Right-hander Bowden Francis pitched six solid innings, right fielder Addison Barger had three assists and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Friday night.
Former Blue Jay Rowdy Tellez hit a solo home run for the Mariners in the opener of a three-game series.
Toronto has won three in a row while Seattle lost for just the second time in eight games.
The Blue Jays scored a first-inning run against right-hander Bryan Woo (2-1). Bo Bichette singled, stole second, took third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s groundout to first and scored when Anthony Santander lined a sacrifice fly to left.
Tellez tied the game with two outs in the second when he drove a first-pitch fastball from Francis (2-2) over the right field wall.
The Blue Jays regained their lead in their second. George Springer singled, Alejandro Kirk walked and Will Wagner singled to load the bases. Alan Roden hit a sacrifice fly to left.
Cal Raleigh, who entered the game with nine career homers against Toronto, lined a single off the wall in right in the fourth but was thrown out at second by Barger. Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch but was caught in a rundown between third and home on Luke Raley’s double to right.
Toronto padded the lead in the home fourth. Springer led off with a double and scored on Kirk’s one-out single.
The Mariners continued to run themselves into outs in the fifth. Tellez walked and Miles Mastrobuoni singled. The slow-footed Tellez was out at third after tagging up on Ben Williamson’s flyout to right. It was Barger’s third outfield assist of the game.
Francis allowed one run, five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings before Mason Fluharty replaced him in the seventh and survived a leadoff walk and a stolen base with help from Chad Green, who retired the final batter.
Woo retired his final nine batters, allowing three runs, seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in seven innings.
Toronto reliever Yimi Garcia survived a hit batter in the eighth.
Jeff Hoffman pitched a clean ninth with two strikeouts to earn his fifth save.
–Field Level Media
