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Mariners shoot for a series win against Padres

Jul 2, 2011 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners shoot for back-to-back wins for the first time since the middle of June when they host the San Diego Padres in the second of a three-game interleague set at Safeco Field tonight.

The Mariners, who last won consecutive games against division foe Anaheim on June 15 and the Philadelphia Phillies two days later, came up with their ninth shutout of the season on Friday night when they blanked San Diego in the series opener, 6-0.

After going without a shutout in his 85 major league appearances heading into this season, Jason Vargas turned the trick for the third time in 2011 as he gave up just six hits and struck out seven last night.

"(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 noted. "I got onto a little bit of a roll the first three innings and I was just able to keep them off balance."

Adam Kennedy, Jack Cust and Carlos Peguero each had two RBI for the Mariners, as they snapped a three-game skid and are now just 3 1/2 games out of first place in the American League West.

Chase Headley logged three hits for the Padres, who saw their four-game win streak come to an end. Cameron Maybin accounted for a pair of hits as well.

San Diego starter Dustin Moseley suffered the loss as he permitted five runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out only two over the course of 4 2/3 innings of work.

In addition to losing the game, the Padres also lost second baseman Orlando Hudson who suffered a bone bruise to his left kneecap while fouling a ball off himself in the second inning. Hudson is currently listed as day-to-day.

Appearing against the Padres for the first time in his brief career is right-hander Doug Fister tonight. Fister, now in his three major league season, is five games under .500 in 2011 and a whopping 14 games below through 54 starts since the beginning of 2009.

The Seattle hurler failed to earn a single win in the month of June, the Mariners dropping four of his five appearances. The lone victory for the club came on Sunday in a 2-1 final versus Florida. In that outing Fister made it through eight innings, allowing just a single run on eight hits, while striking out three, yet he still failed to work into the decision.

As for the Padres, Cory Luebke has only recently been moved into the rotation and is making his second start in a week. The left-hander, who currently carries a 7.71 ERA in two appearances against the Mariners, threw a season- high five innings against Atlanta last weekend, giving up just a single hit and a pair of walks, while striking out six in a 4-1 win which failed to earn him a decision.

San Diego hurlers are currently ranked sixth in the majors in ERA with a mark of 3.33, just behind Seattle's staff which boasts a 3.21 ERA. However, while Mariners pitchers have tossed seven complete games the Padres are one of only two teams in the majors, the other being the Chicago Cubs, which has yet to log even one such effort this year.

Seattle has taken all four meetings between these two clubs this season, after the Padres posted a 4-2 mark against the squad a season ago. Since 2006 the Mariners have won 22 of 34 meetings with San Diego.