Juan Soto warned opposition pitchers before his first game since being traded to the San Diego Padres, and it almost instantly looked like his age.
The San Diego Padres, an MLB Trade Deadline victor for the ages, were ready to display their winnings on Wednesday night at Petco Park when they welcomed the Colorado Rockies to town with Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury in the lineup for the first time.
But before the game began, Soto gave the opposing pitchers a heads-up about the new San Diego lineup that would soon be used. I wish other pitchers luck, “Soto stated during his opening news conference.
The Rockies and starting pitcher Chad Kuhl were quick to figure out what that meant.
Padres: Juan Soto issues a warning to opposing pitchers, and Brandon Drury takes it as gospel right away
Kuhl avoided Soto during the first inning of Wednesday night’s game and walked the rookie superstar on four pitches. Before Bell was also walked, Manny Machado swiftly doubled to put runners on second and third. When Jake Cronenworth was struck by a pitch, allowing Soto to score, Drury came to the plate and promptly hit a grand slam to ensure that Kuhl, one of the aforementioned opposing pitchers, would not have any luck.
That not only gave the Padres a quick 5-0 lead but also demonstrated how deadly this team is.
Soto, Machado, and Bell, the 2-4 hitters in the lineup, are a nightmare for opposition pitchers because they can all instantly bring everyone on the base paths home. And Wednesday night’s events showed how risky it is when men like Cronenworth and Drury are behind them.
And if that wasn’t terrifying enough, Fernando Tatis Jr. is planning to make a comeback in the upcoming weeks. Therefore, anyone attempting to get three outs against this new Padres lineup should have fun with that.