Mariners' offense heats up in 15-8 rout of San Diego

They turned back the clock for more than merely Mike Sweeney in the biggest rout for his Mariners all season.

A smiling Sweeney stood in an upbeat, music-pounding clubhouse Friday night, fresh off his first multi-homer game and six-RBI night in five years. Two longballs for him in the 15-8 win over the San Diego Padres gave Sweeney five in just over a week's time, rejuvenating what is likely the final year of his standout career and perhaps allowing his teammates to travel back in time as well.

Back to a time not so long ago where they were once considered hitters capable of producing nights like this; hitters who could actually be pegged as favorites for a division title without provoking smirks and chuckles from those sensing their season might already be done.

"We have been working hard, and hopefully this is a good sign for Mariners fans that we do have some life, we do have the ability to score runs and we do have the ability to win games," Sweeney said. "Time will tell. But we'll take the win."

One could forgive the 24,139 shivering fans at Safeco Field for being a little skeptical that what they witnessed was anything permanent. For thinking that this 15-hit blitzkrieg was more in the spirit of every dog having its day, or even the blindest of squirrels happening upon a jar full of Planters premium.

But for the optimists among them, there were other signs of hope besides Sweeney falling just one RBI shy of his career best.

There was the home run and double by third-string catcher Josh Bard, who now has as many extra-base hits in five games as Adam Moore did in five weeks. Not to mention three hits from Milton Bradley, a guy who'd sat idle for two weeks.

In other words, where there used to be black holes throughout the lineup, the Mariners are filling the cavities like a dentist on steroids. All of a sudden, the DH has its "H" back; the catcher isn't being confused with a pitcher when it's time to hit; and left field is being manned by a guy who wasn't in the minors two weeks ago.

"I had one of the grounds-crew guys throwing me pretty good BP," said Bradley, who has five hits in three games since coming off the restricted list. "I kept swinging until I was just beat, every single day. I'm probably still not in the best rhythm. But I just feel free and clear."

Time will tell, as Sweeney mentioned.

After all, this win, with the Mariners scoring their most runs in two years, came barely 24 hours after they'd needed three in the ninth for an improbable victory over Toronto.

Things sure didn't start off well, with the Padres jumping all over Cliff Lee for a 2-0 lead before the game was a half-inning old.

"The Mariners of two weeks ago would have said, 'Oh, great, we're only scoring one a game, it's going to be a long night,' " Sweeney said. "But we came out and put it to 'em. We didn't sit back on our heels and wait for the game to come to us. We attacked the game and were proactive."

Padres starter Wade LeBlanc had given up just six runs all season. But the Mariners put up seven off him in the second inning alone, beginning with Bradley grounding a ball off the third-base bag.

Two walks later, the bases were loaded, and singles by Josh Wilson and Ichiro tied the score. Chone Figgins put Seattle ahead with a sacrifice fly, another run scored on a fielder's choice, then Sweeney crushed a ball off the back of the bullpen in left-center to get the rout underway.

After some more Padres runs — led by a four-hit attack from Adrian Gonzalez — Sweeney went deep to left with a two-run shot to launch a five-run fourth inning. Lee used the comfort zone to get by, giving up a season-high seven earned runs in a season-low 6-1/3 innings, but lasting long enough to spare the bullpen extended work.

Manager Don Wakamatsu admitted he didn't have all the answers as to how his team could score more runs by the fourth inning than it had through the first eight games of the last homestand.

"If I knew that, I would have used it 20 games ago," he quipped.

But Wakamatsu did see signs that a team averaging 3.4 runs before this can truly expect more.

"The critical thing for us offensively in the fourth inning was, you talk about battling at-bats, we had six two-strike hits," he said. "I think it's left over from (Thursday). You look at the quality at-bats that ended the game ... then all of a sudden today you start seeing them."

Whether the Mariners keep on seeing those at-bats will help settle whether this was just a one-time thing, or a clock that will stay turned back to a much happier place.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com