<p>In the famous words of former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, &#8220;It&#8217;s not what you want.&#8221; Most had high hopes for the Blue Jays in their season opener game, but few predicted Toronto would get their teeth kicked in by one of their division rivals to start the season.</p>
<p>A 2-12 loss extinguished the Blue Jays&#8217; five-year winning streak on Opening Day, and the Orioles capitalized on every opportunity that was given to them. Anyone who thought the Orioles might be overrated or could take a step back in 2025 might be sorely mistaken.</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
<p>Whether they lost by one run or 30, it all counts the same. There are 161 more of these games to help Blue Jays fans erase the memory of game one of the season. Did that game feel like one of the worst opening day performances by a Blue Jays team ever?</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s check the history books (AKA the indispensable <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/">Baseball Reference</a>/<a href="https://stathead.com/baseball/">Stathead</a>) to see where 2025 ranks among the most lopsided losses on Opening Day for the Blue Jays.</p>
<h2>2004: 0-7 loss to Detroit Tigers (outscored by 7 runs)</h2>
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84135" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2004-Tigers.png" alt="" width="943" height="216" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2004-Tigers.png 943w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2004-Tigers-300x69.png 300w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2004-Tigers-768x176.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 943px) 100vw, 943px" /></h2>
<p>Getting skunked on the first game of the season can&#8217;t be a good omen, and the 2004 Blue Jays squad opened their season by facing Jason Johnson (who?), who held the Jays scoreless for six innings. Despite collecting seven hits in the game, they couldn&#8217;t push any runs across home plate.</p>
<p>Even worse, Roy Halladay had an un-Roy Halladay start, giving up six earned runs on ten hits. Strikeout-wise, his nine K&#8217;s were the most in a Blue Jays Opening Day start, but three-spots in the sixth and seventh inning by the Tigers put this game out of reach for the Blue Jays.</p>
<h2>1993: 1-8 loss to Seattle Mariners (outscored by 7 runs)</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84134" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1993-Mariners.png" alt="" width="938" height="211" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1993-Mariners.png 938w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1993-Mariners-300x67.png 300w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1993-Mariners-768x173.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px" /></p>
<p>Anyone who&#8217;s disappointed about the 2025 season opener just look to the 1993 World Series champions for a glimmer of hope. They convincingly lost Opening Day, but that didn&#8217;t stop them from winning 95 of their next 161 games that season.</p>
<p>This matchup featured starting pitchers Jack Morris and Randy Johnson, with Morris getting bested by the M’s. The Mariners chased Morris in the fifth inning after giving up seven earned runs on 10 hits. Seatttle’s pitching staff kept one of the most potent offenses at bay, just one of 17 games in when the Blue Jays scored one or fewer runs in 1993. The Blue Jays were shut out only once that entire season.</p>
<h2>2014: 2-9 loss to Tampa Bay Rays (outscored by 7 runs)</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84136" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2014-Rays.png" alt="" width="931" height="201" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2014-Rays.png 931w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2014-Rays-300x65.png 300w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2014-Rays-768x166.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 931px) 100vw, 931px" /></p>
<p>Everyone knows that Tropicana Field has been a house of horrors for the Blue Jays. For seven years, the Blue Jays didn&#8217;t win a series in Tampa Bay. From 2007 to 2014, the Blue Jays failed to win 22 consecutive series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.</p>
<p>As fate would have it, the Blue Jays opened their 2014 campaign on the road, in where else, but Tampa Bay. A 2-9 loss to start the season set things off on the wrong foot, but at least they&#8217;d finally win a series later at the Trop that year.</p>
<h2>2025: 2-12 loss to Baltimore Orioles (outscored by 10 runs)</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84137" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-210619.png" alt="" width="608" height="161" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-210619.png 608w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-210619-300x79.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px" /></p>
<p>Yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles outscored the Blue Jays by 10 runs and hit six home runs, which were the most given up by a Blue Jays pitching staff in an Opening Day game in franchise history.</p>
<p>Funnily enough, that was not one of Jose Berrios&#8217; worst Opening Day performances &#8211; that title came from his 2022 Home Opener performance when he allowed eight earned runs and didn&#8217;t even get out of the first inning. At least in yesterday&#8217;s game, he lasted five innings instead of one-third of an inning.</p>
<h2>1982: 4-15 loss to Milwaukee Brewers (outscored by 11 runs)</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84133" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1982-Brewers.png" alt="" width="940" height="217" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1982-Brewers.png 940w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1982-Brewers-300x69.png 300w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1982-Brewers-768x177.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px" /></p>
<p>I believe Jamie Campbell mentioned this game on Blue Jays Central following yesterday&#8217;s home opener, but the 1982 Blue Jays own the worst season debut with a 4-15 loss at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.</p>
<p>The game was already over before it had begun, with Blue Jays starter Mark Bomback facing eight batters, surrendering six earned runs on six hits and retiring one solitary batter. Bomback made a handful of starts later that season and was never seen in the Major Leagues ever again.</p>
<p>Blue Jays relievers Jerry Garvin and Jim Gott were torched for seven runs in the sixth inning, and the Brewers coasted to a 15-4 Opening Day win.</p>
<hr />
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>


In the famous words of former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, "It's not what you want." Most had high hopes for the Blue Jays in their season opener game, but few predicted Toronto would get their teeth kicked in by one of their division rivals to start the season.

