Toronto Blue Jays survive nervous moments to earn opening day win

The Toronto Blue Jays were able to get a win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, something that’s usually hard to come by.

Opening day usually hasn’t been too kind to the Toronto Blue Jays but if there is one thing 2020 has taught us so far, expect the unexpected.

Up 6-1 until the fifth inning, the Rays were not going to make life easy on the Blue Jays but in the end, it was enough to get the rare win at the Trop. There were certainly some encouraging moments in the game but some areas that will need to be addressed but that will come with time.

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What better way to begin than with the starter Hyun-Jin Ryu who went 4.2 innings and left the game with a 6-3 lead. He went toe-to-toe with Charlie Morton and didn’t disappoint except for the fifth inning where a two-run home run set the stage for his early departure. finishing with four strikeouts.

"“It was a difficult game overall,” Ryu explained after making his Blue Jays debut. “To be honest it was a bit nerve-wracking being with a new team in a new environment and what was going on. My command wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked. Moving forward I definitely need to have better command to have better games.“I felt like I was floating in air, maybe because of the nerves of pitching in the first game. My balance started to go off, so it wasn’t as on it would normally would be.”"

On the plus side, the Blue Jays hitters made Morton look mortal tagging him for six earned runs over six innings, something that is easier said than done against a pitcher who finished third in AL CY Young voting. Getting six runs against Tampa Bay is certainly an accomplishment considering the team relies on its pitching as their strength,

The obvious player of the game had to be Cavan Biggio who hit a bunt single and a big three-run home run that put the team in a comfortable until it became clear that it was some much-needed insurance. On top of that, he made a big impact off the field showing some great leadership and supporting a teammate. 

"“This whole year has been crazy but it’s been especially crazy for our team, not being able to find a home, being turned away from Toronto, from Pittsburgh and Baltimore and ultimately landing at a triple-A field,” said Biggio after the game to reporters. “I think our team is playing with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. We were tired of it all and ready to play. Even if it’s in a triple-A ballpark, we’re still going to play with a chip on our shoulder and have some fun with it.”"

If Biggio keeps swinging the bat like he can, Toronto should definitely be in for a fun season. Also, while Biggio had an impactful day at the plate, the Blue Jays had a tough time when Morton left the game. The Rays relievers collected seven strikeouts with Jalen Beeks collecting five of those.

On the flip side, the Blue Jay relievers were able to get nine strikeouts and keep in check. They also allowed too many free passes as the team gave up eight walks which almost got them in serious trouble especially Rafael Dolis who had to escape a bases-loaded jam but managed to only give up one run (unearned).

It’s still only Game 1 of 60 this season but the team will certainly take this well-earned win and move on to the next one.

What were your thoughts on the win? Is there anything the team can look to improve on? Let us know in the comments below.