Blue Jays 7, Marlins 2
TORONTO -- Right-hander Scott Copeland pitched seven strong innings in his first major league start as the Toronto Blue Jays stretched their season-best winning streak to eight games with a 7-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday afternoon.
First baseman Justin Smoak, catcher Russell Martin, shortstop Jose Reyes and third baseman Josh Donaldson homered for the Blue Jays, who swept the three-game series to finish their home stand at 6-0.
Copeland (1-0), who made two relief appearances in his previous stint with Toronto, held the Marlins to six hits, no walks and one run while striking out four.
Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler (4-4) allowed eight hits, two walks and six runs, and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings. He gave up three home runs.
Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna extended his season-best hitting streak to 11 games when he hit his fourth homer of the season against left-hander Brett Cecil in the ninth.
The Blue Jays (31-30) scored twice in the second. Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion started the rally with an infield single to third that took a weird bounce.
Smoak hit a ground-rule double to right.
The first run scored on a chopped infield single by Martin, who continued to second on third baseman Martin Prado's errant throw home.
Center fielder Kevin Pillar hit a sacrifice fly to left to make the score 2-0.
The Blue Jays stretched the lead to 5-0 in the fourth.
Encarnacion led off with a double that right fielder Ichiro Suzuki had in his glove at the wall but failed to hold.
On the next pitch, Smoak hit his fourth homer of the season into the second deck in right. Martin hit his ninth homer of the season to right center on a 3-2 pitch.
The Marlins (24-36) scored in the fifth on a one-out single by catcher Jeff Mathis and a two-out triple by Suzuki.
Reyes restored Toronto's five-run lead with his second homer of the season with two-out in the seventh to send Koehler from the game.
Right-hander Sam Dyson took over for the Marlins and was greeted by Donaldson's 17th homer of the season.
It was the second time in the game, and the third time this season, that the Blue Jays had hit back-to-back home runs.
Left-hander Adam Conley, called up from Triple-A New Orleans on Monday, made his major league debut for the Marlins in the eighth and had a 1-2-3 inning.
NOTES: RHP Aaron Sanchez, who skipped his scheduled start Wednesday for Toronto, will start next on Tuesday against the New York Mets. Manager John Gibbons said the rookie had general soreness after pitching into the ninth inning in his last start. ... RF Giancarlo Stanton was the Marlins' designated hitter Wednesday for the second time in the series after playing right field Tuesday in his two-homer game. OF Ichiro Suzuki was in right field Wednesday. ... The Blue Jays have Thursday off before visiting the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series starting Friday when they will send out RHP Drew Hutchison (5-1, 4.91 ERA) against RHP Joe Kelly (2-4, 5.40 ERA). ... The Marlins return home Thursday to open a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies with RHP David Phelps (2-3, 4.68 ERA) starting. The Rockies starter is to be determined.