The San Diego Padres got their doors blown off Tuesday in Seattle, but it might have been a blessing in disguise.
The Mariners walked all over James Shields and the Padres, chasing the San Diego starter after tagging him for 10 runs. At one point, Seattle led 13-0 before going on to win 16-4.
The highlight of the afternoon, however, might have been the pitching debut of Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt. The right-hander (obviously) came on in the eighth inning, and you know what, the Pads might have a new pitcher on their hands.
Bethancourt’s velocity was very impressive, as he showcased a fastball that routinely sat in the mid 90s, hitting as high as 96 mph on the radar gun. He also mixed in an eephus thing (maybe a knuckleball) that registered at 53 mph. Talk about changing speeds.
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Bethancourt set a “record” with his showing, according to MLB’s Cut4 site. Since PitchFX was introduced in 2008, Bethancourt is the hardest-throwing position player in all of baseball.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Images
