Mariners Game Recap: M’s Blank Padres in Cactus League Opener

The Seattle Mariners were nearly perfect in Wednesday’s shutout of the San Diego Padres

The Seattle Mariners (1-0) steamrolled the San Diego Padres (0-1) on Wednesday in Peoria, winning 7-0 in the Cactus League lid-lifter. The M’s were not very hospitable to their PSC roommates today. James Paxton (1-0, 0.00 ERA) earned his first win of the spring for Seattle, and Luis Perdomo (0-1, 18.00 ERA) was saddled with the loss.

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James Paxton got off to a fast start this afternoon, striking out Melvin Upton Jr. looking, and retiring the Padres in order in the first inning. The 27-year-old did issue a free pass in the second frame, but managed to escape without allowing a run. Pax-Man exited the game after throwing 34 pitches in two innings. It’s worth noting that according to MLB.com, Paxton threw just two four-seam fastballs today, and none of his pitches registered higher than 91 mph on the radar gun. Overall, it was a very successful first outing for the big southpaw.

Donn Roach replaced Paxton in the third inning. The 26-year-old right-hander looked very comfortable on the mound, pitching a pair of scoreless frames for Seattle. Veteran right-hander Joel Peralta delivered a perfect fifth inning on Wednesday. Ryan Cook was called on to pitch the sixth inning, and he managed to keep the Padres off the scoreboard. The M’s turned to Jonathan Aro in the seventh, and the young right-hander worked out of danger to keep it a 7-run game. Vidal Nuno and Tony Zych combined to made quick work of the Padres in the eighth and ninth innings.

Robinson Cano collected the first hit of the spring for the Mariners, a line drive single to left field in the bottom of the first inning. Chris Iannetta made a great first impression on M’s fans, as he got Seattle on the scoreboard with a two-run home run in the second inning. Iannetta also plated a run on a sacrifice fly to center field in the fourth inning. Seth Smith had a great game for Seattle, finishing 2 for 2 with a run scored.

The best at bat of the game came from Franklin Gutierrez in the fourth inning. Guti worked the count to 2-2 and fouled off four pitches before banging a Cory Mazzoni fastball off the batters eye in center field for a solo home run. The 33-year-old had a renaissance season in 2015, and hopefully today’s round tripper is the start of another great year for Gutierrez.

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Stefen Romero, Chris Taylor and Dan Robertson led the way offensively amongst the M’s reserves. Romero launched a solo shot that landed on the berm in left field to lead off the sixth. The 27-year-old is trying to crack the M’s outfield rotation this spring, but he is also getting a look at first base. Taylor plated a run on a double that short hopped the wall in center field in the 5th inning. Robertson was claimed off waivers this winter, and he came through with an RBI triple on Wednesday afternoon.

Scott Servais has suggested that Seattle will do plenty of shifting in 2016, and we got a good look at that in Wednesday’s opener. The Mariners’ infield shifted numerous times this afternoon, positioning Cano at shortstop when Matt Kemp, Yangervis Solarte and Derek Norris were at the plate. Shifting is pretty commonplace in today’s game, but Servais is planning to implement six different shifts this season. This “shift” in strategy will be something to keep an eye.

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The Seattle Mariners (1-0) will battle the San Diego Padres (0-1) once again on Thursday afternoon in Peoria, however the Padres will be the home team tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 pm PT from the Peoria Sports Complex. Nate Karns will make his first career start in a Mariners’ uniform, and Philip Humber will be on the bump for San Diego. The game will not be televised, but fans in the Pacific Northwest can listen live on 710 ESPN. Go Mariners!