Thanks to a two-run home run from shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey’s (0-1) debut with the re-tooled Toronto Blue Jays(0-1) was less than memorable in a 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians(1-0).
In front of a sellout crowd of over 48,000, the former New York Mets knuckleballer surrendered four runs over six innings, and also display a lack of control over his trademark pitch, as he would throw three pass balls and one wild pitch.
Dickey, who would be the centerpiece in revamped Blue Jays rotation, looked a bit tight in his debut north of the border, and on a team that many experts have picked to not only win the AL East, but possibly win it’s third World Series title.
Just not tonight.
Cleveland, who would also re-tool itself in the off-season with Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Drew Stubbs and Mark Reynolds, looked like they could be a team to watch in the stacked AL Central in the Rogers Centre, as they would get timely defense from Cabrera, clutch hitting from Stubbs and solid pitching from Justin Masterson(1-0).
While it is only one game in a 162-game season, the Blue Jays still look like the team to beat in the East, while the Tribe looks like they have the makeup of a legitimate wild-card contender in 2013.
Robert D. Cobb is the Founder/CEO/Senior Editor-In-Chief Of The Inscriber : Digital Magazine, for questions, comments and concerns email me at robcobb@theinscriber.com and follow the Inscriber : Digital Magazine on Twitter at @TheInscriber
I must say the Indians look like they will be a tough team this year.