Mariners beat Blue Jays 4-3
TORONTO — Kyle Seager homered and came within a triple of the cycle, Erasmo Ramirez pitched seven innings for his first major league win and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Starting for the first time since June 30, Ramirez (1-2) allowed two runs and six hits, setting down nine straight at one stretch. He walked one and struck out six.
Four relievers combined to work the eighth and Tom Wilhelmsen closed it for his 25th save in 28 chances.
Seager went 3 for 5. He had an RBI single in the first, doubled and scored in the third and homered in the fifth, his 18th, as the Mariners snapped a three-game losing streak.
The victory was Seattle’s 68th, one more than they recorded last season.
Toronto’s Brandon Morrow (8-6) matched a career high by allowing 11 hits as the Blue Jays failed to extend their winning streak to five games.
Morrow was in trouble from the start, giving up two runs and four hits in a shaky first inning. Seager singled home the first run and, two batters later, Michael Saunders made it 2-0 with a hit to left. John Jaso tried to score from second on the play, but was thrown out at the plate by Rajai Davis.
Toronto got one back off Ramirez in the bottom half on Yunel Escobar’s RBI single, but Adam Lind was thrown out trying to go from first to third, ending the rally.
Morrow got the Mariners in order in the second but ran into trouble again in the third. Jaso made it 3-1 with an RBI single but was thrown out on the bases by Davis for a second time when he tried to go from first to third on Jesus Montero’s single to left.
Seager’s leadoff homer in the fifth made it 4-2, but the Blue Jays cut it to one with a run in the eighth. Colby Rasmus doubled off Charlie Furbush, who was replaced by Josh Kinney. Edwin Encarnacion flied out, with Rasmus advancing to third. Lucas Luetge came on to face pinch-hitter Moises Sierra, who hit an RBI groundout. Stephen Pryor took over for Luetge and ended the inning by striking out Escobar.
Morrow allowed four runs in 4 2-3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Seattle center fielder Franklin Gutierrez made a rare error on Kelly Johnson’s deep fly ball to begin the bottom of the seventh. For Gutierrez, the miscue was his first in 301 games. He had gone 846 chances without an error, an AL record for outfielders.
NOTES: Blue Jays manager John Farrell said rookie RHP Chad Jenkins is being considered for a start in Toronto’s doubleheader at Baltimore on Sept. 24. ... Toronto Police and Fire officials took part in pregame ceremonies to mark the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks ... Attendance was 12,935, Toronto’s smallest crowd this season.