Jays, Mariners both winners on Friday night
Happ earns 100th career victory as Toronto beats visiting Baltimore, 5-1
TORONTO — J.A. Happ earned his 100th career victory and the Toronto Blue Jays hit three solo homers in a 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Rogers Centre.
Happ (8-3) held the Orioles to a pair of hits and an unearned run over a strong seven-inning performance.
Russell Martin went deep in the second inning, Randal Grichuk homered in the fifth and Kevin Pillar went yard in the eighth as Toronto won its second straight game over Baltimore (19-43).
It was the first time the Blue Jays (28-35) posted back-to-back victories since April 30-May 1.
Ryan Tepera got the final four outs for his third save.
The Orioles took advantage of a Devon Travis error to get on the board in the second inning. The Toronto second baseman was low with a throw to first on a double-play attempt, allowing Danny Valencia to score.
Martin answered in the bottom half after getting the green light on a 3-0 pitch from Andrew Cashner (2-8). It was the Canadian’s sixth homer of the year.
Grichuk, coming off his first three-hit night as a Blue Jay, led off the fifth by taking a 1-1 pitch deep for his fourth home run of the season.
Grichuk followed up in the sixth with some stellar defence. The right-fielder made a slick diving catch near the foul line to retire Manny Machado.
Toronto’s Teoscar Hernandez scored in the sixth inning on a Martin single and drove in Yangervis Solarte in the seventh with his fifth triple of the year. Hernandez has had 28 of his 48 hits go for extra bases.
Happ, meanwhile, was in top form over his 105-pitch outing. The veteran left-hander walked a pair and had three strikeouts.
Pillar tacked on an insurance run with his sixth homer of the season. Toronto outhit Baltimore 13-5.
NOTES: The Blue Jays are expected to provide an update today on the injury status of blue-chip prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The double-A star had his sore left knee examined Friday in Dunedin. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats have placed him on the seven-day disabled list. . . Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez (3-5, 4.48 ERA) is scheduled to start today against fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-5).
Seattle holds off Tampa Bay 4-3 for 16th win in 20 games
ST. PETERSBIRG, Fla. — Marco Gonzales won his fourth straight start and the surging Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night for their 16th win in 20 games.
Gonzales (7-3) pitched into the eighth inning, leaving the game after taking a throw at first base too late to retire a sliding Mallex Smith.
The left-hander gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Christian Arroyo had a solo homer in the fifth and C.J. Cron added a two-run shot in the eighth off former teammate Alex Colome to pull the Rays within a run.
However, Edwin Diaz got the final four outs for his 22nd save in 25 opportunities, finishing off the Mariners’ 20th one-run win of the season and sending the Rays to their eighth straight loss.
Singles by Guillermo Heredia and Daniel Vogelbach helped the Mariners take a 2-0 lead in the third inning off Rays starter Wilmer Font.
Mitch Haniger drove in one of the Mariners’ two runs off Rays reliever Matt Andriese with a single in the fifth, pushing Seattle’s lead to 4-0. It was Haniger’s 47th RBI of the season, tying a career high.
Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (6-4) will make his 18th career start against Tampa Bay today. He is 9-2 against the Rays, including his perfect game on Aug. 15, 2012.