Luke Raley's Four Hits and a 6-0 Lead Weren't Enough: Padres Score 5 in the 9th to Stun M's

The Seattle Mariners walked into Petco Park on Wednesday night looking like they had this one locked down. They had a 6-0 lead. Their starter, Emerson Hancock, was dealing. Luke Raley was on fire at the plate. And then the ninth inning happened, and everything fell apart in the most brutal way possible.

Jackson Merrill's two-run double down the left field line with two outs in the bottom of the ninth delivered the gut punch. The ball hit the chalk and rolled into the corner as right fielder Randy Arozarena couldn't make the throw home, the ball slipping out of his hands. Luis Campusano scored the tying run. Ramon Laureano plated the winning run. San Diego 7, Seattle 6. The Padres extended their winning streak to seven games with one swing.

How the Mariners Blew This

Raley carried the offense early. He went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer in the fifth that put Seattle up 6-0. The Mariners' bats were working: Dominic Canzone ripped a two-run double off the right field wall in the second, and Brendan Donovan punched a two-run single to right in the fourth. Hancock looked untouchable through six innings, retiring the first 11 men he faced, allowing just four hits and two runs with six strikeouts.

Then Randy Vasquez imploded for San Diego. After allowing just two runs in his first three starts, Vasquez lasted only four innings, giving up five hits and four runs on four walks. The Padres were hanging on, down by four heading into the ninth. That's when it all unraveled for closer Andres Munoz. He was one strike away from closing it out when he got pinch-hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. to hit into a sacrifice fly to right. But Campusano and Laureano followed with back-to-back RBI singles to breathe life into the Padres' bats. Then Merrill finished it.

The Collapse Cost Seattle

Munoz (2-2) took the loss, charged with all five runs in the ninth. Alek Jacob (1-0), called up from Triple-A El Paso earlier that day, made his 2026 debut for San Diego and was the beneficiary of the rally after tossing two scoreless innings. Xander Bogaerts added to the damage with a two-run homer in the sixth, his third of the year and the 200th of his career.

This one stings because Seattle had it. Raley's four-hit night and Hancock's strong outing deserved better. But baseball doesn't always work that way, especially when you can't close it out in the ninth.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.