Blue Jays cap sparkling spring schedule with offensive outburst in win over Phillies
Toronto finishes pre-season with American League-best 16-9-2 record
Santiago Espinal hit a three-run homer as part of a nine-run seventh inning and finished with five runs batted in as the Toronto Blue Jays wrapped up their spring training schedule with a 13-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Rowdy Tellez and Orelvis Martinez also homered for the Blue Jays, who finished the pre-season with an American League-best 16-9-2 record.
Trailing 7-4 heading into the seventh inning, the Blue Jays blew the game open.
Espinal opened the scoring when his home run scored Otto Lopez and Breyvic Valera.
Santi’s SIZZLING 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/santdr13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@santdr13</a>’s hitting .364 (!) this spring 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/dmNHOZIvp4">pic.twitter.com/dmNHOZIvp4</a>
—@BlueJaysThe Phillies retired two of the next three batters before the Jays piled on six more runs.
Martinez scored Cullen Large with an RBI double, then Jonathan Davis, Lopez and Espinal followed with run-scoring singles.
Valera scored his second run of the inning when Cullen Large was hit by a pitch to cap the scoring.
Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., picked up the win for Toronto, allowing one run, on a homer by Bryson Stott, and striking out two in the sixth inning. Bryce Harper also homered for the Phillies.
Blue Jays starter T.J. Zeuch allowed five earned runs on nine hits over three innings.
Jose Alvarado gave up four earned runs on two hits over 2/3 of an inning to take the loss.
The Blue Jays open their season Thursday on the road against the New York Yankees.
