Mariners allow a whopping 27 runs in spring training loss to Padres

Just about every MLB team has a day or two during the year where a game almost immediately gets away from them, and things snowball from there. The Seattle Mariners had one such example at spring training on Thursday, and the good news is it was just a simple, non-counting Cactus League game with their complex mates in Arizona.

TV Guide: When you can watch Mariners in World Baseball Classic

The San Diego Padres took advantage of a windy day at the Peoria Sports Complex, rolling to a 27-6 win over the Mariners thanks to eight home runs and 28 total hits against a combined nine Seattle pitchers. Each M’s pitcher allowed at least one run, and all but two gave up a homer.

24 runs btw pic.twitter.com/97dYWLW7tf

— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2026

Here’s how out of hand it got: the Padres didn’t just bat around in their 12-run second inning, but nearly batted around twice in the frame. San Diego designated hitter Miguel Andujar, who led off the bottom of the second with a groundout, was in the hole readying for his third plate appearance of the inning when Gavin Sheets finally made the third out. Can’t say for sure, but that seems like it would have been a record or something.

More: Mariners Notebook – A windy adventure; latest on J.P., Miller

Speaking of records that are hard to look up, no idea if this was the most runs scored in a Cactus League game. But we do know it’s less than the MLB regular season record of 30 runs scored by the Texas Rangers in 2007 against the Baltimore Orioles (a fact that our Seattle Sports colleague Curtis Rogers, host of Extra Innings and producer of Bump and Stacy, knew off the top of his head – along with a staggering amount of smaller factoids about that game – because of course he did).

Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo took the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on six hits, a walk and a home run, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. For starters, he had a scoreless first inning with two strikeouts. And secondly, it’s spring training, when pitchers are more concentrated on building up their arms and working on command of their pitches than attacking hitters in a specific, strategic manner. It’s also not surprising that Castillo, who had the 14th-highest fly ball rate among pitcher in MLB last year, would struggle when giving up contact on a windy spring day in the desert.

The day was not without its highlights for the Mariners, at least on the offensive end. Patrick Wisdom, Jared Sundstrom, Curtis Taylor and offseason free agent signing Rob Refsnyder all homered for Seattle. And, I mean, six runs is usually enough for a win.

It’s possible a few more games like this could happen around the league during spring training with many players away for the World Baseball Classic. The Mariners, for instance, currently have nine regulars away from camp, including All-Stars Cal Raleigh (USA), Julio Rodríguez (Dominican Republic) and Randy Arozarena (Mexico).

The Mariners’ social media team took a cheeky route with their postgame graphic, along with a very appropriate “spring happens” caption:

spring happens pic.twitter.com/rsx9N2B5bh

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 5, 2026

The M’s will be back in action at 12:05 p.m. Friday against the Rangers, with the radio broadcast starting at 11:55 a.m. on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Mariners’ Randy Arozarena should benefit from change this year
• Drayer: There’s something different about this group of M’s prospects
• Mariners have a new top 30 prospect list for 2026
• Morosi: Extending a pitcher should be Mariners’ spring priority
• ESPN insider: Seattle Mariners should resist temptation with Colt Emerson

Related

Cole Young powers Mariners past Astros 10-5 with HR, 4 RBIsMariners Notebook: Brock Rodden’s impressive debut; new pitcher claimedSeattle Sports Radio Info: How to find Saturday’s Seahawks, Mariners gamesAstros walk Mariners off 10-7 on Walker’s 3-run HR in 10thDipoto details Mariners’ plan for Colt Emerson’s wrist injuryFormer Mariners OF Butch Huskey, one of the last to wear 42 in MLB, dies at 54