The Padres opened their game with a three-run lead and watched it unravel in a nightmare first inning. Their starter couldn’t find the strike zone, walking the first two batters. A single and a sac fly brought both runners in, tying the game 3-3. Things got worse from there. A hard-hit ball glanced off a glove, allowing another run to score and leaving two more runners in scoring position. Then came the most bizarre sequence. A balk was called several pitches after it happened, confusing everyone. The umpires huddled, then explained that the pitcher had stopped mid-motion on his second pitch, which is a clear balk with runners on. That brought in another run and loaded the bases.
After a long delay, the new pitcher entered and tried to get out of the jam. He nearly did, but then had his own balk called for again stopping mid-windup. Another run crossed the plate. By the time the inning mercifully ended on a hard lineout, the Padres had given up five runs on a mix of walks, errors, hits, and balks. What looked like an easy first inning quickly turned into chaos. The Padres went from controlling the game to trailing 5-3 before they even got to bat a second time.