From the Padres:

R H E
Salt Lake 7 11 2
Tucson 6 12 3

WP: Browning (1-0)
LP: Flores (0-2)
S: Kohn (1)

Fans in Tucson saw emotional opening ceremonies, a lively crowd and a close game Friday, as the Salt Lake Bees beat the Tucson Padres 7-6. Pregame events included first pitches from local heroes involved in the January 8th tragedy, and a helicopter flyover from LifeFlight. On the field, a late Tucson rally fell short in front of 6,460 fans.
Salt Lake struck first on a two-run home run in the second inning by Jeremy Moore. The Padres came right back with three runs in the bottom of the second, sending eight hitters to the plate, scoring three times. Later in the game, with the score tied 4-4, Anthony Rizzo hit a line drive home run to right field, his third home run of the season.

With Tucson up by two in the eighth, Salt Lake scored three times, on a pinch hit single by Alexi Amarista and a successful suicide squeeze bunt by Kevin Romine. Rizzo singled in the ninth with two outs, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Cole Armstrong’s throwing error, but was left at third when Michael Kohn struck out Aaron Cunningham to end the game.

Next Game: Saturday, Kino Stadium @ 7:00 pm — Tucson RHP Jeremy Hefner (0-0) vs. Salt Lake RHP Matt Shoemaker (0-0).

From last night's Portland Timbers home opener at JELD-WEN Field (former home of the AAA baseball Portland Beavers, now the Tucson Padres):

Want to win a luxury suite for tomorrow night's game (including fireworks)? Head over to the Tucson Padres Facebook page and guess tonight's attendance, and if you're closest you'll win a luxury suite for 20 guests ($450 value).

Even if you don't end up winning, there are lots of reasons to get out the ballpark over the next few days:

Friday, April 15th — 7:00 pm: The first home game in Tucson Padres history with a pregame ceremony to honor the heroes of January 8th. Ceremonial first pitches will come from Daniel Hernandez, the intern who helped save the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and from the four residents who helped contain the shooter. Before the game, fans will be entertained by the Los Changuitos Feos Mariachi Group. The national anthem will be performed by Sons of Orpheus, the Male Choir of Tucson. The official "Kids Bowl Free Bus" will be at Kino Stadium Friday as part of its national tour. Anyone under age 18 can register and get two free lanes of bowling every day of the summer.

Saturday, April 16th — 7:00 pm: It’s our first Postgame Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Rosemont Copper. The other fireworks shows are May 28th, June 25th, July 4th and August 27th.

Sunday, April 17th — 6:00 pm: Military Appreciation Night, honoring all branches of the military in southern Arizona. The Tucson Padres will honor the military at every Sunday home game, and the team will wear camouflage uniforms on the field. The ceremonial first pitches will include top ranking officials of Davis Monthan AFB, Ft. Huachuca, Air National Guard, Army National Guard and Navy. Returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan will also be honored prior to the game Sunday.

Sunday is also Goodwill of Southern Arizona Night. Visit the community page of www.tucsonpadres.com and learn how you can get a 2-for-1 coupon for Sunday home games by donating to Goodwill.

Monday, April 18th — 7:00 pm: Facebook Friends Night, giving you the opportunity to come to the game free. Visit the Tucson Padres Facebook page, click on “Like,” and you will see the details.

Kind of bad news for Arizona basketball fans, but when someone's projected to be one of the top picks in the NBA draft, it's a little difficult to convince them to stick around because college is awesome. You know what is also awesome? Giant stacks of money.

The Tucson Padres, opening their season on Friday, have an interesting deal happening on Facebook in an effort to build buzz for AAA baseball's return to town: If they reach 2,000 "likes" on their Facebook page before Friday (they're at 1,875 right now), all of their Facebook fans can come to one of the games Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for free. Not a bad deal in exchange for a mouse click.

The Tucson Padres, our new Triple-A baseball team, lost another extra-innings game last night, after the club ran out of relievers and had to bring in designated hitter Bobby Kielty to pitch. The dispatch from the Padres' Tim Hagerty:

The Tucson Padres lost in extra innings for the second straight night Tuesday, falling to the Salt Lake Bees 5-4. The Padres have lost three straight games and now have a 2-4 record.

