Blue Jays 3 - 5 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Mariners sweep Blue Jays, win seventh straight

Aug 2, 2012 - 5:42 AM

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Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Eric Thames hit a game-tying two-run home run in the fifth inning and John Jaso had the deciding RBI single in the sixth to lift the Seattle Mariners over the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, and complete the sweep of a three-game set at Safeco Field.

Dustin Ackley also knocked in a run for Seattle, which stretched its season- high win streak up to seven games.

It is the Mariners' longest win streak since an eight-game run from June 23- July 1, 2007.

Blake Beaven (7-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over 7 2/3 innings to earn the win. Tom Wilhelmsen worked a perfect ninth to record his 15th save of the year.

Carlos Villanueva (6-1) surrendered four runs on seven hits through six full frames for the Blue Jays, who have dropped four straight.

Colby Rasmus and Kelly Johnson each hit a solo home run in defeat.

Toronto jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning on Rasmus' one-out shot over the right-center field wall.

Neither team recorded a hit from there until Rasmus led off the fourth inning with a base hit to right field. He would quickly be erased on the next batter, though, when Edwin Encarnacion grounded into a double play.

Johnson followed with a blast into the seats in center field to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 advantage.

Seattle answered with a run in the home fourth when Ackley hit a leadoff single, advanced to third on a Michael Saunders base hit and crossed the plate on Jesus Montero's double-play grounder to second.

But Toronto got that run back in the fifth inning as David Cooper opened the frame with a double and later scored on a Jeff Mathis sacrifice fly to center field.

Thames, who the Mariners acquired from the Blue Jays on Monday, tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run homer to center field in the bottom of the fifth.

"One thing I love about this team is that everybody's young and everything matters. If a guy makes a double-play pitch or a good catch, everybody's all in the dugout giving high fives. It's great to be a part of," said Thames.

Mike Carp hit a two-out single prior to Thames' fourth home run of the year.

Seattle then went on top in the sixth as Saunders hit a one-out double and scored two batters later on Jaso's base hit up the middle.

After Toronto failed to capitalize on Rajai Davis' two-out double in the seventh, the Mariners added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame when Ackley followed Brendan Ryan's two-out ground-rule double with an RBI single to left.

"They bunched some hits together to manufacture runs. They are playing with a lot of confidence," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said about the Mariners.

Beaven and Lucas Luetge combined to toss a 1-2-3 eighth before Wilhelmsen shut the door in the ninth to preserve the win.

Game Notes

It was the Mariners' first series sweep of three games or more over Toronto since June 29-July 1, 2007...Beaven improved to 1-1 in three career starts against Toronto...Villanueva fell to 0-1 in five career appearances (one start) against Seattle...Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar went 0-for-4 to snap his season-high nine-game hit streak...The Mariners ended a 10-game homestand with an 8-2 record and are 14-6 since the All-Star break.






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