Francis, Springer lift Jays to 3-1 win over Mariners

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer (4) takes a lead off first base as Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws to a Blue Jays batter in second inning MLB baseball action in Toronto on Friday, April 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

TORONTO — Right-hander Bowden Francis allowed a run in six innings, while George Springer belted two hits and scored twice to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners in Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.

Francis (2-2) struck out five and yielded five hits and a walk in his 77-pitch outing before 40,263 at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays (12-8) won their third game in a row and halted the Mariners (10-10) win streak at two.

Springer led off the second and fourth innings with a single and a double, respectively. He first scored on an Alan Roden sacrifice fly and touched home again after Alejandro Kirk’s single to centre field.

Anthony Santander’s sacrifice fly scored Bo Bichette in the first to push Toronto to a 1-0 advantage.

Seattle starter Bryan Woo (2-1) lasted seven innings. He surrendered three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Relievers Mason Fluharty, Chad Green, Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman held the Mariners without a hit in the final three innings. Hoffman notched his fifth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Takeaways

Mariners: Former Blue Jays first baseman Rowdy Tellez smashed a line-drive rocket to right field in the second inning for his second homer.

Blue Jays: Injured starter Max Scherzer (thumb) received a second cortisone shot, this time in a knuckle of his ailing thumb. He will stop throwing for two days and expects to rejoin Toronto in Houston next week.

Key moment

The Mariners were threatening in the fifth inning with runners on first and second with none out. But Blue Jays right-fielder Addison Barger threw out Tellez at third on a tag up for a double play. It was Barger’s second assist of the game.

Key stat

The Blue Jays are only one win ahead of the 11-9 pace after 20 games a year ago.

Up next

Jose Berrios (1-1) will start the middle game of the three-game set on Saturday. Seattle will counter with 6-foot-6 righty Logan Gilbert (1-1).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2025.