TORONTO — The Seattle Mariners secured a dramatic 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in an intense 12-inning contest on Saturday, putting an end to the Blue Jays’ three-game winning streak. Randy Arozarena was instrumental in breaking the tie with a crucial single, while Rowdy Tellez contributed significantly with a grand slam, marking the fifth of his career.
Seattle’s Ben Williamson showcased an impressive performance, achieving his initial major league home run as part of his two-hit game. Additionally, he crossed the plate twice, demonstrating his potential in the league.
Andrés Muñoz (1-0) delivered in a tense moment, stranding Toronto’s potential winning run on third base during the 11th inning by inducing a groundout from Anthony Santander. Despite loading the bases in the 10th and facing danger, Seattle managed to escape unscathed when Yariel Rodríguez got Tellez to hit into a double play.
The game took a decisive turn in the 12th inning when Arozarena singled off Jacob Barnes (0-1), driving J.P. Crawford in from third and giving Seattle the lead. Tellez then smashed a 430-foot homer off the upper deck in right field, further cementing Seattle’s lead.
In his outing, Logan Gilbert took the mound for Seattle, giving up two runs and seven hits across 4 2/3 innings, and impressively striking out nine batters.
José Berríos, starting for Toronto, allowed three runs on four hits and issued a season-high four walks. His stint ended after giving up Williamson’s game-tying home run in the seventh. A heated moment occurred between Berríos and Cal Raleigh after a flyout in the fourth, which initially cleared both benches but luckily didn’t escalate further.
Julio Rodríguez of Seattle didn’t start but made an appearance in the seventh, striking out in his initial at-bat and finishing 1 for 3 in the game.
Arozarena played a pivotal role late in the match by breaking his 0-for-8 slump with a 12th-inning single, scoring automatic runner J.P. Crawford. This hit marked his first success since a critical two-run double against Cincinnati days earlier.
Looking ahead, Seattle’s Luis Castillo (1-2, 4.22 ERA) will take the hill in Sunday’s final matchup of the series against Toronto’s Easton Lucas (2-1, 4.70 ERA). Seattle fans hope to see the continuation of their team’s winning momentum as they conclude the series against Toronto.