BUFFALO, N.Y. — Yusei Kikuchi pitched one-run ball in seven innings and Jake Fraley and Shed Long Jr. homered off Hyun Jin Ryu as the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Thursday.
Kikuchi (6-3) struck out six and allowed five hits in winning his third consecutive start, moving to 5-0 in his past seven appearances. After a leadoff home run by Marcus Semien, the left-hander didn’t let another Blue Jay reach second base until Teoscar Hernández led off the seventh with a double.
In his past four starts, Kikuchi has allowed three earned runs in 26⅔ innings for an ERA of 1.01.
“I haven’t gone through a stretch like this here in the (United) States,” Kikuchi said through a translator. “It’s not like I’ve had my best stuff every time out, but I was able to make my adjustments and go deep into games. That’s the biggest thing for me.”
Mariners manager Scott Servais was especially impressed, given that Toronto ranks second in the American League in batting average and third in runs scored.
“That’s one of the better hitting ballclubs in the American League and he got right after them,” he said. “He had really good stuff and didn’t back off. To get seven innings out of him against that kind of team says a lot about his effort and the season he’s putting together. I said he’s worthy of pitching in the All-Star Game and he backed it up.”
Fraley, Mitch Haniger and Kyle Seager each had two hits for Seattle, which finished its road trip with a 4-2 record. Paul Sewald got the final four outs, all by strikeout, for his first save.
“A lot of things are clicking for us, so it’s going well for us as a team,” Fraley said.
Semien had three hits and Bo Bichette added two, including an eighth-inning RBI single, as Toronto absorbed consecutive losses for the first time since a five-game skid June 14-18.
Ryu (7-5) worked four innings, his second-fewest this season, and allowed five runs on seven hits.
“A lot of my pitches were just off the plate, and the hitters were being very patient,” Ryu said through a translator. “My command was a little off, and that’s what I’m more worried about.”
Seattle struck early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first after the first three hitters reached on hits. Seager had an RBI single and Ty France added a sacrifice fly.
After Semien’s leadoff homer — the 12th of his career — Fraley struck with a second-inning solo homer and Long lined a two-run shot to right-center in the third.
Toronto’s Jekyll-and-Hyde bullpen generally was strong in relief of Ryu, as three pitchers limited Seattle to two hits in four innings before Tyler Chatwood allowed two runs in the ninth. Adam Cimber, acquired from Miami on Tuesday, made his Toronto debut and worked 1 innings.
UP NEXT — The Mariners return home to face Texas in a three-game series. In today’s opener, right-hander Logan Gilbert (2-2, 4.25) ERA) will face Rangers right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-0, 2.00).
Seattle Toronto
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Crawford ss 3 2 1 0 Semien 2b 4 2 3 1
Haniger dh 4 2 2 0 Bichette ss 4 0 2 1
Seager 3b 5 0 2 2 Gurrro Jr. 1b 3 0 0 0
France 1b 4 0 1 1 Hernandez rf 4 0 2 0
Bauers rf 4 1 1 1 Springer dh 3 0 1 0
Moore 2b 5 0 0 0 Grichuk cf 4 0 0 0
Long Jr. lf 5 1 1 2 Gurriel Jr. lf 4 0 0 0
Torrens c 4 0 1 0 Espinal 3b 2 0 0 0
Fraley cf 3 1 2 1 Biggio ph-3b 2 0 0 0
McGuire c 3 0 0 0
Totals 37 7 11 7 Totals 33 2 8 2
Seattle 212 000 002 — 7
Toronto 100 000 010 — 2
E—Guerrero Jr. (4). DP—Seattle 2, Toronto 0. LOB—Seattle 9, Toronto 6. 2B—Crawford (20), Hernandez (13), Semien (21). HR—Fraley (6), Long Jr. (3), Semien (20). SF—France (3).
IP H R ER BB SO
Seattle
Kikuchi W,6-3 7 5 1 1 1 6
Steckenrider ⅔ 2 1 1 0 0
Sewald S,1-2 1⅓ 1 0 0 1 4
Toronto
Ryu L,7-5 4 7 5 4 2 2
P.Murphy 1⅔ 1 0 0 1 1
Cimber 1⅓ 1 0 0 0 1
Barnes 1 0 0 0 0 2
Chatwood ⅔ 2 2 2 2 2
Saucedo ⅓ 0 0 0 0 1
WP—Kikuchi.
Umpires—Home, Ryan Additon; First, Nic Lentz; Second, Dan Bellino; Third, Dave Rackley.
T—3:23. A—5,456 (21,050).
