The Toronto Blue Jays can win back-to-back series with a game set at Safeco Field.
The Blue Jays took two of three meetings at home versus the LA Angels of Anaheim before heading to the Emerald City for a three-game series. They lost Monday's series opener by a 6-5 score, but were able to even the set with last night's 13-7 pounding of the Mariners.
Colby Rasmus had a bases-clearing double and Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer to highlight a six-run first inning. Rasmus and Hill both ended with four RBI, while Jose Bautista clubbed a two-run homer -- his MLB-best 35th of the season -- and finished with three runs scored for Toronto, which got three hits from Brett Lawrie. Lawrie has hit safely in nine of his first 11 games.
Luis Perez worked four innings in relief to earn the win, giving up one run on three hits while fanning three and walking two. Starter Brad Mills was shaky and allowed six runs over the first three innings.
"The four innings by Luis Perez is probably the story in tonight's game," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "Just a very good overall effort from Luis and up and down our lineup."
Toronto will visit Oakland for a four-game series after this set in Seattle and is slated to send Brandon Morrow to the mound Wednesday. Morrow is just 1-3 in his last four starts and is coming off Friday's 5-1 setback to the Angels in which he permitted five runs -- four earned -- in seven innings. He is now 8-7 in 21 starts and raised his earned run average to 4.55.
Morrow, a right-hander, is 4-1 in nine starts away from Rogers Centre this season and faced Seattle for the first time in his career during an 11-6 win on July 20. He lasted seven innings in that one, allowing three runs and seven hits with seven K's and three walks.
Seattle had won three in a row and four of five games before getting slammed on Tuesday night. Jason Vargas didn't pitch past the fourth inning and was reached for eight runs and seven hits to absorb the loss. Tom Wilhelmsen and Aaron Laffey combined to allow five runs in relief.
"Vargas was up a little bit early but he was able to come back and throw up some zeros," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said of his starter. "He was throwing the ball well tonight, but just had some tough luck."
Miguel Olivo and Casper Wells each belted home runs, while Trayvon Robinson and Kyle Seager added two RBI apiece for the Mariners. Mark Carp had two hits and a pair of runs scored to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 16 games. Carp has also reached base safely in 25 straight games.
Wells has homered in four straight games, matching Danny Tartabull for the Mariners' rookie record. Tartabull went deep in four straight games from April 12-15, 1986.
The Mariners will hit the road for seven games against Tampa Bay and Cleveland following this matchup with the Jays and hope rookie Blake Beavan can right the ship when he takes the mound tonight. Beavan is 3-3 with a 3.59 earned run average in seven starts and had a two-game win streak stopped in Friday's 6-4 loss versus Boston. The right-hander was hit hard in that one, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3 frames.
Beavan has never faced Toronto in his career and is 2-2 in four trips to the Safeco Field mound.
Toronto had won four straight against the Mariners until losing Monday's series opener.
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