ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Marcus Stroman outpitched Chris Archer in his first opening day start, helping the Toronto Blue Jays begin defence of their first AL East title in 22 years with a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Stroman allowed three runs and six hits over eight-plus innings for the Blue Jays, who won 93 games in 2015 before making a run to the AL Championship Series in their first playoff appearance since 1993.
Troy Tulowitzki hit the first home run of the 2016 MLB season, a two-run shot for Toronto. Edwin Encarnacion had two hits and drove in two runs after not having an at-bat in a major league exhibition all spring training because of injuries.
The Blue Jays, the highest-scoring team in the majors last year, struck quickly on Encarnacion’s two-run single in the first.
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Archer struck out a Rays opening-day record 12 in five innings. But Encarnacion got him early and Kevin Pillar added an RBI single in the fourth. The right-hander limited the Blue Jays to five hits, but walked three during a 107-pitch outing.
Evan Longoria had two hits and drove in Tampa Bay’s first run with a third-inning single. Offseason acquisition Corey Dickerson added a solo homer off Stroman leading off the ninth and Kevin Kiermaier drove in the final run charged to the starter with a bloop single off Roberto Osuna.
Osuna got the last three outs for the save.
At 24 years, 338 days old, Stroman became the third-youngest pitcher to make an opening day start for the Blue Jays. He earned the assignment after making just four starts, going 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, in 2015, when he missed most of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee during spring training.
Archer, who set a club record with 252 strikeouts last season, fanned the most batters on opening day since Seattle’s Felix Hernandez struck out 12 against Oakland on April 2, 2007.
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