Ichiro goes 5-for-5; Mariners complete sweep of Padres

SAN DIEGO — The Seattle Mariners, it seems, can always count on beating the San Diego Padres.

Ichiro Suzuki went 5-for-5 to tie his career-high, Adrian Beltre and Jeff Clement homered and the Mariners beat Jake Peavy and the punchless Padres 9-2 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

The three-game winning streak matches the Mariners' season-high. Although Seattle still has the worst record in the major leagues at 31-50, the Padres (32-51) are closing fast.

The Padres have lost a season-high eight straight games and 13 of 15, all against the AL. The Padres finished interleague play 3-15, worst in the majors.

Erik Bedard (5-4) won for the first time in five starts and improved to 3-0 lifetime against the Padres. Bedard and three relievers held San Diego to six hits.

The Mariners had a season-high 18 hits. With five singles, Suzuki outhit the entire Padres lineup through seven innings. It was the seventh time that the two-time batting champion had five hits. The last time was May 15, 2007, against the Los Angeles Angels. Suzuki scored two runs and raised his average from .286 to .297.

Seattle, deemed San Diego's natural rival in interleague play, has won eight straight games at Petco Park and is 14-4 against the Padres since the start of the 2006 season.

This one got so bad that the fans booed during the bullpen's meltdown in a five-run seventh inning, when the first seven Mariners batters reached base against two relievers.

Peavy (5-5), the reigning NL Cy Young winner, allowed three runs and a season-high 10 hits in six innings while striking out six.

Beltre homered into the balcony on the second level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse just beyond the left-field corner for a 3-0 lead in the sixth. It was his 15th, and Jose Vidro was aboard on a leadoff single.

The Mariners piled on in the seventh against Bryan Corey and Carlos Guevara, getting six straight singles — starting with Suzuki — and a walk. Corey failed to get an out while allowing four hits and four runs. Jeremy Reed hit a two-run single while Raul Ibanez, Vidro and Beltre each singled in a run.

Clement homered to right-center off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth, his second.

Peavy allowed three runs and a season-high 10 hits in six innings, with six strikeouts. He's 1-2 in four starts since a stint on the disabled list to let his swollen right elbow heal.

Bedard, who also beat the Padres 4-2 at Seattle on May 17, allowed one run and three hits in 5 2-3 innings.

The Padres' first run came without the benefit of a hit in the sixth. Bedard walked the bases loaded with one out before Adrian Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to center. Gonzalez's older brother, Edgar, hit an RBI single in the eighth against Mark Lowe.

Notes:@ The Padres open a three-game series Monday at Colorado, their first trip to Denver since losing the wild-card tiebreaker game in 13 innings on Oct. 1. ... Since Felix Hernandez's ankle is still tender, the Mariners' starter for Tuesday night's game at home against Toronto likely will come from the bullpen.