Mariners 5, Blue Jays 2

[July 25, 2015]  SEATTLE -- Felix Hernandez matched the American League high with his 12th victory of the season, and the Seattle Mariners won back-to-back games for the first time this month, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 on Friday night.

Hernandez (12-5) allowed two runs -- one earned -- off six hits over seven innings. A two-run homer run from designated hitter Mark Trumbo and second baseman Robinson Cano's two-run triple in the fifth helped stake Hernandez a 5-1 lead as Seattle (45-52) opened a six-game homestand with the victory.

Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista moved into sole possession of second place on Toronto's all-time home run list with a solo shot in the sixth inning. It was Bautista's 21st home run of the season and his 224th as a Blue Jay, moving him past Vernon Wells. Only Carlos Delgado, with 336 homers in a Toronto uniform, has more.

Seattle closer Carson Smith came on in the ninth to nail down his ninth save of the season.

Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz went 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Seattle had five extra-base hits in the win.

Toronto (49-49) fell 5 1/2 games behind AL East leader New York.

A two-run homer from Seattle designated hitter Mark Trumbo in the fourth and teammate Robinson Cano's two-run triple one inning later helped the Mariners pull out to a 5-1 lead.

Trumbo gave the Mariners their first lead, at 2-1, with the no-out homer in the fourth. Seattle went on to put runners on second and third with one out before Toronto got out of the inning with a strikeout and an inning-ending putout at third base, courtesy of catcher Dioner Navarro's throw as baserunner Brad Miller leaned too far off the bag.

Seattle started the fifth with back-to-back hits from third baseman Kyle Seager and right fielder Nelson Cruz to put runners on the corners before Cano drove a pitch from starter Marco Estrada into the right-center-field gap for a two-run triple and a 4-1 lead. Cano came on to score on a two-out wild pitch from reliever Ryan Tepera.

Estrada, who had to move up his start one day because scheduled starter Drew Hutchison was out with the flu, allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings. He needed 94 pitches just to get through four innings and three batters in the fifth.

A throwing error on Hernandez, and some heads-up base running from Toronto leadoff hitter Jose Reyes, led to the first run of the game and a 1-0 Blue Jays lead in the top of the first.

Reyes reached first on a high chopper that Hernandez fielded and then threw over the head of first baseman Logan Morrison, allowing Reyes to reach second. Reyes advanced to third on a head-first slide after Seager threw out Josh Donaldson at first. Reyes scored two batters later when he broke for home as Morrison jogged toward first for an unassisted putout.

The unearned run put the Blue Jays ahead 1-0.

NOTES: Toronto RHP Drew Hutchison (flu) was scratched from another scheduled start Friday. The illness pushed RHP Marco Estrada up a day, but Estrada was able to pitch on his routine because of the Monday off day. Hutchinson also missed a scheduled start Thursday afternoon due to the illness, and the Blue Jays are hoping he will be available to start Saturday night. If not, Toronto would likely have to make a roster move to promote a starter. ... Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes was in the lineup Friday, despite taking a ball to the face in Thursday's win over Oakland. ... Seattle 2B Robinson Cano started in the cleanup spot for the fifth game in a row. Cano, who swapped spots with RF Nelson Cruz, was 8-for-16 in his first four games batting cleanup.

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