FriarNotes: Padres Open Second Half With 10 Straight Road Games Starting in Washington; Sheets Returns, Campusano Optioned; Padres Gold Leading DR Division; Arlin’s Near-Miss No-Hitter

By Bill Center

Photo of Dylan Cease at Petco Park

The Padres start the “second half” of the 2025 season Friday night with the opener of a 10-game road trip at Washington.

Dylan Cease will start the second half opener followed by Yu Darvish and Nick Pivetta.

The Padres will be playing 10 games in 10 days before returning home. After Washington, the Padres will play three games in Miami and four in St. Louis. While Padres manager Mike Shildt has not announced his rotation past this weekend, it’s reasonable to assume Randy Vásquez and Stephen Kolek would round out the rotation.

PAD BITS:

— The Padres Friday activated designated hitter-left fielder Gavin Sheets from the paternity list and returned designated hitter-catcher Luis Campusano to Triple-A El Paso.

PADRES ON DECK:

SS Jhoan De La Cruz (.203), the Padres’ №27 prospect, was 2-for-3 with 2 walks, 2 stolen bases and 3 runs for the division-leading Padres Gold (22–11) in the Dominican Republic Summer League. 3B Deivid Coronil (.216), the Padres’ №22 prospect, was 1-for-5 with a RBI and a run.

AROUND THE FARM:

ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE (13–42) — REDS 13, Padres 12: LF Alex McCoy (.300) was 2-for-5 with a double and a 3-run homer. CF Kasen Wells (.421) was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a RBI and 3 runs. 3B Emil Turbi (.253) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run. GIANTS 5, Padres 1: RHP Winyer Chourio (3–6, 6.48 earned run average) gave up a run on 4 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts over 4 innings to take the loss.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SUMMER LEAGUE — GOLD (22–11) 16, Dodgers 3: 1B Isaac Ponce (.231) was 3-for-5 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs. 2B Yorvin Morla (.304) was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk, 2 RBIs and 2 runs. Starting RHP Jesus Castro (2–0, 2.25) gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 5 innings to earn the win. ROYALS 4, Brown (16–16) 3: 3B Yonaiker Hernandez (.299) was 2-for-4 with a run. Starting RHP Wilfred Paca (4.74) gave up a run on 4 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts in 6 innings.

PADRES HISTORY:

July 18, 1972 — Steve Arlin loses his no-hit bid with 2 out in ninth when Philadelphia’s Denny Doyle gets a bad-hop single over the head of drawn-in 3B Dave Roberts. The Padres win 5–1 at San Diego Stadium. Arlin allows a run on 2 hits and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts.