Opening Day left a bitter taste in the mouths of the San Diego Padres, as they fell 8-2 to the visiting Detroit Tigers. Tarik Skubal, the back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner, pitched six scoreless innings, striking out six Padres. After the loss, San Diego infielder Jake Cronenworth had a blunt response when assessing Skubal's performance. Local radio station 97.3 The Fan shared Cronenworth's words via X, formerly Twitter.
“It's a challenge,” Cronenworth admitted post-game. “Thought we had a plan going in, but he pitched his butt off.”
Luckily, the Padres likely won't have to face Skubal once again this season. At least, not until a potential matchup in October. Cronenworth went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. San Diego's two runs came off five total hits. Cronenworth wasn't the only starter to go without a hit. Center fielder Jackson Merrill, designated hitter Miguel Andujar, first baseman Gavin Sheets, and catcher Freddy Fermin joined him on that list. While it was encouraging to see stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado produce, the other veterans need to pitch in as well.
Cronenworth is one of those veterans. The 32-year-old had a bit of a down year in 2025, dealing with some injuries in the process. Yet, he'll still be counted on to be a key part of the Padres lineup. If he's healthy, Cronenworth can put up 15-20 homers with 70-90 RBIs. That's pretty good for a sixth or seventh hitter, which is what San Diego hopes he'll continue to be in 2026. If Cronenworth can put his Opening Day struggles to Skubal and company behind him, then the Friars may return to October.
