SEATTLE — Chris Colabello’s two-run, bases-loaded single in the ninth inning gave the Blue Jays an 8-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.
Josh Donaldson opened the ninth with a walk off Carson Smith (1-3). Jose Bautista then doubled into the right-field corner. It extended Bautista’s streak of reaching base against the Mariners to 36 games, including 33 with a hit. The streak dates to July 29, 2009.
Edwin Encarnacion was intentionally walked, drawing the infield in with no outs. Colabello then bounced his go-ahead single up the middle.
Aaron Sanchez (6-4), just off the disabled list, worked the eighth to earn the victory.
Roberto Osuna finished the ninth for his fifth save in six opportunities.
Robinson Cano had given the Mariners as 6-3 lead in the fourth with a three-run homer. Cano switched to the cleanup spot six games ago and has responded with a six-game hitting streak, a .417 average, with two home runs and seven RBI.
He now has a career .331 average with 84 extra-base hits in 164 career starts as the No. 4 hitter.
Jays Ezequiel Carrera tied the game at 6 in the eighth with his first career pinch-hit home run, a two-run shot to right off Fernando Rodney.
The Blue Jays have homered in eight consecutive games since the All-Star break.
Jesus Sucre, in just his 13th start at catcher for the Mariners, jolted a home run in the second. It was the first in his 126th big-league at-bat.
ALL SIX, ALL SET
After a constant shift of his lineup for four months, Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said, “I don’t see the first four, five, six guys in the lineup, changing.” Robinson Cano had moved to cleanup for five previous games and hit .450 with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs. Kyle Seager also had been plugged in at the second spot with slugger Nelson Cruz behind him. “It creates a lot of balance and makes it difficult to match up because of that big guy (Cruz) in the middle. You have to think about what you’re doing,” McClendon said.
ROLLING WITH SANCHEZ
RHP Aaron Sanchez, activated Saturday after five weeks on the DL (right lat strain), will switch from starter to a long relief role. “He’s coming back in a different role but he’s going to add to our bullpen, make us that much stronger,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “We’ll roll with this, especially coming off his injury, and see where it takes us.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: LHP Charlie Furbush (left biceps tendinitis) has had a setback in his recovery. “I’m concerned about him,” McClendon said. He was close to throwing off flat ground but that’s been scratched. LHP James Paxton, on the DL since May 29 (strained tendon in his left middle finger), should begin throwing off the mound over the next day or two.
Blue Jays: LHP Aaron Sanchez (right lat strain), on the DL since June 15, came off Saturday and will work out of the bullpen. RHP Steve Delabar was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker (7-7, 5.06) has had a gyrating season and right now he’s at the low end. Over his past three starts he is 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA. From May 29 to July 1, he was 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA. He’s winless in two career starts against Toronto, 0-2, 3.29 ERA
Blue Jays: LHP Mark Buehrle (11-5, 3.23) is on pace for his best (of three) seasons with the Jays and one of the best of his 16-year career. He’s tied for second in the AL in wins and first in complete games with four, one short of his career season high. He is 8-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 19 appearances against Seattle.
