SEATTLE (AP) — Carlos Santana hit his first home run since being acquired by Seattle, hitting a two-run shot off Toronto starter Alek Manoah that led the Mariners to a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday night. .
Seattle won its seventh straight and has taken 15 of its last 18. The 15-3 streak is the Mariners’ best 18-game streak since 2003.
Santana’s home run came in the seventh inning after Seattle had gotten just one hit from Manoah in the first six. JP Crawford led off the seventh with a single and Santana ambushed a fastball in the middle of the plate for his fifth home run of the season and his biggest hit to date with the Mariners.
Santana was acquired in late June from Kansas City for a pair of pitchers.
Robbie Ray faced his former team for the first time and pitched six innings, allowing only three hits and one run on George Springer’s 16th home run of the season leading off the sixth inning. Ray won the AL Cy Young Award last season with the Blue Jays, but did not travel to Toronto when the teams met in May due to border restrictions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Ray struck out six and got out of a big jam in the fifth inning when Toronto loaded the bases with no outs and couldn’t score. In his last six starts, Ray has a 0.91 ERA with 11 walks and 46 strikeouts.
Matt Brash (2-3) struck out a pair as part of a perfect seventh inning, including a 13-pitch strikeout by Lordes Gurriel Jr. that included nine foul balls.
Pitching for the third straight day, Diego Castillo struggled in the ninth after one-out singles by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk. Castillo grounded out Teoscar Hernandez and Matt Chapman for his fifth save.
Manoah (9-4) matched Ray, pitching 7 1/3 innings, but took the loss. Manoah didn’t allow a hit until Ty France’s one-out double in the fourth and allowed a total of three runners until trouble in the seventh.
Manoa struck out seven and walked four.
SPRINGER’S DINNER
Toronto’s entire offense came from a Springer swing. It was his 23rd career home run against Seattle. He has shot 13 of 23 at T-Mobile Park.
LIST MOVEMENTS
Seattle made a number of moves to beef up its bullpen, calling up Brash and Matt Festa from Triple-A Tacoma. RHP Ken Giles was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and RHP Erik Swanson was placed on the paternity list.
Seattle also sent rookie starting pitcher George Kirby to Tacoma. With a day off Monday and the All-Star break looming, it’s an easy way for Seattle to manage Kirby’s innings. Right-handed pitcher Jacob Barnes was selected from Tacoma to fill Kirby’s spot.
Receiver Luis Torrens (shoulder) was also activated from the 10-day IL and C Andrew Knapp was designated for assignment.
COACHES ROOM
Blue Jays: Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo wasn’t ready to name a starter for Sunday’s series finale, but it won’t be right-hander Kevin Gausman. Montoyo said Gausman wouldn’t be back in the rotation until Tuesday at the earliest. Gausman took a bruised ankle in his last start and was cut from his scheduled shift on Thursday.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Blue Jays: Toronto is expected to make it a bullpen day and announce a starter on Sunday.
Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (10-3, 2.61) looks to join Houston’s Justin Verlander as the only 11-game winners in the American League. Gilbert allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last start against San Diego. Gilbert has pitched at least five innings in each start this season.
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