Blue Jays win their first spring game as Brian Serven scores five goals.
The Toronto Blue Jays won their first game of spring training on Monday, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4 thanks to a three-run home run and five RBI from Brian Serven. With Garrett Spain and Spencer Horwitz on base in the sixth inning, Serven launched a two-out home run to give the Blue Jays a 6-0 lead.
In January, the Chicago Cubs claimed the catcher off waivers. Serven spent the previous two seasons in the Colorado Rockies’ lineup. With a two-run double in the eighth that scored Horwitz and John Kasevich, he gave Toronto an 8-3 lead.
After Justin Turner doubled in the sixth, Serven entered the game as a pinch runner. In the first inning, Turner grounded into a double play, but Bo Bichette scored from third base, giving Toronto (1-2) their first run.
In the third inning, Cam Eden scored Nathan Lukes with a sacrifice fly, and in the sixth inning, Kasevich knocked home Davis Schneider with an RBI single. For Pittsburgh (0-3), Termarr Johnson hit two home runs and Sergio Alcantara had an RBI single.
Yusei Kikuchi, the Jays’ starter, won after allowing just one hit and recording three strikeouts in two innings. Pittsburgh’s Roansy Contreras got the loss. The majority of Toronto’s damage was done on Sean Sullivan, as the right-hander was tagged for four runs in two thirds of an inning during the sixth inning.
In Lakeland, Florida, on Tuesday, Toronto takes on Detroit.