Sputtering Jays begin pivotal 3-game set vs. revived Mariners

The Blue Jays move from one "most important series of the season" to another, though this one has much bigger post-season implications.

Toronto opens a three-game series Monday at Safeco Field in Seattle at 10:10 p.m. ET, holding a two-game lead over the hometown Mariners and Detroit Tigers for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

While the Blue Jays offence remained in first gear Sunday in a 4-0 series-ending loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Seattle's bats came to life with a seven-run, 12-hit attack in a 7-3 victory over Houston.

And earlier this month, the Mariners reeled off eight consecutive wins, outscoring their opponents 44-12.

"We've got a veteran crew and they do know how to make adjustments," rookie Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters of his players, who had scored three runs in their previous 30 innings.

There's not a guy in that room that is not busting his ass trying to come through.- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons on his struggling club

Meanwhile, some Toronto fans hopped back on the bandwagon after two wins at Anaheim, only to watch their team fall back to earth with weekend losses of 6-1 and 4-0.

Still, skipper John Gibbons suggested to reporters that his charges, who are a major league-worst 5-11 in September and trail first-place Boston by four games in the AL East, have plenty of fight in them with 13 games left in the regular season.

"There's not a guy in that room that is not busting his ass trying to come through," he told reporters. "The reason they're here is that they're great competitors, talented guys. Sometimes you run into a roadblock and you struggle."

Time to walk the walk vs. Walker

But the Blue Jays' offence, pitching and a defence that has produced 14 errors in a 16-game stretch needs to get back on track.

It won't be easy, starting Monday against Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker, who used his revamped delivery to pitch the first complete-game shutout of his major league career, fanning 11 versus the Angels six days ago. Marco Estrada, with a 3-6 record and 5.47 ERA in his last 10 starts, goes for Toronto.

On Tuesday night, Seattle sends 16-game winner Hisashi Iwakuma, its steadiest starter this season, to the hill. He boasts a 2.50 earned-run average in six games against the Jays, who counter with J.A. Happ, who is one win from tying David Wells' record for most wins by a Toronto left-hander at 20, set in 2000.

Felix Hernandez will pitch Wednesday's series finale at 3:40 p.m. ET. The "King" has allowed six runs in three of his four previous starts and is 7-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 15 starts versus Toronto. Aaron Sanchez starts for the Blue Jays.

Toronto and Seattle met once earlier this season, with the Mariners taking two of three games in Toronto in late July. Here's a recap of that series:

July 22: Seattle 2, Toronto 1

• Lefty James Paxton of Ladner, B.C., stymies Blue Jays with seven sterling innings, limiting them to three hits while striking out nine (one off his career high).
• Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada allows two runs over six innings while former Mariner Michael Saunders homers for the home side's lone run. Sluggers Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion are a combined 1-for-7 at the plate with six strikeouts.

July 23: Seattle 14, Toronto 5

• Toronto outfielder Michael Saunders, who has hit .178 with seven homers since the all-star break, swats a pair of solo blasts while Donaldson and Encarnacion have a hit between them with two strikeouts.
• Blue Jays' starter R.A. Dickey gives up six earned runs in three innings. The bullpen yields another eight runs (all earned) the rest of the way.
• Nelson Cruz highlights Mariners' 19-hit attack with two home runs and seven runs batted in.

July 24: Toronto 2, Seattle 0

• J.A. Happ limits Mariners to one hit over six innings with six strikeouts to improve to 13-3.
• Blue Jays relievers Brett Cecil, Jason Grilli and closer Roberto Osuna provide three hitless innings with four stirkeouts.

Up next

Toronto returns home to play three games against division rivals New York and Baltimore, starting Friday versus the Yankees, before finishing the season with three contests at Fenway Park in Boston.