Ben Brown was hit hard in a losing effort against the Padres on Friday night, giving up three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings.

The right-hander also issued three free passes in the ballgame while striking out three. Brown struggled with his command in the opening inning, issuing a bases-loaded walk to Gavin Sheets. He allowed another pair in the third inning as Nick Castellanos delivered an RBI single and then another run scored on a wild pitch. Brown threw just 29 of his 48 pitches for strikes in the ballgame, getting five whiffs and posting a CSW of 25 percent. If he continues to struggle like this, Brown is likely ticketed for Triple-A Iowa to start the season.