Early Explosion Sets the Tone
At T‑Mobile Park on Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres exploded out of the gate. Ramon Laureano, a mid‑season acquisition from Baltimore, turned a fastball from Mariners starter Luis Castillo into a towering grand slam that bordered the left‑field wall. The blast pushed the score to 5‑0 before anyone else had touched the ball, marking only the second career grand slam for the power‑hitting outfielder.
Laureano’s earlier grand slam came back in 2019 against Tampa Bay while he was with Oakland, making this moment a rare flashback for fans who remembered his slugging days in the A’s organization.
Mariners’ Rally and Padres’ Counterattack
The Seattle offense, undaunted by the early deficit, erupted in the fifth inning. Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suárez each launched three‑run home runs, turning a 5‑0 hole into a 6‑5 lead for the home team. The duo’s power display erased the Padres’ advantage in a single inning, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
San Diego answered in the top of the sixth. Jake Cronenworth delivered a timely opposite‑field single that plated a run, knotting the game at 6‑6. The real turning point, however, came moments later when Freddy Fermin executed a textbook safety squeeze bunt against Mariners reliever Caleb Ferguson, driving home the go‑ahead run and putting the Padres ahead for good.
From the mound, Adrian Morejón steadied the ship, earning his 10th win of the season. He, along with three bullpen arms, shut down any further Seattle surges. The final act belonged to closer Robert Suárez, whose 35th save of the year cemented a league‑leading total.
Seattle got one last shot in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs. A grounder by Eugenio Suárez was neatly turned into a force out by Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, ending the Mariners’ final threat.
On the losing side, Caleb Ferguson fell to 3‑4, while Luis Castillo was charged with the early grand slam. The series continues with a Wednesday showdown: Mariners right‑hander Bryan Woo (11‑7, 2.94 ERA) will take the mound against Padres ace Yu Darvish (3‑3, 5.36 ERA).
