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Blue Jays push Mariners' losing streak to 11

Jul 21, 2011 - 4:50 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Travis Snider hit a three-run homer and drove in five, as Toronto routed Seattle, 11-6, to push the Mariners' losing streak to 11 games.

In full free-fall mode, the Mariners are on their longest losing streak since a 12-game slide during the 2008 season. Jason Vargas (6-8) and the rest of the arms gave up 14 hits and seven walks, with the starter responsible for five runs on six hits and five walks over just three innings.

Brendan Ryan had two singles and a double and scored twice, while Dustin Ackley hit a two-run homer as part of a three-RBI night for the Mariners.

"We definitely are swinging the bats better the last couple of nights, but the game got out of hand for us," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge.

Brandon Morrow (7-4) was the benefactor of the offensive outburst, giving up three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over seven frames. Edwin Encarnacion came within a triple of the cycle, hitting a solo homer and scoring four runs. Adam Lind also hit a solo home run and scored twice for the Blue Jays, who improved to 3-2 against the Mariners this season.

"He settled down after some high pitch counts in the first couple of innings," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said of Morrow. "To get through seven innings, just another outstanding night for him tonight."

After breezing through the first frame, Vargas lost all command of the strike zone in the second, and paid the price. Back-to-back singles put runners at the corners before Snider's flyout to center scored Lind. Aaron Hill walked and Jose Molina also worked a free pass with two outs to load the bases. Vargas' third walk in four batters to Yunel Escobar plated one run and two more runs scored when Eric Thames ripped a ground-rule double to left that one-hopped into the stands in foul territory.

Vargas again ran into difficulty in the third, as Encarnacion drove a double that bounced off the left-field wall and cruised home on Snider's single to center.

Seattle pushed across its first runs in the fourth with a two-out rally. Josh Bard drove home Adam Kennedy and Kyle Seager with a double tight to the right- field line.

Toronto kept its foot on the pedal in the bottom of the frame against the new hurler Jamey Wright. Jose Bautista and Lind worked one-out walks, and after an Encarnacion grounder to short that erased Lind at second, Snider back-legged a hanging breaking pitch, driving it over the wall in right-center field for an 8-2 game.

The Blue Jays reached double digits in the sixth as Encarnacion got within a triple of the cycle with a solo homer to center field, then a two-out rally pushed across another run, as Rajai Davis doubled, moved to third on Molina's single and walked home on John McDonald's base hit to left.

Back-to-back doubles by Ryan and Ackley plated Seattle's third run in the seventh, but Lind answered with a solo home run in the home half to keep the eight-run margin.

Seattle played long ball, too little, too late, for the final margin. Kennedy launched a solo homer in the eighth and Ackley crushed a pitch out over the plate in the ninth.

Game Notes

Seattle loaded the bases with nobody out on a single and two walks in the first inning, but a strikeout, a pop out to the catcher and a line drive to short ended the frame without a run....Kennedy hit his seventh home run of the season, while Ackley clubbed his fourth...Lind recorded his 18th long ball of the campaign, while Encarnacion hit his seventh and Snider his third of the season...The Mariners are in the midst of a nine-game road trip with trips left to Boston and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.