(St. Petersburg) George Springer, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero hit home runs Thursday to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to an 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in their season opener.
Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette each drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who scored five times in the sixth inning after being held to one hit earlier — a solo long ball by Springer in the fourth — by starter Zach Eflin (0 -1).
Jose Berrios (1-0) started the first game of a season for the second time with the Blue Jays and the fourth time in his career. He allowed a home run to Yandy Diaz from the start on his fifth pitch, then a productive double to the same player in the sixth.
“Obviously we don’t want to start the game that way, but I was convinced that it was an opportunity to bounce back, you know, to stay in the game,” Berrios said.
“Do your thing, show people you can do damage control and I did that. Our guys scored several runs in the fifth and we won the game. »
The right-hander allowed two runs, six hits and one walk in six innings of work. He also struck out six batters in this matchup between AHL East rivals who made the playoffs last year.
Eflin, who won 16 games in 2023 after signing a three-year, $40 million contract on the free agent market, gave up six runs and as many hits in 5 2/3 innings. He had never been the starter for his team’s first game.
The first three hits he allowed were home runs, including Guerrero’s 450-foot (137-meter) run to center field that gave the visitors a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning.
“I thought it was more than 450 feet,” Guerrero said, through his interpreter. But hey, after 400, it’s good. »
Biggio also sent an offering into the stands in the sixth.
Bichette then singled, then Eflin reached Justin Turner and walked Daulton Varsho to load the bases. Kirk followed in the batter’s box and hit a two-run single to make it 6-1.
It was the first game of a 10-game road trip for the Blue Jays while construction is completed at Rogers Centre.