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Seattle Mariners

Felix, Cruz and … Rodney; oh, my!

Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune
TORONTO – Here were the Mariners’ 2015 highlights on display in one tight package Friday night in a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Exhibit A: Felix Hernandez worked seven dominant innings and became the first pitcher this season to win seven games. Exhibit B: Nelson Cruz hit his 17th homer, which leads the majors, and added a double in four at-bats, which hiked his American League-leading average to .354. There was more, of course, just as there has been more to the Mariners’ season. And most of it, on this night, was positive. Carson Smith had a shutdown inning after relieving Hernandez and continues to grow into his role as the club’s primary setup reliever. Shortstop Chris Taylor made a scintillating play from deep in the hole in showing why the Mariners are willing to live, at least for now, with his .136 batting average. “Great play,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “Really, I thought it was a base-hit all the way. I was just shocked that he made that play. Outstanding.” The Mariners also caught a big break when Toronto right fielder Chris Colabello chose to try for a diving catch on Logan Morrison’s sinking two-out liner in the fourth inning. The ball skipped past Colabello for a two-run triple. And there was Fernando Rodney nearly giving it all away by serving up a two-run homer to Colabello in the ninth before he closed out the victory for his 11th save in 12 chances. Everyone should be used to Rodney’s high-wire act, but Cruz admitted he was nervous in the ninth. “Yes!” he laughed. “The good thing is we won.” Yes, although it took a overturned call on a tag play at first base for the second out in the ninth. Replays confirmed Morrison nicked Kevin Pillar on the foot, which kept the tying run from reaching base. Mostly, though, this night spotlighted Hernandez (7-1) and Cruz, which means it was the Mariners at their best. Toronto starter Marco Estrada (1-3) gave up just six hits in seven innings, but the Mariners turned them into four runs. That was plenty for Hernandez … and just enough for Rodney. The Blue Jays nicked Hernandez for a first-inning run when Edwin Encarnacion lofted a two-out homer into the Toronto bullpen beyond the left-field wall. The was it, though. The King allowed nothing more in working through the seventh inning and lowering his ERA to 2.19. Hernandez agreed he was in top form in bouncing back from a loss to Boston in his last start. “A little more command with my fastball,” he said. “A good breaking ball. That was way better.” The Mariners mounted a two-out threat in the fourth when Kyle Seager reached on a squib single to third that took a weird spin on the turf. Estrada then walked Welington Castillo on four pitches. The Mariners cashed in … with an assist. Morrison drove a sinking liner to right that got past Colabello for a two-run triple. Zunino followed with a grounder past third that turned into a double when a fan reached over the wall for the ball. Cruz extended the lead to 4-1 by leading off the sixth with a 416-foot line drive that easily cleared the center-field wall.