PEORIA, Ariz. – The Mariners scored 7 runs over the final 4 innings and held on for an 11-7 victory over the San Diego Padres before a crowd of 10,878 on Sunday afternoon at Peoria Stadium. Nelson Cruz went 2-for-3 with a home run and 2 RBI while James Paxton allowed 2 earned runs over 5.0 innings while striking out 6.
The Padres plated an unearned run in the bottom of the 1st to take a 1-0 lead. Seattle bounced back with 2 runs in the top of the 2nd as Kyle Seager singled with one out before Ryon Healy followed with a double to the base of the wall in left field. Seager scored on a passed ball, and Healy came home on a fielder’s choice from Mike Zunino.
The Mariners added 2 runs in the top of the 3rd, extending their lead to 4-1. Nelson Cruz belted a mammoth two-run home run to left field after Robinson Canó had doubled earlier in the inning. San Diego hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the 5th to cut the Mariners lead, 4-3. In the top of the 6th, Cruz led off with a single, and pinch-runner Evan White stole 2nd base and scored on Mitch Haniger’s double. The Padres got a run back in the bottom of the 6th, but the Mariners still held a 5-4 advantage.
In the top of the 8th, the Mariners sent 9 batters to the plate, and 4 came around to score. The inning was highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Tuffy Gosewisch. The Mariners added 2 runs in the top of the 9th – both with two outs – as Beau Amaral and Taylor Motter each hit RBI-doubles. Seattle held on in the bottom of the 9th as the Padres plated 3 runs for the final tally of 11-7.
In his final tune-up start of the spring, Paxton worked 5.0 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned runs) on 6 hits while walking 1 and striking out 6. Paxton is slated to the second game of the Mariners opening homestand on Saturday, March 31 at 1:10 pm opposite Cleveland right-hander Carlos Carrasco. James Pazos pitched 0.2 innings, allowing 1 run (0 earned runs) on 1 hit and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. Mike Morin retired the only batter he faced in the 6th inning.Nick Vincent struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th. He has retired 15 of the 17 batters he has faced over 5.0 scoreless innings this spring. Juan Nicasio fanned 1 in a scoreless 8th inning. Minor league call-up David Gerber allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk in 0.1 innings pitched. Minor league call-up Scott Kuzminsky – a graduate of Puyallup (WA) High School – retired each of the two batters he faced to earn the save.
Seattle combined for 7 doubles today: 1 each by Healy, Canó, Haniger, Daniel Vogelbach,Gosewisch, Amaral and Motter.
The Mariners (15-14-2) have the final of three open dates this spring tomorrow before returning to action in the Cactus League finale on Tuesday, March 27 against the Colorado Rockies at 12:10 pm at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The game will be televised live in HD on ROOT SPORTS NW. It will also be broadcast live on Mariners.com and will air on 710 ESPN Seattle on a delayed basis beginning at 7:00 pm. Left-hander Marco Gonzales is slated to start for the Mariners opposite Rockies right-hander Chad Betts.
LINESCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
MARINERS 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 4 2 – 11 13 2
PADRES 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 – 7 11 0
W – Paxton (1-0) L – Lamet (0-2) SV – Kuzminsky (1)
SEA – Paxton, Pazos (6), Morin (6), Vincent (7), Nicasio (8), Gerber (9), Kuzminsky (9) and Zunino, Gosewisch (4)
SD – Lamet, Aro (2), Hand (4), Yates (5), Young (6), Miller (7), Colletti (8), Megill (9) and Hedges, Ellis (5), Nieto (7)
Home Runs – SEA: Cruz (2); SD: Ellis (1), Lopez (4)
Attendance – 10,878 Time – 3:25