A 2-12 loss extinguished the Blue Jays' five-year winning streak on Opening Day, and the Orioles capitalized on every opportunity that was given to them. Anyone who thought the Orioles might be overrated or could take a step back in 2025 might be sorely mistaken.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
Whether they lost by one run or 30, it all counts the same. There are 161 more of these games to help Blue Jays fans erase the memory of game one of the season. Did that game feel like one of the worst opening day performances by a Blue Jays team ever?

Let's check the history books (AKA the indispensable <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/">Baseball Reference</a>/<a href="https://stathead.com/baseball/">Stathead</a>) to see where 2025 ranks among the most lopsided losses on Opening Day for the Blue Jays.
<h2>2004: 0-7 loss to Detroit Tigers (outscored by 7 runs)</h2>
<h2><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84135" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2004-Tigers.png" alt="" width="943" height="216" /></h2>
Getting skunked on the first game of the season can't be a good omen, and the 2004 Blue Jays squad opened their season by facing Jason Johnson (who?), who held the Jays scoreless for six innings. Despite collecting seven hits in the game, they couldn't push any runs across home plate.

Even worse, Roy Halladay had an un-Roy Halladay start, giving up six earned runs on ten hits. Strikeout-wise, his nine K's were the most in a Blue Jays Opening Day start, but three-spots in the sixth and seventh inning by the Tigers put this game out of reach for the Blue Jays.
<h2>1993: 1-8 loss to Seattle Mariners (outscored by 7 runs)</h2>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84134" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1993-Mariners.png" alt="" width="938" height="211" />

Anyone who's disappointed about the 2025 season opener just look to the 1993 World Series champions for a glimmer of hope. They convincingly lost Opening Day, but that didn't stop them from winning 95 of their next 161 games that season.

This matchup featured starting pitchers Jack Morris and Randy Johnson, with Morris getting bested by the M’s. The Mariners chased Morris in the fifth inning after giving up seven earned runs on 10 hits. Seatttle’s pitching staff kept one of the most potent offenses at bay, just one of 17 games in when the Blue Jays scored one or fewer runs in 1993. The Blue Jays were shut out only once that entire season.
<h2>2014: 2-9 loss to Tampa Bay Rays (outscored by 7 runs)</h2>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84136" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2014-Rays.png" alt="" width="931" height="201" />

Everyone knows that Tropicana Field has been a house of horrors for the Blue Jays. For seven years, the Blue Jays didn't win a series in Tampa Bay. From 2007 to 2014, the Blue Jays failed to win 22 consecutive series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

As fate would have it, the Blue Jays opened their 2014 campaign on the road, in where else, but Tampa Bay. A 2-9 loss to start the season set things off on the wrong foot, but at least they'd finally win a series later at the Trop that year.
<h2>2025: 2-12 loss to Baltimore Orioles (outscored by 10 runs)</h2>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84137" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-210619.png" alt="" width="608" height="161" />

Yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles outscored the Blue Jays by 10 runs and hit six home runs, which were the most given up by a Blue Jays pitching staff in an Opening Day game in franchise history.

Funnily enough, that was not one of Jose Berrios' worst Opening Day performances - that title came from his 2022 Home Opener performance when he allowed eight earned runs and didn't even get out of the first inning. At least in yesterday's game, he lasted five innings instead of one-third of an inning.
<h2>1982: 4-15 loss to Milwaukee Brewers (outscored by 11 runs)</h2>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84133" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/1982-Brewers.png" alt="" width="940" height="217" />

I believe Jamie Campbell mentioned this game on Blue Jays Central following yesterday's home opener, but the 1982 Blue Jays own the worst season debut with a 4-15 loss at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The game was already over before it had begun, with Blue Jays starter Mark Bomback facing eight batters, surrendering six earned runs on six hits and retiring one solitary batter. Bomback made a handful of starts later that season and was never seen in the Major Leagues ever again.

Blue Jays relievers Jerry Garvin and Jim Gott were torched for seven runs in the sixth inning, and the Brewers coasted to a 15-4 Opening Day win.

<hr />

<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>

Where does this year’s Opening Day rank among the worst in Blue Jays history?

Blue Jays: Gage Stanifer and three others named to the Northwest League All-Star team

Blue Jays GDB – 152.0: Kevin Gausman seeks to follow up complete game shutout in matchup against Rays

Blue Jays facing tough decision with José Berríos’ post-season fate

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Nathan Lukes (38) is congratulated by third baseman Addison Barger (47) after he hit a home run during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Recent articles from Ian Hunter

Breaking News