Neither team scored from the eighth inning until the fifteenth, when Jeremy Moore singled home Kevin Melillo with the winning run.

After using five relievers Monday and five more Tuesday, the Padres were forced to bring in designated hitter Bobby Kielty to pitch. Kielty walked Melillo to lead off the 15th and got ground ball outs off the bats of Salt Lake’s third and fourth hitters before allowing the game winning hit.

Jesus Guzman was 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI for the Padres, and Luis Durango was 3-for-4 with two triples. Evan Scribner, Samuel Deduno and Aaron Poreda combined for six innings of shutout relief from Tucson’s bullpen.

In an odd scheduling twist, Tucson plays Salt Lake the next six nights, as the Bees will be the opponent for the first home series April 15th-April 18th. Salt Lake has yet to play a nine-inning game this season, only seven-inning doubleheader games, and the two extra inning games against the T-Pads.

The Padres open the home season this Friday, April 15. Details here.

From the geniuses that brought you Alex Trebek providing play-by-play, here's a speculative look at college football on North Korean government television:

Tim Hagerty of the Tucson Padres sends us a dispatch about the bizarre play in the bottom of the 13th inning that cost our new Triple-A ballclub Monday's game in Salt Lake:

The Tucson Padres lost Monday’s game 7-6 on a detached equipment call. With runners at first and third in the bottom of the 13th inning, Tucson catcher Guillermo Quiroz blocked Greg Burke’s low pitch, and as the ball was rolling next to Quiroz, home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski ruled Quiroz used his mask to stop the ball. This results in each runner advancing one base, as stated in Rule 7.04 (e) in the Official Baseball Rules book:

7.04 — Each runner, other than the batter, may without liability to be put out, advance one base when…. (e) A fielder deliberately touches a pitched ball with his cap, mask or any part of his uniform detached from its proper place on his person.

Despite an argument from Tucson manager Terry Kennedy, Jeremy Moore was awarded home, and Salt Lake won the first game of the series.

Tucson’s offense forced extra innings with its biggest comeback of the young season. Down 6-0 early, the Padres scored twice in the sixth inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by Logan Forsythe and Anthony Rizzo, and four more runs in the seventh on a Cedric Hunter bases loaded walk, and a three-run double by Forsythe.

Neither team scored from the seventh inning until the bottom of the 13th, but the Padres weren’t without chances, leaving the bases loaded twice in extra innings. Everth Cabrera was 3-for-5 atop the Tucson lineup, and five Padres relievers had scoreless outings in the game.

C'mon, with nights like this, you know it's gonna be a fun season at the ballpark. The T-Pods open the home season at Kino Stadium (formerly known as Tucson Electric Park) on Friday, April 15. Details here.

Two films tonight at the Screening Room:

7:00pm
The Screening Room

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI (Japan, 13m)
NIGHT OF FISH (Japan, 55m)

More at the film festival's website.

The Tucson Padres ended up splitting their first-ever series, winning two and losing to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The Padres are off to Salt Lake City this week before they make their Tucson debut on Friday, April 15. Details on Friday's game, which is the start of an eight-game homestand, here.

Tim Hagerty of the Padres rounds up Sunday's game, which included a brutal first inning that saw the Sky Sox send nine men to the plate and score five runs:

The Tucson Padres finished their first series with a split, losing today to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 12-2. Both the Padres and Sky Sox are now 2-2 on the season. The Sky Sox got to Padres starting pitcher Simon Castro early, sending nine hitters to the plate in a five-run first inning. Castro struggled in his Tucson Padres debut, allowing nine runs, eight earned, on nine hits in four innings of work. Colorado Springs reliever Bruce Billings picked up the win after two scoreless innings in relief of starter Billy Buckner, who did not pitch the necessary five innings to qualify for the victory.

Willy Taveras went 2-for-5 with a triple and a home run for the Sky Sox, and outfielder Cole Garner went 4-for-5 with three RBIs. Anthony Rizzo was a bright spot for Tucson, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Rizzo now has nine RBIs through the first four games of the season, one behind Round Rock’s Chris Davis, who leads the PCL with 10. Scott Munter pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the loss.

The Padres travel to Salt Lake after the game to start a four game series Monday. Salt Lake had back-to-back cancellations to begin its season because of snow and rain, but better weather is expected over the next few days.