Mariners Aaron Harang Pitches Complete-Game Shutout In 9-0 Win Over Padres

The Seattle Mariners have their first complete-game shutout of the season, and it didn’t come from the head of their rotation in Felix Hernandez. Instead, Aaron Harang put together his best outing of the season while only giving up four hits and striking out eight in the contest.

The San Diego Padres never got the bats going as Harang settled in quickly and cruised to his second win of the season. His Mariners’ teammates gave him plenty of run support, though he only needed one after his stellar performance on the mound.

The Mariners jumped all over the Padres and put together four runs in the first inning off two homers. Jason Bay, who has somehow found himself in the leadoff role, started the bottom of the first with a solo home run to deep center.

Michael Morse hit a three-run shot three batters later to make it 4-0 without a single out on the board. Padres’ starter Clayton Richard is off to a rough start in 2013, and it got even worse on Monday as he failed to command the strike zone throughout the game.

The Mariners added to their lead when catcher Kelly Shoppach hit a solo blast to deep left in the fourth inning and they broke it wide open three innings later. Seattle added four more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 9-0 lead.

While his teammates were doing damage at the plate, Aaron Harang was making quick work of the Padres’ lineup. During a five-inning span that started in the second, Harang didn’t give up a single hit, though he walked Carlos Quentin in the fourth.

The Mariners have now won two straight games while the Padres have dropped five of their last six. Will Aaron Harang’s great outing give the Mariners a boost as they look to climb back into contention in the AL West?

[Image via Creative Commons]