Blue Jays salvage series with 4-3 win over Mariners, snap six-game losing streak in Seattle

Things worth mentioning…

• Alek Manoah took the mound looking to bounce back after his ugly start against the San Diego Padres in Toronto earlier this week. The big man went five-and-one-third innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits, four walks, and six strikeouts. The command was an issue but Manoah had a season-high 14 whiffs, including 10 whiffs on his slider. Getting that slider working effectively is key to Manoah getting back on track as an effective big-league starter.

• Tim Mayza came into the game in the sixth inning and allowed one inherited run from Manoah to score but that was the only damage that Toronto’s bullpen gave up. Mayza finished off the sixth and got one out in the seventh, Erik Swanson got two outs in the seventh, and Trevor Richards pitched a clean inning in the eighth. Things got a little sketchy in the ninth inning. Jordan Romano hit Dylan Moore to start the inning and then walked Kolten Wong, setting up the top of Seattle’s order. After J.P. Crawford bunted the runners to second and third, Romano struck out Julio Rodriguez and got Eugenio Suarez to fly out to left to end the game.
• Three of Toronto’s four runs came by way of the long ball. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smashed a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Brandon Belt scraped one over the outfield wall in the sixth inning with some assistance from Teoscar Hernandez.

• The game was tied at 3-3 in the seventh inning and the Blue Jays pulled ahead with some small ball. Whit Merrifield led off the inning with a walk and Daulton Varsho moved him over to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Santiago Espinal pinch-hit for Kevin Kiermaier and smacked a single into left field to score Merrifield.
• Danny Jansen was hit by a 95-mile-per-hour fastball from starting pitcher Bryan Woo in the fifth inning. He stayed in the game for another couple of innings before Alejandro Kirk came in and pinch-hit for him in his next at-bat. The Blue Jays announced that Jansen has a left forearm contusion and X-rays for a possible fracture came back negative.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO