In this column, I will analyze that player’s statistics against the Friars and try to offer some insight into how not to let that player beat our beloved team.

 The Texas Rangers came into Petco Park and showed why they are a force to be reckoned with come playoff time. Now, the Padres will finish interleague play at home against their interleague rival, the Seattle Mariners.

To end interleague play on a positive note, the Padres need a Herculean effort from everyone on their roster. However, against the Seattle Mariners, the strength of the Greek God may not be enough. That is because the Mariners have a Japanese demigod who is not a mythological figure; he is actually real and playing in right field for the Mariners.

This super natural being is a  5’11”  170-pound future Hall of Famer named Ichiro Suzuki, better-known simply as Ichiro.

Ichiro Suzuki going through pregame work outs Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Ichiro’s super power is that he is a hitting machine. When he plays against the Padres he is just that. No matter if the game is played at PetcoPark, Safeco Field or the moon, Ichiro continues to hit and hit and hit against the Friars.

Here is proof :

Ichiro is destined to get his hits, so there is no stopping him there. What the Padres need to do is not give up anything more than singles because although he is 38-years old , he still has above average speed on the base paths. Base stealing is another dynamic to Ichiro’s game, so if he gets on base on base, Padres pitchers must not let him steal second and third.

Lastly, Ichiro will not just beat the Padres with the bat but with the glove. The 10-time Gold Glove winner has a cannon of an arm. So offensively, the Padres must play small ball or hit the ball away from right field.

With all eyes placed on the much-hyped and perhaps most talked about outfielder during the off-season in Yoenis Cespedes, the Padres will have to pay attention to another outfielder too.

The young Cuban phenom mesmerizes fans and players alike with his style of play, but he has never played the Padres before. However, Seth Smith has and he is a Padre killer.

Seth Smith comes through with RBI-Single Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

His statistics versus the Padres may seem average at best, but Smith has caused a lot of destruction, often times getting the game-winning hit or igniting a rally.  Every time the Rockies would beat the Padres, Smith would always be in the middle of it.

I will probably regret this, but I feel the best way to not have Smith beat the Pads is simply by challenging him. The Padres’ pitchers need to throw Smith their best pitch and see what he can do with it. I’m banking on the fact that Smith is now on a different team so that will produce a different result. Plus the A’s lineup is nowhere near as potent as the Rockies was.

Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Most of the Seattle regulars were getting rest after their Opening Series trip to Japan, but that didn’t stop the rookies and prospects from delivering a win in the ongoing rivalry between the Padres and Mariners.

Joe Wieland pitched five innings, gave up five hits, and allowed just two runs.  He also struck out five in his five innings of work.  His final spring ERA is 5.89.  Anthony Bass came in and gave up an additional two earned runs in three innings of work.  Micah Owings and Brad Brach each gave up a run apiece in their time out of the pen.

Offensively, the Padres didn’t have much going.  Andy Parrino continued his impressive run of late with a solo home run, the only run the Padres would score.  Yonder Alonso was 2 for 3, Nick Hundley was 1 for 2 and improved his batting average to .412, and Will Venable added a hit of his own.

Yesterday’s game was the night cap of what was more a double-header than a split squad game.  Matt Clark played in both contests as a pinch hitter.  He went hitless.  The double-header losses put the Padres spring record at 19-14 with one more game to play.

The team will travel to Surprise to take on the Rangers.  The game will be the Padres final Cactus League contest this spring, and Cory Luebke will get the start at 1:05 PT.

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