Blue Jays vs. Cardinals final score, results: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads Toronto to dramatic Opening Day win

Bryan Murphy

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Blue Jays vs. Cardinals final score, results: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads Toronto to dramatic Opening Day win image

The Blue Jays and Cardinals exchanged blows the entire afternoon at Busch Stadium, but in the end, the boys north of the border came out victorious on Opening Day. 

Toronto defeated St. Louis 10-9 on Thursday afternoon to kick off its 2023 MLB season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth brought in the go-ahead run. It was his third RBI of the day. 

The Cardinals had a chance to put the contest away in that inning. After a two-run double by Nolan Arenado gave St. Louis the team a 9-8 lead in the bottom of the eighth, closer Ryan Helsley allowed the first three Jays batters in the ninth to reach and eventually allowed the tying and go-ahead runs.

Helsley was credited with the blown save and the loss. Yimi Garcia was credited with the win and Jordan Romano secured the save. 

MORE: The Sporting News experts pick division winners, awards, World Series champ

The top half of the lineup did the most damage for Toronto. George Springer went 5 for 6 with an RBI and four runs scored in the leadoff spot, followed by Bo Bichette's 4-for-6 game with two runs scored and a run batted in. 

Daulton Varsho had a strong Blue Jays debut, driving in two runs in the cleanup spot, and Alejandro Kirk contributed two RBIs as well. 

MORE: Latest injury update on Cardinals C Willson Contreras

Alek Manoah struggled in his first career Opening Day start. The 2022 AL Cy Young finalist lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits, five runs (all earned), two walks and three strikeouts. He gave up two home runs, one each to Tyler O'Neill and Brendan Donovan. 

The two teams have an off-day Friday before resuming their three-game weekend series Saturday. Kevin Gausman will be on the mound for Toronto against St. Louis' Jack Flaherty. 

MORE: Where is the Blue Jays' home run jacket?

The Sporting News provided updates and highlights from Blue Jays Opening Day against the Cardinals. 

Blue Jays vs. Cardinals Opening Day score

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F
Blue Jays 3 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 10
Cardinals 1 0 2 2 0 1 1 2 0 9

Blue Jays vs. Cardinals highlights, updates from Opening Day

(All times Eastern)

FINAL: Blue Jays 10, Cardinals 9

8:01 p.m.: Romano fans Nootbaar and that will do it. A back-and-forth battle between the two results in the Blue Jays coming out on top 10-9 on Opening Day. A big day for both offenses, but lots of struggles for the two pitching staffs, capped off by the blown save by Helsley. 

7:59 p.m.: Donovan rolls over a weak grounder to Merrifield for the second out. It comes down to Nootbaar now to keep the Cardinals alive on Opening Day. 

7:58 p.m.: Three straight sliders, three straight strikes for Romano and he retires Edman to start off the bottom of the ninth. 

7:56 p.m.: Jordan Romano, a 2022 All-Star, comes in for the save for Toronto. He had 36 saves last season, which were tied for fourth in the MLB. 

Top of ninth inning

7:55 p.m.: Varsho ends the inning with a fly out to right field. Helsley fails to end the game, giving up two runs in the top of the ninth to give Toronto a one-run lead and now the Blue Jays have a chance to secure the win. 

7:54 p.m.: Guerrero Jr. comes through in the clutch for the Blue Jays. He sends a fly ball out to center for a sacrifice fly, scoring Kiermaier on the play. Toronto takes the lead thanks to Guerrero Jr.'s third RBI. Blue Jays 10, Cardinals 9. 

7:52 p.m.: A heads-up play by Donovan in the field keeps the score tied. Bichette hit a grounder to the second baseman, who looked Kiermaier backed to third and then got the force out at second. It's still runners on the corners for Toronto, but now one out in the inning. 

7:49 p.m.: A fifth hit on the day for Springer ties the game at 9. It's another soft hit for Springer, who pops it up just enough to drop in between Edman and the outfielders. Merrifield scores, Kiermaier sprints to third, and it's first and third again with no outs. Blue Jays 9, Cardinals 9. 

7:47 p.m.: The Blue Jays aren't going down easily. Kiermaier sneaks a grounder by Goldschmidt for a single and Merrifield races to third. Runners on the corners with no outs for Toronto. 

7:44 p.m.: Four pitches, four balls to Merrifield and the tying run is on base for Toronto. 

7:41 p.m.: Ryan Helsley gets his first save opportunity of the season, entering into the game with a one-run lead in the ninth. He'll face Merrifield, Kiermaier, then back to the top of the order with Springer. 

