In a game where the lead changed hands time and time again, the Toronto Blue Jays managed to pull their heads above water at just the right time to take the season opener honors 10-9 over the Cards of St. Louis, Thursday.
It was finally a sacrifice ball from Vladimir Guerrero at the start of the ninth inning that made the difference. Vlad finished the game with two hits in four appearances and three RBIs.
The game was punctuated by 34 hits by both teams in a game where 14 pitchers were used.
George Springer had five hits in six appearances and crossed home plate four times. Adley Rutschman of the Orioles also had five hits in Boston.
Two players with five hits on Day 1 of a regular season, we hadn’t seen that since 1901.
The Blue Jays started the season strong with a three-run push in the first inning against starter Miles Mikolas. Daulton Varsho’s double first pushed George Springer to the plate for the Torontonians’ first point of the season. Alejandro Kirk followed up with a two-run single.
Mikolas left the game after 3.1 innings of work. He then gave up five earned runs on ten hits. He also had six strikeouts.
“It’s great,” Springer said. Of course you want to start off on the right foot. It’s just a game, but I’m going to take all the hits I can. »
The Cards replied at the end of the first on Nolan Arenado’s productive single, which brought his team closer to two points.
Toronto quickly regained its two-run lead in second on a double from Bo Bichette, who finished the game with four hits.
St. Louis went two straight two-run innings to tie the game 5-5 in the fourth inning. Tyler O’Neill and Brendan Donovan notably hit a homer each off starter Alek Manoah, who was the victim of five earned runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings. He had three strikeouts and allowed two walks.
The Cards took the lead for the first time this season in the sixth inning when Brendan Donovan crossed the plate on a Paul Goldschmidt single.
In the eighth with no outs and two runners in scoring position, Vladimir Guerrero hit his second hit of the game to overturn a 7-6 deficit into an 8-7 lead, but late in the eighth Nolan Arenado hit a two-run double that once again changed the side’s lead before seeing the Jays succeed with another straight inning push to save themselves with the win.
Receiver Willson Contreras left after the eighth inning with a knee injury.
The win went to Yimi Garcia’s record as Ryan Helsley took the loss.
Canadian reliever Jordan Romano threw the ninth to get the save. The last out was Lars Nootbar on strikes, using a slippery.
“There were ups and downs,” Toronto team manager John Scheider said. But pretty much all of our players have had good at-bats. »
“Our offense was excellent,” said Daulton Varsho, who also slammed a sacrifice fly. We never gave up. That’s the kind of club we are. »