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Arencibia's homer in 16th wins historic opener

Blue Jays top Tribe in MLB's longest Opening Day game

By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com | 4/5/2012 8:23 PM ET




CLEVELAND -- J.P. Arencibia hit a three-run homer in the top of the 16th inning to give the Blue Jays a 7-4 victory over the Indians in the longest game on Opening Day in Major League history.

Arencibia's blast came after Indians right-hander Jairo Asencio allowed the first two hitters to reach base. Arencibia attempted to bunt the runners over on a 1-0 pitch, but failed to make contact and eventually set up his game-winning shot. It was the second consecutive year that Arencibia homered on Opening Day.

The 16-inning game marks the longest in Major League history on Opening Day. It surpassed two 15-inning affairs that occurred between Detroit at Cleveland in 1960 and Philadelphia at Washington in 1926. Toronto is 19-17 on Opening Day in club history and has won six of its past eight.

Toronto's bullpen helped make the win possible by tossing 11 shutout innings. The club used seven different relievers after left-hander Ricky Romero was charged with four runs in five innings.








Toronto's late-inning rally saved Romero from taking the loss in his second Opening Day start. Romero started off strong with a three-up, three-down first, but things started to unravel in the second.

Romero faced eight batters and threw 43 pitches in the four-run inning. The majority of that damage came from Jack Hannahan, who sent a 2-2 offering over the wall in right field for a three-run shot, his third career Opening Day homer.

The lone bright spot early on for the Blue Jays occurred in the fourth when Bautista sent a towering fly ball over the wall in left field for his first homer of the year. Bautista, who has led the Majors in home runs the past two seasons, has homered in two consecutive Opening Day games.



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