asdasdfasdf 2018 GAME NOTES American League East Champions 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015 American League Champions 1992, 1993 World Series Champions 1992, 1993 Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Media Department Follow us on Twitter @BlueJaysPR NEW YORK YANKEES (0-0) vs. TORONTO BLUE JAYS (0-0) RHP Luis Severino (2017: 14-6, 2.98) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (2017: 10-11, 3.53) Game #1 Home #1 (0-0) March 29, 2018 3:37pm TV: SNET RADIO: SN590 2018 AT A GLANCE ON THE HOME FRONT: Record (2017) ..............................................................76-86, 4th, 17.0 GB This afternoon, Toronto kicks off the 2018 campaign with the opener of a Home Attendance (Total & Average-2017) ......................3,203,886/39,554 four-game series against the Yankees...The Jays last started a season Sellouts (2017) ........................................................................................17 with a four-game set at home in 2009, taking three of four games from 2017 Season Record after 1 Game .......................................................0-1 the Tigers. 2017 Season Record after 2 Games ......................................................0-2 The Blue Jays went 42-39 at Rogers Centre for their 4th consecutive Come From Behind Wins (2017) .............................................................39 winning season at home…Scored an average of 4.10 runs/game at Last Shutout by Blue Jays ................................4-0, Aug. 10, 2017 vs. NYY home, the lowest in the AL (27th in MLB)…The team’s 332 runs in home Last Shutout by Opponent ...............................4-0, Sept. 29, 2017 at NYY affairs was its lowest total since 1997 (326). Under JOHN GIBBONS .................................................................720-700 BLUE JAYS vs. YANKEES: vs. RHS/LHS (2017) .................................................................58-62/17-24 All-Time: 277-336...All-Time, Rogers Centre: 116-110...2017: 10-9 Blue Jays/Opponents Scoring First (2017) ..............................42-34/33-51 Toronto is 1-2 all-time vs. NYY in Opening Day contests, winning the Games Decided in Final AB/Walk-Off (2017) .............................16-18/7-15 last such affair, 6-1, at New York in 2015…Are 3-2 vs. NYY in Home 1-Run Games (2017) .........................................................................26-27 Openers, having lost each of the last two in 2003 and 2014 (last won Franchise Record .......................................................................3243-3274 one on April 11, 1988 by a score of 17-9). Home/Road (2017) ...................................................................42-39/34-47 The Blue Jays took the 2017 season series, 10-9, doing so via a 2-1 Series Record/Home/Road (2017) .........................18-25-9/12-11-3/6-14-6 victory on the final day of the season in New York…Have now won Series Openers/Finales (2017) ................................................23-29/24-28 three consecutive season series against the Yankees for the first time After 7.0, Ahead/Tied/Trailing (2017) .................................. 54-9/16-8/6-69 since winning five straight from 1990-1994...Are 35-22 vs. NYY since After 8.0, Ahead/Tied/Trailing (2017) .................................. 65-7/6-10/5-69 the start of 2015…Toronto’s .614 win% over that time is the highest Extra-Inning Games/Home/Road (2017) ............................... 5-14/1-2/4-12 against NYY of all AL teams. vs. East/Central/West/NL (2017) ........................... 33-43/13-18/21-14/9-11 Josh Donaldson leads the team with 12 career home runs against the Pre/Post All-Star Break (2017) .................................................41-47/35-39 Yankees…Hit five of the those homers last season, all here at Rogers 2017 at ROGERS CENTRE Centre, including two multi-HR efforts on June 2 and Aug. 8. Blue Jays HR Dome Open/Closed .....................................................54/51 Kendrys Morale reached base in 12 of 15 contests vs. New York last Opponents HR Dome Open/Closed ...................................................57/42 year, including 3-2B, 2-HR, 7-RBI and 4-BB…Steve Pearce played W/L, 2017 open/closed/other ............................................ 22-18/20-14/0-7 eight games vs. NYY in 2017, going 10-for-28 (.357) with 2-2B, 3-HR All-time/open/closed/other ................... 