Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi pitched six scoreless innings, Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman hit solo home runs and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 6-2 Monday night.
Kikuchi (2-1), making his first start against his former team, allowed one hit and three walks while striking out six in the opener of a three-game series.
Eugenio Suarez hit a solo homer for Seattle.
Seattle right-hander Chris Flexen (1-6) allowed three runs, six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a single in the third to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
Bichette hit his fourth homer of the season with one out in the first inning.
Chapman hit his sixth homer of the season with two out in the second.
Kikuchi retired 11 in a row after walking Ty France in the first before Jesse Winker led off the fifth with a double.
Penn Murfee replaced Flexen with one out in the bottom of the sixth with two runners on base through walks. The right-hander struck out Danny Jansen before yielding Raimel Tapia’s RBI single.
Trevor Richards replaced Kikuchi in the seventh and allowed Eugenio Suarez’s seventh home run of the season — and 200th of his career — with one out. After two walks, Yimi Garcia took over and allowed pinch hitter Adam Frazier’s single that loaded the bases. The inning ended on a shallow flyout and a groundout.
Bichette singled and Guerrero walked to open the bottom of the seventh against Wyatt Mills. They advanced on a wild pitch and scored on pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk’s single.
Toronto’s Ryan Borucki pitched a perfect eighth.
Bichette had an RBI single against Roenis Elias in the bottom of the eighth for his third hit of the game.
Ross Stripling allowed one run in the ninth on a walk, Santiago Espinal’s error and Frazier’s RBI single before Adam Cimber recorded to outs to earn his second save of the season.
Toronto put left-hander Tim Mayza (left forearm inflammation) on the injured list Monday and recalled left-hander Andrew Vasquez from Triple-A Buffalo.
Seattle placed right-hander Drew Steckenrider on the restricted list and selected left-hander Elias from Triple-A Tacoma.
–Field Level Media
