TORONTO – Rajai Davis hit a two-run double in the eighth inning on Thursday, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-5 victory and a three game sweep of the slumping Seattle Mariners.
The victory came under a closed dome at Rogers Centre due to sizzling temperatures in Toronto that reached the high 30s C.
Mariners catcher Miguel Olivo hit a grand slam against Jays reliever Casey Janssen tying the game 5-5 after Toronto starter Ricky Romero left with one out in the eighth. Romero struck out nine while giving up four runs and five hits in a no decision, his second to go with two losses over his past four starts.
Seattle starter Doug Fister, who could not get an out from five batters in the three-run seventh allowed five runs, four earned, five hits and three walks and did not figure in the decision.
Jon Rauch (4-3) picked up the win as Davis delivered after entering the game in the inning before as a pinch-runner against David Pauley (5-4).
The struggling Mariners, who have lost 12 in a row, were first to threaten when they had runners at second and third with two out in the third after Franklin Gutierrez singled and Ichiro Suzuki walked, then executed a double steal. But Romero caught Brendan Ryan looking at a third strike.
In the fifth, Romero walked Chone Figgins and Jack Wilson with two out. Romero was walking off the mound thinking he had struck out Ichiro on a 1-2 pitch but the right-fielder had barely fouled it to stay alive. Ichiro then singled up the middle and the Mariners led 1-0.
Romero limited the damage even though the throw from the outfield missed the cut-off man and allowed Ichiro to go to second to put runners at second and third. But Romero struck out Ryan again.
The Blue Jays tied the game in the fifth on a double by Mike McCoy who started at second as Aaron Hill was given the day off. It scored Edwin Encarnacion who led off with a walk and took second when J.P. Arencibia was hit by a pitch.
In the sixth the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead when Jose Bautista lined a double to left to score Eric Thames who reached first on a wild pitch after striking out.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the seventh on Corey Patterson’s infield single, Arencibia’s walk and Fister’s error on McCoy’s bunt that loaded the bases. Yunel Escobar singled to centre to score a run, reaching base for a career-best 25 consecutive games.
Thames walked to force in another run and Chris Ray, who replaced Fister, gave up Bautista’s sacrifice fly to increase Toronto’s lead to four.
Ichiro and Ryan had one-out infield singles in the eighth. Olivo’s slam, his 13th homer of the season, was the Mariners’ first of the season.
The Blue Jays winning rally started with McCoy’s double and a walk to Escobar with two out.
Notes: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 23,146. … Bautista made his third consecutive start at designated hitter on Thursday. He returned Tuesday after missing three games with an ankle injury. Manager John Farrell said Bautista likely will be back at third base Friday for the opener of a three-game series at Texas. … Travis Snider made his second start of the week in centre field after playing well there on Tuesday. It gave Toronto three left-handed bats in the outfield to face the right-handed Fister. … Jo-Jo Reyes (5-7, 4.94) will pitch for Toronto on Friday against the Rangers Colby Lewis (9-7, 4.07).
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