BALTIMORE — The Padres scored right away and repeatedly on Friday night, but the Orioles just did better against the wild starting pitcher they faced.

Griffin Canning’s command showed up late and appeared only briefly at Camden Yards, and the Orioles scored three runs in each of the first two innings on their way to a 7-3 victory.

“Any time you get seven runs as a starter,” Orioles starter Shane Baz said, “the world is your oyster.”

It can’t be said the Padres never had a chance, despite being down 6-2 early.

They stranded runners at second and third base in each of the first two innings and another in the third and finished 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position en route to dropping the opener of a nine-game trip.

“We tried to battle there,” Manny Machado said. “We could have (stayed) in the game a little longer if we had scored a couple runs there when we had an opportunity, and we didn’t.”

What can be asserted is that it was a minor miracle both starting pitchers completed five innings.

Between them, Canning and Baz threw 196 pitches before they were lifted at the start of the sixth.

The Orioles just did far more with Canning’s inability to locate many of his 93 offerings.

“Just not very good,” Canning said. “…  It doesn’t feel good right now.”

The seven earned runs Canning allowed were second most he had ever surrendered in 118 career starts.

Four of the five walks he issued and five of the six hits he allowed came in the first two innings.

The Padres took an immediate 1-0 lead, thanks in large part to Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo being unable to handle a routine grounder by Fernando Tatis Jr., who stole second base, went to third on Xander Bogaerts’ infield single dribbled up the first base line and scored on Gavin Sheets’ double.

Canning would throw 10 strikes among his 21 pitches in the bottom of the first. One of the pitches he put over the plate was hit 105 mph on a line and another was his 389 feet to the seats.

The inning began with walk to Taylor Ward, who went to third on Gunnar Henderson‘s hard single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adley Rutschman.

Canning then made his best throw of the inning when he stepped off the rubber and got the ball to Tatis at second base to get Henderson attempting to steal for the second out.

But Canning went back to throwing balls to Pete Alonso, who drew a four-pitch walk before Samuel Basallo launched a changeup left in the heart of the strike zone well beyond the wall in right-center field to put the Orioles up 3-1.

Baz’s wildness helped the Padres to a run in the second.

Ty France took a pitch off his elbow guard, and Will Wagner drew a four-pitch walk to start the inning before Freddy Fermin’s fly ball moved France to third. Tatis followed with a single that scored France. Both runners moved up on Jackson Merrill’s groundout before Machado grounded out softly in front of the plate.

Canning began the second by walking Colton Cowser before Tyler O’Neill looped a single into center field, moving Cowser to third. He scored from there on Jackson Holliday’s sacrifice fly.

Canning struck out Ward for the second out before Henderson hit a grounder at 104 mph back up the middle that almost certainly would have resulted in a double play had Canning not slowed it with his glove. Henderson’s infield single was followed by Canning’s fourth walk and a two-run single by Alonso that got just under Machado’s glove and into left field.

Bogaerts walked to start the third inning, and he reached second on Samad Taylor’s one-out single before a strikeout by France and groundout by Wagner made the Padres 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Two half-innings in which no one reached base ensued, and Canning was an out from getting through a second consecutive scoreless inning when he left a sinker up and on the inner third of the plate, about where every left-handed hitter with any power loves to see pitches. And Henderson, who does have some power, hit his 14th home run of the season to extend the Orioles’ lead to 7-2.

The Padres succeeded in getting Baz to throw a lot of pitches in the first three innings. But he got through the fourth in 12 pitches to bring his total to 86. And he finished five innings after Machado’s lead-off double and a one-out single by Sheets got the Padres their third run.

Canning followed a walk of Alonso with a double-play grounder and a strikeout to finish his night.

Wandy Peralta and David Morgan kept the deficit where it was, but four Orioles relievers worked a scoreless inning apiece.

Really, though, this one was lost at the beginning.

“To keep momentum going, you’ve got to get off to a good start, and we just got off to a bad start,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “We scored a run, but then you don’t have a shutdown inning and give up three, and that puts us behind the eight ball. We score another one. We’re right back in the game and then give up another three-spot. Just tough for us to keep the positive attitude and the momentum going on our end.”

The San Diego State Aztecs will officially leave the Mountain West for the new-look Pac-12 on July 1, along with Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State and Boise State. They’ll join fellow newcomer Texas State as well as holdovers Washington State and Oregon State. 

