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GDB 2.0: Toronto Blue Jays look to build off excellent Opening Day
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Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
Mar 29, 2024, 15:45 EDTUpdated: Mar 29, 2024, 22:43 EDT
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I mean… wow.
What an opening day for the Toronto Blue Jays, who toppled the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2. Admittedly, it was a shaky start, though. Rays pitcher Zach Eflin retired the whole Jays lineup in order in the first three innings, and Yandy Diaz’s solo home run in the bottom of the first gave them a 1-0 lead.
But when George Springer stepped into the box for the second time, he swung on the first pitch, launching a 392-foot home run out of the park, changing the game entirely. A few back-and-forth innings later, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit solo home runs of their own in the top of the sixth, and the rest is history.
Jose Berrios pitched and excellent game, and the team scored with runners in scoring position, going 3-for-9 there. It’s a big shift from what we saw last year when the Jays struggled to drive in runs, and now, they’ll look to keep that up tonight in game two of this series. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for the Jays, while the Rays will send Aaron Civale.
The Jays will keep their lineup intact from the season opener on Thursday, and it’s hard to argue with it.
First pitch: 6:50 p.m. EST. TV & Radio: Sportsnet.
Weather: N/A.
Odds via Betano:
Moneyline: TOR +110; TBR -120.
Spread: TOR +1.5 –200; TBR -1.5 +160.
Over/Under: o7.5 -105; u7.5 -115.
*Odds available at the time of writing. Odds subject to change.

Starting pitchers (2023 statistics):

#NameTeamGS
W
L
IP
ERA
xERA
ERA-
FIP
WHIP
K/9
BB/9
1
Aaron Civale
CLE/TBR
23
7
5
122.1
3.46
3.69
84
3.57
1.16
8.53
2.43
2
Chris Bassitt
TOR
33
16
8
200.0
3.60
4.04
85
4.28
1.18
8.37
2.66

Lineups:

TORONTO:
  1. G Springer (R) RF
  2. V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
  3. B Bichette (R) SS
  4. J Turner (R) DH
  5. D Varsho (L) LF
  6. A Kirk (R) C
  7. K Kiermaier (L) CF
  8. I Kiner-Falefa (R) 3B
  9. C Biggio (L) 2B
 TAMPA BAY:
  1. Y Díaz (R) 1B
  2. B Lowe (L) 2B
  3. R Arozarena (R) LF
  4. I Paredes (R) 3B
  5. R Palacios (L) RF
  6. H Ramírez (R) DH
  7. J Siri (R) CF
  8. B Rortvedt (L) C
  9. J Caballero (R) SS

Need to bide the time until first pitch?

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Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.

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