Dickey struggles with home run ball, Blue Jays lose 14-5

R.A. Dickey had another tough day on Saturday.

Dickey gave up a grand slam to Seattle slugger Nelson Cruz in his shortest outing in more than five years, and the Mariners routed the Toronto Blue Jays 14-5 on Saturday.

Iannetta led off with a double, O’Malley beat out a bunt single to third and Aoki and Smith hit an RBI singles to right.

The Mariners tacked on five runs in the sixth off Chavez.

James Paxton, the left-hander from Ladner, B.C., dominated with high 90s heat complemented by a vicious curveball, allowing a run on three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. “I hit two guys with it. It took off inside to a couple lefties”. “It was just a really freaky outing, but there are certainly some things from the outing I can learn from and hopefully get better from”. When you get the points for both the run and the RBI, you’ll be climbing the leaderboards fast. Sometimes, you’re at the mercy of the pitch. Nelson Cruz has hit a home run off of Dickey, but he is just 2-for-13 overall against him with no walks and a strikeout.

In the next inning, Leonys Martin got on with a sharp liner that went off the glove of Troy Tulowitzki.

NOTES: The Blue Jays reinstated Chris Colabello off the restricted list before the game and designated him off their 25-man roster.

“Paxton was great tonight”, Toronto manager John Gibbons said. Franklin Morales, fresh off the disabled list with left arm fatigue, came in to relieve the knuckleballer.

After going nearly three weeks between starts, Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada felt a little out of sorts against Seattle.

After Morales, Jesse Chavez came on in the sixth and immediately got into trouble. Donaldson was then unable to throw out O’Malley on a bunt attempt, moving Iannetta to third.

Cruz batted with the bases loaded for a second time but grounded into a double play.

Another run scored when Cruz grounded into a double play.

Royals 3, Rangers 1: Danny Duffy scattered four hits while pitching into the seventh inning, and Kansas City scratched out three runs off Texas’ Yu Darvish. Bo Schultz ended the inning. He’s hitting just.228/.317/.338 with seven home runs in 81 games after blasting 34 homers the previous two seasons combined. Second baseman Robinson Cano is 8-for-29 against the right-hander with two walks, two doubles and two strikeouts.

Those who stayed got some nice parting gifts.

Toronto responded in the bottom half of the eighth with two homers, a solo shot from Saunders and a two-run blast from Smoak. Then Justin Smoak went deep, scoring Tulowitzki ahead of him.

“I was just being aggressive, going at them with my best stuff, so they couldn’t key on one pitch”.

For all that, this was tense affair until the last pitch, when Steve Cishek struck out ex-Mariner Michael Saunders with runners at first and second.

Saunders, who also connected in Friday’s 2-1 loss, matched his career high with 19.

The Mariners settle at Rogers Centre for a three-game weekend set with the Blue Jays to open an eight-game road trip that continues Tuesday with a quick mid-week stop against the Pittsburgh Pirates and finishes next weekend at Wrigley Field against the cooled-off Chicago Cubs. He looked uncomfortable early and wasn’t as crisp as he’s so often been this season – he gave up seven hits, only the third time he’s surrendered more than five and first since April 21 – but routinely made pitches when he needed to, and kept the game well under control. And that’s with over two months left in the season.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters (sore foot) was not in the starting lineup for a fourth straight day, but manager Buck Showalter said he is close to returning.