It’s not the Pac-12 that fans wanted to join years ago, the one that included USC and UCLA up the freeway in Los Angeles, but it’s considered to be a step up nonetheless. The Aztecs primed themselves for the jump by finishing 9-4 last fall and reaching a bowl game for the first time in three seasons. 

Here are three reasons to be optimistic about San Diego State’s chances of contending for the Pac-12 title and playing in consecutive bowl games for the first time since 2021-22.

1. Running game led by Lucky Sutton

San Diego State is back to being Running Back U thanks to Sutton, who had a career year in 2025 and announced he’ll return to his hometown school for his senior season. 

Sutton sounds motivated after rushing for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns on 254 carries, all career highs and good enough to be named First Team All-Mountain West.

He hit a benchmark that’s important on Montezuma Mesa in becoming the 20th player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season — that plateau has been reached a total of 28 times — and taking over No. 16 on the single-season list. 

Sutton played at local powerhouse Cathedral Catholic High and said it was always his dream to play for the Aztecs. 

“Knowing the legacy that was set in the past and the legacy I can continue, I intend on taking the next steps in this climb. With that being said, I am an Aztec for life,” he said. 

Sutton will be backed up by another local player, senior Christian Washington, who went from Helix High to New Mexico and Coastal Carolina before returning home to SDSU. He had 563 yards and four touchdowns on 98 carries last year. Sophomore Javion Kinnard transferred from Colorado State, where he saw limited time at running back but was good enough as a punt returner to be named Second Team All-MW.

2. Quarterback Jayden Denegal

Denegal played in all 12 regular-season games last year in his first season as a college starter, but was limited due to shoulder injuries. He chose to have surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder a few days before the New Mexico Bowl so that he’d be ready for spring practice. 

He’s motivated to put up better numbers than last year, when he completed 143 of 243 passes (58.8%) for 1,807 yards and nine touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He said during spring drills that he wants to double last year’s passing yards and improve the touchdown-to-turnover margin. Of course, staying healthy will be the key for Denegal.

One of his main targets is expected to be Bert Emanuel Jr., who was Dengal’s backup last year but switched to wideout during spring. He showed what he can do when he has the ball in his hands when he started the New Mexico Bowl and rushed for 170 yards on just 11 carries, including two touchdowns, before getting hurt in the second quarter. 

3. Defensive mindset

This might be a bit of a stretch because of all the talent the Aztecs lost on defense, but if the Aztecs play with the same ballhawking attitude they did last year, they could overcome all the attrition. 

Losing so much production — including players who accounted for 31 of the Aztecs’ 32 sacks — means there are starting jobs and playing time up for grabs, which can be a huge motivating factor. The Aztecs worked the transfer portal hard for linemen, linebackers and defensive backs, so the coaches will certainly earn their paychecks as they work to meld a unit that had three shutouts last year in setting the overall tone for the bounceback season. 

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SAN DIEGO (FOX) — With several fires sparking up throughout San Diego in just the last week, it underscores the importance of making sure crews have what they need.

“It’s a very stressful time right now for our first responders, and I know that there are so many things going on with the budget,” said Wendy Moore, executive director of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation.

On Monday, the San Diego Fire and Lifeguard unions went before the City Council, citing challenges with pay, staffing and recruitment.

On Tuesday, the council passed a budget that included impacts to the department.

“Funding for the fire department is life-saving. It’s critical, and we are reminded of that with these fires that have happened this week,” Moore said. “It’s a very stressful time right now for our first responders, and I know that there are so many things going on with the budget.”

Enter the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation. The nonprofit has been around for more than two decades, offering its support.

While it does not directly supplement incomes, the foundation provides critical upgrades to equipment, training and other resources.

“We have done everything from vehicles, extrication tools and thermal imaging cameras to our community outreach and education programs,” Moore said. “That position was just cut in the budget, so being able to support community risk reduction and community education is going to be really critical for the foundation moving forward.”

The foundation also supports San Diego lifeguards.

“We recently were able to buy five boats for the lifeguards, dry suits and a lot of equipment,” Moore said.

While speaking with Moore, we also got a glimpse of the new wellness center, a place providing medical assessments, physical therapy and other services.

As tough financial times loom, Moore said she is receiving an increase in requests.

In turn, to keep doing the work, the foundation is launching a citywide call to action, inviting local corporations and donors to pledge their support for first responders.

“The foundation obviously is going to have to take a look at where our resources are going to go and how we are going to continue to increase our resources,” Moore said.

A San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson says the department has a wonderful partnership with the foundation and could not do the work they do without its support.