Toronto Blue Jays lose their home-opener 8-7 to Chicago White Sox

TORONTO, Ont. – Baseball fans were treated to elements of nostalgia in the home-opener, with Rogers Centre filled to the rafters like it was during the glory years, but they were also given an idea of the realities facing the Toronto Blue Jays as they delve deeper into another rebuilding season.

The starting pitcher needed help and the closer was shaky, costing the Blue Jays their unexpected five-game winning streak. Toronto fell 8-7 to the Chicago White Sox on Monday night, falling just short of a rally in the 11th inning.

Andruw Jones hit two home runs for the White Sox, moving past Johnny Bench and into a tie with Graig Nettles for 50th among baseball’s all-time home run leaders, with 390 over his career. Another home run, this time from Chicago third baseman Mark Teahen in the top of the ninth, cost Toronto closer Jason Frasor a save.

The Blue Jays announced the attendance as a sellout, at 46,321, and many in the crowd had been busying themselves with focused jeering of former Toronto centre-fielder Alex Rios, who was claimed on waivers by Chicago last August. They were silenced, though, when Teahen hit a triple off reliever Jeremy Accardo in the top of the 11th to score Omar Vizquel to give the visitors a one-run lead.

“Opening day at home is always special,” Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said before the game. “The fans are on your side, that’s for sure, and we get to make that last out. But most of all, it’s to see this place full and hope that we can get it back to that every night – like it used to be.”

Hope was not among the words used most often to describe the Blue Jays as they broke camp in Dunedin, Fla., earlier this month. Having jettisoned ace Roy Halladay in an off-season blockbuster, Toronto was instead bracing for a long season filled with youth and, more often than not, defeat.

Instead, the team rolled back across the border with wins in five of its first six regular season games, including a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. The pitching staff had posted a collective 2.70 ERA, with the starters posting a 2-0 record.

Brian Tallet recorded one of those wins after clawing his way into the starting rotation in spring training. The tall left-hander stumbled early in the home-opener, though, and needed help to prevent the whole team from stumbling alongside.

Jones gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead when he hammered a pitch into the first row of seats beyond the left field fence in the second inning. Jones drove in another run in the third and hit his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth.

Toronto’s offence spared the home crowd from what might otherwise have threatened to become a blowout, answering Chicago’s opening two-run volley with one of its own in the bottom of the second.
Catcher John Buck, playing in his first home stand with the Blue Jays, sent the first pitch he saw over the fence in left field to score Lyle Overbay and tie the game.

The Blue Jays answered again after the White Sox took a 4-2 lead in the third inning. Designated hitter Adam Lind singled to right field to score Jose Bautista and Alex Gonzalez – and was driven home himself on the very next pitch, when Vernon Wells sent starter Jake Peavy over the wall in left-centre field.

Peavy left the game in the sixth, heading to the showers with eight hits and seven earned runs on his statistical line. Tallet left after six, having also allowed eight hits, but only six runs.

Toronto had taken the 7-6 lead when Lind walked with the bases loaded in the sixth, sending Edwin Encarnacion home.

It generated excitement and led to hope, which is likely to be the main product the Blue Jays will be trying to sell this season.

“I think that any time that you are kind of put down as the underdog, if you have any character or any get-up-and-go about you, you’re going to try to prove people wrong,” Gaston had said. “And it’s not so much as prove them wrong, it’s just, ‘come out and see if we can win more games than people said we were going to win.”’

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