Padres go up early, improve to 5-0 this season against Mariners

Gavin Sheets, Nick Castellanos and rookie Rodolfo Duran homered as the San Diego Padres defeated the host Seattle Mariners 7-4 on Saturday.

The Padres improved to 5-0 against Seattle this season.

Right-hander Walker Buehler (3-2) went five innings for the victory. He allowed two runs on five hits, with two walks and six strikeouts.

Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada worked the ninth for his first save of the season.

J.P. Crawford homered for the Mariners.

The Padres opened the scoring in the top of the second as Sheets led off with a homer to right field.

With one out in the fourth, Manny Machado and Sheets drew back-to-back walks off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert, and Xander Bogaerts lined a single to left to load the bases. Miguel Andujar grounded into a forceout to third base, with Machado scoring on the play. Castellanos hit the next pitch over the wall in left-center field to make it 5-0.

The Mariners got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Josh Naylor led off with a single to right and Randy Arozarena walked. With one out, Cole Young lined a run-scoring single to right.

Crawford went deep to right with one out in the fifth, his solo shot pulling Seattle within 5-2. Despite his pitch count reaching 101, Buehler was able to get through the inning to qualify for the victory.

With two outs in the seventh, Ramon Laureano doubled to right-center and Duran followed his his first major league hit in his fourth game -- a two-run shot to left -- to extend San Diego's lead to 7-2 and end Gilbert's night.

Gilbert (2-4) allowed seven runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked two and fanned five.

The Mariners pulled within 7-4 in the eighth. Julio Rodriguez led off with a single and stole second. Naylor walked, and a double steal put runners on second and third. Rodriguez scored on Arozarena's infield single and Naylor came home on a groundout by Young.

Rodriguez robbed Duran of a second two-run homer with a leaping catch at the wall in right-center to end the top of the ninth.

Seattle manager Dan Wilson was ejected by first-base umpire Chad Fairchild in the fourth inning for arguing a check-swing call.

Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan and catcher Mitch Garver were both late scratches from the starting lineup. No immediate word was available for their absences.

--Field Level Media