SEATTLE — Aided by their respective, slow-starting offenses, two teams engaged in a pitching duel Monday at Safeco Field, the kind that could have been decided by even one or two miscues. The Mariners stumbled. The Padres bobbed and weaved, avoiding damage. In the bottom of the sixth, however, they walked right into a haymaker.
A catcher's interference on Derek Norris put Seattle's Norichika Aoki on base with one out. Former Padres outfielder Seth Smith atoned for a dropped catch in the previous inning with an RBI double, ending a shutout bid by Andrew Cashner. With two outs, Nelson Cruz notched a game-tying single.