Right-hander Chris Flexen shut out San Diego on four hits over 6 2/3 innings, Cal Raleigh drove in four runs and rookie Julio Rodriguez hit a tape-measure, two-run homer Monday afternoon as the visiting Seattle Mariners defeated the Padres 8-2.

The win in the opener of a two-game interleague series was the Mariners’ sixth in the past seven games. Seattle is 11-3 over their past 14 games. The Padres are 2-7 over their past nine games.

Flexen (5-8) retired the first 10 Padres he faced before issuing a walk to Manny Machado with one out in the fourth. Jake Cronenworth followed with the first of the Padres’ hits off Flexen, who issued three walks and struck out eight.

Meanwhile, the Mariners were scoring four runs off Sean Manaea in 3 1/3 innings in the left-hander’s shortest start of the season. Manaea (3-4) gave up eight hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

The Mariners scored twice in the first. One-out singles by J.P. Crawford and Eugenio Suarez were followed by a to Carlos Santana. Crawford scored on Raleigh’s groundout, and Abraham Toro followed with an RBI double.

Rodriguez’s homer onto the upper balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left came one out after Dylan Moore’s inning-opening single in the fourth.

Raleigh hit a three-run double off reliever Taylor Scott in the sixth. Rodriguez reached on a throwing error by third baseman Machado to open the inning. Crawford followed with a single, and Santana drew a one-out walk to load the bases for the catcher.

Seattle added an unearned run on a throwing error by Padres relief pitcher Tim Hill in the eighth.

Santana reached base in all five plate appearances with two hits and three walks, and he scored two runs. Crawford was 3-for-5 with two runs. Rodriguez also scored twice.

Trent Grisham hit a two-run homer in the ninth off left-handed Mariners reliever Tommy Milone for the Padres’ only runs.

–Field Level Media