Quebecer Abraham Toro played his first game of the season as the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, Minnesota, and his team beat the Twins by a score of 4-3.
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Inserted as the fifth batter in the starting lineup, Toro was used at third base defensively. After maintaining a batting average of .364 (Editor’s note: 12 in 33) during the preparatory calendar, the 25-year-old athlete, originally from Greenfield Park, was however cleared in four appearances. He hit two grounders and a fly ball and was struck out once.
The day before, during the opening of the Mariners season, it was Eugenio Suarez who had evolved to third base. The latter had been held in check on four occasions; he had been struck out three times.
In Saturday’s win, a second in a row for the Seattle club, Julio Rodriguez, Adam Frazier and Ty France combined for a hit apiece in the top of the ninth inning, giving the visitors two runs and the ‘carry. Mariners reliever Diego Castillo then came to close the books to collect the save.
Previously, Tom Murphy had contributed to the success of his team with a solo homer in the fifth inning. France had produced the first run for the Mariners earlier in the game, with a double that allowed Murphy to cross the plate for the first time.
Young pitcher Logan Gilbert, 24, did well for Seattle, too, giving up just one run in five innings of work. In addition, he had seven strikeouts.
Good start for the Rays
At Tropicana Field in Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays won their second game in as many days against the Baltimore Orioles to open the season.
In Saturday afternoon’s game, catcher Francisco Mejia drove in three runs, including two on a home run in the third inning, in a 5-3 win. Used in relief for three and a third innings by the innovator manager Kevin Cash, Josh Fleming (1-0) was credited with the win, allowing no runs, just three hits. Andrew Kittredge allowed a run in the ninth inning, but he eventually made the save by striking out DJ Stewart.
In the loss, Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run homer for the Orioles.
