Jays' Top Ten Most Exciting Home Openers: #5: 1993

Top Ten Blue Jays’ Home Openers

#5: 1993 vs Cleveland Indians

               

Third baseman Ed Sprague

                After playing the first two games of the 1993 season in Seattle, the Jays returned to SkyDome to play the Cleveland Indians on Friday, April 9. But before the game, the members of the 1992 Blue Jays were rewarded with their World Series Championship rings. It was a reminder to the fans, and the newer players on the club, that the expectations for Toronto were at an all-time high.

                And while the ’92 club relied on solid pitching and timely hitting to win the World Series, this home opener would serve notice that the ’93 edition would be using their bats to outclass their competition.

                Juan Guzman would start on the mound for the Jays and quickly gave up two runs in the top of the first. But Toronto tied it in their half of the inning when Devon White scored on an error and Paul Molitor scored on a Joe Carter sacrifice fly.

                Ed Sprague’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the second gave Toronto a 3-2 lead. In the third, the Jays doubled their run total as Molitor scored on a Carter ground out, John Olerud scored on a Darrin Jackson single, and then Jackson scored on an RBI single by Pat Borders: Jays-6, Indians-3.

                Another RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, this time by Roberto Alomar, scored White and the lead was now 7-3. After scoring a run in the top of the fifth, the Cleveland bats roughed up Guzman and reliever Mark Eichhorn for six runs in the sixth inning.

                The Indians would take their 9-7 lead into bottom of the seventh inning. Toronto would retake the lead with four runs coming on a Sprague RBI ground out, an RBI single by Dick Schofield and a two-run triple by White. One inning later, Sprague would double in two more runs and the score was now 13-9 for the Jays.

                The Indians would mount a threat in the top of the ninth, but managed only one run as Jays manager, Cito Gaston, called on closer Duane Ward with two out and the tying run on deck. Ward would get a ground ball to second off the bat of Kenny Lofton and Alomar tossed to Olerud at first to end the game at 13-10 for Toronto.

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