SAN DIEGO _ Bryan Mitchell was married in early December, traded a week later and celebrated the New Year while on his honeymoon.
Then came spring training, and he stayed behind in Arizona a few extra days to pitch a minor-league game in order to stay on track for his first regular-season start.
He arrived in San Diego late Wednesday, the first time he'd stepped foot in America's Finest City.
On Monday night, the 26-year-old right-hander made his Padres debut, the start to a new chapter in a career that has literally been up and down to this point.
Through the five innings he lasted, it was a rough introduction.
Mitchell was welcomed to the National League and his first full-time gig as a major league starter by the Colorado Rockies, a team that hits really well.
They hit Mitchell well enough to get well on their way to a 7-4 victory that doomed the Padres to their first four-game losing streak at the start of a season since 1994.
The first batter Mitchell faced was Charlie Blackmon, who won the National League batting title in 2017. He doubled down the left field line.
The second batter was D.J. LeMahieu, who won the National League batting title in 2016. His single put runners at the corners.
The third batter was Nolan Arenado, who has won three straight Silver Slugger Awards as the major league's top-hitting third baseman. He lined out to left, scoring Blackmon.
Mitchell would escape having allowed just the one run.
By night's end, he would allow five of them _ and a hit (or two) to all but two of the batters in Colorado's lineup.
Wil Myers' home run on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first tied the game 1-1. It was Myers' ninth hit in 17 at-bats against Rockies' starter Chad Bettis. Myers would in the second inning miss a grand slam by about 3 feet.
The worst loss of the night might prove to be Myers. After a pop-up in the fourth, he was seen stretching, the back injury that kept him out of Saturday's game evidently flaring up. He played a half-inning more in right field before being replaced by Hunter Renfroe.
In allowing at least a run in three of the five innings he pitched and never getting through an inning without allowing a hit, Mitchell learned there is slim margin for error when pitching against the Rockies, who have led the NL in hitting the past two seasons.
Mitchell missed his spots just often enough and continually fell behind.
A leadoff walk to LeMahieu started a two-run third inning that featured back-to-back RBI hits by Carlos Gonzalez and Ian Desmond.
The Padres scored another run _ on doubles by Eric Hosmer and Carlos Asuaje _ but left the bases loaded again in the bottom of the third, this time with Mitchell making the third out.
Ian Desmond's two-run home run in the fifth would give the Rockies a 5-2 lead.
Mitchell threw 94 pitches (just 49 strikes) and did not strike out any of the 25 batters he faced.
Jordan Lyles came on in the sixth and pitched three scoreless innings before Kyle McGrath allowed back-to-back home runs to Blackmon and LeMahieu in the ninth.
Cory Spangenberg's homer leading off the ninth and Jose Pirela's RBI triple with two outs provided the Padres' final two runs.
The Padres will likely be patient with Mitchell, as he learns how to make adjustments in his first opportunity to start in the majors on a regular basis.
Mitchell was acquired in the Dec. 12 trade that sent Jabari Blash to the New York Yankees and brought Chase Headley back to San Diego and was immediately told he'd be in the rotation.
"He's a guy we felt like ultimately needed an opportunity," General Manager A.J. Preller said during the spring.
Mitchell didn't really get that with the Yankees.
Prior to Monday, he was 1-4 with a 3.76 ERA as a starter.
Over parts of four seasons with the Yankees, he pitched in 48 games (just nine starts) and made the drive between New York and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre almost two dozen times. He was a starter in the minors but was often called up to make a relief appearance or two before being sent down.
He exchanged that uncertainty, just like he exchanged the apartment with the view of the Hudson River for one with a view of the San Diego Bay.
And now he has been introduced.
