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Blue Jays alone atop Wild Card after 4-homer rout
- Updated: September 21, 2016
SEATTLE — J.A. Happ became Toronto’s first 20-game winner since 2008 on Tuesday night and delivered a blow to his former Mariners teammates’ playoff chances in the process, while the Blue Jays smacked four home runs in a 10-2 runaway at Safeco Field.
Happ allowed two runs over five innings while striking out eight as he hiked his record to 20-4 with a 3.28 ERA, moving the Blue Jays into sole possession of the American League’s top Wild Card spot, four games back of AL East-leading Boston at 83-68.
The 33-year-old southpaw was 4-6 with a 4.64 ERA In 21 starts for Seattle last year, but has gone 27-6 with a 2.91 ERA in 41 games since with the Pirates and Blue Jays.
Seattle is 9-4 over its last 13 games, but back-to-back losses to Toronto have dropped the Mariners four back of the Blue Jays and three back of Baltimore — which lost to Boston, 5-2 — for the second Wild Card spot with 11 games remaining.
Hisashi Iwakuma, who has been Seattle’s most consistent starter this year, took a 2-0 lead into the fourth before getting rocked for six straight one-out hits and the Blue Jays’ first six runs in an eight-run inning.
Michael Saunders, another former Mariner, and Russell Martin each had two-run blasts in the Blue Jays’ breakout rally. Josh …
