BRENT STECKER

Mariners lineup: James Paxton takes on Blue Jays in Canada

May 8, 2018, 1:20 PM

Mariners pitcher James Paxton will make his fifth career start against Toronto Tuesday. (AP)...

Mariners pitcher James Paxton will make his fifth career start against Toronto Tuesday. (AP)

(AP)

“The Big Maple” James Paxton has returned to his native country of Canada, where he will start for the Mariners against the Toronto Blue Jays to begin a three-game series at 4:07 p.m. Tuesday on 710 ESPN Seattle.

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This will be the fifth career start against Toronto for Paxton, who actually was a first-round draft pick of the Blue Jays in 2009 (he did not sign and was drafted the next year in the fourth round by the Mariners). He has two good outings and two rough ones to his credit against Toronto, but a 2 2/3 innings start in which he gave up eight runs in 2014 skews his career 6.86 ERA vs. the Blue Jays.

Paxton is coming off his best start of this season, striking out a career-high 16 in seven innings against the Oakland A’s last week.

Toronto will start Marcus Stroman, who has struggled out of the gate in 2018. He is 0-4 with a 7.52 ERA, but he too is coming off his best outing of the year, holding Minnesota to two runs on six hits and one walk over seven innings on May 2.

The Blue Jays will be without closer Roberto Osuna at least for Tuesday if not the entire series. He has been placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball following an assault charge.

Coverage begins on 710 ESPN Seattle at 3 p.m. with the pregame show.

Here are the full lineups.

Mariners (19-14)

Dee Gordon, CF
Jean Segura, SS
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Kyle Seager, 3B
Mitch Haniger, RF
Ryon Healy, 1B
Mike Zunino, C
Ben Gamel, LF

James Paxton, LHP

Blue Jays (19-16)

Teoscar Hernandez, RF
Josh Donaldson, 3B
Yangervis Solarte, 2B
Justin Smoak, 1B
Kevin Pillar, CF
Russell Martin, C
Kendrys Morales, DH
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., SS
Anthony Alford, LF

Marcus Stroman, RHP

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Mariners lineup: James Paxton takes on Blue Jays in Canada