Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right, looks at his glove after an apparent problem with his strap after Seattle Mariners’ Sam Haggerty (0) safely reached first during the fifth entry to a baseball game, Sunday, July 10th. 2022, in Seattle.Ted S. Warren / The Associated Press
Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a throw through the strap of his glove and the Seattle Mariners took advantage for their eighth straight win, defeating Toronto 6-5 on Sunday with two homers. by Carlos Santana.
A day after Santana hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to win 2-1, he connected for a two-run lead in the eighth. The Mariners are 16-3 in their best 19-game stretch since 2003.
Blue Jays starter Max Castillo retired in the fifth with a 4-1 lead after conceding a pair of singles with an out, and reliever David Phelps walked Justin Upton to load the bases.
Sam Haggerty then landed on Phelps, who threw home to start what appeared to be an easy double end-of-entry game. But pitcher Gabriel Moreno’s shot broke Guerrero’s first-base glove and allowed a run to score.
Guerrero continued to stare in amazement as his glove as Phelps, who had begun to turn the mound to celebrate, stopped abruptly. Julio Rodriguez followed with a simple RBI that reduced Toronto’s lead to 4-3.
Bo Bichette homered, two singles and made three runs for the Blue Jays, who were swept in the four-game series and have lost nine of their last 10.
George Springer hit a homer on the first pitch of the game for the Blue Jays, his 17th home run of the season and his 51st man of his career. Raimel Tapia also made a man for Toronto.
Santana, acquired in Kansas City in late June, hit an initial home run in the second.
Moreno dropped a JP Crawford pop-up to start Seattle’s eighth. Santana connected on Adam Cimber (8-3) for his seventh home run this season, three for the Mariners.
The Mariners tied it at 4 with Cal Raleigh’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. Bitchette homered on the seventh.
Seattle starter Logan Gilbert allowed four runs with nine hits, both equaling their season highs, in six innings.
Matt Festa (1-0) threw a perfect eighth for the win and Paul Sewald got his tenth stop.
TURNING POINTS
On Saturday, the Mariners opted for rookie incumbent George Kirby at Triple-A Tacoma to reduce their workload. Seattle coach Scott Servais said he expects Kirby to make a two- or three-entry outing to Tacoma and return to the Mariners rotation after the All-Star break. Instead Wednesday in Washington, Seattle may have a bullpen day or start the long relay Tommy Milone, Servais said. Marco Gonzales will start Thursday in Texas.
UNTIL NEXT
Blue Jays: Toronto has a day off Monday and has not announced a starter for Tuesday’s home game against Philadelphia.
Mariners: RHP Chris Flexen (5-8, 4.00 ERA) will open the two-game series from Seattle to Washington on Tuesday. Flexen has won its last three headlines.