Blue Jays bullpen wobbles again as Red Sox rally to spoil Toronto home opener

TORONTO – Brock Holt hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Boston Red Sox rallied from a 7-2 deficit, taking advantage of the Toronto bullpen to defeat the Blue Jays 8-7 in their home opener Friday night.

Things had looked secure for Toronto (2-3) after a Josh Donaldson grand slam in the fourth. But the Jays relief corps blew a save opportunity for the third game in the row, letting Boston (2-1) off the hook with four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh before a Rogers Centre sellout of 48,871 looking for another taste of last season’s playoff fever.

The Jays got the tying run to second base in the eighth inning but reliever Koji Uehara retired Donaldson and Jose Bautista to end the threat. Flame-thrower closer Craig Kimbrel pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

Matt Barnes (1-0) got the win while Drew Storen (0-1) took the loss.

Toronto has lost its last five home openers, the longest opener losing streak in franchise history.

Donaldson, swinging a big bat despite a bum leg, made history with the Jays’ first grand slam in a home opener for a commanding 7-2 lead.

But Holt, who doubled home Boston’s first run in the second, responded with his first career grand slam off reliever Jesse Chavez two innings later in the sixth to cut Toronto’s lead to 7-6. The Red Sox added two more runs in the seventh on RBI singles by David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez off Brett Cecil to pull ahead 8-7

The 40-year-old Ortiz, who doubled home Xander Bogaerts in the third, now has 104 RBI at the Rogers Centre and 181 RBI in total off the Jays, the most by an opponent in Toronto franchise history.

It marks the first time since 1995 that the Red Sox have scored six runs in each of their first three games of a season.

Toronto starter Marcus Stroman exited in the sixth with the bases loaded after a double and a pair of walks. Things quickly turned ugly for the home side as Holt punished the Jays with a line-drive grand slam to right field.

The last visiting player to hit a grand slam in a Jays home opener was Boston’s Jack Clark on April 8, 1991

Stroman, who had an inconsistent night by his high standards, gave up five runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

The game was the first for the Jays at the Rogers Centre since Oct. 21 when they beat Kansas City 7-1 before 49,325 to extend the American League Championship series to six games. The Royals ended Toronto’s season two days later via a 4-3 win in Kansas City.

It also marked the Jays’ first game under the dome with a dirt infield.

Protecting their MVP investment, the Jays shifted Donaldson from third base to DH because of a calf strain that caused him to leave Wednesday’s game in Tampa early. Manager John Gibbons, wanting to keep Donaldson’s bat in the lineup while not aggravating the calf, called it the “smart thing to do.”

Donaldson, who get his MVP trophy from 1987 winner George Bell prior to the game, proved him right with his third at-bat. His heroics came as Toronto, trailing 2-1, sent 11 men to the plate in the fourth inning and scored six runs on seven hits and a hit batsmen.

The Jays opened the inning with four straight singles from the bottom of the order, getting a break when a potential double play ball from Russell Martin hit pitcher Joe Kelly. The hard-throwing Red Sox starter then hit Kevin Pillar on the brim of his helmet to bring in a second run before Donaldson hammered a ball into left field to empty the bases and chase Kelly.

It was third homer of the season and his second career grand slam homer. The six-run outburst was more than the Jays had scored in any of their four previous games.

It was an eventful game for Pillar who tripled and scored and notched an outfield assist before Kelly, whose fast ball hit 98 m.p.h. on the night, almost decapitated him.

Darwin Barney started at third with normal DH Edwin Encarnacion at first. Martin finished at third as Gibbons ran out of options after pinch-hitting for Barney.

Prior to the game, Gibbons said there was a “different excitement” about the team this season given last year’s run.

“We got over the hump last year. But we want to build on that. We want to be the real thing. We want to make this last. So there’s more confidence in this group.”

“It’s a nice feel,” he added. “Hopefully we play a good ballgame. We don’t want to go out there and lay an egg the first night.”

The Jays opened their home campaign amidst high expectations, which was just fine with president and CEO Mark Shapiro.

“When you’re in a situation where there’s not expectations, then you’re in the wrong place,” he said prior to the game.

But he is clearly aware of his new team’s following.

“There won’t be one city watching tonight. There’s going to be a nation watching across different time zones.”

Inside the stadium, the “Let’s Go Blue Jays” chant began before the giant Canadian flag was rolled up after the anthems.

Prior to the game, the Jays unveiled an “AL East Division Champions” logo on the centre-field wall and showed a video tribute to former president Paul Beeston, who threw out the opening pitch to Bautista with his grandson looking on. After hugging Gibbons, Beeston walked off to the sounds of “Golden Years” by David Bowie.

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