Jays make early 5-run lead hold up in beating Mariners

Chris Bassitt pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and Bo Bichette hit his first home run of the season as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-4 with a double as the Blue Jays won their second in a row at the renovated Rogers Centre following a 10-game road trip to open the season.

Even though he struggled with his control, Bassitt (1-2) allowed only one run, despite giving up five hits and four walks. The right-hander struck out eight and threw 72 of his 115 pitches for strikes.

Blue Jays reliever Chad Green got the final four outs for his second save of the season.

Dominic Canzone and Mitch Haniger homered for the Mariners, who tried unsuccessfully to rally from a five-run deficit. Seattle has lost three games in a row and six of its past seven.

Mariners right-hander George Kirby (1-2) gave up five runs on eight hits in four innings. He didn't walk a batter and fanned three.

The Blue Jays broke a scoreless tie in the third. Daulton Varsho lined a one-out single to right and advanced to second on a disengagement violation by Kirby. George Springer lined a single to center to score Varsho. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded into a fielder's choice, Bichette went deep to left-center field on a 1-2 slider to make it 3-0.

Toronto scored twice more in the fourth. Cavan Biggio led off with a bloop single to left and stole second. He scored on Kiner-Falefa's one-out double to right. Springer lined a two-out RBI single to right to make it 5-0.

Canzone spoiled Bassitt's scoreless start with a two-out solo shot to left-center in the seventh. It was his third homer of the season.

Haniger hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth off reliever Trevor Richards as the Mariners pulled within 5-3. Julio Rodriguez, who led off the inning with a walk, also scored on the play.

--Field Level Media