Blue Jays’ blue team tops grey 7-1 in intrasquad spring training game

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This article was published 29/02/2016 (3750 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Chris Colabello hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs as the blue team topped the grey 7-1 in the Toronto Blue Jays’ intrasquad game Monday.

Colabello drove in the game’s first two runs with a double off grey starter J.A. Happ in the first inning. He pitcher Pat McCoy deep in the third.

Justin Smoak, Junior Lake and Ryan Goins also drove in runs for the blue team.

“I don’t take anything specifically out of it,” manager John Gibbons said of the game’s result. “It’s a new year for everybody. They’ve been off all winter, they’ve been training . . . now they get out there and see a little live action.

“It’s against their own guys so it’s a totally different feel. We want to get them a game-type situation. Of course we’ll start that off Tuesday). They all want to start competing again.”

The Blue Jays begin their spring-training schedule Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies in nearby Clearwater, Fla.

Ezequiel Carrera drove in the lone run for the grey team with a groundout in the bottom of the first off blue starter Brad Penny.

Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte faced five blue team batters in the second, switching from his right to left arm for each. He gave up a two-out walk and a single before striking out Andy Burns to end the inning.

“He did a nice job,” Gibbons said of his switch-pitcher. “You’re not going to find many guys who can do it, that’s for sure. He always seems to be a strike-thrower. He’s down a little bit in his arm angle from both sides and that’s never an easy thing.

“We’ll see what happens. I don’t think he gets tired out.”

Despite the colour difference in team names, both sides wore blue uniform tops with white bottoms.