BOSTON — In his Padres debut, Germán Márquez surrendered four runs on eight hits and a walk over three innings. He only struck out one batter and induced just two whiffs. Last year, he managed just two swing-and-misses in a game on one occasion, and only recorded one whiff three times in his entire career.
This left plenty for him to refine ahead of his scheduled start in Pittsburgh on Monday.
However, the 31-year-old’s focus in the bullpen with pitching coach Ruben Niebla was clear: Márquez was tipping everything. The team was surprised that the damage wasn’t worse during a 9-3 loss last Wednesday.
“I was tipping a couple pitches,” Márquez stated Sunday morning. “I’ve been collaborating with Ruben in the bullpen to ensure I’m not tipping. I’ve been reviewing videos.”
The Giants particularly exploited his sinker (3-for-4, HR) and knuckle curveball (3-for-7, 2B, HR) during that matchup. In 2021, when he was an All-Star—long before undergoing Tommy John surgery that interrupted his tenure with the Rockies—Márquez allowed a .144 average against his knuckle curve.
The Padres not only addressed the tipping issue in Márquez’s bullpen session, but they also believe they have strategies in place should he slip back into habits that give away his pitches through his delivery or setup.
“I’m ready to go and prepared for the next one,” Márquez said. “I’m ready to compete.”
Poppin’
Luis Campusano’s double off the Green Monster on Friday tied the game, while Freddy Fermin’s double into the left-field corner on Saturday gave the Padres a lead. The Padres are counting on more contributions to enhance the top of the order, which has yet to meet expectations. Nonetheless, their catchers have continued to provide defensive value during a sluggish start to the season.
As of Sunday, Fermin and Campusano ranked seventh among MLB catchers with 0.8 defensive runs above average, according to Fangraphs.com. While it’s a small sample size, the catching duo has emphasized contributing regardless of their offensive performance.
“(The offense is) going to come,” Padres catching coach Kevin Plawecki remarked. “But we always discuss separating offense from defense, and they’re doing just that. Their focus on defense gives us a chance to win. We’ll keep pushing, and the offense will eventually come.”
The contributions are manifesting in various ways.
The two catchers have a combined 5-for-9 record in Automated Ball-Strike challenges, and their selections have been timely even if not frequent. They are also tied for seventh with a 33% caught-stealing rate (2-for-6) and have been among the quickest in throwing to second base this season.
Campusano’s average pop time to second base stands at 1.93 seconds, ranking eighth-best in the majors. Fermin’s average is also 1.93 seconds, but he notably recorded a throw-out at second base on Saturday with an impressive time of 1.87 seconds, which is the fourth-fastest successful caught-stealing of the season.
More of that performance is expected.
Fermin, after all, led the majors with a 44.7% caught-stealing rate in 2024.
“He’s just athletic,” Plawecki added. “His movement and body mechanics allow him to efficiently transition into a stance and utilize everything he has behind his throws, and he’s incredibly accurate. It’s a great combination for both him and us.”
Fermin is currently 2-for-17 at the plate with two walks. On Sunday, he was replaced by Campusano, who went 1-for-3 with a run scored, bringing his season total to 2-for-10.
Manny thanks
Reid Bolton, 46, grew up in Del Mar but has since moved to Buffalo, N.Y. He and his wife, Nicole, have plans to visit all 30 MLB parks, but after watching their Padres—yes, his Padres; she’s a Blue Jays fan— from seats along the first-base side of Fenway Park, they decided to upgrade on Sunday to seats on top of the Green Monster.
The cost? “A couple hundred bucks a spot,” Bolton recounted.
Little did he expect it would include a souvenir: Manny Machado’s go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, his first of the year, landed right in his hands in the third row.
“Right on the fly,” Reid Bolton said. “Not even in any pain. The wedding ring helped. Extra grip.”
He added: “It’s worth it. We came here (Saturday). We got tickets last minute. We sat on the first base side, but there’s nothing like sitting on the Monster. We had to do it at least once.”
Notable
OF Ramón Laureano became the third different leadoff hitter the team has utilized in nine games. The Padres entered Sunday with a .367 OPS from the leadoff position, the lowest in the majors and 30 points below the second-worst team (the Pirates). Laureano finished 0-for-5 with a walk on Sunday from his leadoff spot.
