TORONTO (Interstat) — Max Scherzer delivered a vintage performance and the Toronto Blue Jays’ offense erupted late to secure a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

In a game defined by pitching and defensive plays through six innings, the Blue Jays broke open a one-run contest with a three-run seventh, capitalizing on a cascade of hits to hand the Rockies their fourth loss in five games to start the season. A crowd of 38,871 watched the game, which lasted 2 hours, 53 minutes.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the bottom of the seventh inning, transforming a tight 2-1 pitchers’ duel into a comfortable Blue Jays lead. The frame began with a strikeout, but then unraveled for Colorado reliever Jaden Hill and his successor. Jesús Sánchez sparked the rally with a single, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with another sharp single. Kazuma Okamoto then lined a single to left, scoring pinch-runner Myles Straw to make it 3-1. Nathan Lukes followed with a single to right, plating Guerrero Jr., though Okamoto was thrown out at third on the play. The knockout blow came from Ernie Clement, who launched a double to left field, easily scoring Lukes to push the advantage to 5-1. The inning turned a narrow lead into an insurmountable one, showcasing the depth of Toronto’s lineup.

Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young Award winner, was the cornerstone of the win, earning his first victory of the young season. The 41-year-old right-hander commanded the mound for six strong innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out four and walking one. His only mistake was a solo home run to Hunter Goodman in the sixth inning, which at the time cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1. Scherzer efficiently navigated the Rockies’ lineup, inducing weak contact and stranding runners to keep Colorado at bay.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen preserved the lead with three scoreless innings of relief. Braydon Fisher, Jeff Hoffman and Mason Fluharty combined to allow just three hits over the final three frames, with Fisher executing a key pickoff of TJ Rumfield at second base to end a potential Colorado threat in the seventh.

Colorado’s pitching strategy involved an opener, and Ryan Feltner excelled in the role. He tossed three hitless innings, striking out four. The trouble began when Juan Mejia entered in the fourth and ultimately shouldered the loss, his record falling to 0-1. Mejia was charged with two runs in the pivotal fifth inning. With the game scoreless, Daulton Varsho and Tyler Heineman singled to start the frame. After a walk loaded the bases, Sánchez singled to center to break the deadlock. Guerrero Jr. then drew another walk to force in a second run, giving Toronto a 2-0 lead it would not relinquish.

Goodman provided the lone offensive highlight for the Rockies, launching his first home run of the season in the sixth inning off Scherzer to briefly bring Colorado within a run. The Rockies managed seven hits total but went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and grounded into a critical double play. Rumfield had three of Colorado’s hits, all singles.

For Toronto, the offense was a collective effort, racking up 14 hits. Guerrero Jr. went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, while Clement’s two-out, run-scoring double in the seventh was the biggest hit of the night. Sánchez and Heineman each contributed two hits.

With the win, Toronto improved to 4-1 on the season, while Colorado fell to 1-4. The victory also allowed the Blue Jays to even the two-game series after a 14-5 drubbing by the Rockies the previous night.

The teams conclude their brief series Wednesday afternoon at Rogers Centre before the Blue Jays embark on a road trip to Chicago and the Rockies return home to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to pregame projections, Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a 7-1 Toronto victory, while its ELO system gave the Blue Jays an 80.2 percent chance to win. Toronto closed as a 1.5-run favorite, and the total of six runs fell under the over/under line of 8.5.