Saunders chips in to help Mariners take opener over Jays
Posted July 30, 2012 10:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SEATTLE, WA (NEWS1130) – Victoria’s Michael Saunders came home to score the winning run in the first inning and provided an insurance run with an RBI-double in the fifth as the Seattle Mariners topped the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1.
Blue Jays’ outfielder Rajai Davis got his team off to a quick start as he led-off the game with a home run to left field off of Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma.
The home team got on the board early as well. After loading the bases with no outs, Dustin Ackley came home to score on a double-play ball hit by John Jaso to tie the game. The Mariners took the lead on the next at-bat as Kyle Seager singled to bring home Saunders.
Seattle made it a 3-1 game in the second inning when Mike Carp scored on a fielding error by Langley’s Brett Lawrie.
Brendan Ryan rounded out the scoring when he reached the plate on Saunders’ double in the fifth.
Iwakuma improved his record to 2-2 as he recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts with just one run allowed on four hits in eight innings of work. His previous best in strikeouts was seven.
The win was the fifth in a row for the Mariners. The two teams will square off again tomorrow evening.
Toronto outfielder Travis Snider was pulled from the game in the seventh inning and was seen hugging teammates and coaches in the dugout, signalling a trade was imminent. Moments later he learned he had been sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitcher Brad Lincoln.
