Right-hander Brandon Morrow can stay unbeaten against his former team Tuesday when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.
Morrow was the fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Mariners and debuted with them a season later, winning three of seven decisions in 60 relief appearances with a 4.12 earned run average.
He became a part-time closer and saved 10 games with a 3.34 ERA in 64 2/3 innings in 45 appearances a season later, then started 10 times in 26 games with a 2-4 record and a 4.39 ERA in his final Seattle season in 2009.
Morrow was traded to the Blue Jays in December 2009 and has been exclusively a starter since, winning 29 games in 72 starts across two-plus seasons while going 3-0 against the Mariners with a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings.
The last matchup came April 28 in Toronto, where Morrow tossed six shutout innings of five-hit ball while walking none and striking out nine.
For the Mariners, Nicaraguan righty Erasmo Ramirez makes his fifth start in his 13th major-league appearance.
The 22-year-old debuted with six appearances in April with a 2.61 ERA in 10 1/3 innings - including a scoreless two-thirds of an inning against the Blue Jays in a game the Mariners won, 9-5.
He's started four times and relieved twice more in six appearances since, allowing a combined 12 runs in 21 1/3 innings, including scoreless outings of 2 2/3 and one inning in his last two stints.
Ramirez has spent some time at Triple-A Tacoma this season as well, allowing 81 hits and striking out 58 batters while going 6-3 in 15 starts with a 3.72 ERA.
On Sunday in Seattle, Tommy Milone tossed six strong innings to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 4-2 win over the Mariners and complete a three-game sweep.
Jason Vargas (14-10) gave up three runs on four hits and fanned six over seven innings to absorb the loss.
Kyle Seager homered and Michael Saunders added an RBI triple for the Mariners, who have dropped three straight.
"We're getting our hits, but we're not doing any damage with it," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "Whether it be stringing hits together or extra-base hits."
In Boston, Rajai Davis scored on an Omar Vizquel sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, giving the Blue Jays a 4-3 win and a series sweep over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
On the heels of a four-game slide, the Blue Jays won their fourth game in a row. Vizquel drove in two runs, both on sacrifice flies.
Brandon Lyon (2-2) was the winning pitcher for Toronto. He came on with two away in the eighth inning and forced Boston's Dustin Pedroia to ground out to short to end the inning.
The Mariners won four of the first six games between the teams in 2012, while the Blue Jays won the 2011 season series, six games to three.
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