PEORIA, Ariz. -- With one sweet swing, William Myers offered a reminder as to why the Padres committed six years and $83 million to him this offseason. Myers' first home run of Spring Training came in the form of a fourth-inning no-doubter, propelling the Friars to a 5-0 win over the A's on Wednesday.
Christian Bethancourt -- who is being converted into a catcher/reliever hybrid -- made his debut on the mound this spring and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. He was one of seven Padres pitchers who combined to limit Oakland to two hits.
A's ace Sonny Gray had a smooth first outing, striking out four over two innings. He allowed a leadoff double to Travis Jankowski, but retired the next six men he faced. Jankowski finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.
"It's been a long process," said Gray, who missed much of 2016 because of injuries, "but I'm excited to feel good and excited to be out there."
Padres debutant Trevor Cahill matched Gray with two scoreless innings of his own. Facing the team that drafted him, Cahill allowed only one walk and struck out three -- all looking at breaking balls. The veteran right-hander is competing for a spot in the Padres rotation after serving as a reliever for the past two seasons.
"I thought he was outstanding," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He has been great every live BP he's thrown, everything he's done up to now."
Alejandro De Aza and Khris Davis had hits for Oakland. Jabari Blash, meanwhile, walked and homered for the Friars -- his second blast in two days.
Athletics Up Next: Right-hander Jesse Hahn, in competition for the fifth-starter spot, is set to make his second Cactus League start Thursday in a 12:05 p.m. PT matchup with the Rangers at Hohokam Stadium. In relief, several pitchers are scheduled to make their spring debuts, including prospect Frankie Montas and veterans Ryan Madson and John Axford.
Padres Up Next:Christian Friedrich is sitting on the fringe of the Padres' rotation this spring. He gets his first chance to make a case for a starting spot when the Friars head to Scottsdale to face the D-backs at 12:10 p.m. PT. Kevin Quackenbush, Jon Edwards and Miguel Diaz -- who are competing for spots in the bullpen -- will also pitch.
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