Mariners 7, Blue Jays 5
Logan Morrison homered twice and drove in four runs as Seattle snapped a five-game slide and salvaged the series finale against host Toronto.
Mike Zunino added a solo home run and Kyle Seager drove in a pair for the Mariners, who kept their fledgling postseason hopes alive by moving within 2 1/2 games of Oakland and Kansas City in the American League wild-card race with three games to play. Tom Wilhelmsen started a bullpen game for the Seattle staff and allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings while Yoervis Medina (5-3) picked up the win and Fernando Rodney - the ninth Mariners pitcher - worked the final frame for his 47th save.
Aaron Loup (4-4) surrendered the second of Morrison’s two go-ahead home runs to absorb the loss in relief for the Blue Jays. Anthony Gose and Adam Lind each singled in a run and Kevin Pillar homered off Rodney in the ninth as Toronto had a three-game winning streak come to an end.
The Blue Jays rallied for two runs in the second on Gose’s single and an RBI fielder’s choice from Ryan Goins before the Mariners took their first lead in the fourth. Todd Redmond came on for Toronto with two on and one out and surrendered Seager’s RBI single to center before Morrison drove a first-pitch sinker out to center for a three-run blast.
Edwin Encarnacion delivered a sacrifice fly and Lind’s single to right-center tied it in the fifth, but Morrison led off the sixth and drove a fastball from Loup over the wall in right-center. Zunino greeted Dustin McGowan with a solo blast later in the sixth and Seager’s second RBI single plated James Jones in the seventh.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Daniel Norris made his first career start for Toronto and allowed two runs on one hit and a pair of walks in 3 1/3 innings. … Encarnacion (98) is two RBIs shy of his third straight 100-RBI season. … Seattle hosts the Los Angeles Angels on Friday to start the final series of the regular season while the Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles.