TORONTO -- Mark Buehrle was dominant over eight-plus innings and Ryan Goins drove in Munenori Kawasaki with the game's only run as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 1-0 on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.
Kawasaki drew a one-out walk on Seattle starter Taijuan Walker (2-3) in the eighth inning. After an Anthony Gose strikeout, Goins hit a blooper into shallow right-centre field that allowed Kawasaki to score all the way from first base.
Buehrle (13-10), who reached the 200-inning mark for the 14th consecutive season, started the ninth but was pulled after giving up a leadoff single to Chris Taylor. He struck out 10 and allowed only three hits and a walk.
Reliever Aaron Sanchez picked off pinch-runner James Jones at first base and got the next two outs for his third save. Toronto (81-77) extended its winning streak to three games while the fading Mariners (83-75) have dropped five in a row.
Seattle is clinging to rather slim playoff hopes in the American League while Toronto was eliminated from post-season contention a night earlier. The Mariners entered play 2 1/2 games behind Oakland in the race for the second wild-card spot.
The teams breezed through the first three innings on a comfortable autumn evening.
A Jose Bautista single and double by Seattle's Corey Hart provided the only early ticks in the hit column. Bautista, who entered the game with an American League-leading .409 on-base percentage, has reached base safely in 27 straight games.
Dustin Ackley beat out an infield single to open the fourth inning. Buehrle needed only three pitches to get Robinson Cano to pop up and cleanup man Kendrys Morales to hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
Walker answered with a similar display in the fifth. The slow-moving Dioner Navarro led off with a drive to the wall but stayed at first base rather than challenge right-fielder Logan Morrison's arm.
The Seattle starter got Dalton Pompey of Mississauga, Ont., to pop up and Kawasaki to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.
Buehrle put on the leadoff man in the sixth by issuing a walk to Mike Zunino, who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor. The veteran southpaw responded by fanning Austin Jackson and Ackley.
Gose made a great sliding catch on a sinking liner in shallow centre field to deny Morrison a hit in the seventh. Buehrle fanned Hart and Zunino to keep the game scoreless.
Walker allowed four hits, one earned run and a walk while striking out six.
Announced attendance was 16,836 and the game took just one hour 59 minutes to play.
