SEATTLE Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk blew the wall in the second inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays hit four homers in total to avoid the sweep with an 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Hernandez and Grichuck hit 20 home runs this season during a three-touch second inning off rookie Logan Gilbert, and the Blue Jays exited Seattle without giving up any more ground in the AL wild-card race.
Mexico’s Alejandro Kirk added a two-run double with two outs in the third inning to back up Steven Matz’s strong performance, helping break Toronto’s three-game losing streak.
Seattle missed an opportunity to pass Toronto in the wild-card race. After a solid offensive display in the first two games of the series, Seattle’s gunpowder dried up against Matz (10-7). The only run against the left-hander came in the first inning and without taking the ball out of the box. JP Crawford scored with a single, two wild pitches and a pass ball.
Seattle’s other runs came with Kyle Seager’s 26th home run of the season in the eighth inning.
Hernandez blew the wall for the second game in a row and the Blue Jays took advantage when Gilbert (5-4) went down on the count and missed the location of his fastball.
Hernandez added a single in the third inning and a double in the fifth. He missed the opportunity to hit the cycle by striking out in the seventh inning.
Corey Dickerson and Marcus Semien also hit solo home runs for Toronto, both off reliever Yohan Ramirez.
For the Blue Jays, the Dominicans Teoscar Hernández 4-3 with one RBI and two runs; Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 5-1 with a run scored; Santiago Espinal from 4-3. Mexican Alejandro Kirk 4-1 with two RBIs. Venezuelan Breyvic Valera 4-0.
For the Mariners, Venezuelans Luis Torrens and Abraham Toro 4-1 each.
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