Ian Kennedy

Struggling Padres 1-hit by Mariners rookie Mike Montgomery

Published Jul. 1, 2015 11:56 a.m. ET

foxsports

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Padres are 5-9 since they fired manager Bud Black on June 15.

A low point came Tuesday night when they were held to one hit by Seattle Mariners rookie left-hander Mike Montgomery, who pitched his second straight shutout in a 5-0 victory.

"We just have to stop it, turn it around, start playing better," said Pat Murphy, named interim manager on June 16. "We're not doing it yet. We're not atrocious. When we do it, the same guys, it will look different."

The Padres have failed to live up to the big expectations that followed a dramatic offseason roster retooling.

"I think the expectations and all the talk, and now going through the change has affected them a little bit," Murphy said. "I think they are squeezing it a little too tight. All that frustration piles up."

And then along came Montgomery, who took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning.

Making his sixth major league start, Montgomery opened the seventh by getting Justin Upton on a fly to left. Yangervis Solarte hit the next pitch into the left-field corner for a double.

Until then, the closest the Padres came to a hit was Melvin Upton Jr.'s sinking liner to center, but Austin Jackson made a shoestring catch.

Montgomery, who turns 26 on Wednesday, was coming off his first career shutout, a five-hitter against Kansas City.

It was the seventh time a Mariners pitcher threw consecutive shutouts -- Randy Johnson did it three times, including three straight in 1994, and Mark Langston did it twice. Montgomery is the 12th major league rookie, and second Mariners pitcher, to do it since 1980. Langston pitched consecutive shutouts for Seattle on June 26 and July 1, 1984.

Montgomery (3-2) struck out seven, walked four and hit a batter. He threw a career-high 113 pitches.

"He threw some pitches on the edges, kept the ball down, kept attacking with any pitch," Murphy said. "Hats off to the kid. He did great. We couldn't get a pattern on him."

Montgomery was obtained in a trade with Tampa Bay on March 31. Among his nine starts for Triple-A Tacoma was a 6-3 loss to San Diego's Triple-A El Paso affiliate -- then managed by Murphy -- on April 18. Montgomery allowed five runs and five hits in 2 2-3 innings in that game.

"We saw this kid in Triple-A and he didn't fare as well," Murphy said. "He's doing a heck of a job in the big leagues, making adjustments."

The Padres were shut out for the 12th time and have lost five of eight.

Brad Miller and Mike Zunino homered off Ian Kennedy (4-7).

Zunino hit a solo homer to left with one out in the third, his ninth. Miller's two-run shot cleared the Jack Daniel's party deck atop the right-field wall with two outs in the fourth, his seventh.

Miller's shot followed Jackson's RBI single to left. Nelson Cruz was thrown out trying to go from first to third on the play.

Kennedy allowed four runs and five hits in five innings, struck out five and walked one.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez is fine despite exiting his last start following six innings because of heat exhaustion.

Padres: INF Cory Spangenberg was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left knee. He was replaced on the roster by Jedd Gyorko, who was demoted to Triple-A El Paso on June 10.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker (6-6, 4.64 ERA) starts the matinee finale of the two-game set Wednesday. He's won four straight starts and is 5-1 in his last six, with a 1.91 ERA.

Padres: RHP James Shields (7-2, 4.24) tries for the fifth time to get his eighth victory. He's 0-2 in his last four starts.