Mariners send Vargas to hill in Toronto
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California-born lefty Jason Vargas aims for a third straight victory overall - and the first of his career against Toronto - when the Seattle Mariners play the finale of a three-game series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Vargas, who turned 29 in February, was 1-1 with a no-decision through three starts this season before defeating Cleveland and Detroit in succession on April 18 and 24 while allowing 10 hits and five runs in 13 innings.
His only loss came April 12 at Texas, when he gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.
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In four career starts against Toronto, Vargas is 0-2 with a 7.52 earned run average in 20 1/3 innings.
In Saturday's second game, Edwin Encarnacion hit a grand slam, Brandon Morrow tossed six scoreless innings and the Blue Jays easily handled the Mariners, 7-0. Encarnacion finished 2-for-3 with five runs batted in, while Jose Bautista and Adam Lind each drove in a run for Toronto, which snapped a four- game losing streak.
Morrow (2-1) struck out nine while allowing five hits and no walks to record the win as three Blue Jay relievers combined for just one hit and one walk over three frames to complete the shutout.
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Ichiro Suzuki and Kyle Seager each had two hits for Seattle, which saw a four- game winning streak end. Kevin Millwood (0-2) surrendered three runs - one earned - on seven hits in seven innings.
Today, the Blue Jays send Venezuelan-born righty Henderson Alvarez to the mound for the 15th time in his big-league career.
The 22-year-old made 10 starts with Toronto last season and was 1-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 62 2/3 innings, including a no-decision against Seattle.
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He's made four starts in 2012 and has yet to record a victory in spite of lasting at least six innings in all four appearances and allowing three runs or less three times.
In his 14 overall starts, Alvarez has allowed an opposition batting average of .249. In 2012 alone, the average against him is just .216.
The Blue Jays won six of nine over the Mariners last season, sweeping the three-game series in Toronto.