Riley Tirotta hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Canadian baseball team 10-7 in an exhibition game Tuesday afternoon.
Tirotta’s home run came after Canada had tied the game after giving up seven runs in the first two innings.
The game was the first of two games against Major League Baseball as Canada prepares for the World Baseball Classic.
Jesús Sánchez allowed three runs and Kevin Gausman pitched two scoreless innings to give the Blue Jays an early lead.
Canada began to cut deep into the Jays’ bullpen, chipping away at the deficit. Canada tied the game in the eighth inning on Jacob Robson’s solo home run.
Jack Cushing, who received a blown save in the 8th inning, came back in the 9th inning after Tyrotta’s home run and won by pitching no runs.
Brock Dykxhoorn took the loss, giving up a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning.
Canada faces Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon before opening its WBC schedule on Saturday afternoon against Colombia in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Blue Jays have some time off before returning to spring training Thursday against Atlanta in Northport, Florida.
Sanchez scored the first goal with a two-run hit in the first inning. Toronto tacked on five more runs in the second inning with the bases loaded off George Springer, a two-run single by Nathan Lukes, a groundout by Daulton Varsho and a run-scoring single by Sanchez.
Canada scored twice in the sixth inning when Jays reliever Lazaro Estrada scored on a Tyler O’Neill sacrifice fly and Owen Caissie’s RBI single. Jared Young added another in the seventh on Tanner Andrews’ sacrifice fly.
Robson started Canada’s big eighth inning with a solo home run off Gage Stanifer. Liam Hicks and Denzel Clark had run-scoring singles, and Tyler Black tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
Canadian starter Logan Allen was out after allowing three no-hit hits in the top of the second inning. He gave up 5 earned runs.
Noah Skirrow gave up two earned runs over the next two innings and struck out four.
Adam Macko, Eric Cerantola, Indigo Diaz and Antoine Jean combined to allow just one hit over the next four innings.
