SEATTLE — Luis Castillo limited Toronto to two hits over a dominant 6 2/3 innings, Luke Raley had a two-run double in the third and the Seattle Mariners beat the Blue Jays 2-1 on Friday night.
Castillo (7-9) was nearly untouchable in his 200th career start, retiring each of the first nine Blue Jays hitters, and not allowing a hit until Kevin Kiermaier hit a solo home run with one out in the sixth.
Castillo's only blemish before Kiermaier's homer was a leadoff walk to Toronto first baseman Spencer Horwitz in the fourth inning.
After Kiermaier made it one-run game with a 379-foot shot to right field, Horwitz quickly hit a single back up the middle for Toronto's final hit of the night. But Castillo escaped trouble, with Bo Bichette hitting into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Castillo departed to a standing ovation after walking Daulton Varsho in the seventh, having allowed one run on two hits, with eight strikeouts.
A big reason for Castillo's success was a new grip for his slider, which made his already tough pitch come in a few miles per hour slower than usual and threw Toronto's hitters off-balance.
''It helps a lot, the fastball coming in around 96, 97, and that changeup coming in around 85," Castillo said. "But then this new slider that I've got coming in even slower, it gives me three different varieties of speed to play with. It just keeps them on their toes.''
Austin Voth and Ryne Stanek combined for 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth for his 14th save.
