Mariners have chance to win series vs. Jays after Rowdy Tellez’s big day

First baseman Rowdy Tellez is one reason why the visiting Seattle Mariners are in a position to win their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.

Tellez has hit a home run in each of the first two games of the series against his former team, including a 12th-inning grand slam Saturday in an 8-4 victory that evened the series.

Tellez, who was traded by the Blue Jays to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021, also hit a solo home in the 3-1 loss on Friday.

Seattle won for the seventh time in the past nine games as it ended Toronto’s three-game winning streak on Saturday.

It was Tellez’s third homer of the season and his fifth career grand slam.

“He waited for a pitch that was up in the zone and put a really good swing on it and drove it. Being able to get his pitch up and drive it has really been a big part of what Rowdy’s done here in Toronto,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.

Tellez is trying to overcome a slow start to the season.

“I’m just finding the barrel,” Tellez said. “Just making sure I’m not trying to do too much and hit a ball — every swing, hit it out of the ballpark — I’m just trying to put the bat on the ball and give myself a chance.”

The slam came against Jacob Barnes after Randy Arozarena’s RBI single put Seattle ahead.

Tellez hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the 10th on a key play by shortstop Bo Bichette.

“I was grateful I was able to come through the second time with the bases loaded,” Tellez said.

Rookie third baseman Ben Williamson also had a productive day with his first career home run — a solo shot — and a double.

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. In 20 career regular-season games against Toronto, he has nine homers and 18 RBIs. He also had a home run against Toronto in the 2022 wild-card series.

Toronto is scheduled to start left-hander Easton Lucas (2-1, 4.70 ERA) on Sunday. In two career relief appearances against Seattle while a member of the Athletics, Lucas is 0-0 with a 22.50 ERA.

Lucas will oppose right-hander Luis Castillo (1-2, 4.22), who is 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA in four career starts against Toronto.

Toronto lamented missed chances on Saturday. Also, two key late-inning relievers, Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman were not available.

“Had chances there ninth, 10th, 11th, missed some pitches, they made some good pitches (to) guys you want up in those spots,” manager John Schneider said. “The bullpen did an outstanding job. Yariel (Rodriguez), two extra-inning innings is really hard to do without allowing a run. They did a great job on a day both Yimi and Hoff were down.”

Tellez was involved in a couple of other incidents on Saturday.

Toronto starter Jose Berrios accused Raleigh of tipping pitches to Tellez in the fourth inning and the dugouts emptied briefly.

“I let him know that I knew what he was doing,” Berrios said.

Tellez struck out in the at-bat.

“If you just look at the results, Rowdy was way off balance, so I didn’t have the pitches,” Raleigh said.

Tellez’s eventful day also involved a fifth-inning collision at first base with Toronto’s Alan Roden on a ground ball to the pitcher. Roden was flattened but continued in the game.

“Big human versus not-as-big human,” said Tellez, who is listed at 270 pounds.

–Field Level Media