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Jays play long ball to open season with 8-2 win over Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — George Springer, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered Thursday to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a season-opening 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who scored five times in the sixth inning after being limited to one hit — Springer's solo homer in the fourth — off Rays' starter Zach Eflin (0-1) through five innings.

José Berríos (1-0), making his second opening-day start for the Blue Jays and fourth overall, gave up a leadoff homer to Yandy Díaz on his fifth pitch of the day and also yielded an RBI double to the defending AL batting champion in the sixth.