Blue Jays 3, Mariners 1
Mark DeRosa delivered a tiebreaking two-run, pinch-hit single and R.A. Dickey pitched 7 2/3 strong innings as visiting Toronto beat Seattle in the opener of a three-game series.
Jose Reyes had a run-scoring single off Hisashi Iwakuma (10-5) earlier in the eighth and the Blue Jays loaded the bases before DeRosa stroked an 0-2 pitch from Oliver Perez into left field to cap a three-run uprising.
Dickey (9-11) allowed one run and eight hits to snap a five-start winless streak dating back to July 1. Aaron Loup recorded the final out of the eighth and Casey Janssen worked a perfect ninth for his 20th save in 22 opportunities.
The contest was scoreless until Seattle’s Justin Smoak led off the seventh by drilling a high knuckleball from Dickey well into the right-field stands. Toronto tied the score in the eighth when Brett Lawrie tripled and scored on Reyes’ single.
Iwakuma took a two-hit shutout into the eighth before wilting. He was charged with two runs and four hits while losing for the first time since July 4.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Lawrie went 3-for-4 and fell a homer short of the cycle. … LHP J.A. Happ will start Wednesday’s game for Toronto in his first appearance since being hit in the head by a line drive May 7. … Seattle C Jesus Montero drew a 50-game suspension for his part in the Biogenesis scandal. Montero was sent to the minors in May after a slow start.