Seattle, WA – Edinson Volquez pitched into the seventh inning to help the San Diego Padres cap their first three-game sweep ever in Seattle with 6-2 win over the Mariners.
Volquez (3-6) gave up just one run on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings as he won for the first time since May 12. He had been 0-4 in his previous five starts coming into Thursday.
"There is nothing you can do, the only thing you can do is go out there and pitch your game, go deep in the game, give your (team) a chance to win," said Volquez. "Tonight was good, feels good, score six runs, unbelievable."
Chris Denorfia went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while John Baker and Jesus Guzman each had two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Padres, who completed their first sweep of the season.
Franklin Gutierrez drove in a run and scored once while Dustin Ackley drove in the other run for Seattle, which has lost five straight. Erasmo Ramirez (0-1) made the first start of his career and was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts over five-plus innings.
The game stayed scoreless until the fifth inning when the Padres plated three runs. Denorfia singled to start the inning and Guzman followed suit. After Baker bunted his way on to load the bases, Alexi Amarista lined out. Will Venable, though, singled to bring home Denorfia and Everth Cabrera followed with a grounder to second that saw Venable forced out at second, but Ackley's throw to first was off, allowing the two runners to come home for a 3-0 lead.
The sixth inning saw San Diego add to its advantage. Carlos Quentin led off with a single and Yonder Alonso added a base hit. Denorfia then doubled home Quentin and Alonso later scored on a Guzman single off of Hisashi Iwakuma.
After Charlie Furbush took the mound, Guzman was caught stealing, but Baker singled to plate Denorfia for a 6-0 lead.
Seattle, which was shutout on Wednesday, finally plated a run in the seventh when Ackley atoned in part for his error with an RBI single to score Gutierrez.
The Mariners worked another run across in the eighth off of Gutierrez's single that plated Justin Smoak, but they got no closer.
"I felt like their guy pitched a good ball game, he had good stuff tonight, he had everything working," said Seattle manager Eric Wedge. "He did a good job with his fastball, a real good breaking ball, too. He was dropping it in there for strikes."
Game Notes
Gutierrez had suffered a torn pectoral muscle in spring training and was activated off the disabled list on Wednesday...San Diego came into the series as the worst road team in the majors...The Padres head to Oakland for three games beginning on Friday...Seattle stays home to face the Giants for three matchups starting on Friday.
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