TORONTO — Dylan Cease struck out eight in six innings, and Nathan Lukes, George Springer and Kazuma Okamoto smacked solo homers to help the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 on Friday to open a three-game weekend series. Springer led the offence with four hits as the Blue Jays (66-70) won for the third time in seven games, while the Mariners lost for only the third occasion in their last 12 outings. Cease (9-5) scattered four hits and a walk in his 92-pitch outing. After Dominic Canzone belted a one-out 433-foot homer to right-centre for his 20th in the first inning, the Blue Jays righty retired the next nine Mariners in order before 41,910 fans at Rogers Centre. Lukes and Springer hit their homers in the fifth off Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (7-8). Okamoto slammed his club-leading 27th in the sixth inning off former Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Domínguez. The home side snatched a 3-1 lead in the bottom half of the opening inning. A run-scoring double from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., an Okamoto sacrifice fly and an Andres Gimenez single cashed in the runs. Hancock went five innings, surrendering five runs on eight hits and no walks with a strikeout. Cease hasn’t lost since July 20. With the Kansas City Royals beating the host Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Friday, the Blue Jays moved to within 2 1/2 games of the third and final American League wild-card berth. Takeaways Blue Jays: Springer went 4-for-4. In 38 games since the All-Star break, he has batted .317 (40-for-126) with six doubles, a triple, five homers, 22 RBIs, 12 walks and 19 runs scored. Mariners: Josh Naylor went 0-for-4 to cool the heater he’s been on since the All-Star break. He entered the series opener batting .323 (42-for-132) with six doubles, two homers, 11 RBIs and 10 walks. Key moment Gimenez’s two-out bouncer up the middle scored Springer, prolonging the Blue Jays’ three-run first inning. Key stat Cease’s eight strikeouts leave him 10 shy of matching his career high of 227, set in 2022 with the Chicago White Sox. Up next Blue Jays righty Jose Soriano (10-7) will start the middle game of the weekend series on Saturday. Seattle has not named a starter, but 22-year-old righty rookie Kade Anderson (0-0) is up next in the rotation after making his MLB debut on Aug. 22. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2026. Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press
