"I went out there for a couple of different reasons," Black explained afterward. "I knew I was going to leave him in. I liked the way he was throwing. He said he felt good. He was still throwing the ball well."
Shields, who in February signed the largest contract (four years, $75 million) in team history, then went out and showed why the Padres willingly handed him such a handsome deal, striking out Mike Zunino before getting Dustin Ackley to bounce into a double play to preserve a one-run lead.
It was just of a several jams Shields pitched out of as the Padres defeated the Mariners, 4-2, at Safeco Field, putting a tidy bow on 4-5, three-city road trip.