On Opening Day in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday, the Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 thanks to home runs from Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Toronto’s five-run sixth inning.
Bo Bichette was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, a run, and a walk. George Springer also reached deep. The Blue Jays were 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position, with Alejandro Kirk driving in two runs with a single.
Jose Berrios (1-0), making his second Opening Day appearance in his career, gave up two runs on six hits in six innings. He walked one and fanned six.
Yandy Diaz of the Rays, the batting champion of the American League the previous season, went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and two RBIs as the home team defeated Toronto 8-7.
Zach Eflin (0-1) gave up six runs on six hits, including three home runs, in five and a third innings pitched. He walked one and struck out five.
Diaz hit Berrios’ 2-2 changeup down the left-field line and over the short fence in his club’s first at-bat.
Opening Day starter Eflin was brilliant his first time through the Toronto lineup, working the ball around the strike zone to retire all nine and fanne five. But, Springer also scored Toronto’s first run of the season with a long ball, ripping an 80 mph sweeper on the first pitch to start the top of the fourth that tied the score with a 392-foot shot to left center. With Berrios and Eflin getting ahead in their counts, the first five innings went quickly, clocking in at just 65 minutes, five hits combined, and no side putting two runners on base in a frame.
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