Carp homers twice, Mariners edge Jays

SEATTLE (AP) - Mike Carp and Casper Wells hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

Carp, who also homered in the third inning, has a 15-game hitting and 17 RBIs in August, most in baseball for the month. It was his first two-home run game.

Wells homered in his third straight game.

Eric Thames and Adam Lind had two-run home runs for the Blue Jays and Brett Lawrie had a solo shot.

Tom Wilhelmsen (1-0) earned his first major league win by working a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

Brandon League, a former Blue Jay, earned his 30th save in 34 opportunities.

It was a rollicking first four innings, with nine runs and four lead changes.

The Jays got to Michael Pineda quickly. Yunel Escobar drew a game-opening walk and Thames connected on a first-pitch fastball, sending it deep into the seats in right field for his seventh homer.

The Mariners responded with three runs in the second off Henderson Alvarez, who was making his second major league start. Alvarez hit Wells in the back to open the inning. With one out, Trayvon Robinson drove a fly ball over the head of Thames in left. He stretched for it at the warning track but it caromed off his glove for a RBI double.

Kyle Seager walked then Jack Wilson directed a single through a hole on the right side to scored Robinson and send Seager to third. Ichiro Suzuki followed with a sacrifice fly that made it 3-2.

Carp tied it with his fifth home run over the wall in left-center with one out in the third. He has reached base safely in 24 straight games.

Seattle signs 1st-round choice, Hultzen: Danny Hultzen, taken by the Seattle Mariners with the No. 2 pick on the amateur draft, agreed Monday night to an $8.5 million, five-year contract.

Hultzen, a 6-foot-3 left-hander, was 12-3 with a 1.37 ERA in 18 starts for Virginia. In three seasons, he was 32-5 with a 2.08 ERA.

Because Hultzen still had one more year of eligibility at Virginia, the Mariners had until 9 p.m. PDT to sign him.

Hultzen was a 10th-round selection by the Diamondbacks three years ago.

Toronto Seattle

ab r h bi ab r h bi

YEscor ss 4 1 0 0 ISuzuki rf 3 0 0 1

EThms lf 5 1 2 2 FGtrrz cf 4 0 1 0

McCoy pr 0 0 0 0 Ackley 2b 4 0 0 0

Bautist rf 4 1 1 0 Carp 1b 4 2 2 2

Lind 1b 4 1 2 2 C.Wells dh 3 2 2 1

Encrnc dh 3 0 0 0 Olivo c 4 0 1 0

Rasms cf 4 0 1 0 Roinsn lf 4 1 3 1

Lawrie 3b 4 1 1 1 Seager 3b 3 1 0 0

A.Hill 2b 4 0 1 0 JaWlsn ss 3 0 2 1

Arencii c 3 0 1 0

Totals 35 5 9 5 Totals 32 6 11 6

Toronto 202 100 000-5

Seattle 031 000 02x-6

DP_Toronto 1, Seattle 1. LOB_Toronto 7, Seattle 5. 2B_F.Gutierrez (9), Robinson 2 (3). HR_E.Thames (8), Lind (21), Lawrie (3), Carp 2 (6), C.Wells (8). SB_A.Hill (15). CS_Olivo (5). SF_I.Suzuki.

IP H R ER BB SO

Toronto

H.Alvarez 5 6 4 4 1 3

Litsch H,2 2 1 0 0 0 1

T.Miller BS,1-1 1/3 1 1 1 0 0

Rauch L,5-4 2/3 3 1 1 0 1

Seattle

Pineda 5 6 5 5 4 6

Cortes 2 2 0 0 0 0

Wilhelmsen W,1-0 1 0 0 0 0 0

League S,30-34 1 1 0 0 0 1

Umpires_Home, Cory Blaser; First, Tim McClelland; Second, Brian Runge; Third, Marvin Hudson. T_2:43. A_28,530 (47,878).