Mariners 4, Blue Jays 3
TORONTO -- Right-hander Felix Hernandez pitched seven strong innings and right fielder Nelson Cruz homered as the Seattle Mariners held on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Friday night.
Hernandez (7-1) allowed four hits, two walks and one run while striking out eight in the opener of a three-game series.
One of the hits Hernandez allowed was a first-inning home run by first baseman Edwin Encarnacion that put the Blue Jays into an early lead.
Right-hander Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 11th save despite giving up a leadoff double to Encarnacion and the second home run of the season by right fielder Chris Colabello.
Cruz hit his American League-leading 17th homer of the season to lead off the sixth to increase the Mariners' lead to three runs.
Seattle (19-22) took the lead in a three-run fourth keyed by a hit to right by first baseman Logan Morrison that was played into a two-run triple.
Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada (1-3) allowed six hits, three walks and four runs while striking out five in seven innings before right-hander Ryan Tepera replaced him in the eighth.
The Blue Jays (19-25) have lost three of the first five games of a 10-game homestand and have lost eight of their past 10. The Mariners have won eight of their past 13 games.
Right-hander Carson Smith took over from Hernandez to start the eighth. Shortstop Ryan Goins greeted Smith with a single, but second baseman Munenori Kawasaki grounded into a double play.
Encarnacion hit a 2-2 slider to left field for his 11th home run of the season to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead in the first inning. It was Encarnacion's second homer in as many games and his seventh this month.
The Mariners threatened in the second when Cruz led off with a double to right and third baseman Kyle Seager walked. Estrada retired the next three batters to preserve the lead.
Seager extended his hitting streak to eight games on an infield single with two out in the fourth. Designated hitter Welington Castillo walked. Both runners scored on a hit by Morrison that turned into a triple when Colabello made an ill-advised dive that allowed the ball to go to the wall.
Catcher Mike Zunino doubled down the left-field line to increase the lead to 3-1.
NOTES: Blue Jays INF Munenori Kawasaki started at second base on Friday night after being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo when 2B Devon Travis (left shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday. ... Toronto SS Jose Reyes (cracked left rib) played the second game of his rehabilitation assignment Friday with Triple-A Buffalo. He was 1-for-4 Thursday. ... Blue Jays INF/OF Danny Valencia started at third base to allow 3B Josh Donaldson to rest a nagging calf injury. ... Mariners CF Austin Jackson (sprained right ankle) is likely to remain on his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Tacoma at least through the weekend. ... Mariners 3B Kyle Seager played his 167th consecutive game, fourth among active major leaguers. He entered Friday's game batting .346 (18-for-52) with three homers and nine RBIs at Rogers Centre. ... LHP James Paxton (2-2, 3.59 ERA) starts for the Mariners on Saturday against Blue Jays LHP Mark Buehrle (5-3, 5.36).