Bautista, Morales HR as Blue Jays beat Mariners 7-2

Biagini was forced into a starting role with the Blue Jays rotation also hit hard by injuries.

After feeling tightness in his shoulder on Wednesday, Liriano was evaluated by team doctors and placed on the DL prior to Thursday’s opener of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners.

“The changeup is a pitch I’ve been working on a lot”, Biagini said. As it got later in the game, it started to come up a little bit because he was tiring a little bit.

Buoyed by a strong night from Smoak, the offense provided more than Estrada would need for a Toronto Blue Jays. Jose Bautista smashed a three-run home run in the first after Cleveland had notched two immediate runs off of Liriano. Gibbons said Morales might be available to pinch hit Friday. “He shut them down”. Pazos then hit Toronto catcher Luke Maile in the right arm to load the bases.

“I thought he would try to get ahead of me”, Goins said.

“I shook to go fastball up”, De Jong said. When he returns from the DL, fans should be cautious as to what version of Liriano they will be getting.

Ryan Tepera replaced Barnes and ended the inning with Segura’s fly to right and pitched a flawless eighth.

Carrasco overshadowed a solid outing from Mike Bolsinger, who was making his first Jays start and was hurt most by a pair of second-inning walks that led to runs – all the production needed by the Tribe. After having (finally) put in enough time to take advantage of free agency, Rzep signed a two year deal with the Mariners, on December 3, 2016 for 11 million dollars. “Being able to step into the starting rotation, that’s not easy, especially when you’re not expecting it”.

“As hot as we were with the bat in Philadelphia, we’ve been just as cold here in Toronto”, manager Scott Servais said. Two years and one day after that, Marc might have felt a premonition, because he was involved in a third deadline deal, this time to the Padres for Abraham Almonte.

Travis opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the second. The Pirates dropped their third consecutive game.

Bautista had one homer and seven RBIs in 25 games in April.

The Indians added three more in the eighth in a rally that began with two out and ended with the Tribe’s number nine hitter, Gomes hitting a three-run homer off of Aaron Loup.

The Blue Jays increased their lead to 4-0 against reliever Jean Machi in the sixth.

Bauer gave up four runs in six innings. Five of his 14 hits in that span have been for extra bases (four doubles, one homer). His command has been inconsistent this season, as he’s given up four or more walks in five of his starts this season. No Robinson Cano. The slugger has missed the past two games with that tweaked quad that wasn’t supposed to be a problem.

After a rocky first inning, De Jong settled into an uneasy but effective groove in protecting a 2-1 lead. OF Mitch Haniger (right oblique) will swing off a tee for the first time Saturday. Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (hamstring) is tentatively tabbed to play a rehab game in Florida on Saturday.

Byron Buxton matched a career high with three hits and Minnesota pulled away from Chicago.

Ben Gamel hit a double over Pillar’s head in centre field to score Jarrod Dyson and tie the game 1-1 in the fifth before Stroman struck out his ninth batter of the game, ringing up Nelson Cruz to end the inning.

Mariners: Seattle has yet to name a starter for Saturday. He is 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in three road starts this season.

Inside Edge tweeted Wednesday that the offensively challenged Blue Jays have been that way in part due to some bad luck.