Giménez scores 3 runs, Soroka exits early as Blue Jays beat Nationals 5-2

TORONTO (AP) — Andrés Giménez homered and scored three runs, Bowden Francis pitched six innings to win his first start of the season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Monday night.

Giménez reached base four times. He homered in the second inning, walked and scored in the fourth, was hit by a pitch in the sixth and doubled and scored in the eighth.

Francis (1-0) didn’t allow a base hit until CJ Abrams and James Wood hit back-to-back homers with one out in the sixth.

Francis allowed two runs and two hits. He walked three and struck out four.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk both contributed RBI doubles as the Blue Jays won back-to-back games for the first time.

Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka left in the sixth because of cramping in his bicep.

Soroka (0-1) allowed four runs and five hits. He walked one and struck out three.

The Canadian-born Soroka signed a one-year, $9-million contract with Washington in December.

Francis took no-hit bids into the ninth inning twice in a four-start stretch last season, losing both on leadoff home runs in the final inning.

That made Francis the first pitcher to lose two no-hit bids in the ninth inning during one season since Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan with Texas in 1989.

Right-hander Nick Sandlin pitched the seventh, lefty Brendon Little worked the eighth and Yimi García finished for his first save.

Toronto opened the scoring for the first time this season when Giménez homered to begin the second.

Giménez has three home runs in five games with Toronto. He hit nine in 152 games with Cleveland last season.

RHP José Berríos (0-1, 10.80 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night against Nationals RHP Trevor Williams.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) looks on during the first inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Alan Roden (18) hits a double during the third inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Alan Roden (18) celebrates hitting a double during the third inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays second base Andrés Giménez (0) celebrates a home run during the second inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays first base Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) flips the bat during the first inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays first base Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates hitting a double during the third inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays second base Andrés Giménez (0) celebrates a home run with his teammates during the second inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla sales fell 13% in the first three months of the year, another sign that Elon Musk’s once high-flying electric car company is struggling to attract buyers.

The double-digit drop is likely due to a combination of factors, including its aging lineup, competition from rivals and a backlash from Musk’s embrace of right wing politics. It also is a warning that the company’s first-quarter earnings report later this month could disappoint investors.

Tesla reported deliveries of 336,681 globally in the January to March quarter. The figure was down from sales of 387,000 in the same period a year ago. The decline came despite deep discounts, zero financing and other incentives.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected much higher deliveries of 408,000.

Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note to clients that Tesla is seeing soft demand in the United States and China, as well as facing pressure in Europe.

“The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla...there is no debate,” he said.

Ives said that Wall Street financial analysts knew the first-quarter figures were likely to be bad, but that it was even worse than expected, calling them a “disaster on every metric.”

The sales drop came three weeks after President Donald Trump held an extraordinary press conference outside the White House in which he praised Tesla, blasted boycotts against the company and bought a Tesla himself while TV cameras rolled in an effort to help lift sales.

“I don’t like what’s happening to you,” said Trump, before slipping into a red Model S and exclaiming, “Wow. That’s beautiful.”

After falling as much as 6% in early Wednesday, Tesla stock shot up more than 5% in afternoon trading after a report from Politico, citing anonymous sources, that Musk may soon step down from leadership of his Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting group that has led to tens of thousands of federal workers losing their jobs.

Tesla investors have complained the DOGE work has diverted Musk's focus from Tesla, where he is the CEO. On Tuesday, New York City's comptroller overseeing pension funds down $300 million this year on Tesla holdings called for a lawsuit accusing a distracted Musk of "driving Tesla off a financial cliff.”

Tesla’s stock has plunged by roughly half since hitting a mid-December record as expectations of a lighter regulatory touch and big profits with Donald Trump as president were replaced by fear that the boycott of Musk's cars and other problems could hit the company hard.

Analysts are still not sure exactly how much the fall in sales is due to the protests or other factors. Electric car sales have been sluggish in general, and Tesla in particular is suffering as car buyers hold off from buying its bestselling Model Y while waiting for an updated version.

Still, even bullish financial analysts who earlier downplayed the backlash to Musk’s polarizing political stances are acknowledging that it is hurting the company, something that Musk also recently acknowledged.

“This is a very expensive job,” Musk said at a Wisconsin rally on Sunday, referring to his DOGE role. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone roughly in half."

Tesla cars have been smashed and set on fire in recent weeks, and protests have been staged at hundreds of Tesla dealerships. Owners have put bumper stickers on their cars saying, “I bought this before Elon went crazy.”

Europeans have also balked at buying Tesla, especially Germans upset after Musk publicly supported a far-right party in national elections and gave what many say was a Nazi-like salute at a Trump inauguration rally in January.

The protests come as the Austin, Texas electric vehicle maker faces fierce competition from other EV makers offering vastly improved models, including those of BYD. The Chinese EV giant unveiled in March a technology that allows it cars to charge up in just five to eight minutes.

Tesla is expected to report earnings of 48 cents per share for the first quarter later this month, up 7% from a year earlier, according to a survey of financial analysts who the car company by research firm FactSet.

Nearly all of Tesla’s sales in the quarter came from the smaller and less-expensive Models 3 and Y, with the company selling less than 13,000 more expensive models, which include X and S as well as the Cybertruck.

AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this report from New York.

Officers from Ottawa Police Service (OPS) are seen at a Tesla Service and Showroom centre after it was damaged with pink spray paint in Ottawa, on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)