TORONTO — Nelson Cruz hit his big league-leading 17th home run, Felix Hernandez became the first seven-game winner in the majors and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Friday night.
Hernandez (7-1) bounced back from his first loss of the season to pitch seven sharp innings, lowering his ERA to 2.19.
Toronto lost for the eighth time in 10 games and fell to 2-9 in one-run games.
Edwin Encarnacion’s two-out homer in the first was the only blemish for Hernandez, who gave up four hits and walked two.
Hernandez struck out eight, moving past Catfish Hunter and into a tie with Orel Hershiser for 70th on baseball’s career strikeout list.
The right-hander came in 5-6 in 13 career starts against Toronto. His 4.80 ERA against the Blue Jays was the highest of any opponent he’s faced more than once.
After Carson Smith worked the eighth, Chris Colabello hit a two-run homer off Fernando Rodney in the ninth.
Kevin Pillar was called out on video review after trying to dive around Logan Morrison’s tag on a bunt attempt, with replays showing Morrison tagged Pillar on the right foot. Rodney got pinch-hitter Josh Donaldson to fly out for his 11th save.
The Mariners scored three times with a two-out rally in the fourth. Kyle Seager singled, Welington Castillo walked and Morrison hit a two-run triple past a diving Colabello in right. Mike Zunino followed with an RBI double.
Cruz made it 4-1 with a leadoff drive to center off Marco Estrada in the sixth.
Estrada (1-3) remained winless in four starts. He allowed four runs and six hits in a season-high seven innings.
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