Bottom of eighth inning

7:41 p.m.: Walker grounds out to Chapman at third for the third out. But Arenado comes through with the two-RBI double to give the Cardinals a one-run lead going into the ninth. 

7:40 p.m.: Now the Blue Jays elect to issue the intentional walk. Gorman gets the free pass to first base to put runners on first and second. 

7:38 p.m.: Kiermaier takes a hit and possibly another run away from O'Neill and the Cardinals, as he slides in for a basket catch in shallow center. Goldschmidt remains at second. 

7:38 p.m.: Knizer tries a sacrifice bunt, but he pops it up and it's caught by Garcia. One out with a runner on second. 

7:36 p.m.: The Blue Jays elect to pitch to Arenado and get burned. The Cardinals third baseman brings in both Nootbaar and Goldschmidt with a ground-rule double to left. The second questionable decision by Schneider today for Toronto. Cardinals 9, Blues Jays 8. 

7:34 p.m.: Just like that, the Cardinals are threatening to take the lead yet again. Goldschmidt rips a double to left field, sending Nootbaar to third with no outs in the inning. Arenado coming up with an open base at first. 

7:33 p.m.: Garcia walks Nootbaar to start things off in the bottom of the eighth. 

7:28 p.m.: Yimi Garcia gets the nod on the rubber for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the eighth. 

Top of eighth inning

7:25 p.m.: Chapman grounds out into a fielder's choice to end the inning. But Toronto gets the job done and retake the lead in the eighth thanks to Guerrero Jr. 

7:23 p.m.: Biggio forces a two-out walk to put runners on the corners for Chapman. 

7:20 p.m.: Kirk rolls one back to the mound and Hicks throws him out. Guerrero Jr. advances to third with two outs. Cavan Biggio comes in to pinch hit for Lukes, who was the pinch runner for Belt. 

7:19 p.m.: Big out for Hicks as he gets Varsho to chase a slider down in the dirt for the first out of the inning. 

7:16 p.m.: Toronto jumps back out in front thanks to Guerrero Jr. The slugger rips a single to right field that brings in Springer and Bichette. Walker tried to gun down Bichette, but his throw went over Knizer. The back-and-forth battle continues. Blue Jays 8, Cardinals 7. 

7:14 p.m.: Conteras is leaving the game. It looks like he couldn't bend that right knee. Andrew Knizer takes over behind the plate for St. Louis. 

7:12 p.m.: A pitch hits off Contreras' pads and goes to the backstop. Springer and Bichette move up to second and third. Contreras took the 103 mph fastball right off the knee and is being attended to by the training staff. 

7:11 p.m.: Another softly-hit ball results in a base runner for Toronto. Bichette chops a grounder slowly down the line to third, but there's no chance for a play by Arenado. 

7:10 p.m.: Springer notches his fourth hit of the game. He reaches out and bloops in a single in the triangle in shallow center. 

7:10 p.m.: The hard-throwing Jordan Hicks takes the hill for the Cardinals in the eighth. 

Bottom of seventh inning

7:08 p.m.: Donovan pops out to Bichette to end the inning. The Cardinals retake the lead with the Walker RBI, but a missed opportunity for St. Louis to put up a crooked number. 

7:06 p.m.: A sensational defensive play by Guerrero Jr. keeps it a one-run game. Edman chops a ground ball to the first baseman, who turns and fires it to the home to throw out Goldschmidt. A huge play by the Guerrero Jr. to keep the Cardinals' offense at bay. 

7:05 p.m.: Walker puts the Cardinals ahead again. He hits a ground ball to Bichette, who makes the force out at second, but Walker beats Merrifield's throw to first. Contreras comes in to score and it is runners on the corner with one out. Cardinals 7, Blue Jays 6. 

7:04 p.m.: Cimber walks Gorman and now Walker has a chance to come through in the clutch for the Cardinals with the bases loaded and nobody out. 

7:01 p.m.: O'Neill walks and the Cardinals have runners on first and second with nobody out. That will do it for Bass on the mound, as he's replaced by Adam Cimber. 

6:58 p.m.: Contreras fights off an 0-2 fastball for a single to right field. 

Top of seventh inning

6:55 p.m.: Kiermaier grounds out to Pallante to end the inning, but the Blue Jays tie the game thanks to the RBI single from Chapman. 

6:53 p.m.: Merrifield battles back from being down 0-2 and forces a two-out walk. 

6:52 p.m.: Chapman tries to steal second base, but Contreras guns down the Blue Jays third baseman. As a result, the bases are empty with two outs. 

6:51 p.m.: Just like that, we're back to a tied game. Chapman drives in Lukes with an RBI single. Blue Jays 6, Cardinals 6. 

6:49 p.m.: After a groundout to Kirk, Belt gets his first hit as a Blue Jay, ripping a double down the right-field line. With the tying run in scoring position, Belt comes out and Nathan Lukes, making his MLB debut, replaces him as a pinch runner. 

Bottom of sixth inning

6:44 p.m.: Bass retires Arenado with a groundout to Chapman and that ends the threat. But St. Louis is in front for the first time today after Mayza couldn't get the job done with two outs.  

6:39 p.m.: The 2022 NL MVP comes through. Goldschmidt smacks a sinker to the opposite field for an RBI single. Donovan scores and Nootbaar races to third base. The strategy from Schneider backfires and the Cardinals take their first lead of the game. Mayza comes out and is replaced by Anthony Bass. Cardinals 6, Blue Jays 5. 

6:37 p.m.: Nootbaar follows the base hit by Donovan with a single of his own. Mayza fails to retire either lefty batter and now, Mayza is forced to face the right-handed Goldschmidt with two out and two men on. 

6:37 p.m.: Donovan takes a slider from Mayza the other way for a two-out single. 

6:33 p.m.: Swanson punches out Walker and follows that by retiring Edman via a ground out. That will do it for Swanson, as Schneider brings in the lefty Tim Mayza with one out in the sixth. 

Top of sixth inning

6:27 p.m.: One pitch is all that Pallante needs to retire Varsho, as the Blue Jays left fielder grounds out to Donovan at second base. Toronto leaves two men stranded with the game still knotted at 5-5. 

6:24 p.m.: The Cardinals try to turn two on a ground ball to Arenado, but Guerrero Jr. beats out the throw to first. Bichette out at second, Kiermaier advances to third, two outs in the inning. Oli Marmol makes another pitching change, as VerHagen faces the three-batter minimum and is replaced by Andre Pallante. 

6:21 p.m.: Bichette lines a single to left field with one out. Toronto has runners on second and first with the heart of the order coming up. 

6:19 p.m.: First batter of the season, first strikeout. VerHagen elevates a fastball that Springer can't catch up to. It's the first time today the Cardinals have retired Springer. 

6:18 p.m.: Drew VerHagen takes over duties on the mound for St. Louis. Thompson went 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. 

6:17 p.m.: Kiermaier leads off the sixth with a single to left field. 

Bottom of fifth inning

6:13 p.m.: Swanson gets Gorman to swing and miss on a two-strike splitter to retire the side. Pop and Swanson combine for a 1-2-3 inning. 

6:11 p.m.: This is first outing for Swanson as a Blue Jay. He was acquired in the offseason trade that sent Teoscar Hernandez to the Mariners. 

6:10 p.m.: Pop strikes out Conteras and then forces O'Neill to ground out to Bichette. That'll be it for the lefty, as Pop does his job, getting four outs without allowing a baserunner. Schneider elects to bring in right-handed Erik Swanson to face Gorman.

Top of fifth inning

6:04 p.m.: The Blue Jays quickly go down in order in the fifth. Belt and Chapman strike out, and Merrifield grounds out to Edman at shortstop for the 1-2-3 inning. 

Bottom of fourth inning

5:59 p.m.: Manoah's final line from Opening Day: 3.1 IP, nine hits, five runs (all earned), two walks and three strikeouts, in addition to the home runs to O'Neill and Donovan. Both he and Mikolas will end the day with no decisions. 

5:58 p.m.: Pop gets Arenado to ground out into an inning-ending double play, but Donovan's two-run home run off Manoah makes it a tied game after four innings. 

5:55 p.m.: Manoah walks Goldschmidt, and that's it for the Blue Jays ace. John Schneider goes to the bullpen and brings in Zach Pop with one out and a runner on first. A tough outing for Manoah, who exits with 85 pitches thrown. 

5:52 p.m.: Nootbaar grounds out to first for the first out of the inning. 

5:50 p.m.: With one swing of the bat, we have a tied game. Donovan takes an 0-2 slider from Manoah and sends it into the bullpen in right field for a two-run homer. The second home run allowed by the Blue Jays starter today. Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 5. 

5:47 p.m.: Edman chops a ground ball down the third base side, but no chance for Chapman to make a play. A leadoff single for the No. 9 hitter in the Cardinals' lineup. 

Top of fourth inning

5:43 p.m.: Mikolas' final line from Opening Day: 3.1 IP, 10 hits, five runs (all earned), six strikeouts and no walks. He's in line for the loss if the Blue Jays stay in front. 

5:42 p.m.: Thompson gets Kirk to chase a breaking ball in the dirt and gets out of the inning. But Toronto adds another run to make it a two-run game. 

5:41 p.m.: Varsho continues his strong Blue Jays debut, knocking in Springer on a sacrifice fly to left field. That's two RBIs so far for the Toronto outfielder. Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 3.

5:38 p.m.: That's it for Mikolas. St. Louis goes to the bullpen with one out and runners on second and third in the top of the fourth. Not the best outing from Mikolas, who is replaced by lefty Zack Thompson.

5:37 p.m.: Guerrero Jr. singles to right field. Springer advances to third on the hit and Guerrero Jr. hustles to second on the throw to third. Arenado tries to nab him at second, but the throw is a hair late. 

5:35 p.m.: Mikolas strikes out Bichette for the first out of the inning. 

5:34 p.m.: Make it three singles in three at-bats for Springer. He sneaks a ground ball just past the glove of Donovan at second to lead off the fourth. Toronto has nine hits on the day thus far, but not many of them have been hit hard. 

Bottom of third inning

5:31 p.m.: Walker grounds out to Manoah, but the Cardinals get two runs in the inning thanks to the O'Neill blast. 

5:30 p.m.: Gorman singles to keep the two-out rally going for the Cardinals. 

5:29 p.m.: Tyler O'Neill loves Opening Day. For the fourth season opener in a row, O'Neill hits a home run, as he takes a Manoah fastball deep to right-center field. St. Louis makes this a one-run game. Blue Jays 4, Cardinals 3.

5:28 p.m.: Contreras gets on with two outs, grounding a ball up the middle for his first hit as a Cardinal. 

5:26 p.m.: Arenado takes the first pitch he sees and flies out to Kiermaier in center. 

5:26 p.m.: Goldschmidt flies out to Springer in right field to start the bottom of the third. 

Top of third inning

5:22 p.m.: Mikolas drops a two-strike curveball into the zone on Kiermaier to strike out the side. 

5:21 p.m.: Mikolas fools Merrifield with a curveball to knotch his fourth strikeout, second of the inning. 

5:18 p.m.: Chapman is aboard for the first time today with a single to center. 

5:16 p.m.: Belt strikes out to start the third, the third K of the day for Mikolas. 

Bottom of second inning

5:13 p.m.: The Cardinals leave both runners stranded as Nootbaar grounds out to Merrifield at second for the third out.

5:12 p.m.: Donovan sends a line drive to right field, but Springer makes a strong defensive play, making the catch and keeping both runners on their bases. 

5:09 p.m.: Back-to-back singles for St. Louis, as Tommy Edman follows up Walker's hit with a single of his own. 

5:07 p.m.: In his first major league at-bat, Jordan Walker notches his first MLB hit. He takes a slider from Manoah and sends it right up the middle for a single. '

5:05 p.m.: Manoah strikes out Nolan Gorman to start the bottom of the second, his third K of the day. 

Top of second inning

5:02 p.m.: Mikolas responds with a Varsho strikeout and a Kirk flyout to right field that ends the threat. One run in the inning for Toronto. 

5 p.m.: Guerrero Jr. gets drilled with a two-seam fastball from Mikolas in the left arm. It hit the elbow padding, but still looked painful. He stays in and it's now runners on first and second with one out. 

4:59 p.m.: Blue Jays retake the three-run lead with an RBI double by Bichette. Walker fumbled the ball off the wall in right field and that allowed Springer to come around and score from first. Blue Jays 4, Cardinals 1. 

4:57 p.m.: Springer is 2-for-2 with two singles. A broken-bat single to center gets the Blue Jays leadoff man on base for the second time in as many innings. 

4:57 p.m.: In his first at-bat as a Blue Jay, Kiermaier flies out to right field. 

Bottom of first inning

4:51 p.m.: Willson Contreras lines out to Whit Merrifield at second base and then Manoah fans Tyler O'Neill to escape the first with just one run allowed. 

4:48 p.m.: The Cardinals get on the board as Nolan Arenado pulls a sinker along the left field line for an RBI single. Donovan scores and Nootbaar goes to third. Blue Jays 3, Cardinals 1.

4:47 p.m.: Manoah strikes out Goldschmidt with a slider away for his first K and out of the game. 

4:44 p.m.: The single to Donovan is followed by a walk to Lars Nootbaar. Two on, nobody out for reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. 

4:41 p.m.: Tough start for the Blue Jays defense. Leadoff hitter Brendan Donovan bounces a ground ball in between third and short, Bichette tries to jump throw, but ends up airmailing the ball over Guerrero Jr. and it bounces into the stands. Donovan would have been safe anyway, but he advances to second on the errant throw. 

Top of first inning

4:36 p.m.: Brandon Belt lines out to center and Matt Chapman strikes out to end the inning, but damage has been done. Blue Jays lead 3-0 after the first half inning. 

4:32 p.m.: Blue Jays aren't wasting any time. Alejandro Kirk hits a curveball off the end of his bat and drops it into shallow center. Bichette and Varsho both come around to score on the single. Five hits and three runs in the first inning for Toronto. Blue Jays 3, Cardinals 0. 

4:31 p.m.: Welcome to the Blue Jays, Daulton Varsho. One of the newest members of Toronto knocks in the first run of the 2023 season for the Blue Jays, driving in Springer on a double to right field. Blue Jays 1, Cardinals 0

4:27 p.m.: Guerrero Jr. flies out to deep center, but it moves Springer to third. 

4:25 p.m.: Back-to-back singles for Toronto. Mikolas jams Bichette with an inside fastball, but the shortstop gets enough to dump a single into centerfield. Runners on first and second for Guerrero Jr. 

4:24 p.m.: First at-bat, first hit of the season for the Blue Jays. Springer takes a 2-2 sinker from Mikolas and singles to right field.

4:20 p.m.: Miles Mikolas takes the mound for the Cardinals and he'll face George Springer, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to start. 

Pregame

4:10 p.m.: Well that's one way to kick off Opening Day. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright steps up to the mic and delivers the U.S. national anthem for the crowd at Busch Stadium. He's on the IL to start the season, so he could not make another Opening Day start, but instead he uses his vocal cords to get the crowd pumped up in St. Louis. 

3:35 p.m.: Blue Jays getting in their swings ahead of Opening Day. We're less than an hour away from first pitch. 

3:05 p.m.: Manoah is bringing the confidence to Opening Day, donning a Sandlot jersey ahead of his start. The rest of the team arrives looking sharp as well. 

2:35 p.m.: And here is the lineup for the Blue Jays. The first three remain the same from last season, but Varsho, in his Blue Jays debut, slides into the cleanup spot. Belt and Kiermaier make their Toronto debuts as well. 

2:33 p.m.: Here's the lineup Manoah faces to kick off the 2023 season. The Cardinals have arguably the best 3-4 combination in Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Notably absent from the lineup is longtime catcher Yadier Molina, who retired after the 2022 season, and was replaced this offseason by Willson Contreras. Manoah also faces potential NL Rookie of the Year candidate Jordan Walker. 

2:30 p.m.: On the mound, the Blue Jays are rolling with Alek Manoah. In 31 starts last year, the 25-year-old went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA and a 0.992 WHIP. He finished last season as one of the finalists for the AL Cy Young award, earned his first All-Star selection and was named to the All-MLB First Team. 

Opposing Manoah on the mound is Miles Mikolas. The 34-year-old posted a 3.29 ERA last season in 32 starts, finishing with a record of 12-13 in over 200 innings pitched.  

What channel is Blue Jays vs. Cardinals on?

  • TV channel: Sportsnet
  • Live stream: SN NOW

Sportsnet is carrying coverage of the Blue Jays for the entire 2023 MLB season. The Opening Day game against the Cardinals will be available to watch on Sportsnet nationwide and streamed through SN NOW. 

Dan Shulman is delivering the play-by-play call alongside analyst Buck Martinez throughout the season.

What time is Blue Jays vs. Cardinals?

  • Date: Thursday, March 30
  • Time: 4:10 p.m. ET

The Blue Jays and Cardinals are scheduled to have the first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET, 3:10 p.m. local time in St. Louis. 

The game is being played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo. 

Blue Jays vs. Cardinals odds

  • Moneyline: Blue Jays -115 | Cardinals -105
  • Runline: Blue Jays -1.5 (+150)
  • O/U/: 7.5

The Blue Jays are slight favorites in their season opener against the Cardinals. According to Sports Interaction, Toronto is -115 to win on Opening Day. 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.