SAN DIEGO — No gentle way to put this. James Paxton’s return Wednesday night to the big leagues was disaster. A crushing disaster. And a wasted opportunity in an 14-6 roll-over loss to a reeling opponent.
The Mariners recalled Paxton from Triple-A Tacoma to start against the San Diego Padres after a strained right calf forced Felix Hernandez to the disabled list.
The Padres had lost 12 of their previous 15 games, including 16-4 pummeling Tuesday by the Mariners at Safeco Field, and were blasted publicly earlier in day by their executive chairman as “miserable failures.”
Robinson Cano then hit a three-run homer in the first inning that provided Paxton with an early cushion. Everything was set up for an easy night, and then everything went wrong.
Paxton gave up six runs in the first inning…six runs to an opponent that ranked 28th in scoring among the 30 clubs.
Paxton fueled this mess with a costly throwing error on a play that could have gotten him out of the inning with a 3-1 lead.
And it was downhill from there.
Paxton (0-1) threw 103 pitches in just 3 2/3 innings while allowing eight runs and 10 hits. The Mariners then turned to Joel Peralta, whose struggles continued when he gave up four more runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Then it was Steve Johnson’s turn to get roughed up for three runs in his only inning. Johnson had not allowed a run over 10 1/3 innings over his nine previous appearances.
What a train wreck.
The Padres hit four homers, including two by Alexei Ramirez, who entered the game with one. Ramirez also had five RBIs. Wil Myers and Adam Rosales also hit homers.
John Jay had four hits. Myers and Yangervis Solarte each had three. The Padres finished with 19.
But the game turned in a wild first inning that, for the Mariners, started with such promise.
Nori Aoki opened the game by working back from an 0-2 hole for a nine-pitch walk against Padres starter Christian Friedrich. Franklin Gutierrez followed with a single before Cano turned on a first-pitch fastball.
A 3-0 lead.
Friedrich (2-1) had yielded just three runs combined in his three previous starts. The Mariners had a chance for more when they loaded the bases with one out, but Luis Sardinas popped out, and Paxton took a third strike.
Three runs wasn’t enough.
The Padres began their comeback when Myers launched a one-out homer, on the last of four straight fastballs, over the right-field wall.
Matt Kemp and Solarte followed with singles, which put runners at first and third with one out and set up the decisive moment.
Melvin Upton hit a potential double-play grounder back to the mound, but Paxton threw the ball into center field.
One run scored, making it 3-2, and the Padres still had runners at first and third with one out. After Upton stole second base without a throw, Derek Norris tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center.
San Diego took the lead on Ramirez’s RBI single to right before Adam Rosales hit a two-run homer to left. What had been a three-run lead was now a three-run deficit.
A long night was just beginning.
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