Blue Jays 5 Mariners 1
SEATTLE — Brandon Morrow allowed three hits and one run over six innings and the Toronto Blue Jays connected for three home runs in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners Wednesday night.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homer to open the second, Adam Lind had a three-run shot in the third and Colby Rasmus led off the fourth with his second. The three home runs gave the Jays eight for the three-game series.
Morrow (9-7), who didn’t allow a hit until there were two outs in the fourth, struck out a season-high 12. It’s the fourth time this season he has fanned 10 or more.
This marked the first time Morrow had faced his former team in Seattle, which took him in the first round of the 2006 draft. He was traded before the 2010 season for now Mariners closer Brandon League. He did not pitch in the Jays’ previous two visits to Seattle.
Casper Wells, who had his streak of four home runs in four straight games ended, left the game in the sixth after being hit in the face by a pitch from Morrow. The 97-mph fastball caromed off the tip his nose. Blood poured out as the trainer examined him. X-rays were negative.
Jesse Litsch, Casey Janssen and Frank Francisco each worked a hitless inning of relief.
Encarnacion hit a 1-2 pitch from Blake Beavan (3-4) for his 12th home run. Over his last 19 games, he’s hitting .386.
Lind, also down in the count at 0-2, connected on his 22nd for a 4-0 lead after three.
He has three home runs and 10 RBIs over his last eight games.
Beavan went just five innings, throwing 98 pitches. He allowed five runs on six hits. In his last two starts, he has allowed 11 runs and 17 hits in 11 1-3 innings.
Morrow held the Mariners hitless until two outs in the fourth when Mike Carp roped a clean single to right. Carp has been a tough out since he arrived from triple-A July 19. The single extended his hitting streak to 17 games. He is hitting .379 with four home runs and 18 RBIs during the streak.
He also has reached base safely in 26 straight games.
The Mariners finally got to Morrow in the sixth. With one out, Ichiro Suzuki beat out an infield single. He moved to second on a wild pitch and came home on Franklin Gutierrez’s double off the left-centre wall.
The threat continued as Ackley walked. With two outs, Wells was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Adam Kennedy replaced him. Morrow then struck out Trayvon Robinson, looking, for his 12th.