Blue Jays 8, Mariners 2
TORONTO -- Ryan Goins and Edwin Encarnacion each hit two-run homers in the fifth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 8-2 on Sunday.
Rookie right-hander Aaron Sanchez (4-4) allowed seven hits, two walks and two runs with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory and enable the Blue Jays to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Goins, the Blue Jays' shortstop, finished with three RBIs.
Third baseman Kyle Seager homered for the Mariners to extend his hit streak to 10 games.
Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker (1-5) allowed six hits -- including two home runs -- four walks and four runs while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings.
Sanchez escaped trouble in the first inning with the help of a successful challenge of a call at first base.
Second baseman Brad Miller led off with a walk and left fielder Seth Smith singled. Designated hitter Robinson Cano hit into a double play as Miller took third. Right fielder Nelson Cruz was called safe at first on his grounder despite Goins' fine play as Miller crossed the plate.
The video review determined that first baseman Justin Smoak had his foot on the bag when stretching to catch the throw and Cruz was called out to erase the run.
Seager led off the second with his seventh homer of the season and his second in two games.
Goins hit his first home run of the season in the fifth to push the Blue Jays into a 2-1 lead. It followed a bloop single to right by center fielder Kevin Pillar, the Blue Jays' first hit of the game.
Catcher Russell Martin hit a two-out double to keep the fifth going for DH Encarnacion, who blasted a 3-2 pitch to left for his 12th homer of the season to increase the lead to 4-1.
The Mariners (20-23) cut the lead to 4-2 in the seventh. Seager led off with a single, moved to third on a wild pitch and a groundout and scored on catcher Welington Castillo's sacrifice fly to right.
The Blue Jays (20-26) scored four runs in their seventh. Encarnacion beat out an infield single to second with one out against right-handed reliever Danny Farquhar.
Left fielder Chris Colabello doubled to right to move Encarnacion to third. Smoak, a former Mariner, hit an RBI single to right.
Left-hander Joe Beimel took over and right fielder Ezequiel Carrera scored another run with a bunt single. Pillar walked to load the bases. Goins walked to force in a run.
Steve Tolleson, pinch-hitting for second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, hit a grounder to third that forced Goins at second. Tolleson was called out at first for what would have been an inning-ending double play but a video review determined that Tolleson was safe and Toronto had its fourth run of the inning.
NOTES: RF Jose Bautista (sore right shoulder) was out of Toronto's lineup Sunday after receiving a cortisone injection. He has been restricted to designated hitter for the past month because the shoulder prevents him from throwing. ... With Bautista out, 1B Edwin Encarnacion was at designated hitter and 1B Justin Smoak played first base. ... 2B Robinson Cano was the Mariners DH on Sunday to give him a day off the artificial turf. INF Brad Miller played second base. RF Nelson Cruz was back in right field after being DH on Saturday. ... The Mariners start LHP Roenis Elias (1-1, 2.76 ERA) on Monday against RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-4, 2.43 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series at Tampa Bay. ... Toronto starts RHP Drew Hutchison (3-1, 6.06 ERA) on Monday against Chicago White Sox RHP Hector Noesi (0-3, 5.60 ERA) in the opener of a three-game that will end the 10-game homestand.