Missed opportunities haunt Blue Jays in extra-innings loss to visiting Mariners

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Back and forth the Blue Jays and Mariners went, two teams that came into the big leagues together, two teams that have a recent playoff history.

The April stakes are nowhere near as high as an October meeting, but the second game of a three-game series did have an air of acrimony that only added to the drama.

Hotly competitive games decided in the late innings have come to define this Blue Jays season.

Saturday was no exception.

The Jays benefited from a second baseman playing right field for Seattle, directly leading to two runs crossing home plate.

Seattle benefited from a Jays offence that failed to deliver the knockout blow to M’s starter Logan Gilbert, who was on the ropes in the early innings.

Still, the game was drama-filled and required extra innings, forcing the Jays to use six pitchers.

In the end, the Jays’ early inning failures came back to bite them when ex-Jay Rowdy Tellez hit a grand slam in the 12th to lift the Mariners to an 8-4 win, setting the stage for Sunday’s series rubber match.

A Bo Bichette single would give the Jays a 3-2 lead before the Mariners responded with Ben Williamson taking Toronto starter Jose Berrios deep on a solo shot.

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Brendon Little and Nick Sandlin pitched scoreless innings, each recording two strikeouts.

Chad Green would have a runner in scoring position in the ninth, but he retired the side by recording a strikeout.

In the bottom of the inning, the Jays had the first two runners on base, but failed to score.

Yariel Rodriguez was the beneficiary of a great pick by Bichette, who would start a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

Rodriguez was at his best in the 11th when he retired the side in order.

In the 12th, Jacob Barnes was on the mound for Toronto.

It was Barnes who gave up the slam to Tellez.