Padres’ offense explodes in 27-6 win over Mariners
Credit: Joseph Ray
The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners faced off for the third time this spring this Thursday afternoon.
High winds around the entire Cactus League would play a major role in all offensive outputs on Thursday.
Longtime Dodger on the bump
Thursday’s starting nine features a fun lineup with regulars, with starting pitcher Walker Buehler making his spring debut for the Padres. Sung-Mun Song made his first appearance at shortstop. It was reported after the game that Moon left early with an oblique strain. Stay tuned for more news on his injury.
Buehler on the bump. pic.twitter.com/FEiOvwlYk4
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 5, 2026
A dozen runs for the Padres in the second
The Padres hit Seattle pitching around the yard for 12 runs in the second. It took starter Luis Castillo and two minor leaguers, Tyler Cleveland and Stefan Raeth, to complete the frame. Sung Mun Song turned on a Castillo fastball and took it 430 ft over the right field wall for his first homer of the spring. This started the scoring for the Padres, making it 1-0.
SMS delivered. pic.twitter.com/U5DR4Acndd
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 5, 2026
Non-roster invitee Ty France and catcher Freddy Fermin immediately followed the home run with doubles. France’s double hit off the left field wall, and Fermin hit his sharply on a line to the right-center gap. Fermin hit in France to make it 2-0. Jake Cronenworth then walked on six pitches, and Jackson Merrill reached on an error to load the bases for Ramon Laureano with one out. Laureano dunked a ball right in front of right fielder Luke Raley to plate a few runs and make it 4-0. This ended Castillo’s outing, completing just 1 1/3 innings pitched.
The Padres’ bats greeted Mariners’ Tyler Cleveland with three straight base runners. Gavin Sheets singled to center to score Merrill and make it a 5-0 game. Nick Castellanos then singled on a fly ball that left fielder Spencer Packard could not come up with. This loaded the bases for a Miguel Andujar base on balls that widened the margin to 6-0. In his second plate appearance of the inning, France doubled again to score Sheets and Castellanos and making it 8-0. After France came Fermin, who singled to left to score Andujar and France. Now 10-0, San Diego. This put an end to Cleveland’s outing.
Jake Cronenworth welcomed new pitcher Stefan Raeth with a homer to left center. This was Cronenworth’s first career opposite-field home run. The two-run shot plated Fermin and made it 12-0 in the second.
Jake Cronenworth — who has never hit an opposite-field home run in his entire Major League career (seriously) — just went oppo onto the left-center-field berm. https://t.co/uYInBEnb7l
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 5, 2026
After Cronenworth cleared the bases, Merrill singled, Laureano doubled, and Sheets flew out to finally end the top half of the second inning.
Buehler’s day
After signing on February 16, Walker Buehler made his first start with the Padres on Thursday. Certainly an arm in the mix for a rotation spot, Buehler looked sharp in his three innings of work. Buehler struck out four batters: Rob Reyfsnyder twice, Mitch Garver, and Luke Raley. In the second inning, he allowed a single to Patrick Wisdom, then a triple to Rhylan Thomas to score Wisdom. Buehler retired the next three batters, allowing just those two base runners to score. In his third inning of work, he retired Brendan Donovan, Rob Refsnyder, and Luke Raley in order. Buehler threw 47 pitches, 31 of them being strikes. Buehler’s fastball topped out at 94.7 mph.
Offense erupts all game long
Alex Hoppe came in to pitch for the M’s in the third, but things kept going well for San Diego. Castellanos and Andujar welcomed Hoppe to the game with back-to-back singles to start the third. Freddy Fermin collected his third hit of the game with a three-run blast, going 425 ft, making it a 15-2 ballgame.
That’s a no doubter. pic.twitter.com/a2CrAcYR05
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 5, 2026
In his fourth plate appearance, still in just the third inning, Cronenworth singled to keep the inning alive. Jackson Merrill then homered to straightaway center field for his second of the spring, making it now 17-2 in just the third inning.
To the batter’s eye ? pic.twitter.com/jAX9uoQH8w
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 5, 2026
In the top of the fourth with two down, Miguel Andujar hit a Troy Taylor sweeper into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field for his second home run as a Padre. It made the game a 16-run deficit, 18-2.
Another one, thank you! pic.twitter.com/BlXHOn8X6v
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 5, 2026
In the fifth, substitutes Roldolfo Duran and Jose Miranda each had solid base hits to tally one more run for San Diego. This made it Padres: 20, Mariners: 3.
Starting right where the offense left off, Tirso Ornelas took Casey Lawrence deep to the batter’s eye in center field, making it 21 runs for the Padres.
Adding to the fun in the seventh, Bryce Johnson hit a three-run shot to the berm in left-center field. Signs of encouragement for someone who is competing for a roster spot.
Atta boy, Bryce. pic.twitter.com/af3LrZUYNw
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 5, 2026
For the Padres’ eighth home run of the day, Nick Schnell blasted a hanging slider to center field in the eighth inning. This plated the team’s 25th and 26th runs of the day, making it 26-4, Padres.
The Friars manufactured their 27th run of the day in the ninth inning, when Romero Sanabria grounded out to score Marcos Castañon.
The Padres tallied their 27 runs on 28 hits, 17 of those hits being for extra bases.
Two other arms in rotation mix
JP Sears threw three innings in relief following Buehler. Sears walked three men and allowed two solo home runs to Patrick Wisdom and Rob Refsynder. Struggling to find the zone and throw competitive pitches, Sears threw 58 pitches, 33 of them being for strikes. Sears struck out three Mariners in his outing and generated 12 swing and misses.
Triston McKenzie started his outing in the seventh inning. In the seventh, McKenzie pitched himself into trouble, allowing two base hits and a walk. But a double play got the Padres out of it. McKenzie induced Carson Taylor to hit into a ground ball double play to end the inning. McKenzie struggled again with his command in his second inning of work. In the bottom of the eighth, he allowed a solo home run to Jared Sundstrom, giving the Mariners their fifth run, along with a base hit and two walks. Justin Yeager replaced McKenzie with two outs and bases loaded, getting a force out to end the eighth inning.
Closing out the game
Minor league arm, Misael Tamarez, closed out the lengthy game that had a game time of three hours and 19 minutes. He struck out Nick Raposo and Jared Sundstrom. Tamarez allowed a solo home run to Carson Taylor.
Friday night in Peoria
The Padres will play their first evening game of the spring, Friday night, versus the Chicago Cubs.
The first pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM PST/6:10 PM MST.
German Marquez will be the starter for San Diego, with Ben Brown starting for Chicago. A video webcast will be available on Padres.TV for those who would like to watch. Audio will be available for listeners on 97.3 The Fan.
Angel grew up a San Diego sports fan, following the Padres, SDSU athletics, San Diego FC, as well as the Chargers. He is currently a third year community college student, and will transfer to SDSU to pursue a career in Journalism.