Tue May 20 01:40:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Mariners Take Vedder Cup Lead, Beat Padres 5-1 in Opener**
SAN DIEGO – The Seattle Mariners kicked off the inaugural Vedder Cup with a decisive 5-1 victory over the San Diego Padres Friday night. J.P. Crawford set the tone immediately, blasting a home run on the very first pitch of the game against Padres starter Stephen Kolek.
The Mariners offense continued to roll, with Rowdy Tellez adding a two-run shot in the fourth inning and Cal Raleigh following suit with a two-run homer of his own in the sixth.
Rookie pitcher Logan Evans delivered a stellar performance for Seattle, pitching six strong innings and limiting the Padres to just one run on seven hits. Evans earned his second win of the season, improving to 2-1.
Kolek (2-1) struggled, allowing five runs on eight hits over five innings.
The newly formalized Vedder Cup, named after Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, sees the two teams – who share a spring training facility – competing for a trophy featuring a guitar donated by the music icon. While a dedicated Chicago Cubs fan, Vedder spent his formative years in San Diego before relocating to Seattle and forming Pearl Jam in 1990.
Beyond the competition, the Padres and Mariners are partnering to support the EB Research Partnership, a charity co-founded by Eddie and Jill Vedder, dedicated to funding research for Epidermolysis Bullosa.
With the win, the Mariners extended their lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West to 1 1/2 games. The Padres now trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by one game in the NL West.
The teams will face off again in Seattle from August 25-27 to conclude the Vedder Cup series. Saturday’s game will feature Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (1-2, 6.91 ERA) against Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (5-2, 3.05).
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