Cease strikes out 3, gives up solo home run in Blue Jays spring debut

Dylan Cease was solid in his first spring training and the Toronto Blue Jays had mixed results in a pair of split-squad games Saturday.

Cease, who signed a seven-year, $210-million US contract with Toronto in the off-season, struck out three and gave up a solo homer over 1 2/3 innings in Toronto's 7-5 win over visiting Philadelphia in Dunedin, Fla.

Cease struck out Phillies stars Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in a clean first inning. He was relieved by Jesse Hahn after giving up a solo homer to Bryan De La Cruz with two outs in the second.

Toronto took their first lead of the game in a four-run sixth inning highlight by Josh Rivera's two-run homer.

RJ Schreck, who scored on the Rivera homer, stole home in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Andres Gimenez and Alejandro Kirk also drove in runs for Toronto.

Meanwhile, in Tampa, the Blue Jays lost 5-1 to the New York Yankees despite a strong start by Jose Berrios.

The veteran right-hander struck out two and walked two over four no-hit innings.

The Yankees scored two in the fifth and Austin Wells made it 4-0 with a two-run homer in the sixth. New York's Kenedy Corona hit a solo shot in the seventh, and Toronto scored its only run when Carlos Mendoza scored in a fielding error in the ninth.

Toronto (2-6-1) next faces Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers on Sunday in Lakeland, Fla.