Manny Machado made quite the entrance in Spring Training, delivering his first two hits with flair on Thursday. The San Diego Padres were trailing the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 in the top of the third when Machado stepped up and crushed a two-run homer to left, leveling the score at 3-3.
But the drama didn’t stop there. After the Reds surged ahead with six runs in the fifth, Machado faced a bases-loaded situation in the sixth.
True to form, he launched a grand slam to center, tying the game at 9-9. Despite Machado's heroics, the Padres fell short, losing 11-10 at Goodyear Stadium in Arizona.
While the Reds clinched the win, Machado stole the spotlight for the Padres. He was closely followed by Sung-Mun Song, who notched his first MLB hit-a single off a 96.5 mph cutter from Reds reliever Graham Ashcraft.
This hit kicked off a six-run rally in the sixth inning. Song, who had acknowledged the challenge of adjusting to major league pitch speeds, also drew two walks, marking a promising step forward.
Amid the offensive fireworks, Nick Pivetta's start for San Diego flew somewhat under the radar. Pivetta, who was the Padres' ace in 2025, pitched two innings, giving up three runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout.
While it wasn’t the start fans had hoped for, especially after Michael King's impressive outing against the Angels, it was Pivetta’s first Spring Training appearance. Commentators Jesse Agler and Tony Gwynn Jr. noted that Pivetta seemed to be focusing on specific pitch work during the game.
Padres pitchers Miguel Mendez and Justin Yeager faced their own challenges, combining to allow six runs for the Reds. Mendez pitched 0.2 innings, surrendering three runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Yeager came in to relieve Mendez, allowing two runs on two hits, with a walk and a strikeout.
Offensively, Machado and Song were in good company. Nick Solak, Gavin Sheets, Anthony Vilar, Marcos Castonon, Clay Dungan, and Rodolfo Duran all contributed with hits. Duran stood out with two hits, including a solo homer that kicked off the third inning.
As Spring Training unfolds, Machado's performance offers a tantalizing glimpse of what could be a thrilling season for the Padres.