Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer (4) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during first inning MLB baseball action against the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto on Friday, April 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
TORONTO – George Springer hit a leadoff homer and Bo Bichette had five hits as the Toronto Blue Jays beat Tampa Bay 6-3 on Friday night to end the Rays’ season-opening 13-game winning streak.
Jose Berrios threw five strong innings in his best start of the year as Toronto (9-5) won for the eighth time in 10 games.
The Blue Jays took advantage of a pair of bases-loaded walks and a two-run error in the fifth inning. Josh Lowe and Christian Bethancourt cut into the lead with back-to-back homers off Yimi Garcia in the seventh.
Erik Swanson pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Toronto and Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., worked the ninth for his fifth save.
Tampa Bay (13-1) was looking to set a modern-day Major League Baseball record for most consecutive victories to start a season.
The 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers also went 13-0. The 1884 St. Louis Maroons went 20-0 in the Union Association.
Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen (2-1) entered play with a clean earned-run average this season. Springer changed that by taking his second pitch of the game over the wall for his third homer of the year.
It was the 53rd leadoff homer of Springer’s career, moving him into a tie for third place on the all-time MLB list with Craig Biggio.
Berrios (1-2) retired the first eight Rays in order but left the game after the fifth inning with a left knee contusion after taking a comebacker off the back of his leg. He was able to collect the ball and threw out Diaz for the third out.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the bottom half of the frame after Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled and Daulton Varsho walked. Rasmussen was pulled after striking out Matt Chapman.
Southpaw reliever Colin Poche came on and walked pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk and then Santiago Espinal to make it 4-1.
Danny Jansen hit a tailor-made double play ball but second baseman Brandon Lowe missed Wander Franco’s throw, allowing two more runs to score.
Bichette, who’s hitting .391, had two doubles and three singles as Toronto outhit Tampa Bay 10-8.
Announced attendance was 34,822 and the game took two hours 37 minutes to play.
CHAPMAN RETURNS
Chapman returned to the lineup after sitting out a game due to a viral illness.
The Toronto third baseman was named American League player of the week last Monday.
RAY DAY
Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier had two singles in his first game against his former team.
He signed a one-year deal with Toronto in the off-season after spending his entire big-league career with Tampa Bay. Kiermaier was drafted by the Rays in 2010 and played 10 seasons in Tampa Bay.
COMING UP
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (1-0, 6.75 earned-run average) was scheduled to start for Toronto on Saturday.
The Rays had yet to finalize their starter plans for the matinee. The teams will close out the series on Sunday afternoon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2023.
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