PEORIA, Ariz. -- At some point this spring, the Mariners will throttle back on the basepaths. But for now, running with a bit of a devil-may-care attitude is acceptable to manager Don Wakamatsu.

"Reegie [Corona] was a little out of control, but I want these guys to feel they have a right to do some things," Wakamatsu said on Thursday after the Mariners squandered a two-run lead in the eighth inning and settled for a 10-inning, 4-4, draw against the Padres in the Cactus League opener for both teams.

The Mariners had two runners thrown out at the plate, another cut down at third base, and Corona was picked off first base twice.

"We are going to make mistakes, but I want these guys going and doing some things," Wakamatsu said. "We are going to struggle a little, but we'll tighten it up."

Ace right-hander Felix Hernandez pitched two innings and had mixed results, non-roster invitee Chris Shelton hit a home run to left field to trigger a three-run second inning, and Minor League reliever Eric Hull came within a bad bounce of ending the game in the ninth inning.

Padres center fielder Cedric Hunter rolled a two-out grounder that hugged the first-base line, hit the first-base bag, and bounced over first baseman Mike Carp's glove. Drew Macias followed with a double to right-center, scoring Hunter with the tying run.

Some wiser base running by the Mariners might have made that run moot.

But Corona, a Rule 5 Draft choice out the Yankees farm system added in December, was picked off first base in the second and fifth innings, third baseman Mike Morse was thrown out at third trying to get an extra base following an RBI double, and Callix Crabbe was gunned down at the plate trying to score from second on an infield single in the top of the 10th inning.

"With baserunning being such a huge emphasis this spring, we're going to try to simulate those situations," Wakamatsu said. "Rather than just talk to them about it, we're going to have drills. That's what Spring Training is for."

The next time the Mariners see Hernandez on the mound, he will have had at least one start in the World Baseball Classic.

The first inning he threw on Thursday lasted four pitches. The second one took 19.

"Felix was just OK," Wakamatsu said. "They came out hacking in the first inning and he threw five or six pitches [four, actually]. He sat a little bit, went back out, and got the ball up in the second inning. The quality of his pitches weren't as good."

Hernandez, projected to be the Mariners' Opening Day starter -- and likely starter for Venezuela when it opens the Classic on March 7 against Italy in the Rogers Centre in Toronto -- said his focus was throwing fastballs.

"I just wanted to command my fastball on both sides of the plate," he said. "That's why I threw a lot of fastballs. It worked. I was throwing fastballs, and they were swinging. That's it."

He mixed in a few breaking balls in the second inning, and the Padres had four hits and two runs.

"I feel pretty good," he said. "I've been working for like three months. I'm ready to go to the World Baseball Classic. I want to represent my country and it's going to be fun."

He, and the other Mariners' Classic players, report to their respective teams on Sunday.