Rays lose first game after 13-0 start, fall 6-3 to Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 14, 2023, in Toronto. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
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TORONTO (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays lost their first game following a record-tying 13-0 start as Colin Poche forced in two runs with bases-loaded walks and second baseman Brandon Lowe made a key error in a four-run fifth inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 win on Friday night.

George Springer hit a leadoff home run and Bo Bichette had five hits and an RBI as the Blue Jays denied Tampa Bay’s bid to establish Major League Baseball’s post-1900 record for consecutive wins at a season’s start.

Toronto’s 13-0 record matched the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers, trailing only the 20-0 start by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association.

Tampa Bay trailed at the end of an inning just six times entering Friday. Against the Blue Jays they trailed after all nine.