Chris Sale on Tuesday let a runner steal home and Mookie Betts fanned with two on base for the final out as champions the Boston Red Sox stumbled again, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 in their home opener.
After receiving their World Series rings in a ceremony that included Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots, the Red Sox fell to 3-9.
A return to Fenway Park failed to shake the doldrums that plagued Boston during a season-opening trip to Seattle, Oakland and Arizona.
The Red Sox’s Dustin Pedroia went one for four in his first major league game since May last year.
Pedroia last year played only three times while slowed by a knee injury.
The game also made history: It was the first big-league matchup of managers born in Puerto Rico, with Toronto’s Charlie Montoyo topping Boston’s Alex Cora.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr stole home and had an RBI single as the Blue Jays ended a four-game losing streak.
Toronto’s Freddy Galvis drove in two runs to back Matt Shoemaker (3-0), who allowed two earned runs in 5-2/3 innings.
Sale (0-3) surrendered five runs and seven hits before being pulled after four innings.
In Philadelphia, Juan Soto hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning as Washington rallied for the win.
Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper crushed a three-run homer off former teammate Stephen Strasburg, but Victor Robles tied it at 6-6 on a solo shot off Edubray Ramos with two outs and two strikes in the ninth.
Ramos had not pitched in six days and has one career save, but Phillies manager Gabe Kapler sent him to the mound to protect the one-run lead.
Brian Dozier and Anthony Rendon hit consecutive singles off Jose Alvarez (0-1) to start the 10th and Soto followed with a towering shot over the right-field foul pole. A video review upheld the fair call.
Robles added an RBI double in the inning.
Sean Doolittle (3-0) got five outs for the win.
In other results, it was:
‧ Cardinals 4, Dodgers 0
‧ Astros 6, Yankees 3
‧ Indians 8, Tigers 2
‧ Reds 14, Marlins 0
‧ Athletics 13, Orioles 2
‧ Rays 10, White Sox 5
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