Padres Roll Past Mariners 14-6 After Being Criticized By Executive Chairman

The San Diego Padres received a strong message from their executive chairman, Ron Fowler, on Wednesday.

Padres Roll Past Mariners 14-6 After Being Criticized By Executive Chairman

Alexei Ramirez homered twice and matched his career high with five RBIs and the Padres defeated the Seattle Mariners 14-6 at home Wednesday night, just hours after Fowler ripped the team’s poor play.

The Padres snapped a four-game losing streak, earning their second victory in the last 10 games.

On Wednesday morning, Fowler told the team’s flagship radio station, ‘The Mighty 1090,’ that their recent performances have been “embarrassing” and “pathetic.” His remarks came one day after starting right-hander James Shields allowed 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings of a 16-4 loss in Seattle.

Manager Andy Green downplayed the Padres’ outburst, which began with a six-run first inning against James Paxton (0-1), who started after Felix Hernandez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain.

“I didn’t think about it as a response to any comments or anything like that,” Green said. “I thought the runs we scored in the first were a response to their runs in the first. It was good to flip the script. It was a great way to start a homestand and it was a good response to the road trip.”

It was a 1-7 run that angered Fowler, including the last two losses, which came at Seattle.

“It’s been embarrassing.  I don’t know how else to put it,” Fowler said. “The performance on the road trip, 1-7, was pathetic.  I’m a very competitive individual and I think I’ve won a lot, more than I’ve lost in life.  This baseball experience has been very frustrating, very embarrassing.”

Even then, the Padres had a shaky start at Petco Park on Wednesday. Christian Friedrich gave up a three-run homer by Robinson Cano during a 37-pitch first inning in which the lefty escaped a bases-loaded jam.

Friedrich (2-1) allowed four runs, three earned, and nine hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Paxton allowed six runs on five hits in the first alone. In total, he gave up eight runs, three earned, and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

“I was just way too amped up, just going too fast,” Paxton said. “Didn’t get my feet set to throw the ball. Just going too quickly. That first inning got away from me.”

Ramirez had a pair of two-run homers and an RBI single. Jon Jay had four hits, and Wil Myers and Yangervis Solarte added three hits apiece. Myers finished a triple shy of the cycle. Adam Rosales homered into the second deck in left field with two outs, his second. Five of the runs in the first were unearned.

Ramirez then hit a two-run homer off reliever Joel Peralta in the fourth, as well as a two-run shot off Steve Johnson in the sixth. Ramirez now has three homers this season.

“What happened in Seattle is already in the past,” the Cuban shortstop said through a translator. “I think it’s important to say I’m still learning every day. My swing has always been that way. Every game is different.”

Myers hit an RBI double in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Kyle Seager had four singles for the Mariners.

Mariners (30-22, second in AL West) left-hander Wade Miley (5-2, 4.95 ERA) is scheduled to start the final game of the split, four-game series in San Diego on Thursday night. Right-hander Colin Rea (3-2, 4.47) will start for the Padres (21-33, fifth in NL West).

PHOTO: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 1: Alexei Ramirez #10 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners at PETCO Park on June 1, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)