1250-1039/685-574/495-413/70-52 and 6-RBI (1.156 OPS). OPENING DAY 2018: DOC HALLADAY: The Blue Jays open their 42nd season of play in the American League… This season all Blue Jays players will wear a commemorative #32 Hold a record of 21-20 on Opening Day (1977-2017), losing 3-2 in 11 sleeve patch to honour the late Roy “Doc” Halladay...The righty spent 12 innings in Baltimore to start last season (now 2-3 when going to extras on seasons with the Blue Jays from 1998-2009 and represented the club as Opening Day)…Have won two of their last three Opening Day contests, an All-Star on five occasions. as well as four of the last seven and eight of their last 13. Halladay also won the 2003 Cy Young Award, leading the Majors with 22 The Jays open their season against an AL East rival for the 5th consecutive wins and 266.0 innings pitched while ranking T-1st in complete games year, the longest such stretch in club history…Are 7-8 against divisional (9) and 7th in strikeouts (204)...Since he broke into the league 20 years opponents on Opening Day and are 6-4 all-time vs. current AL East clubs. ago, his 67 complete games are 13 more than any other player. STARTING AT HOME: Today his number becomes just the second to be retired by the Blue Today marks the first time that Toronto will begin its season at home since Jays, joining Roberto Alomar’s #12 in the rafters at Rogers Centre. April 2, 2013 vs. CLE (a 4-1 loss)…Have gone 10-6 when at home on Opening Day (7-5 at Rogers Centre). BREAKING IT DOWN: Toronto’s 2018 Opening Day roster includes: Toronto is 26-15 overall in Home Openers (16-12 at Rogers Centre)… RHP John Axford, RHP Danny Barnes, Have lost each of their last six Home Openers, the longest such streak in Pitchers – 12: RHP Marco Estrada, LHP Jaime Garcia, LHP J.A. Happ, team history, including a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee on April 11 last year…Had LHP Aaron Loup, RHP Seung Hwan Oh, RHP Roberto Osuna, previously never lost more than three Home Openers in a row, doing so RHP Aaron Sanchez, RHP Marcus Stroman and RHP Ryan Tepera just once, from 2003-2005. Catchers – 2: Luke Maile and Russell Martin EARLY BIRDS: Infielders – 7 (+1DL): Aledmys Diaz, Josh Donaldson, Kendrys Morales, The Blue Jays have only twice played games in the month of March, Gift Ngoepe, Justin Smoak, Yangervis Solarte, Devon Travis and losing 8-4 on March 31, 2003 vs. NYY (Toronto’s only March home game) Troy Tulowitzki (DL) and falling 9-2 at TB on March 31, 2014. Outfielders – 4 (+2DL): Anthony Alford (DL), Curtis Granderson, Randal Grichuk, Steve Pearce, Kevin Pillar and Dalton Pompey (DL) KICKING IT OFF: Three Blue Jays have made the starting lineup on Opening Day in each ABOUT LAST APRIL: of the three prior seasons…Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson have Last season, Toronto got off to its worst start in franchise history, going played at catcher and third base respectively, while Kevin Pillar started in 1-9 through the first 10 games and 2-11 through 13 contests...Finished LF in 2015 and CF in 2016 and 2017. the month at 8-17...The .320 win% was the club’s 3rd worst all-time, John Gibbons is managing his 10th Opening Day game with the Jays having gone 7-15 in both 1979 and 2004. (2005-2008, 2013-current)…That ties him with Cito Gaston (1990-1997, The Jays last finished above .500 in March/April in 2012 with a record 2009-2010) for the most in club history. of 12-11...Toronto’s .409 March/April win% since 2013 is the lowest in TORONTO, Opening Day Highs/Lows the Majors. MOST RUNS: 13, 2x, last: vs. Minnesota, April 1, 2011 MOST HITS: 16 vs. Chicago (AL), April 7, 1977 DIVISIONAL DRAMA: The Jays went 33-43 against their divisional opponents last season and FEWEST HITS: 3 at Texas, April 9, 1990 finished the year with the worst AL East record within the division…Held MOST RUNS, OPPONENT: 15 vs. Milwaukee, April 9, 1982 a losing record against its closest rivals for the first time since 2013 MOST HITS, OPPONENT: 16 vs. Milwaukee, April 9, 1982 (30-46). FEWEST HITS, OPPONENT: 3, 2x, last: at New York-AL, April 6, 2015 RECORD vs. OPPONENTS: Baltimore, 0-1; Boston, 2-1; Chicago, 2-1; AL East, Divisional Win% - 2017 Cleveland, 2-1; Detroit, 3-3; Kansas City, 3-2; Milwaukee, 0-1; Minnesota, New York Yankees 44-32 (.579) 3-1; New York, 1-2; Oakland, 2-0; Seattle, 0-3; Tampa Bay, 2-1; Boston Red Sox 41-35 (.539) Texas, 1-3 Baltimore Orioles 37-39 (.487) MOST STARTS: Roy Halladay (7) Tampa Bay Rays 35-41 (.461) MOST WINS: Roy Halladay (3), Jimmy Key (3) Toronto Blue Jays 33-43 (.434) MOST LOSSES: Dave Stieb (3), Roy Halladay (3) UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS: (All Times Eastern) Friday, March 30 vs. New York Yankees, 7:07 pm…RHP Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-0, -.--) Saturday, March 31 vs. New York Yankees, 4:07 pm…LHP CC Sabathia 0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Marco Estrada (0-0, -.--) Sunday, April 1 vs. New York Yankees, 1:07 pm…RHP Sonny Gray (0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, -.--) BLUE JAYS GAME NOTES Page 2 STARTING PITCHER J.A. HAPP, LHP #33 Born: Spring Valley, IL; Age: 35 TODAY’S START AND 2017 HIGHLIGHTS: YEAR W-L ERA G GS IP H ER HR BB SO AVG This afternoon marks the first Opening Day start of Happ’s career, 2017 10-11 3.53 25 25 145.1 145 57 18 46 142 .252 coming in his 12th season...Has gone 3-3 in his first starts of the 2016 20-4 3.18 32 32 195.0 168 69 22 60 163 .231 season...Happ is the Jays’ 24th different Opening Day starter, CAREER 92-76 3.93 253 228 1353.0 1298 591 162 505 1164 .252 their 5th in the last five seasons (Dickey-2014, Hutchison-2015, Stroman-2016, Estrada-2017).