Mariners rally from 10-run deficit to stun Padres

[June 03, 2016]  SAN DIEGO -- Great comeback or epic collapse ... or both?
 
 "That was one of those things that was borderline inexplicable,"

San Diego Padres manager Andy Green said Thursday night after his club blew a 10-run lead and lost 16-13 to the Seattle Mariners in the highest-scoring game in Petco Park history.

That's right ... the Padres were up 12-2 after five innings and setting offensive records ... and lost.

"It really was incredible," Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager said.

"It doesn't happen, so it's pretty incredible."

Mariners manager Scott Servais added, "I've been around a lot of big league games; I've never seen a 10-run comeback. It was just hit after hit after hit."

Seven consecutive two-out singles in a nine-run seventh capped the greatest comeback in Mariners history. The game set Petco Park records for runs (29) and hits (36), and the Padres tied their single-game record for hits (20) at the ballpark that opened in 2004.

Center fielder Jon Jay had five of those hits, becoming only the fourth Padre ever to have four or more hits in back-to-back games.

The Mariners scored 14 runs over two innings -- five in the sixth and nine in the seventh -- after falling behind 12-2. The Padres scored seven runs in the fifth.

"That's a tough game," Green said. "I can't remember a game like that. Someone has to execute a pitch. We had opportunities to get these guys out."

"It started with me," said Padres left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter, who was the second of four Padres relievers. The San Diego bullpen got hammered for 10 runs on nine hits in a span of 1 2/3 innings.

"It's tough," said losing reliever Brandon Maurer. "The offense did great. We let them and (starter Colin) Rea down. I was trying to do too much to stop the bleeding and make the perfect pitch."

Seattle sent 13 hitters to the plate against three Padres relievers in the decisive seventh inning, getting the nine runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter.

Pinch hitter Stefen Romero tied the game with a single that brought in the inning's sixth run. Shawn O'Malley followed with a go-ahead single, and Norichika Aoki singled to make it 14-12. After Aoki had an uncontested steal of second, pinch hitter Franklin Gutierrez delivered a two-run single in his second plate appearance of the inning to make it 16-12.

Seager finished 3-for-5 with a double and five RBIs. Dae-Ho Lee had a three-run homer and drove in four runs for the Mariners.

Seager drove in the Mariners' first run with a single in the first, and he hit a two-run double off Rea immediately in front of Lee's three-run pinch homer off left-handed reliever Brad Hand in the sixth. Both Seager and Lee had RBI singles in the seventh at the start of Seattle's run of seven straight hits.

"I think it was the Lee home run that gave us a little adrenaline,"

Servais said. "Like hey, we might have a shot here. What can you say about our club? The guys don't quit."

Rea, who was recalled from Triple-A El Paso earlier Thursday, allowed six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He departed with one out in the sixth with the Padres leading 12-4. Hand then gave up the three-run homer to Lee to make it 12-7.

Still, the Padres entered the seventh with a five-run lead.

Right-handed reliever Cody Martin (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, pitched a scoreless sixth to pick up the win for the Mariners. Closer Steve Cishek picked up his 13th save.

Maurer, who has allowed 13 runs on 14 hits over 7 2/3 innings in his past nine appearances, saw his record fall to 0-2. He allowed three runs on three hits without retiring a Mariner in the seventh.

Mariners first baseman Dae-Ho Lee (10) hits an RBI single during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Jay had a career-high five hits, and the Padres scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in Petco Park history while out-hitting Seattle 20-16.

The Padres won Wednesday's series opener 14-6, giving them 27 runs on 39 hits in two games after entering June ranked last in the major leagues with a .226 team batting average.

Jay, Wil Myers, Melvin Upton Jr. and Adam Rosales all drove in two runs apiece for the Padres.

Seattle starter Wade Miley gave up nine runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Reliever Mike Montgomery allowed three runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.

Through the end of May, the Padres managed to score only 14 first-inning runs in 53 games. Over the past two nights against the Mariners, San Diego scored 10 to wipe out two early Seattle leads.

The Padres got four in the first Thursday night after the Mariners scored an unearned run off Rea in the top half of the inning.

Jay opened the first with his sixth double in seven games and scored the game-tying run on a single by Matt Kemp. After Kemp was forced at second on a grounder to short, the Padres the lead on back-to-back singles by Upton and Derek Norris.

Miley then walked Alexei Ramirez to load the bases in front of a two-run single by Rosales.

The Mariners had scored in the top of the first when Robinson Cano singled to left to beat the Padres' shift. A fielding error by shortstop Ramirez on a grounder put Mariners at first and second ahead of Seager's run-scoring single to center.

Nelson Cruz cut the deficit to 5-2 with the longest home run at Petco Park this season -- a 445-foot drive to right-center in the top of the fourth.

The Padres got the run back in the bottom of the fourth on a triple by Rosales and a RBI single by Jay.

The hosts then seemingly broke the game open with seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth against Miley and Montgomery. They allowed seven straight Padres to reach base -- five singles, a walk and a hit batter -- before getting the final out.

Norris and Kemp each had three hits for the Padres.

NOTES: An MRI on San Diego RHP Cesar Vargas' pitching arm showed he has a flexor strain. Vargas has been on the disabled list since May 29. ... The Padres returned RHP Leonel Campos (1-0, 7.94 ERA in four appearances) to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday while recalling Thursday night's starter, RHP Colin Rea. ... With a June 1 opt-out looming, El Paso released RHP Jeremy Guthrie (3-5, 6.80 ERA in 11 starts) ... Seattle designated LHP Joel Peralta (1-0, 5.40 ERA in 26 appearances) for assignment and recalled RHP Cody Martin from Triple-A Tacoma to be the long man in the bullpen.

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