Volquez shuts down Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) -- When Edinson Volquez is at his best, it’s more than just his fastball and change-up that he can consistently throw for strikes.

Volquez’s curveball has to be effective and it was on Tuesday night.

‘’That’s as good a hook as he’s had all year,’’ San Diego manager Bud Black said.

‘’When (Volquez) is on it’s the three-pitch mix in the strike zone. I thought today the curveball really came into play and was really effective.’’

Volquez pitched into the eighth inning in his longest outing of the seas o n, Jedd Gyorko and Alexi Amarista each homered, and the San Diego Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 on Tuesday.

The teams split the brief twogame set in Seattle, but will be right back at it on Wednesday in San Diego for two more games as the ‘’natural rivals’’ conclude their season series.

Gyorko hit a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Seattle starter Brandon Maurer, his sixth homer of the season. Amarista followed with a solo shot an inning later and the Padres knocked out Maurer (2-7) with three runs in the sixth as they won for just the second time in the past seven games.

Gyorko set a Padres’ rookie record for homers in one month with his sixth in May.

‘’It’s always been that way. You get your timing right for that certain amount of time and you see the ball well,’’ Gyorko said. ‘’You get your hits, you’re going to go through slumps at times. It’s all about getting that timing right and putting a good swing.’’

San Diego got a major momentum swing in the bottom of the fourth when Seattle’s Michael Morse was thrown out at home plate trying to score from first on Michael Saunders’ double.

The relay was perfect from Amarista in center to Everth Cabrera at shortstop and then to Yasmani Grandal, who had plenty of time to get the tag on Morse.

As if getting cut down at the plate wasn’t bad enough, Morse left the game after straining his right quadriceps on the play.