Moyer gets lots of help from team
SEATTLE – Jamie Moyer pitched into the sixth inning for his first win in a month, and Seattle battered Toronto starter A.J. Burnett for six runs and 10 hits in the Mariners’ 7-4 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
Moyer, who won on June 24 at San Diego, got plenty of offensive help as the Mariners took two of three from the Blue Jays. Seattle closed a homestand 4-2 and stayed three back of Los Angeles in the A.L. West.
The 43-year-old soft-throwing lefty overcame a shaky first inning to scatter eight hits and give up four runs, while striking out three. In his previous two starts combined, Moyer (6-9) had allowed 13 earned runs, 18 hits and eight home runs, including a club-record-tying five last Friday against Boston.
This time, it was the Mariners providing the long balls as Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson both hit solo home runs.
Toronto scored three times in the sixth to end Moyer’s night. Vernon Wells led off with a single and Troy Glaus walked. Moyer stayed in to face left-hander Lyle Overbay, but Overbay ripped a single off the wall in right to score Wells.
Julio Mateo entered, but allowed two hits, committed an error and allowed Glaus and Overbay to score before Ichiro Suzuki made a running catch of Reed Johnson’s sinking liner to right field to end the inning.
Toronto loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, but rookie Mark Lowe got Johnson to ground into a double play to end the threat. J.J. Putz pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances.
Burnett (2-4) was pulled after the fourth, matching his shortest outing of the season on April 21 against Boston. He lost for the third time in his last four decisions.
Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the first on Overbay’s two-out single to score Aaron Hill, but Burnett failed to capitalize. Raul Ibanez sliced a two-out RBI double just inside the left-field line to score Suzuki, and Sexson and Greg Dobbs following with RBI singles for a 3-1 Seattle lead.
Beltre led off the third with his ninth homer of the season deep into the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Seattle added a pair in the fourth on consecutive RBI doubles from backup catcher Rene Rivera and rookie center fielder Adam Jones.
Burnett was pulled, but Scott Downs was met in the fifth by Sexson’s 21st homer, a 430-foot shot that one-hopped the hitting backdrop beyond the center-field wall.
Burnett had pitched at least six innings in five of his six starts since coming off the disabled list on June 22.
Notes
Wells had missed the last two games with a sore back. He was the DH on Wednesday. … Suzuki successfully stole his 28th consecutive base in the first inning, tying the single-season club record set by Julio Cruz in 1981. Suzuki hasn’t been caught stealing since April 19 and has 34 for the season. … Toronto OF Alex Rios had an RBI double in his first at-bat in his minor league rehab with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday night. Rios played five innings in right field and is expected to play one more game in Syracuse.