The Mariners opened their 2022 Cactus League schedule against the San Diego Padres Friday at Peoria Stadium, falling by a 6-4 score. Center fielder Julio Rodríguez hit a 3-run home run in his first plate appearance of the spring, while starting pitcher Marco Gonzales pitched 3.0 innings.
Gonzales threw 3.0 strong frames in his start, allowing one unearned run on two hits and striking out one. The left-hander got through the Padres lineup with efficiency, facing 12 batters across his 3.0 innings. San Diego scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning on a Seattle throwing error.
In his first at-bat of the game, Rodríguez crushed a three-run home run on an 0-2 pitch off San Diego right-hander Angel Felipe in the top of the sixth inning. The #2 ranked prospect in the Majors by Baseball America gave Seattle a 3-1 lead.
The Padres answered in the bottom half of the sixth, scoring four runs in the frame to take a 5-3 lead. Seattle scored its fourth run of the game on a Mike Ford RBI double that scored Forrest Wall in the seventh. San Diego tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to eventually win by a 6-4 score.
Seattle employed six relievers out of its bullpen in the spring opener: right-handers Matt Festa, Devin Sweet, Travis Kuhn, Michael Stryffeler, Penn Murfee and Matt Koch.
The Mariners are set to play their second game of Cactus League action tomorrow with a 1:10 pm first pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Peoria Stadium. Right-hander Levi Stoudt is set to start on the mound for the Mariners.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| MARINERS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| PADRES | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | x | 6 | 7 | 1 |
W – Miller (1-0) L – Kuhn (0-1) SV – Norwood (1)
SEA – Gonzales (3.0), Festa (1.0), Sweet (1.0), Kuhn (0.1), Stryffeler (0.2), Murfee (1.0), Koch (1.0)
SD – Gore (2.0), Kopps (1.0), Belen (1.0), Brink (1.0), Felipe (0.2), Miller (0.1), Scott (1.0), Wilson (1.0), Norwood (1.0)
Home Runs – J. Rodríguez (SEA), Alfaro (SD), Mazara (SD)
Attendance – 5,618 Time – 3:28
