TORONTO -- Canadian James Paxton was making his second start in his home country against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

When he allowed a double and a walk to the first two batters, Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon went to the mound to talk to the 26-year-old left-hander from Ladner, B.C.

Paxton (3-2) settled down and escaped the inning with one run allowed and the Mariners went on to defeat the Blue Jays 3-2.

"There were a lot of factors that went into me going out there," McClendon said. "Obviously this is his home country and the last time he was here things sped up on him. He tried to do a little too much. We just wanted to slow him down."

The first time he pitched in Toronto, Sept. 22, Paxton lasted 2 2/3 innings and allowed eight earned runs.

This time things went better. Paxton allowed four hits, three walks and two runs while striking out four in six innings. The Mariners (20-22) have won the first two of the three-game series.

Right fielder Chris Colabello hit a home run for the Blue Jays (19-26), who have lost nine of their last 11.

Third baseman Kyle Seager homered for the Mariners in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle (5-4) pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed five hits, three walks and three runs while striking out four.

Right-hander Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 12th save of the season.

The Blue Jays scored in the first when third baseman Josh Donaldson led off with a double, took third on a wild pitch and came home on first baseman Edwin Encarnacion's sacrifice fly.

When designated hitter Jose Bautista walked after Donaldson's double, McClendon made his visit.

"If you worry about the guy on third, then you have a big inning," McClendon said. "What I said was: 'Don't worry about the guy on third; get outs. If he scores, he scores, we'll come back from that.'"

"You're always trying to calm yourself and slow the game down," Paxton said. "It sped up a little bit on me in the first inning and Lloyd came out and kind of told me to slow down, kind of get my emotions under control and focus on what matters at that time, which is executing pitches.

"It's special to be back in my home country and getting used to that feeling each time I come back," he said. "I feel I was better prepared for it and I'll be better prepared next time, also."

Right fielder Willie Bloomquist hit a two-run double in the third as the Mariners took advantage of outfield misplays to take a 3-1 lead.

Possibly losing the ball in the sun, Colabello let a deep fly by shortstop Chris Taylor drop for a double. Left fielder Rickie Weeks walked and Bloomquist doubled off the wall beyond the glove of left fielder Danny Valencia, who had difficulty tracking the ball.

Colabello tagged a 3-1 pitch to left in the fourth for his third home run of the season and his second in two games, both after defensive mistakes. He was asked whether the homers gave him a little solace.

"I'm supposed to do that anyway, right?" he said. "You want to be a complete baseball player -- save runs and get runs. If it had been a two-run homer to take a lead or something, at the end of the day maybe I'd feel a little bit better about it, but I guess 'no' is the answer to the question."

Bautista and Encarnacion walked to start the Toronto sixth. Catcher Russell Martin popped out and Valencia lined into a double play, with second baseman Robinson Cano making a good catch and flipping the ball to Taylor.

It is typical of how things are going for the Blue Jays, who are 2-10 in one-run games.

"We're not winning, so it's obviously frustrating," Buehrle said. "We've lost some close games, a lot of one-run games that we're not coming through on top. We just have to keep battling."

NOTES: Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez allowed a home run to Toronto 1B Edwin Encarnacion in the Mariners' 4-3 victory on Friday and has given up six home runs in May after allowing one in April. ... RHP Fernando Rodney, Seattle's closer, earned his 11th save Friday despite allowing a two-run home run to INF/OF Chris Colabello. It was the fourth straight save in which Rodney allowed at least one run, and he has yielded home runs in three of them. ... INF Steve Tolleson started at second base for the Blue Jays, as he platoons with INF Munenori Kawasaki while 2B Devon Travis (inflamed left shoulder) is on the disabled list. ... Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (knee surgery) is visiting the team and said he hopes to return to play in September. ... RHP Taijuan Walker (1-4, 7.47 ERA) will start the series finale for Seattle on Sunday against RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 4.17).