Home runs help Padres secure first series win in Seattle since 2018
Eric Evelhoch
Host · Writer
No need for nail biting today, as the Padres’ big swings served to knock out the Mariners.
San Diego rode the long ball all afternoon, highlighted by Rodolfo Durán collecting his first MLB hit with a two-run home run in seventh inning, to top Seattle 7-4 on Saturday evening at T-Mobile Park.
Gavin Sheets got it started with a solo shot, then Nick Castellanos delivered a three-run bomb in the fourth inning to back up starter Walker Buehler, who threw a personal season-high 101 pitches to earn his third win. The Padres (27-18) matched their season-high with three homers to win their first road series in Seattle in six tries.
Meanwhile Mariners (22-25) starter Logan Gilbert’s struggles keeping the ball in the yard continued, as he allowed all three home runs and has given up a team-high 11 in 10 starts.
Durán, who made his Majors debut on May 7 after beginning his professional career in 2015 as part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, tagged Gilbert’s first pitch fastball to left center. He very nearly had another one in the ninth inning, hitting it 389 feet to center field but saw Julio Rodríguez leap and make the catch that brought it back over the wall.
Sheets extended his five-game hitting streak by making no mistake on Gilbert’s second pitch inside cutter while leading off the second, and crushing his seventh home run of the season. It also moved the first baseman into the team lead with his 16th extra base hit of the season, one ahead of Miguel Andujar — over half of Sheets’ 30 hits have gone for multiple bags.
Two innings later the Padres offense loaded the bases and did big damage. Andujar added to his RBI total, bringing home Manny Machado on a bounding ball chopper down the third base line with one down. Then Castellanos tagged a first-pitch slider 401 feet for his third home run, a three run blast to center field that gave plenty of breathing room.
A key moment in the 33-pitch fourth came when Machado and Sheets looked at seven consecutive balls from Gilbert as both walked. Sheets spat on a low changeup to start his at bat that was upheld after an ABS challenge. Prior to those at bats, Gilbert had only thrown two balls in an at bat once over the first 11 batters he faced.
Meanwhile Buehler flirted with trouble a couple times, but came through largely unscathed. In the second he faced men on first and second with two gone after a walk, but got Jhonny Pereda to whiff. Then, despite facing four batters with a runner in scoring position in the fourth, he limited Seattle to just a run.
The only other damage was a one-out solo shot by J.P. Crawford in the fifth inning. Buehler finished his outing by striking out Randy Arozarena, benefitting from Durán’s challenge on a high first-pitch sinker that was reversed to a strike.
The San Diego starter allowed just the two runs in five innings with six strikeouts and a pair of walks — the Padres have won all five times Buehler has thrown five or more innings.
Wandy Peralta and Jason Adam each pitched clean innings with one strikeout apiece. Alek Jacob started the eighth and allowed two hits, a walk, two stolen bases and was charged with two runs before Adrian Morejon came in and got out of the inning with a strikeout. Jeremiah Estrada earned his first save, allowing a hit and a walk.
The Padres had dropped the 2025 series in the PNW 2-1, split in 2024 1-1, got swept 2023, and then split two-game series in 2022 and 2019.
The final game of the series on Sunday will see Lucas Giolito make his debut for both 2026 and in Brown and Gold. Since signing with San Diego four weeks into the season and missing training camp for the third season in a row, the 31-year-old righty has made four rehab starts with a 4.76 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 17 innings.
Giolito will start against Mariners’ right-hander George Kirby (5-2, 2.84 ERA), whom the Padres have yet to see this season. Kirby has won four of his last six starts, taking no decisions in the other two, while allowing two runs or few in all six by striking out 30, walking nine, allowing just five extra base hits (four doubles, one home run) and inducing seven double plays.
After originally being scheduled solely for streaming on Peacock, NBC has picked the finale for the 2026 edition of the Vedder Cup for Sunday Night Baseball, and will broadcast the 4:20 p.m.first pitch from T-Mobile Park.
