Vlad Guerrero Jr. bomb the show-stopper as Jays open with a win

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was a 450-foot thing of Vlad Guerrero Jr. bombing beauty that was the show stopper in what had to feel like a large opening day win for the Blue Jays here at Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon.

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While just one of three solo homers Jays hitters banged out off of Rays starter Zac Eflin, Guerrero’s monster 450-foot shot over the wall in the sixth inning helped get the new season started in style, providing the jet fuel in an 8-2 Toronto win.

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But the offensive outburst, which included a five-run sixth inning, was also cooked precisely to the recipe manager John Schneider described prior to the game as the secret sauce to driving this team’s success. If the skipper was looking for a tone-setter in Game 1 of 162, he got it from all corners of his lineup.

“We want guys to do damage,” Schneider said before the 2024 curtain raiser at the Trop.. “We want guys to drive the ball. I love the amount of contact ability that we have in our lineup compared to last year.

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“(Doing) damage is a big part of the game now, not just with us but with everybody.”

Damage it was, and impressive at that as the Jays eased the stress by taking it to blowout levels in the late innings.

Leadoff hitter George Springer got things started with a solo shot to lead off the fourth — after Eflin had retired each of the nine Jays hitters he’d faced. Cavan Biggio, yes, that would be the No. 9 hitter, hit one out to give the Jays their first lead of the game with one out in the sixth, two batters before Guerrero delivered his rather loud message.

For those filling out their Vladdy homer scorecard, the 450-foot blast was tied for the seventh longest in his career and the longest since one was measured at the same distance on May 3 last season.

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It’s obvious what the presence of an invigorated Guerrero could do for the Jays offence, especially when he’s surrounded by other contributors. The flashes he showed of that power returning were there in spring training, as was confident that he could be more of a contributor that he had been the past couple of seasons.

“Everybody has the same goal in spring training,” Guerrero said following an off-day workout at the Trop on Wednesday. “We know we went to the playoffs five times in three years and it didn’t end up the way we wanted. That hurts. We all know that.”

In winning their fifth consecutive season opener, the Jays got a solid outing from starter Jose Berrios, who allowed six hits and two runs over six innings. A key arm in one of the best rotations in the American League, that too was an important opening day segment.

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In a 162-game season, it is foolhardy to place too much emphasis on one contest, even if it is against a division rival that one 99 times last year and started the season on an historic 13-game winning streak.

Beyond the homers, Schneider also had to be pleased with his offence’s ability to pile on runs, a killer instinct that often felt extinct last season. Two solo homers in the sixth were nice and all, but they added three more runs in the frame and two more in the seventh on a Bo Bichette double.

It’s those types of bursts that will put away teams, preserve the bullpen and instead of applying pressure on hitters, infuse them with confidence. With a six-run lead, Schneider was able to duck away from his high leverage relievers and use Trevor Richards, Nate Pearson and Tim Mayza to finish things off in innings 7-9.

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That in itself was a welcome development with both closer Jordan Romano and fellow late-inning guy Erik Swanson on the injured list.

BIG FOR BIGGIO

While his home run may not have had the majesty of Guerrero’s blast, second baseman Biggio was certainly a catalyst for the Jays.

His spectacular tag on Jose Caballerro to end the Rays fifth seemed to change the momentum. Biggio had to reach back to get the tag down and required a video review to confirm it. But with the game tied, it was a key defensive play and two batters later, Biggio was circling the bases to give his team its first lead of the afternoon.

It was a solid afternoon for Bichette as well as the shortstop had two hits, a walk and those two RBI in his five plate appearances.

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AROUND THE BASES

The Jays 26-man roster to open the season had four new faces from last year — Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Justin Turner and Daniel Vogelbach, who were signed as free agents and catcher Brian Serven, who was claimed off waivers by the Cubs … Among the 26 are three Jays who were named to an opening day roster for the first time in their career — pitchers Bowden Francis and Nate Pearson as well as infielder Davis Schneider … The Jays haven’t won a season series against the Rays since 2017. In 2023 they were 6-7 against their divisional foe and 3-4 at the Trop … The Rays listed Thursday’s card of 25,025 as a sellout. Upper decks on the left and right field lines weren’t open for business, however.

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