Mariners secure Vedder Cup with wild 9-6 win versus the Padres

Cal Raleigh also joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Seattle Mariners players in franchise history to hit 50 home runs in a season.

The Padres were expected to represent a tough challenge for the Mariners, entering their three-game series in Seattle tied with the Dodgers at the top of the NL West. However, while the visitors did indeed cause problems on Monday night, the M’s ultimately emerged with a hard-fought 9-6 win and in the process claimed the inaugural Vedder Cup trophy.

As much as the Padres are an extremely talented team, the Mariners have had their number for a while. Dating back to the 2022 season the M’s have now won 13 of the 16 meetings with their Vedder Cup rivals, including a three-game sweep in San Diego earlier this year.

It proved to be an eventful night, with Cal Raleigh lighting the fuse for the fireworks with a solo blast in the bottom of the first for an early 1-0 advantage to the Mariners. It also represented the 50th home run of his remarkable 2025, putting him into an exclusive club which only includes Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players in franchise history to reach the magical 50-homer mark in a season.

When asked about his landmark home run postgame, Raleigh took a trip down memory lane. He said:

“It doesn’t seem real. I mean 50 home runs – it’s kind of a crazy number to think of. Kind of a big number in general. Thinking back, I thought I was a cool player when I hit five when I was young in high school or something. You hit five, you had all this power in the world. So it’s just crazy and a cool number for sure.”

Bryce Miller still has some issues but also shows progress

Bryce Miller was making just his second start since returning from his second absence with right elbow inflammation and it would prove to be another tough night at the office for him. More specifically it would prove to be a tough second inning, as he allowed four runs by the Padres to give them a 4-1 lead.

The key sequence of events in the top of the second saw Miller walk Freddy Fermin and Fernando Tatis Jr. subsequently hit a two-run bomb to make it 4-1. If nothing else, as least the M’s righty stopped the bleeding after this as he only allowed two more batters to get on base in the following 3.0 innings.

Afterwards, Miller spoke about the period of adjustment he has had to go through and just how he viewed his two outings since returning to the majors. He said:

“I was out two and a half months, so it was basically like restarting, but without spring training. But I feel like the last two weeks I’ve thrown the ball well and it’s been two good offenses which I’ve faced. It’s just been a couple of mistakes. Not the results I expected or want after coming back, but I’m happy with how I feel I’ve competed and attacked and I think I’ve got a handle … so I’ve just got to keep working and try to limit the big innings.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson was as positive as he could be in talking about Miller’s outing, with him seeing reason for encouragement. Wilson said:

“I thought Bryce threw the ball very well. Just the one hiccup there in the second inning, but I thought outside of that, coming back from that and slamming the door shut was big.”

Mariners lineup responds to early deficit in style

Of course just because Miller got on top of things, the Mariners still needed to actually score some runs themselves, and they got an immediate response in the bottom of the second to get back into the game. Jorge Polanco made it 4-3 with a two-run homer that was part of a marvellous individual performance which saw him go 3-for-4 and record four RBI.

The Mariners had a prime opportunity to blow the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth after loading the bases with no outs. In the end though they had to settle for tying the game at 4-4, courtesy of a J.P. Crawford RBI when he grounded into a double play.

Fortunately for the 27,785 in attendance at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners did blow the game wide open just an inning later with a 5-spot to give themselves a 9-4 advantage. Josh Naylor got things going with a RBI single, soon followed by Polanco and Crawford both producing two RBI hits for a seemingly insurmountable lead.

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Mariners bullpen has some rocky moments

The lead did ultimately hold up, but in typical Mariners style there were still some nervy moments. This began with a Ramon Laureano solo home run in the top of the seventh, to pull the Padres to within 9-5.

Things became even more nerve-racking an inning later, when the usually ice-cold Matt Brash allowed the Padres to load the bases with two outs. However, with the opportunity to tie the game, Laureano was struck out by Brash to end the threat.

There would be one final anxiety-inducing sequence of events in the top of the ninth, with the Padres pulling to within 9-6 after a Luis Arraez RBI groundout to second base. However, Andrés Muñoz then got the final necessary out via a K, to end the game 9-6 in favor of the Mariners.

Afterwards, Mariners manager Dan Wilson discussed the offensive effort by his players, especially the key fifth inning. He said:

“That fifth inning was big, getting the bases loaded and being able to score runs. (Polanco) with a huge night had a big knock there, and just a couple of big hits to really bust it open. J.P. getting a couple. Like we’ve talked about before, when you can hit home runs and you can score sort of more conventionally, I think that’s a good sign and that’s what the guys did tonight.”

Wilson also took the time to talk about Raleigh’s tremendous achievement of reaching 50 home runs in a season. He said:

“It’s really good. You think at some (stage) your’e going to get to a point where he’s being compared to Hall of Famers, and that means a ton. Being able to set the catcher’s mark, and that continues to go up, that bar continues to get higher. (Just) doing what he’s been doing, it’s super impressive.”

With the win the Mariners move to within 1.5 games of the Astros at the top of the division, while also increasing their advantage for the third and final AL wild card spot to 4.0 games. Luis Castillo will get the ball on Tuesday night, as he looks to bounce back from two consecutive poor starts.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

Do you have confidence in Miller being able to rediscover last year’s form at some point this season, or is it more likely to not be until 2026? Pending your position on this, is it best to keep him in the rotation or potentially move him to the bullpen? Let us know in the comments section below.