Yariel Rodríguez gets 1st win, Alejandro Kirk drives in pair to help Blue Jays beat Mariners 5-4

SEATTLE (AP) — Yariel Rodríguez allowed one hit over six shutout innings for his first victory, Alejandro Kirk had three hits and drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the Seattle Mariners 5-4 on Saturday.

Rodríguez (1-3) had arguably the best start of his brief major league career and followed up on a terrific outing his last time out against Houston. Rodríguez went 6 2/3 innings allowing one run to the Astros earlier this week, then was even better against another AL West opponent.

“It means a lot to me. A lot of sacrifices for us to be here in the big leagues," Rodríguez said through an interpreter. "Getting that first win is unbelievable feelings. Grateful for the organization, today for my teammates, great defense behind me. It's unbelievable.”

The bigger worry for the Mariners was Julio Rodríguez after he was removed from the game following the first inning due to discomfort in his right quadriceps, manager Scott Servais said. Rodríguez felt the discomfort while warming up before the game and appeared to be moving cautiously in the outfield leading to the decision to pull him.

Servais said Rodríguez was expected to undergo an MRI.

“I'm hoping it's nothing too serious,” Servais said.

Seattle tried to rally late, pulling to 5-3 on Mitch Haniger’s three-run homer off Trevor Richards in the eighth inning, and Luke Raley hit a solo homer off Chad Green with one out in the ninth. Green recovered to strike out Mitch Garver and Dominic Canzone for his fourth save.

Yariel Rodríguez didn’t allow a hit until Luke Raley dumped a single into left field leading off the fifth inning. It wasn’t the most efficient performance by Rodríguez as he walked a pair and had a number of three-ball counts. But he struck out six and Seattle couldn’t string together any type of rally.

The Mariners struck out 11 times and have double-figures strikeouts in 11 straight games.

“That's frustrating. It's really hard to win consistently or put consistent offense together when you're not putting the ball in play enough," Servais said.

Rodríguez also received help in the field from Daulton Varsho, who made a diving catch of Ty France’s liner and was able to double off Josh Rojas at second base. Varsho had a big catch crashing into the wall in Friday's series opener that saved a couple of runs.

“That's a huge momentum swing in the game there. You don't see many double plays that way,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.

Kirk had his first three-hit game since April 28 and just his second multi-hit game since June 1. He sandwiched a pair of singles around an RBI double the scored Varsho with two outs in the fourth and gave Toronto a 1-0 lead.

“I think he's just swinging with a little bit more intent," Schneider said about Kirk. "Everyone knows he can control the zone but I think just swinging with a little more intent is kind of the deal."

Kirk extended the lead to 3-0 in the seventh with a bases loaded sacrifice fly. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also drove in a pair with an RBI single and added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Seattle’s (3-4) Emerson Hancock was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma and made his ninth start of the season. Toronto made him work as Hancock threw 93 pitches and allowed six hits in four-plus innings.

ROSTER MOVES

Toronto reinstated Justin Turner from the paternity list. Addison Barger was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Seattle cleared a roster spot for Hancock by designating for assignment backup catcher Seby Zavala.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP José Berríos (8-6, 3.63) threw 6 2/3 shutout innings earlier this season in a start against Seattle. Berríos is 4-2 in eight career starts against the Mariners.

Mariners: RHP George Kirby (7-6, 3.32) is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA over his last six starts. But he was rocked for five runs in four innings by Toronto earlier this season.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

A fan holds up the bat Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lost on a swing during the fifth inning in a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits an RBI single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer reacts after scoring against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer dives into second for a double against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer scores before the tag from Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver during the fifth inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk hits an RBI double against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Yariel Rodríguez throws against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning in a baseball game, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting near their records Monday as Wall Street gears up for the most anticipated meeting of the Federal Reserve in years.

The S&P 500 was 0.2% lower in midday trading after flitting between gains and losses earlier in the morning. It's sitting just 0.9% below its all-time high set in July.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 83 points, or 0.2%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, after climbing above its record closing high earlier in the day. The Nasdaq composite was down 0.7%.

Oracle rose 5.4% to help lead the market, continuing a strong run that began last week with a better-than-expected profit report. Alcoa also jumped 9% after saying it would sell its ownership stake in a Saudi Arabian joint venture to Saudi Arabian Mining Co. for $950 million in stock and $150 million in cash. But drops for some influential Big Tech stocks dragged on indexes, including declines of 2.8% for Apple and 1.9% for Nvidia.

Treasury yields eased in the bond market ahead of what’s expected to be the week’s main event. On Wednesday, the widespread expectation is for the Federal Reserve to cut its main interest rate for the first time in more than four years to deliver some relief to the economy.

The only question is by how much the Fed will cut. Traders are shifting more bets toward a larger-than-usual move of half a percentage point, according to data from CME Group. They’re anticipating a 61% chance the Fed will go beyond the more traditional cut of a quarter of a percentage point. That’s up from 50% on Friday and just 30% a week ago.

The difference between a half-point cut and a quarter may sound academic, but it can have far-ranging effects. While lowering rates relieves pressure on the economy, it can also give inflation more fuel.

The Federal Reserve has been keeping its main interest rate at a two-decade high in hopes of slowing the economy enough to stifle high inflation. With inflation having eased substantially from its peak two summers ago, the Fed has said it can turn more focus to bolstering the slowing job market and economy. Some critics say it may be moving too late, increasing the risk of a possible recession.

A Fed cut of half a percentage point would likely be the best case for the stock market in the very short term, according to Michael Wilson and other strategists at Morgan Stanley. But that's only if the Fed can convince investors it's not getting forced into a bigger-than-usual cut because of worries about a recession, among other factors.

Still, the more important thing for where stocks are heading over the next three to six months will be how well the job market holds up, according to Wilson. If employment weakens, stocks could fall regardless of whether the Fed cuts by half or a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 3.63% from 3.66% late Friday. The two-year yield, which moves more closely with expectations for the Fed, eased to 3.55% from 3.59%.

That was despite a report in the morning showing manufacturing in New York state returned to growth in September. That surprised economists, who were expecting another month of contraction for an area of the economy that’s been hit hard by high interest rates.

On Wall Street, Carl Icahn's Icahn Enterprises rose 7.1% after it said a U.S. judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the company, one based on allegations by a research firm that looks for financial irregularities and tries to profit when the stock prices fall.

Fertilizer producer Mosaic fell 4.8% after it said electrical equipment failures at mines and Hurricane Francine will reduce its production of potash and phosphate in the current quarter.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid mostly modest movements across Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.3% after data released over the weekend showed China’s economy slowed further in August.

Markets in Japan, mainland China and South Korea were closed for holidays.

AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.

FILE - The American flag hangs from the front of the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 10, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

FILE - A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

FILE - A person looks at an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm in Tokyo, on Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)