Angels spoil Guerrero Jr.'s big day, Blue Jays' Dunedin home opener in extra innings
Toronto's star slugger goes 2 for 4 with home run, 3 RBIs, walk in losing effort
The nomadic Toronto Blue Jays came up just short in their latest home opener location.
David Fletcher had a two-run single in the 11th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels beat Toronto 7-5 on Thursday night in the first regular-season game played at the Blue Jays' spring training ballpark, which Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said felt like home.
"The Blue Jays [organization] did an outstanding job," Montoyo said.
Fletcher's hit to centre came on the first pitch from Rafael Dolis, who replaced Ryan Borucki (1-1) with runners on second and third and two outs.
Junior Guerra (2-0) worked a scoreless 10th before Raisel Iglesias struck out the side for his second save.
Toronto became the first team in major league history to play home openers in three different cities over three consecutive seasons. The Blue Jays played in Toronto in 2019 and last year moved home games to the ballpark of their Triple-A team in Buffalo, New York, after the Canadian government barred them due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
TD Ballpark, also the home of Toronto's low Class-A minor league club, last year completed a renovation that cost more than $102 million US. Four trucks with additional lighting were brought in for this year's regular-season games. Toronto's first three homestands at least will be played in Dunedin, through mid-May.
"It's actually pretty good," Maddon said.
The first <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> homer in Dunedin history is a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PLAKATA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PLAKATA</a> 💥 <a href="https://t.co/u7D8L8RsSw">pic.twitter.com/u7D8L8RsSw</a>
—@BlueJaysThe Blue Jays also played regular-season games at a Florida spring training park in 2008. Toronto was swept by host Tampa Bay in a three-game series in April at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando. The facility was used by Atlanta during spring training.
One reason the Blue Jays opted to stay in Florida was the weather, which was an ideal 80 degrees at first pitch — surprisingly, it was around the same temperature in Buffalo.
In a sign of the times, a number of Toronto players were vaccinated before the game. Montoyo got his second shot and said he felt tired.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio homered for the Blue Jays, who won their home opener in Buffalo last season 5-4 in 10 innings over Miami to end a streak of eight consecutive home opening losses. That skid was tied for the third longest in major league history.
As we get set for our Home Opener in Dunedin, we're still thinking of our fans at home 💙<br><br>Pres. by <a href="https://twitter.com/TD_Canada?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TD_Canada</a>. <a href="https://t.co/NzhJvhYQ3u">pic.twitter.com/NzhJvhYQ3u</a>
—@BlueJaysLos Angeles star Mike Trout went 3 for 5 and had the first regular-season hit at the ballpark, a first-inning double, and also homered. He also had a potential go-ahead hit off Julian Merryweather with two on and two outs in the ninth taken away on a diving catch by centre fielder Randal Grichuk.
Guerrero connected for a 404-foot, two-run homer to centre off Griffin Canning during a three-run first. Biggio's s solo shot and a run-scoring single by Guerrero in the sixth gave Toronto a 5-4 lead.
Trout put the Angels up 4-3 on a long solo drive to left off Ross Stripling in the fifth that went 444 feet. Shohei Ohtani pulled the Angels even at 5-all on a seventh-inning RBI single.
