Vedder Cup 2015 kicks off with the annual charity game between the Padres and Mariners.
If you're reading this, congratulations! You made it through a long (albeit exciting) San Diego Padres offseason and the beginning of Spring Training. This afternoon the Friars will kick off their 2015 Spring Training schedule with their annual charity game against the hated Seattle Mariners.
You can look at today's game as the beginning of the most anticipated season of Padres baseball in recent years. And WG bless Buddy Black, he's not wasting any time in getting the newly acquired players in the lineup for all of us to get a taste of what's to come in 2015. Yesterday he revealed to media six of the starting nine set to open up Spring Training, including two of AJ Preller's biggest Winter acquisitions, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, as well as Clint Barmes, Wil Nieves, and Cameron Maybin, who is really raring to prove himself this Spring.
And as we learned on Saturday, non-roster invitee and 38-year-old southpaw Jason Lane will get the start in the Spring opener and is slated for two innings of work. Minor leaguers Justin Hancock and Jay Jackson will also get turns on the mound in today's exhibition game.
Meanwhile the Mariners, who were rained out of their only scheduled intrasquad game on Monday, will counter with righty Taijan Walker to start. Six other pitchers will also see time on the mound following Walker.
Lineups:
Here it is! The first lineup of the 2015 season has been posted #PadresSTpic.twitter.com/TFMywLLUJL
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 4, 2015
#Mariners starting lineup for the Cactus League opener: 12:05 pm PT/1:05 pm AZ on @ROOTSPORTS_NW&@710ESPNSeattlepic.twitter.com/E0cwQeoTcU
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 4, 2015
How to listen/watch:
To follow along with today's game, you can listen to the live radio broadcast on MLB.com or the At-Bat app at 12:05 pm PT. Or you can wait and watch the delayed TV broadcast on MLB Network at 9:00 pm PT. Or you can do both, which is probably (definitely) the best option.
GO FRIARS!! KEEP THE FAITH!!