That's what I'm saying, guy…

Hernandez struck out 11 Jays

Jay Buhner (of the infamous Ken Phelps trade fame) wasn’t in the lineup, but it didn’t make much of difference tonight as the Jays dropped the opener of their four-gamer with the Mariners, 5-4. Vernon Wells hit a three-run bomb off Felix Hernandez to tie things at three in the sixth, but a two-out, two-run Josh Wilson double off Jesse Carlson in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference.

This one looked like it would get out of hand early — Ricky Romero was his usual shaky self of late, giving up three runs through the first three innings and making the most of three double plays to limit the damage through four. King Felix cruised until Wells’ improbable homer in the sixth and gave up an RBI single to Wells in the eighth before David Aardsma put it away with a 1-2-3 ninth. Fun fact number one about Aardsma: He’s played for five teams in five seasons, and entering this year had a zero career saves and an ERA of 5.28. This season he has 36 saves and an ERA of 2.00. Fun fact number two: Alphabetically, Aardsma’s name is first amongst all players to have ever played in the big leagues.

The loss snaps a three-game win streak for the Jays, dropping them to 69-84 on the season. Roy Halladay and the unfortunately-named Doug Fister go in the second game Friday night.