The Padres, they didn’t get out to a great start this year. They needed 31 innings before they scored their first run of the season. And they’re still at the bottom of the NL West ... but now in a tie, at least, with the Diamondbacks, who make great company for misery.
San Diego’s fortunes turned, if just a smidge, because Melvin Upton Jr. walloped a deep ol’ dinger to center field in the bottom of the 14th inning against Arizona last thing Saturday night. The walk-off homer was a thing that went right for the Padres, who got to win a game, 5-3. And if you listen to the radio call starting in around 0:36 in the MLB video, you’ll hear it presaged by a timely Airplane! quote:
Mostly because the Padres have been road-tripping it this spring (awesome plan, right, by MLB? Have the team from San Diego play early-April series in Denver and Philly?) this was the first win for the Padres at home. Part of me wants to feel some pity/warmth for those few fans you see huddled in the background when Upton hit his walk-off. They seem like good fans, after all, who deserve better than a bottom-dwelling ball club.
But then, you know, counter point: They bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into. I say, let ’em crash.