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Mariners' Vargas tosses another shutout

Jul 2, 2011 - 5:47 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Jason Vargas entered this season without throwing a shutout in any of his previous 85 games pitched. He has three of them in his last six starts.

Vargas threw a six-hitter and fanned seven batters without allowing a walk in Seattle's 6-0 win over the Padres to begin a three-game series.

On June 3, Vargas (6-5) blanked the Rays, and 16 days later he tossed a three- hitter against the Phillies for his second career blanking. Friday's was pure dominance for the left-hander, who threw 75 of his 106 pitches for strikes.

"(I was) just throwing strikes. Sometimes, they're aggressive early and it goes their way and sometimes they're aggressive and it goes my way," Vargas said. "I got onto a little bit of a roll the first three innings and I was just able to keep them off balance."

Vargas' three shutouts are tied for third-most in franchise history for a single season behind Randy Johnson (4 in 1994) and Dave Fleming (4 in 1992). Vargas is also the first Seattle pitcher to have three shutouts in a season since Freddy Garcia (2001).

Adam Kennedy, Jack Cust and Carlos Peguero each had two RBI for the Mariners, who snapped a three-game skid.

Chase Headley had three hits for the Padres, who won their previous four contests.

"He was making his pitches, wasn't much over the plate, in and out, pounding the strike zone," Headley said of Vargas. "He came hard most of the game, had a good fastball and a good cutter and he was locating both of them, just made some good pitches."

Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson suffered a bone bruise to his left kneecap while fouling a ball off himself in the second inning. He's day-to- day.

Dustin Moseley (2-8) surrendered seven hits and a pair of earned runs, and walked four over 4 2/3 innings.

Brendan Ryan doubled with one out in the opening inning and scored on Kennedy's base hit to right.

The Mariners padded their lead to 4-0 in the third. Chone Figgins reached first on Jason Bartlett's fielding error. Moseley walked both Kennedy and Justin Smoak later in the inning to load the bases for Cust, who drew another walk. Peguero then lined a hit over the head of Moseley to move the lead to 4-0.

Smoak snapped an 0-for-23 slump with a double in the fifth and scored on Cust's two-base hit to right.

Kennedy doubled in Ryan in the sixth.

Vargas limited the opportunities for the Padres, who had just one player in scoring position all night. That came in the ninth after Headley singled with two outs and was allowed to take second uncontested. Vargas then retired Ryan Ludwick on a fly to center to end the game.

Game Notes

Cust has walked six times with the bases loaded this year...Seattle swept a three-game set from the Padres on May 20-22 and has taken five straight and 18 of the last 24 meetings between these clubs...Mariners pitchers have a 1.77 ERA in 16 games during interleague play this season.