SEATTLE — The rally needed to start and succeed just a little earlier.

Down 3-0 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Leonys Martin gave the Seattle Mariners’ their first runs of the game and momentary hope.

Martin blasted a two-run homer to deep right center off Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna to give the Mariners some fleeting hope.

But it was crushed quickly when Osuna struck out Ben Gamel looking to secure a 3-2 win for the Blue Jays.

And while the score may seem close, the game didn’t feel that way.

The Mariners’ offense, which had been so good for September and much of the season before this homestand, was missing again for most of Monday night when it mattered most.

Facing the Blue Jays in the opener of a key three-game series with American League wild-card implications, the Mariners were stymied by Toronto starter Marco Estrada for seven innings and failed to capitalize on the rare opportunities.

With the loss, the Mariners fell to 79-71, while the Blue Jays improved to 82-68. Seattle is three games back for the second wild-card spot, tied with the Houston Astros.

For six innings, the Mariners were held without a hit. In that span, they hit about two balls that looked like hits. Estrada, an all-star this season, has been bothered by disc issues in his back and had struggled of late, allowing 17 runs in his last four starts. But sprinkled in those four starts was a start on Aug. 29 at Baltimore where he pitched seven innings, giving up one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Using a sinking changeup and effective curveball to offset a fastball that has been reduced to 88-89 mph, Estrada kept Mariners’ hitters off balance, following a similar pattern that Astros pitchers used in two wins over Seattle this past weekend.

Throw offspeed in hitter’s counts and keep the Mariners in the park.

Estrada’s only two base runners in the first six innings were back-to-back, two-out walks to Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz in the fourth inning.

Cano finally broke up the no hitter in the seventh, leading off with a single into center. But Estrada coolly retired Cruz, Kyle Seager and Adam Lind on fly balls to end the inning.

Estrada worked seven innings, giving up the one hit with three walks and eight strikeouts. He started the eighth but gave up a one-out walk and was lifted for reliever Jason Grilli.

The Mariners got a so-so performance from Taijuan Walker, who couldn’t replicate his shutout in his previous start. Dealing with a sore hand and later a sore foot, Walker pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

For the first two hitters, Walker appeared to be just as dialed in as his previous start when he threw his first shutout of his career. But a 1-2 fastball to Encarnacion came rocketing back at him at 103 mph. The ball struck his right hand and bounced into center field for a single.

Trainers immediately rushed to the field to check on Walker. He would remain in the game though it was obvious when he walked Jose Bautista on four straight pitches that the initial pain had yet to subside. Walker regrouped and got Russell Martin to fly out to end the inning.

He would remain in the game, coming back with a 1-2-3 second inning. But Encarnacion would get to him again with an equally painful hard hit ball. This one didn’t hit Walker, but struck one of the many Blue Jays’ fans packed into the second level of Edgar’s Cantina.

With two outs and Kevin Pillar on first, Walker left a 1-2 changeup up in the zone on the inside half of the plate. Encarnacion yanked it out for his 41st homer of the season.

The Blue Jays pushed the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning. Troy Tulowitzki led off with a double to deep left-center and later scored on Pillar’s RBI single to right field.

Leading up to the hit, Walker seemed to aggravate the injury to his troublesome right foot, fielding a sac bunt from Carrera.

After issuing a one-out walk in the sixth, his second of the inning, Walker was lifted for Drew Storen. Traded by the Blue Jays at midseason, Storen struck out Melvin Upton Jr. and Pillar to end the inning.

Seattle’s other quality scoring chance came in the eighth after Estrada had been lifted with a one-out walk. Seattle loaded the bases against reliever Jason Grilli with two outs, bringing Cano to the plate.

Toronto countered with Osuna. And the move worked. Cano’s line drive to right field was hit well, but just well enough for fleeting hope followed by crushing realism. When he saw right fielder Carrera waiting on the warning track to haul in his line drive, having played him perfectly, Cano shook his head in frustration. He’d put up a tough at-bat against Osuna, representing the go-ahead run, but it wasn’t enough.

All three runners that were on base sauntered back to the dugout and the Mariners still trailed by three runs.