Padres 7, Diamondbacks 2
At Salt River Fields
At the plate: The Diamondbacks hit a few balls hard on Tuesday but didn’t generate much offense for the third consecutive game to start the spring. SS Nick Ahmed drove a ball off the wall in right-center field and scored on CF Ketel Marte’s single to center. However, Marte ran into an out when the throw home was cut off. RF Trayce Thompson also made an out on the bases when he was picked off first following a second-inning leadoff walk. 1B Wyatt Mathisen had a good day at the plate, collecting a pair of singles on hard-hit balls. Both of Mathisen’s hits were clocked at 106 mph off the bat.
On the mound: LHP Caleb Smith had a rough first outing, giving up six runs in two innings. He served up a grand slam to Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. in the second inning on a first-pitch, down-the-middle fastball that came after 2B Josh Rojas booted a ground ball on the previous play. “I learned don’t throw Tatis a fastball,” Smith said. “Command could have been better. Obviously, the two walks and both of those guys scored -- got to cut down on the walks. And I’ve got to put guys away when I have them two strikes. I wasn’t able to do that.” The Diamondbacks also had another sloppy day defensively. In addition to the Rojas error, the Padres executed a double steal on C Daulton Varsho in the first inning, with CF Trent Grisham scoring easily when Varsho’s throw went through to second base.
Wednesday’s game: Diamondbacks RHP Luke Weaver vs. Indians RHP Zach Plesac, 1:05 p.m., Goodyear Ballpark.
J.J. Watt said there were signs all along pointing him to Arizona. There were players and coaches and schemes that made signing a a two-year deal with the Cardinals feel right. But there were deeper connections, too.
When Watt had a moment to soak in some Cardinals history inside the facility on Tuesday, the defensive end felt some serendipity about his next steps forward.
“I’ve obviously long been a fan of Pat Tillman,” Watt said Tuesday in his introductory press conference.
“Just what he stood for, who he was and everything about his legacy is unbelievable to me.
“So to be here, to be walking the same halls that he walked, and to see his locker today was special for me.”
Months before Watt signed with the Cardinals, before he broke his own news on Monday, before he even knew he’d land in the desert, he had been talking to Marie Tillman, the wife of the late Cardinals
safety. For six months, he has been working with Marie and the Pat Tillman Foundation on an upcoming project.
“It’s kind of coincidental how this worked out, and I’m very excited to share that with the people of Arizona too,” he said.
Watt was not ready to reveal the full extent of their plans.
He also has other things in the works. The 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Watt is ready to deepen his connections to a new state and new communities.
“I’m very excited to get involved here in Arizona and to learn,” he said Tuesday.
“When I do something I kind of go all in. And so I’m very excited to kind of dive all into Arizona and to learn about the area and to learn where the needs are and how I can help.”
Since its launch in 2010, the J.J. Watt Foundation has worked to help youth sports teams across the country.
His foundation has already donated to eight schools in Arizona, including six in the Valley.
He was recently reminiscing on that with his mom, Connie, noting that he only expects that number to go up and up.
And he’s already put himself up for another donation with Cardinals ties. In coming to Arizona, Watt realized that 99, his number of choice since he entered the league, had been retired for the Cardinals for Marshall Goldberg.
Goldberg played for the Chicago Cardinals for eight seasons between 1939 and 1948, with a break to serve in the Navy during World War II.
But per TMZ Sports, his daughter, Ellen Goldberg Tullos, “believes her dad would have been honored for Watt to wear his old digits in Arizona.” She gave her blessing for Watt to wear 99, and the Cardinals announced Tuesday that he would indeed. Watt felt a significance far beyond a number preference.
“I told her that I would do everything in my power to honor him and make him proud and make his legacy proud. I told her that I would make a donation to the fund they have in his name, so I will definitely be doing that,” Watt said.