Springer gets tiebreaking hit, Blue Jays beat Mariners 3-2
By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) — George Springer hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning, Alejandro Kirk added a solo home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Friday night, extending their winning streak to five.
The Mariners have lost three straight and seven of 10. Seattle is 3-8 in one-run games.
“We’ve been in a number of them and, especially here lately, getting a big hit has been tough for us,” manager Scott Servais said.
Seattle went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners stranded. The Mariners have scored three runs in their past two games.
“We have a really good offensive team,” Servais said. “It’s certainly not clicking right now. They shut us down tonight.”
It was the first meeting between the teams since Game 2 of last October’s AL wild-card round, when Seattle overcame an 8-1 deficit to beat Toronto 10-9 and sweep their postseason series.
“It always feels good to beat a team like that,” Kirk said through a translator.
Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah and Mariners righty Luis Castillo dueled in Game 1 of that series. They matched up again in this one, but neither figured in the decision. Each allowed two runs and six hits in five innings.
Seattle’s Cal Raleigh homered off Manoah in Game 1 last season and connected off the Blue Jays All-Star again Friday, opening the scoring with a solo drive in the second. The homer was Raleigh’s third.
The drive snapped Toronto’s streak of 25 consecutive scoreless innings. The Blue Jays’ record of 28 innings was set in June 1985.
Kirk tied it with a two-out drive off Castillo in the bottom half, his second.
“It was a sinker that was going to go from ball to strike but he was able to make good contact,” Castillo said through a translator.
Castillo came in as one of five big league starting pitchers who had yet to allow a homer through five starts, but couldn’t extend his streak.
“He made a mistake, he left the fastball high,” Kirk said. “I was looking for that one.”
Raleigh drove in Jarred Kelenic with an RBI single in the third, but the Blue Jays again answered in the bottom half. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a two-out walk and scored on Matt Chapman’s double.
Kirk singled off Mariners right-hander Trevor Gott (0-1) to begin the sixth, but was erased one out later on a fielder’s choice grounder by Whit Merrifield. Gott hit Kevin Kiermaier with a pitch and Springer cashed in with a single to center.
Left-hander Tim Mayza (1-0) pitched one inning for the win. Yimi Garcia worked the seventh, Erik Swanson handled the eighth, and Jordan Romano finished for his ninth save in 10 chances.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Springer led off and played right field. He left Wednesday’s win over Chicago after being hit on the right hand by a pitch. Toronto was off Thursday.
WEB GEM
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford made a great diving grab on Kiermaier’s hard grounder with runners at second and third in the second. Crawford snared the smash, which came off the bat at 107 mph, and threw to first to end the inning.
TEO’S IN TOWN Toronto welcomed former slugger Teoscar Hernández with a pregame video, and fans gave Hernández a brief ovation before his first at-bat.
“I thought it was pretty awesome,” Manoah said. “I tried to stay off the mound so he could enjoy that moment. He was great for us, an amazing teammate, great for the city and everybody here loves him.”
Manoah fanned Hernández to strand two runners. Hernández finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, all against Manoah.
NEW THREADS
The Mariners unveiled the new City Connect jerseys they’ll wear in Friday home games the remainder of the season.
UP NEXT
RHP Chris Flexen (0-4, 8.86) starts for Seattle on Saturday against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.84). Gausman started Game 2 of last year’s wild-card series against Seattle.
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