Community Picks: Toronto Blue Jays 0% vs Tampa Bay Rays 0%

Drew Smyly was unbeatable in his last eight starts a season ago and the Tampa Bay Rays left-hander is hoping he'll stay healthy enough to see what he can do for them over a full year. Smyly went 5-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 12 starts last year as he missed the bulk of the season due to a torn left labrum. The lefty is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts against Toronto. Continue to Article

April 03, 2016 10:24:pm EST

Drew Smyly was unbeatable in his last eight starts a season ago and the Tampa Bay Rays left-hander is hoping he'll stay healthy enough to see what he can do for them over a full year. Smyly went 5-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 12 starts last year as he missed the bulk of the season due to a torn left labrum. The lefty is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts against Toronto. Continue to Article

April 03, 2016 10:24:pm EST

One of the draws from the opening day game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays was the pitching matchup pitting Marcus Stroman against Chris Archer. In a battle of two of baseball's rising stars, who happen to be good friends, Stroman, starting his first opener, and Archer, his second, didn't disappoint on the big stage.  Stroman allowed three runs and struck out five over eight innings to earn the win as Toronto beat Tampa Bay 5-3, while Archer racked up 12 strikeouts in just five innings, the most strikeouts we've seen in an opening day start since Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez did the same in 2007. [ Sign up for Fantasy Baseball  |  Play for $40K  |  Expert rankings  |  Mock draft ]  Chris Archer: 4th pitcher in the Wild Card Era with 12 strikeouts in an Opening Day game (Randy Johnson, Félix Hernández, Pedro Martinez) — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 3, 2016 The two young pitchers facing off on opening day this year was strangely fitting, too.  Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling writes  that Stroman, who was recovering from knee surgery, spent the occasion in 2015 at Tropicana Field as one of Archer's guests. Safe to say while the Blue Jays' right-hander appreciated using Archer's tickets, he enjoyed the view this time around a little more. Stroman used his sinker to great effect, generating 14 of the 23 outs he recorded on the ground. If he can perform at that level on a consistent basis this season, Toronto has to feel great about their ability to defend their AL East title. [Related:  Who needs spring training? Edwin Encarnacion starts off hot] The Blue Jays' dynamic offense worked Archer for two runs in the first inning and his pitch count wouldn't recover, reaching 107 pitches through five innings, but boy was the quality of his stuff on point, as evidence by the 12 K's. The Jays were among the teams that struck out the least last year , so to get them to swing and miss that often is an accomplishment.  They may be good friends, but this is an individual rivalry we're excited to watch grow. Round one went to Stroman, but just like the season this back-and-forth is just beginning. More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: - - - - - - - Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew  on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr Continue to Article

April 03, 2016 9:45:pm EST

One year after coming to Tropicana Field as a guest of Chris Archer on opening day, Toronto pitcher Marcus Stroman returned to beat the Tampa Bay Rays ace. The young right-hander who started last season on the disabled list allowed three runs and six hits over eight-plus innings Sunday, outpitching his close friend and helping the Blue Jays begin defense of their first AL East title in 22 years with a 5-3 victory. Stroman was rehabbing from surgery on his left knee in nearby Dunedin, Florida, when he accepted an invitation to watch Archer make the first opening day start of his career. Continue to Article

April 03, 2016 9:03:pm EST

The Toronto Blue Jays' road back to the postseason began with a 5-3 road win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Marcus Stroman, making his first career opening day start, pitched into the ninth and Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki each drove in two runs to ensure the Blue Jays opened the 2016 regular season 1-0. Encarnacion, who didn't play in a single spring training game , put the Blue Jays ahead 2-0 in the first inning with a single that scored Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista. Rays third baseman Evan Longoria got one back with an RBI single in the third inning but Kevin Pillar responded with an RBI single of his own in the top of the fourth to restore Toronto's two-run advantage. Tulowitzki made it 5-1 Blue Jays with a two-run home run to left field in the eighth. Stroman took the mound to start the ninth, but his quest for a complete came up short after he gave up a solo shot to Corey Dickerson and a base hit to Desmond Jennings and was replaced by closer Roberto Osuna. Osuna allowed Jennings to score, but recorded the final three outs for the save. Outside of the ninth inning mistake that resulted in Dickerson's homer, Stroman was super in his opening day debut. The 24-year-old right-hander went eight innings, holding Tampa Bay to three earned runs on five hits and a walk and struck out five to outduel his friend, Rays ace Chris Archer. Stroman's combination of stuff and swagger is a big reason the Blue Jays are confident with him at the top of their rotation and he sure got off to a good start. Getting starts like this one from Stroman on a consistent basis will make a huge difference for Toronto in their efforts to return to the playoffs. What they did with the bats was even less surprising. The defending AL East champions scored the most runs in baseball last year, out scoring the next closest team by over 100 runs, and the deepest lineup in the major leagues struck early and kept at it the entire game. Archer, who did have 12 strikeouts, was done after five innings and 107 pitches. That's what the Blue Jays' offence does, even when facing elite pitchers like Archer. They're coming out to prove they can be even better than they were in 2015. The expectations for the team are high, and with good reason, but it's important to remember that 161 regular season games remain. On that note, R.A. Dickey starts for Toronto on Monday night in the second game of the four-game series against the Rays. More MLB coverage from Yahoo Canada Sports: - - - - - - - Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports . Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr Continue to Article

April 03, 2016 8:05:pm EST