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Toronto's Davis swipes 2 in 14th, scores winning run

Jul 20, 2011 - 7:04 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Rajai Davis stole two bases and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the 14th inning, lifting the Blue Jays to a 6-5 victory and sending the Mariners to a 10th straight loss.

In the decisive inning, Davis singled with one out and was an immediate disruption to Jamey Wright (2-3) with John McDonald at bat. The Seattle reliever made four throws to first base before Davis swiped second.

Wright nearly had Davis picked off that base on a head-first slide, but Davis was called safe on a dive back to the bag. Davis then stole third, and scored easily when McDonald hit a fly ball to center on the sixth pitch of the plate appearance, giving Toronto the win.

"We didn't back down. We came off a tough series against New York and we responded to the call here tonight," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.

Casey Janssen (3-0), who was brought off the disabled list Tuesday, pitched a scoreless top of the 14th to get the win as the Blue Jays snapped a two-game slide.

Seattle started a nine-game road trip but couldn't end its losing streak -- the club's longest since dropping 12 in a row during 2008.

Toronto sent the Mariners to another loss after erasing a deficit in the seventh inning. The Blue Jays trailed 5-2, but got an RBI double from Yunel Escobar and a sacrifice fly by Eric Thames.

Jose Bautista tied the game with a lined single up the middle, highlighting his return to the lineup. The slugger had missed the last three games with a sore right ankle and went 1-for-6.

But neither offense could scored against the other team's bullpen after that.

The Blue Jays had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the ninth, when Davis entered as a pinch-runner, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Miguel Olivo. Thames grounded out, but Toronto didn't waste a similar opportunity again.

Both starters gave up five runs and didn't factor into the decision. Seattle got to Toronto's Brett Cecil for five in the first two innings, though he settled down to pitch seven frames. Meanwhile, the Mariners' Michael Pineda couldn't get out of a jam in the seventh and was pulled after recording one out.

The Mariners got on the board on Dustin Ackley's RBI single in the first, and a two-run blast by Adam Lind put the Blue Jays on top in the bottom half.

However, the Mariners responded with some long-awaited firepower of their own.

Mike Carp doubled and Chone Figgins singled to begin the second inning. Greg Halman then took two fastballs for strikes before seeing an elevated breaking over the plate. He wasn't fooled, jumping on the pitch and sending it over the left field wall.

Brendan Ryan hit a solo blast two batters later for a 5-2 edge.

The home runs were a display of power for a Seattle team that hadn't shown much lately. The Mariners went without a homer in their last nine games, with the last coming July 5 against Oakland.

"This isn't fun," Ryan said. "Going into the break we weren't anywhere near where we are now. It's definitely frustrating."

Game Notes

Pineda allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out six...Cecil allowed nine hits, walked one and fanned two...Escobar went 3-for-4 and has reached base in 23 consecutive games...Ryan and Carp finished with three hits for Seattle...Janssen was out with a right forearm strain. The Jays optioned left- hander Luis Perez to Triple-A Las Vegas to free a roster spot...The Blue Jays announced that second baseman Roberto Alomar will have his No. 12 uniform retired on July 31 at Rogers Centre, just days after the Puerto Rican infielder is enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He is the first Toronto player to have his jersey retired.