 teams making the playoffs, the expansion for this season will now include 16 teams. If the Padres are unable to make the playoffs with the team they have assembled, this season will go down as a massive disappointment.
The Padres will continue to host Arizona over the weekend, and into Monday. If the rest of the series, and season for that matter, resemble something close to opening night, than the 2020 season should be something special for the Padres, their fans, and the city of San Diego.
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