M's go quietly in return to AL competition

The Mariners had cruised through the early stages of the Jim Riggleman era, winning six of nine on the road to awaken hopes that a long-awaited Seattle revival had begun.

But that was all accomplished against what is proving to be, yet again, an inferior National League.

Facing the American League again on Monday — and one of the AL's very best pitchers in Roy Halladay — the Mariners had a familiar outcome, losing 2-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Halladay fired a four-hit shutout for his sixth complete game of the season — five more than the entire M's staff.

"That's the kind of pitcher you would call an ace," Ichiro said.

With the loss, Seattle fell 10 games under .500 (15-25) at Safeco Field, where the crowd of 30,179 included a large contingent of Blue Jays fans.

But this was one they could rightly write off to a right-hander at the top of his game. Mariners starter R.A. Dickey pitched well enough to win, giving up two runs in 6-1/3 innings. But while Dickey kept wriggling out of jams, Halladay was dominating.

"Halladay was just outstanding," M's manager Riggleman said. "We looked at some at-bats in the video room, and you could see the ball moving all over the place. He broke a lot of bats."

Jeff Clement could give a heartfelt testimonial to Halladay's movement. The rookie struck out looking three times, once in a crucial situation in the seventh.

"It's frustrating, because I hate to fail, especially in big situations," Clement said. "But I have to tip my cap. He just made pitches. I'd like to say something different, but he was just really good."

Halladay, who had pitched a three-hit shutout against Seattle in his last appearance against them last June, handcuffed the Mariners again for his 10th career shutout. He didn't walk any and struck out six.

"He's probably one of the best right-handed pitchers I've ever faced, that's for sure," Jeremy Reed said. "Roy was Roy today. He has a cutter and a sinker both, and you couldn't tell which it was until it was right on you. It's pretty tough when he throws one 92 [mph] and the other 95."

The Mariners last, best and, for the most part, only scoring threat off Halladay came in the seventh.

With one out, Reed sliced a single into left, and daringly took third when Richie Sexson followed with a single to left. Reed barely beat Brad Wilkerson's throw, and the Mariners were in business with runners on first and third.

But Clement fanned on three pitches — his 29th strikeout in 77 at-bats this season. Kenji Johjima grounded out to shortstop, and the threat was dead.

"He threw four different pitches to me [in the game], and you can't pick it up until it gets there," Clement said of Halladay. "They did some real funny stuff."

Said Riggleman: "It seemed like he saved his best for Clement."

Coming off a strong outing in New York — seven shutout innings in an 11-0 win over the Mets — Dickey gave up nine hits, but minimized the damage.

Dickey added four more scoreless innings to his ledger on Monday. But while Halladay was mowing down the Mariners, the Blue Jays broke the 0-0 tie in the fifth.

Dickey got two quick outs — the first on a scary near-collision between center fielder Reed and right fielder Ichiro on a ball hit between them. Reed grabbed the ball on the run as a hard-charging Ichiro veered in front of Reed at the last second, leaping to avoid him.

"I felt like we were going to collide," Ichiro said. "I moved forward and jumped up, and then heard him call for the ball."

Said Reed: "It was just a ball in between us. I called it a little late. I didn't realize he would get there. I probably should have called it earlier."

David Eckstein, hitting .400 in his career off Dickey (6 for 15), then doubled to left (the only extra-base-hit allowed by Dickey) and came home on Marco Scutaro's single to center.

The Blue Jays got another off Dickey in the sixth, but it could have been worse. Singles by Vernon Wells and Scott Rolen, and a walk to Lyle Overbay, loaded the bases with one out.

Rod Barajas grounded out slowly to short, with Wells scoring, but Wilkerson — making his first Safeco appearance since the Mariners cut him in late April — grounded out to second.

"Obviously, the night belonged to Roy," Dickey said. "He didn't win a Cy Young for nothing. He's a horse. I didn't have a swing-and-miss knuckleball like I did last time."

Mark Lowe blanked the Blue Jays over the final 2-2/3 innings, the longest stint of his career.

Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt was out of the starting lineup for the Mariners because of dental work that left him in discomfort. His replacement, Willie Bloomquist, had one of the four hits off Halladay, a third-inning single. Bloomquist hasn't had an extra-base-hit this season.

Sexson, who hasn't homered since May 24 — and has just one extra-base hit since then, a double on June 24 — had two hits off Halladay.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com