BLUE JAYS at INDIANS

Progressive Field OPENING PITCH: 4 p.m. (Sportsnet) Teoscar’s up with Donaldson on DL,

It was an unlikely 8-4 win for the Blue Jays in the opener of their weekend series against the Indians at Cleveland’s Progressive Field on Friday night, the kind of comeback victory they did not enjoy all of last April.

A sort-of Ohio two-step that set up the Jays’ winning run in the top of the seventh inning. With Steve Pearce on second base and a1-and-2 count, Cleveland reliever Andrew Miller threw a nasty slider to Teoscar Hernandez that seemed to catch the corner. Miller took two steps toward his dugout, and Hernandez took two steps toward his, but the umpire called it ball two. On the next pitch, the Jays left-fielder pulled a double down into the left-field corner with Pearce scoring. The Jays added three in the ninth on a two-run double by Pearce and another double by Hernandez, called up earlier in the day.

Early on, it seemed like this was destined to be an unlucky Friday the 13th for the Jays and starter Marcus Stroman. But it all turned around in the top of the fourth inning as the Jays scored four runs to tie the game at fours.

Stroman allowed four runs on nine hits over five innings, his third straight disappointing start in 2018. He had a shortened spring due to right shoulder inflammation, but nevertheless managed to make his start in the opening series against the Yankees. In his second start in Texas, he suffered the loss after throwing 51 balls and 45 strikes, the first time in his career he’d logged more than 50 per cent balls. Then came Friday night.

The Indians’ bats had come alive the last two games, scoring 14 runs. That beat went on against Stroman with two runs in the first and two in the second. His pitch count was racing toward 100 when the Jays struck big to tie it up.

Cleveland right-hander Mike Clevinger had been cruising before walking back-to-back Jays to start the fourth. With two out, Kevin Pillar singled, driving in the first run. Then on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, on a 2-and-2 pitch, Aledmys Diaz liked a fastball and drove it out to centre for his fourth homer of the year to tie the game. Stroman responded with a perfect 10-pitch fourth inning and it was game on.

The Jays broke a six-game losing skid at Progressive Field, including two defeats in the AL Championship Series in 2016.