SEATTLE -- The closed door during Mariners manager Eric Wedge's postgame talk was not enough to stifle the whooping coming from the Seattle clubhouse.
While Wedge explained his pleasure with Jason Vargas' strong start, shortstop Brendan Ryan was being doused with ketchup and beer in the shower by his teammates.
The team was celebrating Ryan's three-hit night that pushed his batting average over .200 for the first time since April 21 and the Mariners' sixth consecutive win, 7-2 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Vargas has been dominant all month, leading to multiple trade rumours. He watched the clock tick down Tuesday afternoon and was relieved to still be on the Mariners once the non-waiver trade deadline passed.
"I think it would weigh on anybody," Vargas said. "As time got narrower and narrower, I knew my chances got smaller and smaller."
If he felt the pressure of rumours, he didn't show it in July. Vargas (12-7) allowed two earned runs and just five hits Tuesday. He went 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA during the month, tying a Mariners record for wins in any month, and is the first to go 5-0 in a month since Felix Hernandez in September 2009.
Dustin Ackley hit Aaron Laffey's first pitch of the game for his second career leadoff homer and seventh of the season overall. Ackley also drove in a run in the fourth on a fielder's choice. Robinson hustled for a double to start the inning off.
Laffey (2-2) lasted just 4 2-3 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs.
The Mariners roughed up Laffey for three runs in the second after scoring a run in the first.
Mike Carp singled, Miguel Olivo doubled and Trayvon Robinson had an RBI single. Ryan drove in another with a single to right field. Robinson then scored on Ackley's grounder to first base.
"They clearly came out with a game plan to jump on a first-pitch fastball," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "They went and attacked (Laffey)."
Ryan's three hits were his season high. He's hit .279 over his last 36 games to raise his season average to .205 and prompt the celebration.
"Still trying to ketchup out of my ears," Ryan said.
It's been a grind for Ryan, who puts pressure on himself to produce offensively.
"Lots of pulling your hair out at 1 a.m. after the game knowing an at-bat in the seventh you might have left somebody on base in scoring position," Ryan said. "It's been such a battle to put together consistent, good at-bats."
Toronto's Brett Lawrie, hitting leadoff Tuesday, had struck out five consecutive times in the series before lining a double into the left-field corner in the third.
His first hit in eight at-bats produced two runs because rookie Moises Sierra, who had singled for his first career hit, sprinted past a stop sign from third base coach Brian Butterfield and narrowly scored.
Vargas laboured through a 30-pitch inning and had thrown 62 pitches by the end of the third.
But, Vargas then retired 10 straight before Yunel Escobar led off the seventh with a hit. Rajai Davis also singled in the seventh, though Vargas would rebound to get consecutive flyouts from Jeff Mathis and Sierra.
Laffey hit Carp to load the bases in the fifth. Brandon Lyon was summoned from the bullpen, and he allowed a two-run single up the middle by Olivo to make it 7-2.
The last time the Mariners won six consecutive games was May 18-23, 2011. The last time they won more than six in a row was June 23-31, 2007.
"One thing that's important to me is you're not just doing it one way or another," Wedge said. "You have to have multiple ways to win ballgames up here if you're going to be a consistent winner and you're seeing us do that."
NOTES: The Mariners called up relievers Carter Capps and Stephen Pryor from Triple-A Tacoma to take the place of traded relievers Brandon League and Steve Delabar. . Delabar debuted for the Blue Jays a night after being traded from Seattle. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning. ... Outfielder Eric Thames, whom the Mariners traded for Monday, also joined the club. . Sierra was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. He got the start in right field.
