Emerson Hancock pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and Mitch Garver homered as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 Sunday afternoon to take two-of-three in their weekend series.
Mariners’ pitching held the Blue Jays without a run for the final 24 innings of the set. Toronto scored twice in the third inning of a 2-0 victory Friday before being routed 11-0 Saturday.
Hancock (6-4) was originally set to follow Logan Gilbert in a piggyback start Saturday, but the Mariners scrapped that plan. The move worked out as Gilbert retired 22 of the 23 batters he faced before Hancock nearly matched him.
The only hits Hancock allowed were to a pair of All-Stars — a one-out double to left by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first inning and a one-out single by Ernie Clement in the second.
After Clement’s hit, Hancock retired the next 11 batters before walking Yohendrick Pinango leading off the sixth. Hancock induced the next batter, Nathan Lukes, to ground into a double play. Guerrero drew a walk before Hancock got Kazuma Okamoto to pop out to short to end the inning.
Hancock retired the side in the seventh. The right-hander finished with five strikeouts in a 92-pitch effort.
Mariners reliever Gabe Speier pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and closer Andres Munoz worked the ninth, allowing a leadoff single to Lukes, to wrap up the three-hitter.
The Mariners took the lead in the third inning as No. 9 hitter Victor Robles led off with a line-drive single to center off Toronto starter Trey Yesavage (4-4). J.P. Crawford walked and both runners advanced as Randy Arozarena grounded out to third. Cal Raleigh followed with a sacrifice fly to right to start the scoring.
Seattle added to its lead in the fourth as, with one out, Cole Young reached on a throwing error by shortstop Clement. Garver lined a 2-2 fastball over the left-field fence to make it 3-0.
The Mariners tacked on an insurance run in the eighth off reliever Mason Fluharty. With one out, Arozarena reached on an infield single and advanced to third on Raleigh’s single to right. Josh Naylor hit a grounder off the third-base bag to score Arozarena.
