TORONTO This is the way things are going for Seattle: a bases-loaded smash in the ninth inning Friday night turned into a game-ending double play.
The slumping Mariners lost their seventh straight game as Troy Glaus hit a two-run homer and Lyle Overbay and Alex Rios also went deep in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 7-5 win Friday night.
Jose Vidro hit a two-run drive and Adrian Beltre also connected for Seattle, which matched its season-worst skid. The Mariners remained one game back of the AL wild card-leading New York Yankees, who lost 9-1 to Tampa Bay.
“We’re just going through some tough times,” Mariners manager John McLaren said. “We’re going to turn it around but we need to turn it around soon. The effort is there and the desire is there. We’re having some breakdowns and it’s hurting us bad.”
Trailing by two in the ninth, Ichiro Suzuki and Jose Vidro reached on one-out singles and Toronto closer Jeremy Accardo loaded the bases by hitting Jose Guillen.
Raul Ibanez then hit a line drive that bounced off the mound and into the path of second baseman Aaron Hill. Hill made a diving flip to shortstop John McDonald, who leaped over the charging Guillen to make the throw completing the double play, leaving the frustrated Mariners wondering what had happened.
“I thought we had them there,” McLaren said. “When Raul hit that ball, I thought it was through.”
Denied a clutch hit, Ibanez took a philosophical approach.
“Right when it left my bat I thought it was going through the middle,” Ibanez said. “All you can do is control hitting the ball hard. The outcome wasn’t exactly what I wanted but the goal was accomplished.”
Accardo, who earned his 26th save in 30 opportunities, was grateful for the efforts of his middle infielders.
“Those are two Gold Glove candidates playing there,” he said.
Jarrod Washburn (9-12) lost for the fifth time in six August starts, allowing six runs and seven hits in 3 1-3 innings. He walked five, matching a season high, and struck out none.
“That was about as bad as I can be right there,” Washburn said. “I was brutal. I had no clue where the ball was going tonight. I couldn’t locate my fastball, changeup or slider. Nothing was working.”
Washburn’s abbreviated effort didn’t help a tired Seattle bullpen.
“We’ve got to get more out of our starters,” McLaren said. “We’re having trouble putting hitters away. If we can do that early in the count, we’ve saved a lot of pitches. We just haven’t been able to do that. It’s a real concern.”
Glaus finished 2-for-3 with two walks and scored twice.
Shaun Marcum (12-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings to win for the eighth time in 10 starts. He walked two and struck out three.
Brian Wolfe relieved Marcum and worked two scoreless innings. Scott Downs took over in the eighth but was replaced by Casey Janssen after opening the inning by walking Ibanez.
Janssen got Beltre and Ben Broussard to fly out before Kenji Johjima doubled to left, scoring Ibanez. Adam Jones ended the inning by grounding out.
Beltre tied it at 2 with a two-out solo drive in the third but Toronto responded with two homers in the bottom half.
Rios led off with a walk and scored one out later when Glaus homered to left. Aaron Hill flied out before Overbay hit his second drive in the past two games.
Rios’ homer made it 6-2 in the fourth but Vidro closed the gap to 6-4 with his two-run drive in the fifth.
Frank Thomas singled home Rios in the eighth, extending his hitting streak to a season-high 10 games.
Ryan Rowland-Smith relieved Washburn with one out and runners at first and second in the fourth but struck out Hill and got Overbay to ground out.
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