Mariners get key swing to sink Darvish and Padres in series finale
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
T-Mobile Park- Seattle, WA
The Padres and Mariners squared off for the rubber match of the series in Seattle (although the Mariners have already clinched the “Vedder Cup” for 2025). Yu Darvish took the hill for San Diego to try to build off of his solid outing against the Dodgers last weekend. The Mariners countered with 2025 All-Star Bryan Woo.
The story among Padres fans before the game surrounded the absence of Luis Arraez from the starting lineup. He had played in 127 of the team’s 133 games to this point. However, he has struggled to maintain his batting-champion-level hitting. In his last 13 games, he is batting a lowly .226 with a .572 OPS. Clearly, manager Mike Shildt felt he needed a day off to help him reset and snap out of the slump.
The two teams traded scoreless frames in the first. Woo worked a scoreless second as well. Then, the Mariners got to Darvish to strike first blood in the bottom of the second. Eugenio Suarez singled, then stole second with one out. Darvish struck out Jorge Polanco to get two outs, and the hope was that he could dance out of it. However, Luke Raley came through with an RBI double to open the scoring for Seattle. Darvish got the third out to prevent the inning from being any worse.
The bottom of the fourth is where it got away from Darvish. The first two batters reached base on a single and a walk ahead of slugger Eugenio Suarez. Darvish made a mistake and Suarez crushed it over the left field wall for a backbreaking three-run homer, his 42nd of the season.
No. 42 for Eugenio Suárez is a 3-run moonshot 💪 pic.twitter.com/rseQagRanM
— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2025
That put Seattle up 4-0, and the Padres were playing catch-up the rest of the way.
Darvish only finished four innings before giving way to Alek Jacob. Recently recalled from Triple-A, Jacob filled in nicely, getting four outs without incident.
Even with a solid effort from the bullpen after Darvish left, it was too much for the Padres’ bats to overcome, given the quality of the pitching staff on the other side. Woo tossed 5 2/3 innings before being chased in the sixth inning with the Padres’ lone rally of the game. Gavin Sheets collected an RBI single, and Jake Cronenworth drove in a run the hard way- being hit by a pitch. That cut the deficit to 4-2.
Freddy Fermin struck out to end the rally with the bases still loaded.
The Padres gave the Mariners a scare in the ninth inning against All-Star closer Andres Munoz. Cronenworth doubled with one out, bringing the tying run to the plate. With two outs, Fernando Tatis Jr. continued his hot series with a line-drive double to center, scoring Cronenworth. Tatis stole third, representing the tying run. Ramon Laureano grounded out to end the game and seal the series loss for the Friars.
The Padres will try to bounce back as they head to Minnesota for a weekend set with the Twins.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.