MIAMI (AP) - The punchless Padres reached a new low Saturday. For the first time this season, they were shut out.
San Diego managed only five hits, went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and lost to the Miami Marlins 5-0.
The Padres have scored eight runs this season, worst in the majors. They’ve lost four in a row since a win on opening day.
“Collectively as a group, we’re not swinging the bats well,” manager Bud Black said. “We are in a team-wide situation that we’re not swinging. We don’t have one guy that’s swinging the bat well.”
Chase Headley is batting .105, Jedd Gyorko is at .111, Will Venable is at .176 and Yonder Alonso is at .200. The team batting average is .185, and with runners in scoring position it’s .108 (4 for 37).
“It’s five games over the course of 162. It’s a small sample,” Headley said. “We need a couple of balls to drop in holes for us and guys start feeling good about themselves. One or two big hits, and this is going the right way.”
Jose Fernandez (2-0) struck out eight in 6 2-3 innings while lowering his ERA to 0.71. He allowed three hits and two walks, and three relievers followed.
Andrew Cashner (0-1) allowed two runs in six innings.
“Cash hung in there,” Black said. “I thought he threw the ball well - good velocity, good movement, good changeup. But their guy out-pitched us.”
San Diego’s best threat against Fernandez came when he walked two to load the bases with the score 0-0 in the third, but he escaped when Seth Smith hit into an inning-ending double play.
“Seth’s an aggressive hitter,” Black said. “He was going after a strike. It was a changeup. I liked the aggressive swing there. That was an opportunity there to get us on the board. It didn’t happen.”
The Marlins improved to 5-1, their best start since 2009. Last year their fifth victory came in their 21st game, and they finished with 100 losses.
Giancarlo Stanton had two RBIs to increase his season total to 11, one more than teammate Casey McGehee, who began the day leading the NL. Four of the Marlins’ runs scored with two outs.
The game drew a crowd of 35,188, including Miami Heat owner Micky Arison and president Pat Riley, who chatted briefly with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
Stanton’s run-scoring single in the third off Cashner put the Marlins ahead 1-0. Derek Dietrich made it 2-0 in the sixth with an RBI single.
“I thought I threw the ball really well,” Cashner said. “I had a couple of walks that could have gone either way. In those spots you just have to make good pitches. There wasn’t a lot of room for error tonight.”
Notes: Padres RHP Casey Kelly was scheduled to pitch in a simulated game Saturday, but the workout was postponed at least two days because he was feeling discomfort in his surgically repaired elbow, Black said. The setback isn’t believed to be significant. … Padres RHP Tyson Ross will get an extra day of rest before his next start Tuesday at Cleveland. Black said he made the move in part so the two left-handers in the rotation wouldn’t pitch back to back. … Marlins 2B Rafael Furcal (hamstring) is scheduled to report Monday to extended spring training in Jupiter, Fla., with rehabilitation assignments to follow. He likely won’t be activated until April 20 at the earliest. … Stanton has two homers in eight at-bats against RHP Ian Kennedy (0-1, 5.40), who is scheduled to start Sunday for the Padres. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 3.00) will start for Miami.
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