Jays' Top Ten Most Exciting Home Openers: #4: 1984

Top Ten Blue Jays’ Home Openers

#4: 1984 vs Baltimore Orioles

               

George Bell

                In 1984, the Jays played their first ten games on the road and came into their home opener against the defending World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles with a 6-4 record. The O’s were struggling at 2-7 and both teams were already falling behind the surging Detroit Tigers. Detroit was 7-0 and on their way to a 34-4 start. While the Jays would finish with the same 89-73 record as they had in 1983, and finish second in the AL East Standings, they were 15 games behind Detroit at season’s end.

                But the home opener on April 17 at Exhibition Stadium was the start of the second season in which the Jays were a legitimate contender in the division. Doyle Alexander would be the starting pitcher for Toronto while Baltimore would counter with Mike Boddicker.

                The game was scoreless as the Orioles came to the bat in the top of the fifth and they got to Alexander for two runs. A solo home run by John Lowenstein opened the scoring and an RBI single by Al Bumbry accounted for the second score.

                Boddicker managed to keep the Jays off the scoreboard until the sixth. Back-to-back singles by Lloyd Moseby and Willie Upshaw led off the inning. A third consecutive single, this one by Cliff Johnson, scored Moseby and the lead was cut to 2-1. A walk to George Bell loaded the bases and then Toronto tied the score on a sac fly by Buck Martinez. The Jays, however, were unable to score any more in the inning.

                In the bottom of the eighth, Bell came to plate again with two runners on. He singled in Upshaw to give Toronto a 3-2 lead. Rookie relief pitcher, Jimmy Key, got two outs in the ninth and veteran Dennis Lamp picked up the final out to record the save as the Jays held on to win 3-2.

                Key was the winning pitcher having thrown 1 2/3 innings in relief of Alexander. Three Jays had multi-hit games: Moseby, Upshaw and Johnson. 

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