Santana’s home run earns Mariners 3rd straight win over Blue Jays

Carlos Santana hit his first home run since being acquired by Seattle, doubling up on a two-run shot off Toronto starter Alek Manoah that propelled the Mariners to a 2-1 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday night.

The Santana homer came in the seventh inning after Seattle had just one hit against Manoah in the first six. JP Crawford started the seventh with a single and Santana ambushed a fastball to the middle of home plate for his fifth home of the season and biggest hit yet with the Mariners.

Santana was acquired in late June from Kansas City for a pair of pitchers.

Robbie Ray faced his old team for the first time and pitched six innings, allowing just three hits and a run on George Springer’s 16th homer of the season in the top of the sixth inning. Ray won the AL Cy Young Award last season with the Blue Jays, but did not travel to Toronto when the teams met in May due to border restrictions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ray struck out six and threw a major block in the fifth inning when Toronto charged the no-outs and failed to score. In his last six starts, Ray has a .91 ERA with 11 walks and 46 strikeouts.

Matt Brash (2-3) struck out a pair in a perfect seventh inning, including a 13-pitch strikeout from Lordes Gurriel Jr. that included nine fouls.

Manoah (9-4) matched Ray, throwing 7 1/3 innings but taking the loss. Manoah allowed no hits until the double with a Ty France out in the fourth and allowed three total baserunners until problems in the seventh.

Manoah hit seven and walked four.

All of Toronto’s offense came from a Springer swing. It was his 23rd career home run against Seattle. He hit 13 of 23 at T-Mobile Park.