When the Toronto Blue Jays came to town last night, the Cleveland Guardians social media team welcomed Andres Gimenez, Myles Straw, and Nick Sandlin back to Progressive Field.

Eagle-eyed Cleveland fans asked, “What about Ernie Clement?”

Of course, Clement drove in the first run of the game as the Toronto Blue Jays outgunned the Guardians 10-6 to open a three-game series.

Alejandro Kirk singled to score Clement, giving Toronto a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Cleveland starter Logan Allen (5-5).

Straw hit a ball to right field in the fourth inning that Johnathan Rodriguez turned into a three-base error. George Springer scored to increase Toronto’s lead to 3-0.

Kirk knocked in Clement with a single in the fifth. At this point, Cleveland fans had one question.

ARE THE GUARDIANS GOING TO SCORE?

Yes! Carlos Santana blasted a home run in the sixth inning for the Guardians’ only run off Toronto starter Eric Lauer, who hails from the Cleveland suburb of Grafton.

Jonatan Clase hit a two-run single off Guardians reliever Kolby Allard, and Toronto seemed to put the game away with a 6-1 lead.

BUT WAIT!

Lane Thomas, who is having an awful season, smashed a three-run homer in the seventh. Suddenly, Cleveland had a chance.

Unfortunately, George Springer plays for Toronto, and he never misses an opportunity to stick it to the Guardians.

Springer hit a 421-foot grand slam off Hunter Gaddis in the eighth inning, and that put the game away at 10-4.

To the Guardians’ credit, they scored two more runs on a Nolan Jones sacrifice fly in the eighth and a solo homer by Kyle Manzardo in the ninth.

BIRD WATCHING

Don’t look now, but Toronto is just 2 ½ games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East Division.

Game 2 of the series will start at 6:40 tonight.  Gavin Williams will start for the Guardians against 40-year-old Max Scherzer, who is returning from a thumb injury.