Randy Vásquez pitches Padres past Tigers for first victory of season

Kevin Acee, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Mar 28, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SAN DIEGO — One of the questions that could play a big role in determining the San Diego Padres’ level of success in 2026 is whether Randy Vásquez can continue his ascension from scrappy back-of-the-rotation pitcher to a guy that can be counted on for quality innings start after start.

So what he did by throwing six scoreless innings Saturday night was significant not only for the fact it paved the way to the Padres’ first victory of the season but for the hopes it buoyed about Vásquez and the team’s rotation depth.

The Padres could exhale and believe after a 3-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the finale of their season-opening three-game series.

Vásquez allowed two hits (both by Colt Keith) and struck out eight, second most in his 52 career starts.

Dating to last September, when he began throwing his fastball a good deal harder than ever before, Vásquez has a 1.95 ERA in five starts. Saturday was the third time in that span he went at least six innings without allowing a run.

The Padres supported him Saturday with two runs in the third inning and one in the fifth.

Tigers starter Jack Flaherty retired the first eight batters he faced before three consecutive steals and an error resulted in the Padres taking their first two-run lead of the season.

The singles, with two outs in the third inning, were line drives into left field by Freddy Fermin and Jake Cronenworth and a line drive into right field by Fernando Tatis Jr. The error was by Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres, who did not catch what seemed an on-the-spot throw from catcher Jake Rogers that was in time to get Tatis trying to steal. The ball instead rolled into center field, which allowed Cronenworth to run home.

In the fifth inning, one-out walks by Cronenworth, Tatis and Manny Machado loaded the bases before Merrill’s grounder against left-handed reliever Brant Hurter scored Cronenworth.

The Tigers got the tying run to the plate in the sixth with a single and a walk with two outs before Vásquez retired Spencer Torkelson on a hard grounder to Machado.

Kyle Hart worked the seventh and eighth innings, and Mason Miller pitched the ninth to earn his first save.

The start to Vásquez’s third season with the Padres could not have gone much better.

Vásquez was acquired in December 2023 along with fellow starter Michael King as part of the Juan Soto trade.

Both were turned into full-time starters by the Padres. King got Cy Young votes in 2024 and a three-year, $75 million contract after the 2025 season.

Vásquez spent 2024 up and down between Triple A and the majors and was even sent down briefly last August, despite having a sub-4.00 ERA, to make room for J.P. Sears.

He returned after missing one start and finished the season with a 3.84 ERA over 26 starts (133 2/3 innings). That was an improvement over his 4.87 ERA in 20 starts (98 innings) in 2024.

The Padres believed in the upward trajectory going into spring training, and Vásquez began the regular season looking like they could be correct.

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