Every baseball rookie has his “Welcome to the bigs” moment. Padres pitcher Eric Lauer’s would be better characterized as a “You’re playing real baseball now, motherfucker” experience.


Lauer was tagged for six earned runs in three innings Tuesday as the Padres lost 8-0 to the Rockies. The first two weren’t totally his fault: Chase Headley couldn’t wrangle second baseman Jose Pirela’s throw to complete what would have been an inning-ending double play, and Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado scored. But this grand slam courtesy of Trevor Story was very much on Lauer:


Lauer just grinned as he watched the ball leave the park, and after the loss, he was still good-natured about his rough debut. From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

“My first big-league home run is a grand slam,” he would explain afterward, with another wry smile and shake of his head. “That’s perfect.”

Although Lauer left Coors Field with an 18.00 ERA, he was ready for his next start:

“I’ve just got to get better. … I need to be able to calm down and settle in a little faster. Yeah, early on there were nerves, but you’ve got to get past that. I think the more I pitch the more comfortable I’ll be. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”