SAN DIEGO — — Randy Arozarena homered off Michael King in the three-run fourth inning and the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 Sunday to sweep the opening series of the inaugural Vedder Cup.
The Mariners homered six times and outscored the Padres 15-3 in the three-game series. If needed, run differential will be the first tiebreaker in the Vedder Cup, named after Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, who has ties to both cities. The two teams, who share a spring training complex, formalized the competition in March. The winner gets a trophy featuring a guitar provided by Vedder, who was born in a Chicago suburb and is a Cubs fan. The teams play again Aug. 25-27 in Seattle.
Bryan Woo (5-1) settled down after giving up a leadoff homer on an 0-2 count to Fernando Tatis Jr., his 12th. Only one Padres player reached scoring position against Woo, who allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He struck out five, walked none and retired his final 11 batters and 16 of his last 17.
The Padres were 0 for 21 with runners in scoring position in the series.
King (4-2) held the Padres hitless until Arozarena lined a 2-2 pitch to left with two outs in the fourth for his sixth homer. The Mariners followed with four more consecutive hits, including a ground-rule RBI double by Leody Taveras and a single by Miles Mastrobuoni that ticked off King’s glove.
Arozarena reached on a two-base fielding error by Tatis in right field leading off the sixth and scored on Mitch Garver‘s one-out single
King allowed four runs, three earned, and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Key moment
Arozarena started the Mariners’ scoring with his ninth career homer at Petco Park and second against San Diego.
Key stat
While with Tampa Bay, Arozarena hit seven home runs at Petco Park during the 2020 AL playoff bubble — three against the Yankees in a division series win and four against the Astros in the ALCS win.
Up next
Mariners RHP Luis Castillo (3-3, 3.65 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox. The Padres haven’t announced a starter for Tuesday night’s series opener at Toronto.
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