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Hill's single lifts Blue Jays over Mariners

Jul 21, 2007 - 8:58 PM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Aaron Hill did just enough to keep Jeff Weaver searching for answers on the road.

Hill drove in the game's only run in the second inning as the Toronto Blue Jays posted a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the middle game of a weekend series on Saturday.

Hill's RBI single was one of four hits allowed by Weaver (2-8), who remained winless on the road despite recording one of his better starts of the season.

Weaver allowed four singles, striking out four without a walk, as he dropped to 0-5 in eight starts away from home this season.

"It doesn't feel good," Weaver said. "You go out there and throw like that, I think we all like our chances. ... It just didn't work out today. It's not the first time I've lost 1-0 and probably won't be the last."

The righthander, who retired the final 10 batters that he faced, had his only problem in the second after getting Troy Glaus to fly out to right field. Vernon Wells followed with a single and Frank Thomas deposited a bloop down the first base line that just eluded the reach of second baseman Jose Lopez to put runners on first and second.

"What are you going to do?" Weaver said. "You make good pitches and the ball lands in fair, barely. It's a game of inches, like they say."

Hill followed with a base hit into left field to drive in his seventh run in his last nine games.

"It felt great," said Hill, who leads all American League second basemen with 54 RBI and 28 doubles. "The hits weren't there for either team, but we got away with just one (run) today."

That one run proved to be enough for Toronto's Josh Towers (5-5), who continued to be a thorn in the side of Seattle.

"Towers really kept us off balance," Seattle manager John McLaren said. "(Weaver) pitched will enough to win, there's no doubt about that, but Towers mixed his pitches well and was in command the whole way."

The 30-year-old righthander yielded three hits - all singles - and two walks in 6 2/3 innings for his first home win since June 5. He also struck out four as he improved to 5-1 in six career starts against the Mariners.

"To win 1-0 is definitely satisfying," Towers said. "The first couple of innings, you start getting guys out and the confidence starts growing a little bit. Then you just get a little more comfortable about what you're doing and not thinking about negative things as much."

Although he was roughed up for six runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-4 loss at the New York Yankees on Monday, Towers has been on the top of his game at the Rogers Centre recently, tossing 14 2/3 scoreless frames.

"He's been on a roll, he's really been pitching great lately," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "He's a very determined guy and it's good to see him get the results again."

Towers yielded three hits over eight strong frames, but did not figure in a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on July 8.

Towers did get some stellar defense from Wells to end the sixth, as the center fielder had a running over-the-shoulder catch on a drive by Raul Ibanez with runners at first and second.

"Ibanez is a great hitter and you hope to have an opportunity to make a play in a situation like that," Wells said. "Fortunately I was able to get a good jump on the ball and make the catch."

"Ibanez hit that ball pretty hard," Towers said. "I threw a fastball in and he crushed it. When Vernon made that catch I realized how hard he hit it."

In the seventh, Seattle put runners on first and second with two outs before Casey Janssen came on to replace Towers and got Ben Broussard to foul out to the catcher.

Janssen went two-thirds of an inning and Scott Downs retired three batters before closer Jeremy Accardo came on for the final two outs to record his 15th save.

Jose Vidro had two hits for the Mariners, who lost for just the fourth time in their last 12 games.