As Seattle continues pursuing Texas and Houston in the American League West, it appears the offense is ready to do its part as the Mariners try for a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays in Toronto on Sunday. The Mariners held off the Blue Jays 2-1 in the opener of a three-game series Friday, improving to 14-6 with five straight victories against the AL East.
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TORONTO (AP) Home runs have hurt knuckleballer R.A Dickey all season.
Aoki’s next shot went off the glove of Tulowitzki, scoring Martin and sending Dickey to an early shower and his 11th loss of the season. Only Kansas City’s Ian Kennedy and Chris Young (26) have allowed more.
“I just wanted to see what was going on”, said Gibbons. “I hit two guys with it”. It took off inside to a couple lefties.
“I don’t remember the last time I had that many runners on base”, Cruz said.
Dickey left after the first four batters reached safely in the fourth, his shortest start of the season. Steve Cishek closed out the victory by stranding two runners in the ninth inning for his 23rd save in 28 chances. He hit Seth Smith and Robinson Cano to load the bases in the third inning, at which point Nelson Cruz crushed a grand slam into the centre field backdrop.
“Thole did a really good job, I don’t remember the last time he caught me”, Estrada said.
Dickey gave up three home runs at Oakland in his previous start.
The crowd of 46,737 voiced its disapproval with home plate umpire Mike Everitt’s called second strike on Saunders’ last at-bat, which appeared low. Manager John Gibbons liked what he say from Morales, whose fastball was in the 87 miles per hour range Saturday. Edwin Encarnacion has three hits in nine at-bats against him with a home run and four RBI.
Cruz knocked in another three runs in the eighth when he turned on a 2-1 pitch from Drew Storen.
Kyle Seager hit a two-run homer and Nori Aoki had two RBIs and scored twice as the Mariners used a season-high 19 hits to win their third straight.
“We miss Edgar and we showed him that we miss him”, Cruz joked. He allowed just two base hits in that outing and walked one batter while striking out eight. In five outings (four starts) against them he has gone 3-1 with a low 2.40 ERA.
Franklin Morales, fresh off the disabled list, got his first test immediately, and after forcing a double-play which Iannetta scored on, he was able to get Cano to pop out to end the nightmare.
Paxton retired 12 in a row after Saunders’ homer before giving up a one-out walk in the sixth to Josh Thole.
Smoak hit a two-run drive off LeBlanc in the eighth, his 11th.
After going nearly three weeks between starts, Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada felt a little out of sorts against Seattle. Colabello was suspended April 22 after the commissioner’s office said he tested positive for a drug sold under the name Turinabol. Colabello was designated off the 25-man Toronto roster Saturday, but was kept on the 40-man roster. He’s expected to be assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. Iwakuma has won five consecutive starts.
Mariners: Seattle placed SS Ketel Marte (mononucleosis) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 20, and recalled LHP David Rollins from Triple-A Tacoma.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (10-6, 4.01 ERA) vs. The win brought Paxton’s record to 3-4 on the season.
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