San Diego @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2011 ) San Diego 0, Seattle 6

THE STORY: The host Seattle Mariners look to improve to 5-0 against the San Diego Padres this season when the teams meet in the second game of the interleague series Saturday. The Mariners won the opener 6-0 as Jason Vargas pitched his third shutout, marking the major-league leading 13th time San Diego has been blanked. Seattle has outscored the Padres 20-2 in four meetings, which includes a three-game sweep in San Diego. The loss was just the second in nine games for the Padres.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, 4SD (San Diego), Root (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Cory Luebke (1-2, 2.86) vs. Mariners RH Doug Fister (3-8, 3.18). Luebke threw five innings of one-hit ball against Atlanta last Sunday in his first start of the season. He struck out six and has 49 strikeouts in 44 innings. Hitters are just .170 against him. The start against Seattle is the fifth of Luebke’s career. Fister has allowed just one run over eight innings in each of his last two starts but took no-decisions in both. He went 0-3 in five June starts despite a 3.08 ERA and limiting hitters to a .229 average. Fister’s last victory was May 30 against Baltimore. He has allowed only six homers in 110 1/3 innings.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (40-42): Seattle had scored three or fewer runs in 17 of 24 games before Friday’s six-run output, its highest-scoring game since June 12. Rookie second baseman Dustin Ackley sat out with bruised ribs he suffered during Wednesday’s game against Atlanta. Catcher Miguel Olivo (hamstring) missed his second straight game. Justin Smoak went hitless in 22 consecutive at-bats prior to stroking a double in the fifth inning. Jack Cust (23 RBIs) had his second two-RBI performance in three games after going more than three weeks without driving in any runs.

ABOUT THE PADRES (37-46): Chase Headley continues to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-4 Friday for his eighth multihit game since June 13. Headley is batting .464 (26-for-56) over the last 14 games to raise his average to .305. Center fielder Cameron Maybin had two hits for his fifth multihit contest in eight games. Catcher Nick Hundley (elbow) was back in the lineup after missing four games and went 1-for-3 against Vargas. Rookie first baseman Anthony Rizzo struck out twice in three at-bats and has fanned 23 times in his first 60 major-league at-bats. Rizzo, who was the key prospect acquired from Boston for Adrian Gonzalez, is batting just .167. Second baseman Orlando Hudson left Friday’s game after fouling a ball off his shin and is day to day.

FINAL PITCH: Friday was the opener of a 10-game road trip for the Padres and an excursion that may seal the fate of closer Heath Bell, who is the subject of numerous trade rumors. If San Diego fails to make up ground in the National League West, speculation has Bell being dealt to one of the contending teams in need of a closer. Bell is a free agent after the season.