TORONTO -- Ryan Goins has done a superb job defensively filling in for injured shortstop Jose Reyes.

Goins is considered a much better fielder than hitter, but he showed Sunday that he knows how to swing the bat.

He hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning Sunday to start the Toronto Blue Jays' scoring and had three runs batted in for the day in the Blue Jays' 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion also hit a two-run homer in the fifth.

"You don't expect home runs, but Gogo's played great," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Goins. "His defense is what it is, very good. It doesn't matter where you put him out there. Offensively, he's gotten better. I think a big part of that is he's more comfortable now. He feels like he belongs. He can do everything he needs to do to be a good, solid big-league player and that's what he's doing."

Rookie right-hander Aaron Sanchez (4-4) allowed seven hits, two walks and two runs with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory and enable the Blue Jays to salvage the finale of a three-game series.

Goins probably was playing his final game at shortstop for a while.

Reyes, who has been on the disabled list since April 28 with a cracked left rib, is scheduled to return Monday. That probably mean Goins will be seeing more time in a utility role that will include playing second base for injured Devon Travis.

Goins played some outfield during spring training with the idea of giving him a "super utility" role.

"There's a very valuable spot for Goins," Gibbons said.

Third baseman Kyle Seager homered for the Mariners to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker (1-5) allowed six hits -- including two home runs -- four walks and four runs while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings.

"I thought he competed well against the team that's scored the most runs in the American League, in fact all of baseball," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said.

"I thought he did a nice job, just made a couple of mistakes that cost him the ball game."

Sanchez escaped trouble in the first inning with the help of a successful challenge of a call at first base that resulted in the final out of the inning and erased a run.

Seager led off the second with his seventh homer of the season and his second in two games.

Goins hit his first home run of the season in the fifth to push the Blue Jays into a 2-1 lead. It followed a bloop single to right by center fielder Kevin Pillar, the Blue Jays' first hit of the game.

"Wherever they put me, infield or outfield, I'm going to do whatever I can to help the team win," Goins said.

Catcher Russell Martin hit a two-out double to keep the fifth going for DH Encarnacion, who blasted a 3-2 pitch to left for his 12th homer of the season to increase the lead to 4-1.

"I felt like my command was pretty good," Walker said. "The two pitches I missed, they made it hurt."

The Mariners (20-23) cut the lead to 4-2 in the seventh. Seager led off with a single, moved to third on a wild pitch and a groundout and scored on catcher Welington Castillo's sacrifice fly.

"I just wanted to keep it close because I know what our guys are capable of," Sanchez said. "It just came a little later today."

The Blue Jays (20-26) scored four runs in their seventh. Encarnacion beat out an infield single to second with one out against right-handed reliever Danny Farquhar.

Left fielder Chris Colabello doubled to right to move Encarnacion to third. Justin Smoak, a former Mariner, hit an RBI single to right.

Left-hander Joe Beimel took over, and right fielder Ezequiel Carrera scored another run with a bunt single. Pillar walked to load the bases. Goins walked to force in a run.

Pi