Zach Eflin falls apart in the sixth on Opening Day - Blue Jays 8, Rays 2

Yandy Diaz started things right, but the rest wasn’t much fun.

The Rays wont be starting the season with a run of 13 wins this year, as they fell to the Blue Jays 8-2 on Opening Day.

Let’s start with the good, then get to what happened.

Today was a good reminder that Yandy Diaz is my favorite consistent leadoff hitter in Rays history, specifically because he follows my personal rule for the ideal leadoff hitter: he should be terrifying for opposing starting pitchers to face.

Indeed, Diaz also reminded the baseball world he was the AL batting champion with a hammer over the low wall in Left Field, off a change up inside from Berrios that just didn’t bite.

Zach Eflin was changing speeds and carving up hitters well through most of his first career Opening Day start, only getting stung once on a solo homerun from George Springer (on a pitch left middle up) through the first five innings.

Then came the sixth.

First there were two more solo homeruns from Cavan Biggio (on a slider that didn’t dip far enough below the zone), and an absolute blast to deep center field from Vlad Jr (on a cutter that didn’t cut off the plate). And that last one went 450 feet to the netting of the Budwiser deck. Mercy.

Then Eflin loaded the bases on a groundball past Brandon Lowe, a hit by pitch for Justin Turner — who moved from the Red Sox to the Blue Jays this off-sesaon — in the knuckles, and a walk. The Rays got Shawn Armstrong warming up, but it was too late. Alejandro Kirk and Kevin Kiermaier hit back-to-back singles, and Eflin was pulled with 6 earned runs to his name on Opening Day.

The Rays started to respond in the bottom of the sixth on two balls misplayed by George Springer in right field, first by failing to track a Rene Pinto flyball on the warning track that gave up a double, and then by attempting a dive on a Yandy Diaz hot shot to the outfield that also allowed a double, scoring the Rays second run of the game.

Berrios then walked Brandon Lowe to make things interesting with no outs, but Randy flew out to center, then Ramirez and Paredes batted into a fielder’s choices, both on nice plays by Bichette.

Shawn Armstrong did no better in the seventh inning (walk, walk, strikeout, double) and two more runs scored. The rest of the game from there didn’t really matter.

One down, 161 to go!

Game Notes

• Jose Berrios’s necklace fell off in the first inning with apparently no consequence for a violation of the pitch clock.

• The new score bug leaves a gap beneath the banner that I don’t recall being there last year. It feels a little distracting... I’m sure we’ll get used to it?
• Berrios was dealing until he reached Jose Siri his first time through the lineup. A mistake over the middle of the plate let El Rayo barrel up a single, and he wasted no time stealing second base for the first Rays SB of the season.
• Stu Sternberg was interviewed in the fourth inning, and let out a “Damn it!” when Brandon Lowe hit into a double play.
• Sternberg also shed some light on the upgraded artificial turf, noting the coconut husks that replaced the rubber pellets actually need watered on a monthly basis. He also said he had to be talked into the stripes painted into the field that give it a mowed grass appearance.
• The Rays got a nice test of the new turf on a bounce to Isaac Paredes that he was able to track and barehand the throw to first in an impressive play.

• The Rays advertised this was the team’s 18th consecutive sell-out, but the 300 level was closed, making it 25,025 in attendance.
• Yes, they hung a banner for the 2023 Wild Card appearance. Let’s hope those don’t find their way to follow the team if they get a new stadium some day.