Top Ten Blue Jays’ Home
Openers
#2: 1992 vs Baltimore
Orioles
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| Centre fielder Devon White would score the winning run in the '92 home opener |
And the team got off to a good
start on the road in Detroit, where they swept the three-game series from the
Tigers before returning to SkyDome on Friday afternoon, April 10, to take on
the Baltimore Orioles in the home opener. Jimmy Key started on the mound for
the Jays while the Orioles went with Mike Mussina.
Key got roughed up in the first
inning, allowing three runs on two doubles, a single and a home run. If it
weren’t for a key double play, turned by shortstop Manuel Lee and second
baseman Alomar, before the home run, the damage would have been worse. But Key
would settle down and not allow another run for the rest of his time on the
mound. He would pitch seven innings, scatter three more hits for a total of
seven, and strike out two. It would be up to the offense to bail him out.
Toronto got their first run in
the bottom of the second. Winfield led off with a double, moved to third on
Kelly Gruber’s single, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by John Olerud. But
try as they might, the Jays couldn’t do anything else against Mussina for the
rest of the game. He left with two out in the sixth inning, still with the 3-1
lead.
The Jays would cut the lead to
3-2 in the bottom of the eighth. Alomar led off with a walk, stole second and
two outs later, scored on Gruber’s double. The score would stay the same going
into the bottom of the ninth with the Orioles bringing their closer, Gregg
Olson, into the game to keep the Jays from tying it.
After Maldonado struck out to
begin the inning, Pat Borders drilled an Olson pitch over the left-centre field
for a solo shot to tie the game at three. But the comeback wasn’t complete just
yet. A Lee ground out was followed by White’s double. With the game-winning run
in scoring position, Alomar singled up the middle. With White’s speed, he
scored easily and the Jays had erased the early three-run deficit to win the
home opener, 4-3.
Pat Hentgen picked up the
victory after pitching two innings in relief of Key. He struck out four and
gave up only one hit. Alomar and Gruber had multi-hit games.
The 1992 season may have been
the best the Jays have ever had. Even though the 1985 team won more games (99
compared to 96), the ’92 squad was in first place for 176 of the 184 days
during the regular season (that number includes off days).
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