Bo Bichette, Travis Shaw and the wandering Toronto Blue Jays felt just fine in their new nest.
In the first major league game in Buffalo, N.Y., since 1915, Shaw hit an RBI single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning as the Blue Jays settled into refitted Sahlen Field with a 5-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
"We're still staying in a hotel, but it almost felt like the first game of the year. To go out and say, 'All right, this is our spot,' I think we did well," said Bichette, who hit a three-run homer.
Barred from playing in Toronto by the Canadian government over concerns about the coronavirus, the Blue Jays spent nearly three weeks on the road before moving into the ballpark of their Class AAA affiliate as their temporary home this year.
And in the city famed for wings and beef on weck sandwiches, Toronto made it a tasty home opener. The downtown park, a couple blocks from Lake Erie and seating nearly 17,000, was empty because of the virus outbreak.
Francisco Cervelli's three-run homer with two outs in the Miami ninth made it 4-4. Logan Forsythe then nearly put the Marlins ahead with a long drive in the 10th that originally was ruled a two-run homer, then reversed to a foul ball on review — the replay cameras were among the upgrades made at the park to get it up to big league standards.
Chicago Cubs 7, Cleveland 1: Jon Lester looked comfortable on a mound where he helped make history and Jason Heyward hit a three-run homer, leading the Cubs to a victory over the host Indians, who welcomed back manager Terry Francona after a couple bumpy days.
Lester gave up three hits in six innings as the Cubs moved to 11-3 for the first time since 2016. That was the year the lefthander pitched three scoreless innings of relief in a drama-filled Game 7 of the World Series when the Cubs beat Cleveland to win their first title since 1908.
