By Canadian Press

Canadian Paxton stellar through seven innings as Mariners top Blue Jays

Jul 22, 2016 | 7:00 PM

TORONTO — Marco Estrada battled through inconsistencies to keep his team in a tight ball game on Friday night. The Blue Jays offence couldn’t figure out Seattle’s James Paxton, though. 

The Canadian left-hander allowed just three hits and one run while striking out nine over seven innings as Seattle edged Toronto 2-1.

Estrada (5-4), meanwhile, in his first start since July 2, gave up two runs on seven hits while hitting two batters, walking one and striking out two.

“I felt good, just rusty,” said Estrada, who landed on the disabled list with a back injury prior to the all-star break. “I threw a lot of first-pitch balls, I was behind in the count a lot, it was tough, it was a grind.

“I guess that’s to be expected when you miss that much time but I still battled, kept the team in the game. You have to tip your hat to the other guy, he threw a heck of a game.”

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Paxton, of Ladner, B.C., made his only real mistake in the second inning when he allowed a solo home run to his former Seattle teammate and fellow Canadian Michael Saunders.

Paxton retired 12 straight after the homer, with a walk to Josh Thole snapping that streak in the sixth inning. Josh Donaldson, with a double, and Troy Tulowitzki, with a single, accounted for the rest of Toronto’s (54-43) offence.

“He’s always had a really good arm, really good stuff,” Saunders said of Paxton. “I got to see him when he first came up and I thought he was going to be a special pitcher. Tonight he was hitting his spots, keeping us off-balance.

“He’s a left-handed arm that throws 100 miles an hour, so yeah, he’s got good stuff.”

Robinson Cano and Seth Smith drove in runs for the Mariners (49-47). Edwin Diaz struck out two more Toronto batters in the eighth and Steve Cishek rung up three in the ninth for a total 14 K’s.

“Not much offence, really, but Paxton was that good,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Toronto threatened in the ninth with a two-out walk from Edwin Encarnacion and a single by Tulowitzki. Saunders struck out to end the game.

The crowd of 46,737 voiced its disapproval with home plate umpire Mike Everitt’s called second strike on Saunders’ last at-bat, which appeared low.

“I thought one thing and Mike thought the other,” Saunders said. “I’m not going to go on about it. But it definitely changes the count which changes the at-bat.

“At the end of the day you can’t sit there and mope about a call. Cishek made some good pitches and ended up striking me out.”

Estrada got off to a rough start in the first inning, allowing a triple to Nori Aoki and hitting the second batter, Smith, in the span of three pitches. Aoki scored on a fielder’s choice from Cano to give the Mariners a quick 1-0 lead.

Saunders evened the score with his solo shot in the second but Smith put the Mariners up 2-1 when his fifth-inning double plated Shawn O’Malley from second base. Smith’s hit was Seattle’s sixth of the night, ending Estrada’s impressive streak of 13 consecutive starts allowing five hits or fewer.

Estrada ran into more trouble in the sixth, loading the bases with one out on a single, walk and hit batter. A strikeout to O’Malley roused the Rogers Centre crowd, and a shallow fly ball caught by a forward-sliding Kevin Pillar brought it to its feet with a loud ovation. 

Thole started in place of Russell Martin, who passed out and banged his knee while taking a shower on Thursday. An MRI showed no structural damage.

“Thole did a really good job, I don’t remember the last time he caught me,” Estrada said. “For him to call the game he did today, he did a really good job. I felt comfortable out there with him.”

NOTES: Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … The Blue Jays continue their three-game series against Seattle on Saturday afternoon. R.A. Dickey (7-10, 4.11 earned-run average) starts for Toronto. … Hisashi Iwakuma (10-6, 4.01 ERA) counters for the Mariners.

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press