Kyle Seager hit two home runs and Nelson Cruz added another as the Seattle Mariners powered their way to a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays on Sunday.
The Mariners had been held to three or fewer runs in 18 of their past 23 games, including three straight losses to the Blue Jays to begin the series, but got 10 hits on Sunday as they snapped a five-game losing streak.
Toronto tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh after shortstop Aledmys Diaz hit his 14th home run of the season off of Seattle starter Mike Leake. But the Mariners responded in the bottom of the inning. Cruz and Seager cracked off back-to-back homers against reliever Joe Biagini with one out after Jean Segura led off the inning with a single.
Alex Colome pitched a scoreless eighth and Edwin Diaz locked down his major-league-leading 41st save of the season as the Mariners avoided the series sweep.
Cruz finished with four RBIs, driving in the game’s first two runs with an RBI single off the glove of Diaz in the third. Seager hit his first homer of the game when he took Toronto starter Sam Gaviglio deep on the first pitch of the fifth inning, giving Seattle a 3-1 lead.
Diaz finished 3 for 4 to lead Toronto and accounted for all three of the team’s runs, scoring on an RBI single by catcher Luke Maile after leading off the fifth inning with a double.
Leake lasted 6⅔ innings, allowing nine hits and striking out five. Seattle left-hander Zach Duke (4-4) got the victory by striking out the only batter he faced, ending the top of the seventh.
Gaviglio allowed seven hits while striking out seven and walking three against his former team, suffering his fifth straight loss. He made 11 starts with the Mariners in 2017.
Toronto is off on Monday. Right-hander Marcus Stroman (4-8, 5.63 ERA) takes the mound on Tuesday as the Blue Jays return home for a three-game series against the Red Sox. Stroman allowed four runs in five innings in his last start against Boston, a 5-2 loss on July 15.