ARLINGTON, Texas: Steven Matz struck out 9 in his Toronto debut, Marcus Semien and Cavan Biggio hit back-to-back homers and the Blue Jays received 6-2 within the house opener for the Texas Rangers on Monday earlier than the biggest MLB crowd because the pandemic.
Toronto, 3-1 for the primary time since 2015, went forward 4-0 within the second after Biggio’s solo homer adopted a two-out, two-run shot by Semien off Texas starter Mike Foltynewicz (0-1).
The Rangers introduced a sellout crowd of 38,283 for his or her fiftieth house opener in Texas, the second within the $1.2 billion retractable-roof stadium that has a listed capability of 40,518 the introduced attendance doesn’t embrace complimentary tickets. They performed all 30 house video games within the stadium’s debut season with out followers final summer season.
Major League Baseball allowed about 28% capability for the National League Championship Series and World Series video games that have been performed there solely final October, with the biggest crowd being 11,472. The Rangers mentioned final month they might permit full capability after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that allowed enterprise within the state to function at 100% capability.
Matz (1-0) allowed one run and two hits over 6 1/3 innings, longer than any of the lefty’s six begins final season whereas 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 stroll, one hit batter and 4 consecutive strikeouts to finish his outing.
Texas obtained its solely run off Matz within the fourth on a single by new first baseman Nate Lowe, whose 10 RBIs within the first 4 video games of a season are a membership file. The hit scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the primary beginning shortstop in a house opener for the Rangers aside from 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 whereas needing 95 pitches to get via 4 innings. He went to full counts on six of the primary eight batters he confronted, and eight general.
An NL All-Star in 2018 with Atlanta, Foltynewicz made just one begin for Atlanta final season, permitting six runs in 3 1/3 innings earlier than spending the remainder of the season on the Braves alternate website. He signed a $2 million, one-year contract with the Rangers simply earlier than spring coaching.
TRAINERS ROOM
Blue Jays: Danny Jansen was changed at catcher within the seventh, an inning after he took a foul tip off the within of his proper knee.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Tanner Roark (2-3, 6.80 ERA in 11 begins final season) makes his season debut for Toronto. The Rangers use their second set of tandem starters when right-hander Dane Dunning, acquired when Lance Lynn was traded to the Chicago White Sox, makes his first Texas begin. Lefty Taylor Hearn is predicted to observe him.
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