Though the standings don't show it, the Seattle Mariners have been winning with a little bit of consistency lately. The same cannot be said for starter Jarrod Washburn.
Washburn, though, will try to win back-to-back outings for the first time this season and lead the Mariners to a third straight series victory on Wednesday when they wrap up a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays in a matchup of last-place teams.Seattle (32-51) won for the sixth time in eight games Tuesday by rallying from four runs down as Willie Bloomquist drove in Raul Ibanez in the ninth inning for a 7-6 victory over Toronto (41-44).
Yuniesky Betancourt had two RBIs, Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer and Richie Sexson went deep for the first time since May 24 for the Mariners.
"Richie came up big for us. Bloomquist, of course, Beltre. These guys have been working so hard and competing so hard and not getting anything to show for it," said Mariners manager Jim Riggleman, who is 7-4 since taking over for John McLaren on June 20.
"When you put together a few wins, you just really feel good for them. When guys are struggling, it's tough being at the plate."
Seattle will now turn to Washburn (3-7, 5.23 ERA), who has a 2.13 ERA in his last four starts. The left-hander, though, won for the first time in nine appearances on Friday, giving up two runs and seven hits in a season-high 7 2-3 innings in a 5-2 victory at San Diego.
Washburn hasn't had victories in consecutive starts since winning three straight last June 23-July 4. To do that, however, he'll have to end his woes against Toronto.
He is 2-7 with a 4.78 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Blue Jays. Since joining the Mariners ahead of the 2006 season, he has only faced them once at Safeco Field, holding them to two runs and nine hits in six innings of a 5-3 win on June 29, 2007.
On Tuesday, left fielder Adam Lind finished with a season-high three RBIs, while Gregg Zaun drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
"It's a tough loss," said Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, who replaced John Gibbons the same day as Riggleman. "Anytime you lose a ballgame like that it's a tough loss."
Starter Dustin McGowan (6-6, 4.26) hopes to keep the Blue Jays from another letdown as he tries to bounce back from his last outing.
The right-hander, who is 4-2 with a 4.33 ERA in his last seven starts, gave up four runs and eight hits over 7 1-3 innings in a 4-0 home loss to Atlanta on Friday.
McGowan, though, is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five career games versus the Mariners - with three starts. He struck out seven in a five-hitter in a 3-1 home victory over Seattle on June 10.
Mariners center fielder Ichiro Suzuki, who went 2-for-5 on Tuesday, has hit .364 (4-for-11) versus McGowan.
