DUNEDIN — The Toronto Blue Jays opened their spring training campaign with a win Saturday, topping the New York Yankees 6-4.
After scoring one in the each of the first three innings, Toronto (1-0) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Orelvis Martinez homered on a fly ball to right centre field.
The Yankees (1-1) replied in the top of the sixth, with Spencer Jones blasting a two-run homer to the left field. Alex Vargas followed with a home run of his own in the top of the eighth.
With the score knotted at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Steward Berroa hit a double to bring in Riley Tirotta and give the Jays the lead.
Right-hander Anders Tolhurst got the win for Toronto after giving up four hits and one earned run across two innings.
The Jays will face the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday.
YANKEES BENEFIT FROM ABS
Changing one ball to a strike can completely alter an inning.
Saturday was proof of that, when the New York Yankees used the Automated Ball-Strike System to turn a strikeout into a walk, then went on to score three runs in the top of the sixth against Toronto. The ABS is being tested during major league spring training after years of experiments in the minors.
New York’s Everson Pereira was initially called out on strikes on a full count for what would have been the third out of the sixth. But the call was challenged and changed to a ball, putting Pereira on first.
Spencer Jones then followed with a two-run homer, and two batters later, Ismael Munguia added an RBI triple. The Blue Jays still went on to win 6-4.
“The timing to challenge a close pitch was there, and obviously, he was right and convicted on it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com. “We’ll continue to gain as much experience with it as we can.”
BASSITT’S 4-10 NOT FORGOTTEN
Football season is over, but the effects are still lingering for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt.
After going 4-10 in the team’s fantasy league, Bassitt’s punishment was to serve as Toronto’s bat boy Saturday while wearing “4-10” on the back of his jersey, Sportsnet reported. The Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 6-4.
Saturday also happened to be Bassitt’s 36th birthday.
Bassitt is entering his third season with the Blue Jays. He went 10-14 with a 4.16 ERA last year — not great, but better than he did in fantasy football.
— with files from Associated Press