Hernandez leads Blue Jays to wild win over Rangers in Toronto's 1st home opener since 2019
CBC
Teoscar Hernandez had a three-run blast and scored the game-winning run as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied for a raucous 10-8 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday.
It was the first time the Blue Jays had hosted a home opener at Rogers Centre since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jose Berrios gave up four runs in just a third of an inning as Toronto's Opening Day starter escaped with a no decision.
Seven relievers came out of the Blue Jays' bullpen, with Adam Cimber recording the win and Jordan Romano of nearby Markham, Ont., earning the save.
Mitch Garver's two-run home run in the second inning helped Texas (0-1) build a 6-0 lead by the second inning. Brad Miller and Adolis Garcia had solo blasts for the visitors.
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Jon Gray struck out four but allowed three runs over four innings for the Rangers. Dennis Santana, one of four Texas relievers, took the loss.
It was the Blue Jays' first home opener since 2019, as COVID-19 restrictions forced the club to play all of the 2020 season and most of 2021 in Dunedin, Fla., and Buffalo, N.Y. When the team did return to Toronto late last summer Ontario still had capacity limits in place for most venues, limiting the cavernous Rogers Centre to just 15,000 fans.
As a result, Toronto's core of young stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio had never experienced a true Blue Jays home opener until Friday.
Bichette's cohort got the full experience on Friday with a crowd of 45,022 at Rogers Centre, the first sellout at Toronto's ballpark since March 29, 2018.
A lengthy pre-game ceremony kept the crowd on its feet for more than 35 minutes. Guerrero, Hernandez, and Marcus Semien — who signed with Texas in the off-season after playing for the Blue Jays last year — formally received their Silver Slugger awards.
Guerrero earned the loudest cheers, including M-V-P chants, as he trotted out from the dugout during team introductions.
Miller, hitting leadoff for Texas, immediately quieted the Rogers Centre crowd when he bounced a 1-2 pitch from Berrios off the stadium's second deck.
Berrios's struggles didn't end there, with a wild pitch to Mitch Garver scoring Semien. Nathaniel Lowe singled in the next at-bat to push Corey Seager across home for a 3-0 Rangers lead.
