Blue Jays lose 7-5 to Mariners

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Daniel Norris’ first career start was so-so. Same for his first month in the majors.

The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping it will pay off in 2015.

Norris was knocked out in the fourth inning Thursday, and the Blue Jays went on to a 7-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Logan Morrison homered twice for Seattle, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Mike Zunino also went deep.

Norris, subbing for the suspended Marcus Stroman, allowed two runs and one hit in 3 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.

The left-hander retired his first eight batters, but wasn’t satisfied with his performance, or his diminished velocity since joining the Blue Jays. The September promotion has no record and a 5.40 ERA in five major league games.

“It’s obvious my stuff is not really there,” Norris said.

Toronto manager John Gibbons said he’s more concerned with what Norris is able to take out of this cameo and apply in 2015.

“Hopefully he’ll walk away and think ‘You know, if I pitch, if I make pitches, I can get guys out,'” Gibbons said. “That’s a big thing.”

The Mariners, who avoided a four-game sweep, still have an outside chance of making the playoffs. They close the season with a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

“We’re still in the ring, still fighting,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said.

The Angels have clinched the AL West title but are battling Baltimore for the best record in the AL and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

“With a win, we know we still have hope,” Zunino said. “Tough series against the Angels but I think we’re ready for it and looking forward to playing them.”

Morrison hit a three-run drive off Todd Redmond in the fourth and a solo shot off Aaron Loup (4-4) in the sixth.

“He came up real big for us today when we needed it most,” McClendon said.

Each of Morrison’s past six homers have either tied the score or given the Mariners a lead.

Yoervis Medina (5-3) worked one inning for the win and Fernando Rodney, the ninth Seattle pitcher, gave up Kevin Pillar’s leadoff homer in the ninth before finishing for his 47th save in 50 chances.

Toronto took a 2-0 lead against Tom Wilhelmsen in the second inning, but the Mariners answered with a four-run fourth. Chris Taylor led off with a bunt single for Seattle’s first hit of the game and left-hander Daniel Norris departed after a one-out walk to Kendrys Morales.

Redmond came on and gave up an RBI single to Kyle Seager. Morrison then drove Redmond’s next pitch into the center-field seats. The outburst snapped an 18-inning scoreless drought for the Mariners.

The Blue Jays tied it in the fifth on Edwin Encarnacion’s sacrifice fly and Adam Lind’s RBI single, but Morrison led off the sixth with a homer into the right-field bullpen. One out later, Zunino drilled a Dustin McGowan pitch into the left-field bullpen for his 22nd home run.

Seager made it 7-4 with an RBI single off Brandon Morrow in the seventh.

CANADIAN DUO

OF Dalton Pompey and C George Kottaras gave the Blue Jays two Canadian batters in the starting lineup for the seventh time in team history. INF Brett Lawrie and OF Adam Loewen appeared in six games together in September 2011. RHP Scott Richmond and OF Matt Stairs also started for Toronto in a July 2008 game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista and SS Jose Reyes got the day off.

UP NEXT

Toronto wraps up its season by hosting AL East champion Baltimore in a three-game series beginning Friday. Blue Jays RHP Drew Hutchison (10-13) faces Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (13-5). Hutchison is 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA in five starts against Baltimore this season.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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