First pitch: Grading 3 massive overreactions from MLB’s opening weekend

MLB overreaction: Spending money won’t pay off for the San Diego Padres

Much of the talk (and hype) heading into the season was about the amount of money being spent by the New York Mets and San Diego Padres in what seemed like a race to win the National League and earn a spot in the Fall Classic. However, while the Mets took three of four games in south Florida against the Miami Marlins, San Diego dropped its first two games of the season at home against the Colorado Rockies. Before Saturday’s first win of the season, it could be argued that the most excited Petco Park was during a Padres game was for the results of San Diego State’s national semifinal game in the NCAA tournament.

However, the Padres bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to split the four-game set, with Xander Bogaerts, one of those high-priced acquisitions, launching his first two homers in a Padres uniform to pace the pair of victories. After a rocky (pardon the pun) start to the series, San Diego found its groove, a sign of things to come for a powerful Padres lineup.

Overreaction grade: Complete hype rather than reality. There’s a reason why San Diego’s lineup was ranked as the best in the NL heading into the season, and they flashed it in Saturday’s win, scoring eight runs on 10 hits. Colorado had their top two starters (by a wide margin) in German Marquez and Kyle Freeland going in the first two games, and the Rockies offense was hitting like it was at Coors Field rather than at sea level in San Diego. Chalk up those early losses to “that’s baseball,” as Colorado manager Bud Black likes to say. Over the long haul, the Padres will find their rhythm and storm into the postseason.