TORONTO — Roy Halladay has started his season like he ended last season.
Halladay pitched eight strong innings, rookie Eric Hinske hit three doubles and the Toronto Blue Jays won their home opener Thursday, 7-2 over the Minnesota Twins.
“I feel good right now,” Halladay said. “I just want to be consistent. That?s what I did well at the end of last year. I wasn?t striking out 20 guys every game. I was just being consistent. If I can do that throughout the year the results will be good.”
Halladay (1-0) allowed one earned run and five hits, three of them infield singles. He struck out eight and walked none.
The 24-year-old right-hander, who won five of his last seven decisions last season, threw 76 strikes and just 20 balls.
“He was really good,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Our guys were having a tough time. He was still firing in the eighth inning. You tip your hat to that young man. He pitched an excellent game. He kept us off balance. That?s as good as I?ve seen him pitch, and we all know he can do that.”
At this time last year, Halladay was in Class A ball after the Blue Jays sent him sent him back to the minors to redevelop his pitching style and regain his confidence.
Toronto?s Homer Bush said the Blue Jays will contend if Halladay continues to pitch well.
“Doc was on today,” Bush said. “That?s the kind of performance we need. People started to question our pitching after the last game, but we got some really good young arms that can do the job for us big-time.”
Toronto?s Carlos Delgado reached base in his first 10 plate appearances of the season before popping out in the eighth.
Delgado hit an RBI single and walked three times. He went 3-for-3 with a walk and was twice hit by a pitch in the season-opening win over Boston on Monday.
Jacque Jones went 2-for-4 for the Twins, who swept their two-game series against Kansas City.
Joe Mays (0-1) allowed four runs on nine hits in just three 2-3 innings.
“He threw 30 pitches in the first inning,” Martinez said. “Our guys kept the pressure on him.”
After Jones led off the game with an infield single off Halladay?s glove, Doug Mientkiewicz hit an RBI double.
Minnesota?s Torii Hunter reached second base on shortstop Felipe Lopez?s throwing in the fourth inning. Corey Koskie followed with an RBI single, giving the Twins a 2-0 lead.
Raul Mondesi doubled and scored on Darrin Fletcher?s sacrifice fly in the third.
Lopez?s RBI double, Mondesi?s RBI single and Delgado?s run-scoring single gave Toronto a 4-2 lead in the fourth. Delgado?s single chased Mays.
Consecutive doubles by Shannon Stewart and Hinske made it 5-2 in the sixth.
After Hinske doubled in the eighth, Mondesi hit his first homer.
“I love Eric Hinske,” Toronto manager Buck Martinez said. “He has good at-bats. He?ll put the ball in play, and right now he?s hitting in a good spot before Mondesi and Delgado.”
