Blue Jays RHP Trey Yesavage works 5 1/3 shutout innings against Boston in season debut

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage worked 5 1/3 shutout innings against Boston in his season debut Tuesday night and left to a standing ovation.

>Yesavage struck out three, walked none and allowed four hits, including three singles. He left with a 3-0 lead after throwing 74 pitches, 50 for strikes.

>The 22-year-old Yesavage began the season on the injured list while recovering from a shoulder impingement. He went 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in four minor league rehab appearances, three starts, with the last two in Triple-A.

>Willson Contreras hit a one-out double in the first before Yesavage got Roman Anthony to ground out and retired Wilyer Abreu on a fly ball.

>Yesavage finished his outing by striking out Contreras on a slider to begin the sixth. A few in the sellout crowd of 41,949 booed when manager John Schneider came out to the mound, but they roared as Yesavage walked off. He was replaced by left-hander Mason Fluharty.

>Yesavage rose through four minor league levels last season, striking out 160 batters in 98 innings combined at Dunedin, Vancouver, New Hampshire and Buffalo.

>He made his big league debut at Tampa on Sept. 15, striking out nine in five innings, and went 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three regular-season starts before playing a major role in Toronto’s run to Game 7 of the World Series.

>In Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Yankees, Yesavage set a Blue Jays postseason record by striking out 11 over 5 1/3 hitless innings to win his postseason debut. He went 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA in six playoff appearances, five starts, striking out 39 in 27 2/3 innings.

>Yesavage delivers his pitches from a unique arm angle that gives him one of the highest release points of any big league pitcher, 7.09 feet above the field.

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>AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb