Blue Jays shade Red Sox
BOSTON (AP) — Blue Jays reliever Ryan Tepera couldn’t believe his eyes when he looked up and saw that he was the winning pitcher — his fifth career victory.
Starter Marcus Stroman was the best pitcher of the game, taking a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning and leaving without allowing an earned run. Dominic Leone relieved him, and was the pitcher of record when Toronto took the lead for good.
But Tepera was awarded the victory by official scorer Bob Ellis, who ruled that Leone didn’t deserve it after allowing a game-tying double on the only pitch he threw.
“I thought it was a mistake, but I’ll take it,” Tepera said after the Blue Jays beat Boston 4-3 on Monday night. “I mean, wins don’t really matter as relievers, as long as we win as a team.”
Steve Pearce hit a solo homer, then added the go-ahead single in the eighth inning to lead Toronto to victory in the series opener.
Stroman shut the Red Sox down for most of the game, but took a no-decision after they scored three unearned runs to tie it in the seventh.
Tepera (5-1) pitched a perfect eighth, and Toronto went back in front when Pearce singled to score pinch-runner Ezequiel Carrera from third.
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.
Blue Jays’ LHP J.A. Happ (3-6) is slated to start Game 2 against Brian Johnson (2-0).
MARINERS 9, ASTROS 7
HOUSTON — Kyle Seager and Danny Valencia hit back-to-back homers in the 10th inning to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
Mike Zunino and Nelson Cruz also homered for the Mariners as they tied a season high with four homers to win their fifth straight game.
Yovani Gallardo (4-7) allowed two hits in a scoreless ninth for the win, and Edwin Diaz struck out two in a scoreless 10th for his 17th save.