Blue Jays spoil Rangers home opener before largest MLB crowd

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Steven Matz struck out nine in his Toronto debut, Marcus Semien and Cavan Biggio hit back-to-back homers and the Blue Jays won 6-2 in the home opener for the Texas Rangers on Monday before the largest MLB crowd since the pandemic.

Toronto, 3-1 for the first time since 2015, went ahead 4-0 in the second after Biggio's solo homer followed a two-out, two-run shot by Semien off Texas starter Mike Foltynewicz (0-1).

The Rangers announced a sellout crowd of 38,283 for their 50th home opener in Texas, the second in the $1.2 billion retractable-roof stadium that has a listed capacity of 40,518 — the announced attendance doesn't include complimentary tickets. They played all 30 home games in the stadium's debut season without fans last summer.

Major League Baseball allowed about 28% capacity for the National League Championship Series and World Series games that were played there exclusively last October, with the largest crowd being 11,472. The Rangers said last month they would allow full capacity after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order that allowed business in the state to operate at 100% capacity.

Matz (1-0) allowed one run and two hits over 6 1/3 innings, longer than any of the lefty's six starts last season while going 0-5 for the New York Mets, who traded him to Toronto in January. He threw 62 of 91 pitches for strikes, with one walk, one hit batter and four consecutive strikeouts to end his outing.

Texas got its only run off Matz in the fourth on a single by new first baseman Nate Lowe, whose 10 RBIs in the first four games of a season are a club record. The hit scored Isiah KinerFalefa, the first starting shortstop in a home opener for the Rangers other than Elvis Andrus since 2008. Andrus was traded to AL West rival Oakland in February.

Foltynewicz struck out seven (of his first eight outs) and walked three while needing 95 pitches to get through four innings. He went to full counts on six of the first eight batters he faced, and eight overall.

An NL All-Star in 2018 with Atlanta, Foltynewicz made only one start for Atlanta last season, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 innings before spending the rest of the season at the Braves' alternate site. He signed a $2 million, one-year contract with the Rangers just before spring training.

TWINS 15, TIGERS 6

DETROIT (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam after a near miss and added a solo homer and a double, Matt Shoemaker held Detroit hitless into the fifth inning and the Minnesota Twins rolled past the Tigers.

Akil Baddoo hit a grand slam for the Tigers. He made his big league debut Sunday and homered on the first pitch thrown to him.

Cruz came up with the bases loaded in the second and the Twins already up 2-0. He sent a drive down the line in right field that went foul — but was close enough for a replay review. That call was upheld, but then Cruz hit the very next pitch over the fence in left.

The Twins scored five runs in the second and Cruz homered again in a five-run fifth.

After hitting his two homers, he doubled and scored in the sixth.

Tiger infielder Harold Castro pitched a hitless ninth. Detroit scored five with two outs in the bottom half on a solo homer by Victor Reyes and the slam by Baddoo.

Shoemaker (1-0) held the Tigers without a hit until Wilson Ramos homered with two outs in the fifth. He allowed three hits in six innings with five strikeouts and earned his first victory since April 9, 2019, before he was beset by injuries.

Shoemaker, a Michigan native, has dominated the Tigers in his career, going 5-1 with a 0.79 ERA in seven starts against Detroit.

José Ureña (0-1) lasted only three innings in his Tigers debut. The righthander allowed five earned runs, four hits and four walks with five strikeouts. He threw 66 pitches in the first two innings alone.

Randy Dobnak, who entered with the Twins up 15-1, allowed those five runs in the ninth but was credited with his first save of the season after pitching the final three innings.

Minnesota finished with 14 hits and drew 11 walks. Detroit's six pitchers did combine for 13 strikeouts. The Tigers threw 215 pitches in the game.

ROYALS 3, INDIANS 0

CLEVELAND (AP) — Danny Duffy pitched six innings of two-hit ball to beat a longtime nemesis and Whit Merrifield drove in all of Kansas City's runs with a homer and sacrifice fly, leading the Royals over the Indians.

Duffy (1-0) came in with 12 career losses against the Indians — his most against any team. But the lefthander was in control from the outset and beat them for the fifth time.

Scott Barlow pitched two perfect innings and Jesse Hahn put two on in the ninth before Royals first baseman Carlos Santana, who signed with the club as a free agent this winter after 10 seasons in Cleveland, made a diving stop on Eddie Rosario's smash to start a double play.

Hahn then retired Franmil Reyes on a hard comebacker that caromed off the right-hander to complete Kansas City's three-hit shutout and get the save.

Merrifield connected for his third homer in the second inning off Indians starter Logan Allen (0-1).