Brewers ruin Blue Jays' home opener
TORONTO -- Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana homered, Wily Peralta pitched six effective innings and the Milwaukee Brewers spoiled the Toronto Blue Jays' home opener Tuesday night with a 4-3 victory.
The Blue Jays dropped to 1-6, the worst start in team history. They also have lost their home opener in six straight seasons. They last won their home opener in 2011.
Peralta (2-0) allowed five hits, four walks and three runs while striking out seven.
Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ (0-2) allowed nine hits, including two home runs, and four runs in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out eight.
Troy Tulowitzki drove in three runs for the Blue Jays.
Jacob Barnes replaced Peralta in the seventh and survived a walk and an error.
Corey Knebel pitched a perfect eighth for the Brewers (3-5). Neftali Feliz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.
Broxton hit a 1-1 fastball to left center for his first home run of the season with one out in the first. Travis Shaw tripled to the center-field wall with two outs and scored on an infield single to second by Santana to make it 2-0.
The Blue Jays answered with one in their half of the first. Jose Bautista walked, Kendrys Morales singled and Tulowitzki hit an RBI double to center.
Happ caught a break in the second when Manny Pina's blast to right hit the top of the fence and bounced back to Bautista, who made a strong throw to second, holding Pina to a single.
The Brewers added a run in the third. Broxton singled, stole second, took third on Ryan Braun's groundout to second and scored on Shaw's fielder's-choice grounder to second.
Toronto cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Devon Travis drew a leadoff walk, gained third on Kendrys Morales' single and scored on Tulowitzki's flyout to center.
Santana sliced a 1-0 two-seam fastball to right with two outs in the top of the fifth for his second homer and a 4-2 Milwaukee lead.
Morales singled and Tulowitzki doubled with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to reduce Milwaukee's lead to 4-3.
NOTES: Blue Jays RHP Roberto Osuna (neck spasms) returned to the active roster Tuesday after opening the season on the 10-day disabled list and pitched the ninth, allowing one hit. To make room for the closer, RHP Casey Lawrence was returned on option to Triple-A Buffalo. ... Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson (right calf tightness) did not start Tuesday but struck out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. He left the loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday in the sixth inning when he pulled up sore after running to first base. ... The Brewers assigned RHP Michael Blazek on option to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Blazek was designated for assignment April 5 after INF/OF Nick Franklin was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. ... The teams complete the two-game set Wednesday when RHP Chase Anderson (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will start for the Brewers against Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0, 1.42).