Guerrero, Grichuk power Blue Jays to 7-3 win over Mariners

TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Randal Grichuk hit back-to-back home runs, Jacob Waguespack won his third straight decision and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 7-3 Friday.

Derek Fisher and Danny Jansen also went deep for the Blue Jays, who have hit 110 home runs since June 16. The New York Yankees entered play Friday with a major league-leading 112 homers in the same span.

Toronto has won five of seven and 12 of 18. The Mariners have lost five of eight and 10 of 13.

Waguespack (4-1) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, winning for the third time in three starts. The right-hander threw a career-high 102 pitches.

Guerrero Jr. and Grichuk connected off left-hander Wade LeBlanc (6-7) four pitches apart in the third inning. Guerrero’s homer was his 14th. Grichuk hit his 23rd.

The Blue Jays have hit back-to-back homers 12 times this season, breaking the team record set in 1999.

Fisher homered off LeBlanc in the second inning as the Blue Jays overcame a two-run deficit with the first of consecutive three-run innings. Jansen made it four homers off LeBlanc, leading off the seventh inning with his 12th of the season.

The four home runs allowed matched LeBlanc’s career-worst. He also allowed four homers against Minnesota on May 18.

LeBlanc has lost four straight decisions. He allowed seven runs and matched a career-worst by giving up 11 hits in seven innings.

Matt Wisler opened for Seattle with a scoreless first, and the Mariners jumped ahead on a two-out, two-run single by Tim Lopes in the second.

Toronto turned the deficit around in the bottom half when Brandon Drury hit an RBI single and Fisher followed with his fourth home run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Félix Hernández (shoulder) is scheduled to make a rehab start at Triple-A Tacoma Monday. Hernandez pitched four shutout innings for Class A Everett on Aug. 14, striking out eight and allowing just one hit. Hernandez went 1-4 with a 6.52 ERA in eight starts for Seattle in April and May, but hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 11 at Boston, when he allowed seven runs in 2 1/3 innings.

ROSTER REPORT

Blue Jays: Toronto claimed C Beau Taylor on waiver from Oakland and assigned him to Triple-A Buffalo.

MEJIA SUSPENDED

Mariners minor league LHP Eliezer Mejia was suspended 72 games Friday for testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. Mejia, 18, was playing in the Dominican Summer League. His suspension will carry into next season.

UP NEXT

Mariners: Seattle has not named a starter for Saturday afternoon’s game.

Blue Jays: RHP Trent Thornton (4-8, 5.34) starts for Toronto on Saturday, his first career appearance against Seattle. Thornton was a hard-luck loser against the Yankees on Aug. 11, allowing one run in six innings. He’s 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA in three starts this month.


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