Padres Win, Petco Park Opens

It was all about youth in the San Diego padres 5-4 victory over the White Sox on Thursday. Rookies and second year players made up all of the offense while the pitching settled in after a shaky start by Brian Lawrence. Back in San Diego Petco park officially opened for business in front of a sellout crowd. The SDSU Aztecs won the game 4-0 and Tony Gwynn was ecstatic about the win.

Ben Risinger hit a tiebreaking triple in the eighth inning and Jose Nieves went 4-for-4 Thursday in the San Diego Padres' 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Nieves had three doubles, scored three runs and had an RBI.

Brian Lawrence gave up all four runs in 2-1/3 innings of work. Edgar Huerta relived Lawrence and got the final two outs of the inning, both strikeouts. An assortment of pitchers followed and gave up just two hits over the next 6-2/3 inings. Bart Miadich earned the win and Brian Sweeney got the save by striking out the side in the ninth.

Brian Buchanon was hit by two pitches in the game. Sean Burroughs knocked in a run, as did Xavier Nady and Khalil Greene. Greene was the only other Friar with more than one hit.

Notes: The Aztec Invitational opener between the Tony Gwynn led San Diego State Aztecs and the University of Houston Cougars officially sold out. Gwynn's San Diego State Aztecs beat the Houston Cougars 4-0 in front of 40,106 fans Thursday night, the biggest crowd in college baseball history. It was also the first game at the San Diego Padres' 42,000-seat Petco Park.

"I really thought we were going to be tight, because I knew I was," Gwynn said. "I thought they would be too, and I was and they weren't. They were really good.

"It's been a good day," he said. "A lot of people saw that game. We set the record. I think people had a good time."