Mariners get back on track, end 4-game slide with win over Padres
The Mariners finally settled into this “homestand” with a needed win Saturday night over the Padres.
After dropping the first three games of this unplanned road trip to California — they were swept in San Francisco and lost their opener in San Diego on Friday night — the Mariners appeared more at home away from home in the 4-1 victory at Petco Park.
The win ended a four-game slide, and keeps the Mariners (23-29) in contention with eight games to play. The Astros also won, topping the Diamondbacks, 3-2, to stay three games ahead in the race for the second playoff spot out of the American League West.
“We’ve been really hot. We’ve been cold for a little bit. Hopefully we can get hot again,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said during his postgame video call. “That’s what we’re looking to do.”
Former Padres Ty France and Luis Torrens, who joined the Mariners as part of the seven-player deal with San Diego at the August deadline, and are returning to their former home during this weekend’s three-game series, combined to drive in three runs Saturday night, helping pace the Mariners to the win.
France’s single in the first gave Seattle an early lead, and Torrens’ two-run double in the third off former Mariners reliever Dan Altavilla, who was also part of that deadline trade, provided the deciding run. Both France and Torrens finished 2-for-4.
“A lot of current Mariners, ex-Mariners playing into this ballgame,” Servais said. “But, our new guys, both Ty France and Luis Torrens, really good at-bats tonight. Both got a couple hits. Torrens with the big double was huge for us.”
France turned an 11-pitch at-bat against Padres No. 3 prospect Luis Patino — making his first major league start in place of prized San Diego trade acquisition Mike Clevinger, who was scratched pregame with right biceps tightness — in the first into an opposite-field RBI single that drove in Dylan Moore to give the Mariners a 1-0.
Moore walked earlier in the inning and stole his team-leading 12th base of the season — he’s tied for third in the majors in the category — to get in scoring position.
The Padres tied the game in the third when Manny Machado singled in Fernando Tatis Jr., who doubled to open the inning, but Seattle never trailed, and took the lead for good on Torrens’ double to make it 3-1.
The Mariners added one more insurance run in the fifth when Kyle Lewis crushed a solo shot to left center for his team-leading 11th homer of the season, continuing his push for AL Rookie of the Year.
“He shows up every night,” Servais said. “It’s so much fun to watch him hit. … He’s had a really good year. I absolutely think he deserves to be Rookie of the Year. He’s showed up every day. He does something to help you win every day and that’s what you’re looking for out of all of our guys.”
The lead was more than enough for rookie left-hander Justus Sheffield to work with. The 24-year-old turned in his sixth quality outing in nine starts this season, allowing one run on six hits while walking two and striking out five on 99 pitches in six complete innings. Sheffield has now allowed two or fewer runs in six of his past seven starts.
“I’m really just trying to get out there and just execute,” Sheffield said. “That’s my main goal is just get out there and execute, and let the defense work behind me, and just attack. I’m starting to learn a little bit more about myself. I still feel like there’s a lot of work to be done, but as far as where we are right now, I’m noticing a lot more about what I can do out there.”
Seattle’s bullpen pitched three scoreless innings to end the game. Casey Sadler and Kendall Graveman tossed 1-2-3 frames in the seventh and eighth, and Yoshihisa Hirano collected his third save of the season despite some late traffic.
The Padres loaded the bases with no outs on three base hits before Hirano got Jake Cronenworth to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. He got another groundout from Jurickson Profar to end the late threat.
“They’ve got a really good lineup,” Servais said. “They’re not going to quit. They’re going to battle, and they got three consecutive singles off Yoshi.
“He’s got a ton of experience. He didn’t panic. He continued to make pitches. You’re hoping for a double play there. Wasn’t expecting a 1-2-3 double play, but we’ll take it. Huge outs in the ballgame. No doubt about it.”
This story was originally published September 19, 2020 at 9:21 PM.
