BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — So much for the Seattle Mariners having the AL’s top bullpen coming into a two-game series in San Diego.
After blowing Felix Hernandez’s one-run lead on Wednesday night, the bullpen did the same thing to Erasmo Ramirez on Thursday.
Rookie Jesse Hahn pitched seven strong innings and pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia singled in the go-ahead run in a four-run seventh for the Padres, who rallied for the second straight game to beat the Mariners 4-1.
Asked what he saw from his bullpen, manager Lloyd McClendon said they took a beating. “It is that simple.
“Sometimes we try to overanalyze things and I don’t have that answer,” he said. “It’s baseball. The guys came out and made some pitches and they got hit. You move on and get ready for tomorrow.”
The light-hitting Padres salvaged a split of the four-game season series by winning consecutive games for the first time since May 30-31. Robinson Cano had three singles for the Mariners, who beat the Padres in Seattle on Monday and Tuesday.
Hahn (2-1) was making his third big league start. He held Seattle to an unearned run and five hits, struck out seven and walked two. In his last two starts, Hahn has allowed no earned runs and just six hits while striking out 14 in 13 innings.
Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 20 opportunities, getting a double-play ball after allowing a double and single with one out.
Ramirez, winless since April 1, left with a 1-0 lead after six innings.
“He’s struggled to this point and he had finally started to turn the corner and I wanted to get him out of there on a positive note and continue to build and that’s what we are going to do,” McClendon said. “Our bullpen just didn’t hold it.”
Dominic Leone (2-1) allowed four runs, three hits and a walk while getting only one out in the seventh.
Yasmani Grandal grounded out leading off the Padres’ seventh before they tied it on consecutive triples by Tommy Medica and Cameron Maybin. On Wednesday night, Medica’s RBI pinch-hit single in the eighth gave the Padres a 2-1 win.
Carlos Quentin walked and was replaced by pinch-runner Jace Peterson before Denorfia, pinch-hitting for Hahn, singled to center to bring in Maybin with the go-ahead run. Joe Beimel came on and retired Will Venable before allowing Everth Cabrera’s two-run single to right.
“It’s going to happen and that is why you play 162 of these,” Leone said. “You learn from them. I was a little off today, bad execution on my part and they did what they were supposed to do: put good swings on them.”
Ramirez held San Diego to two hits while striking out three and walking two.
Cano drove in Seattle’s only run with his second single off Hahn, in the fifth. Cano extended his road hitting streak to 20 games. Brad Miller drew a leadoff walk and was safe at second on Endy Chavez’s one-out grounder after Cabrera, the shortstop, dropped the ball for an error. Miller scored on Cano’s single to right-center.
NOTES: The Padres placed 1B Yonder Alonso on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Tuesday, with tendinitis in his right wrist. … To take his place on the roster, OF Jake Goebbert was selected from Triple-A El Paso. Goebbert is still waiting to make his big league debut. He was in the on-deck circle in the seventh but was pulled back for Denorfia. He was acquired from Oakland on May 15 in the deal that sent Kyle Blanks to Oakland. … Padres 2B Jedd Gyorko had his left foot put back into a cast and walking boot. He had removed them recently as he battles plantar fasciitis. “It’s not a good sign,” manager Bud Black said. “But hopefully it helps.”… The Padres open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, when RHP Dan Haren (7-4, 3.54 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Ian Kennedy (5-8, 3.72). … The Mariners head to Kansas City where they open a three-game series Friday, with RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (5-3, 2.59) scheduled to oppose RHP James Shields (8-3, 3.50).
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