Eugenio Suárez homers in 11th as Mariners top Blue Jays 5-2
It took more than 1,000 career games, but Eugenio Suárez finally got to experience the exhilaration of hitting a game-ending home run.
So, how did it feel?
“I just enjoyed the game and like I always say, I keep my energy even. Even if I didn’t do something, I just try to keep my energy and enjoy this game. This game is so fun," Suárez said.
Suárez hit a three-run homer off Sergio Romo in the 11th inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 on Friday night for their season-best sixth straight victory.
Suárez didn’t miss on a 2-1 slider from Romo (0-1) and kept it fair down the left field line. It was his 15th home run of the season and improved Seattle to 43-42, the first time the Mariners have been above .500 since they were 12-11 on May 2.
Seattle has won 14 of its past 17.
“Obviously we’re going really well right now,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “We all know how baseball goes. It's up and it's down and it’s all over the place. But you have to ride the streak and we're in a good one right now.”
Romo threw just four pitches in his brief outing. The veteran was designated for assignment by Seattle late last month before signing with the Blue Jays.
Former Toronto reliever Ryan Borucki (1-0) picked up the win, pitching the 10th and 11th innings without allowing a run. Borucki got out of the 10th thanks to Matt Chapman lining into a double play. In the 11th, Chapman reached third with one out, but Borucki struck out Cavan Biggio and got a fly out from George Springer.
“I was just in a different world, I felt like. And it was just good to really step up,” Borucki said. “I was telling guys I’ve never felt like this in my life, just the joy of just being able to do what I did today.”
Seattle tried to win it in the 10th on J.P. Crawford’s line drive single to left field. Third base coach Manny Acta made the aggressive decision to send Abraham Toro from second, but Lordes Gurriel Jr’s. throw was on target and Toro was easily tagged out.
Dylan Moore had an RBI double in the second inning, and Crawford added an RBI double in the third that scored Julio Rodríguez from first base. Rodríguez nearly homered to start the game, but his drive hit the top of the wall in center field and he was thrown out after stumbling and falling between second and third.
Gurriel had an RBI single in the second inning and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled and scored on Teoscar Hernández’s RBI single in the fifth.