SEATTLE (AP) — Dylan Cease struck out nine in seven sharp innings to pitch the Toronto Blue Jays past the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Friday night in a rematch of last year's American League Championship Series.
Andrés Giménez hit an RBI double and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled off Mariners starter Luis Castillo in the third.
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From left, United States men's national soccer team players Chris Richards, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Matt Turner take a photo with teammates on the field before a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cole Young react after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates with third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, facing, after a win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits an RBI single to score Andrés Giménez against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Sean Keys was 2 for 4 with a double and a run.
Cease (5-4), who leads the AL with 141 strikeouts, gave up three hits and walked one. Jeff Hoffman fanned two in a hitless eighth and Louis Varland worked a one-hit ninth for his 18th save.
Castillo (3-7) gave up five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Cole Young and Victor Robles hit back-to-back singles to start the third — the first baserunners for Seattle — before Colt Emerson grounded into a double play. After J.P. Crawford walked, Randy Arozarena's groundout ended the threat.
Seattle had four hits and struck out 12 times.
The Mariners (45-44) fell a half-game behind AL West-leading Texas (45-43).
The teams met for the first time since the Blue Jays beat Seattle 4-3 at home in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS.
Blue Jays RHP Shane Bieber (0-0, 6.00 ERA) starts Saturday opposite RHP Logan Gilbert (6-5, 3.42) in the middle game of the series.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
From left, United States men's national soccer team players Chris Richards, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Matt Turner take a photo with teammates on the field before a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cole Young react after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates with third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, facing, after a win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits an RBI single to score Andrés Giménez against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's dayslong funeral for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as mourners commemorate the life of the man who led Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.
Khamenei's body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
The sun rises as a man holds an Iranian flag on the esplanade of the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque before the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Mourners attend the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A mourner cools herself with water outside the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque during the funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Mourners attend the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family are displayed on a stand at the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A girl holds a portrait of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as she walks to the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque during his dayslong funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family are displayed on a platform at the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Iranian religious leaders and other mourners walk past the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) The religious leaders are Iranian, not foreigners
Dignitaries and officials pay their respects before the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The casket of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, is displayed alongside the caskets of Khamenei and other members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A portrait of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and an Iranian flag are displayed in the window of a bookstore ahead of Khamenei's funeral ceremonies, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iran's Basij paramilitary forces set up a checkpoint at a square ahead of the funeral ceremonies of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown at the billboard at rear, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A man rides a bicycle past a portrait of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of his dayslong funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Revolutionary Guard members and clerics mourn on the esplanade of the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque as preparations are underway ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center on top, and members of his family are displayed ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Women carry a portrait of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as they arrive to pay their respects before the coffins of Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The coffin of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried into the Mosalla Grand Mosque ahead of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Mourners cool off under a spray of water as they walk to the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque during the dayslong funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A mourner weeps as he attends the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A mourner holds a portrait of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as mourners gather for the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies for Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
