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CLEARWATER, Fla. Clayton Kershaw Dodgers Jersey . -- Jose Bautista hit a long home run off Roberto Hernandez three batters into the game, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Wednesday in rain-shortened spring training opener for both teams. Bautistas home run landed outside of the ballpark at Bright House Field. The game was called in the middle of the seventh inning. "It felt pretty good, I cant deny that," Bautista said. "More importantly I felt like I was seeing the ball great. I havent been playing for a while so thats a positive." Bautista missed the last six weeks of the season with a hip injury, the second straight year in which he ended the season on the disabled list. He hit 28 home runs in 2013 after reaching 27 the year before. He was 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored Wednesday. Ryan Howard and Marlon Byrd each had run-scoring singles off former Phillies left-hander J.A. Happ in the bottom of the first. STARTING TIME Phillies: Hernandez, making his Phillies debut, allowed two runs on four hits in two innings. He is the front runner for the fifth starters job after signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract as a free agent this winter. "When I face him I try to throw changeups and sinkers down," Hernandez said of the home run to Bautista. "But today I got down in the count and had to throw it down the middle. I missed up." Blue Jays: Happ struggled in his only inning against his former team. Although he ended up striking out the side, he gave up four hits and a walk in facing eight batters. Happ finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2009, when he went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA. Happ was 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA in 18 starts with the Blue Jays last season. TRAINERS ROOM Philadelphia left-hander Cole Hamels threw off the mound for the first time this spring. The 30-year-old Hamels entered camp behind the rest of the pitchers after experiencing biceps soreness in November. Hamels will throw another side session on Saturday and isnt likely to pitch in a Grapefruit League game for another two weeks. HOWARDS END Howard got off to a fast start, singling in a run in the bottom of first. The Phillies first baseman played only 80 games last year because of knee problems. Manager Ryne Sandberg is impressed with Howards progress. "I really like Howards aggressiveness early in the count with men on base," Sandberg said. KNUCKLED Cliff Lee will make his first start of the spring on Thursday, when the Phillies take on the Blue Jays for the second straight day, this time in Dunedin. But several Phillies regulars will not be in the lineup, including Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. Toronto is starting knuckleball pitcher R.A. Dickey. But Sandberg says hes not sitting his regulars because of Dickeys unusual pitch. "I dont think that comes into play that much," Sandberg said. "If they keep it simple, it comes down to see the ball and hit it." Andre Ethier Authentic Jersey . There is also the Genoa derby on Sunday, while second-place Roma hosts Parma looking to take advantage of any more slip-ups from Juventus. Here are five things to know about the Italian league ahead of this weekends matches: LLORENTE ON SONGThe last time Juventus hosted Inter Milan the visitors ended the Bianconeris impressive streak of 49 games unbeaten with a 3-1 victory. Yasiel Puig Dodgers Jersey . Teague one handed three pointerTheres something to be said about having the nerve to go up and take a shot from downtown late in a close playoff game, but what is there really to say when that shot is one handed? Teague answers that question with a simple Jordan like shrug of the shoulders. NEW YORK -- Sean Doolittle wasnt surprised at all by the Oakland As offensive outburst in the 10th inning. Brandon Moss hit his second homer of the game leading off the 10th, and the Oakland Athletics rallied for a 5-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. The majors best run-producing offence then got an RBI double from Jed Lowrie and a run-scoring single from Kyle Blanks to open a big lead for Oaklands suspect back end of the bullpen. "The way the guys were swinging in the 10th inning, it was like they could smell the victory and found a way to get it done," the As reliever said. "Thats typical Oakland As baseball." Returning to the lineup after missing two games with a strained right calf, Moss drilled a full-count pitch from Adam Warren (1-3) into the second deck down the right field line for his 15th homer. That gave the AL West-leading As their first lead in a game that was delayed more than an hour at the start by rain. "We have a very confident offence," Moss said. Doolittle finished off the As fourth straight win with a perfect 10th for his sixth save. The left-hander extended his scoreless streak to 15 1-3 innings. Dan Otero (5-1) pitched an inning for the As, who improved to 7-13 when trailing after seven innings. Pinch-hitter Stephen Vogt hit a tying double off Dellin Betances with two outs in the eighth inning. Betances walked Albert Callaspo before Vogt drilled a full-count pitch into the right-centre gap. "That at-bat was incredible ... because Betances, he is a really good reliever," Moss said. "I felt like that pretty much did it for us." Betances had not walked a batter over his previous 10 appearances (15 1-3 innings). "I felt good. I just think the two out walk hurt, I had him in my head and I just did not put him away," Betances said. "I think from there I just fell behind on Vogt and just threw him a good pitch to hit. I think Callaspo, that at-bat was more frustrating." The injury-depleted Yankees came in looking hardly like the Bronx Bombers they are expected to be. With an opening-day payroll about $120 million moree than the As, New York had hit just five homers in 15 games and none in the two Mark Teixeira sat with inflammation in his surgically repaired right wrist. Brian Wilson Jersey. Teixeira, though, woke up pain-free Tuesday and manager Joe Girardi made the switch-hitter the cleanup batter. Teixeira drove in New Yorks two runs, homering in the sixth for a 2-1 lead. "He said he was fine," Girardi said. "You know you kind of keep your fingers crossed and hope he feels good tomorrow." In contrast, Moss drive off Hiroki Kuroda into Monument Park leading off the fifth gave the slugging As at least one long ball in 11 straight games. A rainbow arcing high above the scoreboard in centre field before the rain-delayed first pitch appeared to be a good omen for New York, which grabbed a quick lead. Scott Kazmir needed four batters to warm up after a storm pushed back the start 1 hour, 12 minutes. Brett Gardner singled leading off. After Derek Jeter struck out, Jacoby Ellsbury singled and Teixeira dunked a blooper inside the right field line for a 1-0 lead. After that, Kazmir retired 16 of 17 -- including four Ks in a row -- before Teixeira sent a drive into the As bullpen in left-centre for his 10th homer -- the second swinging from the right side -- and a 2-1 lead. "He just ran out of pitches," Melvin explained why he lifted Kazmir when he did. NOTES: The As improved to 11-3 against New York since July 19, 2012. ... Ellsbury has committed $1 million to Oregon State, where he played from 2003-05. The money will go to help with the expansion of the baseball teams locker room facilities. ... The Yankees claimed off waivers LHP Wade LeBlanc from the Los Angeles Angels. ... New York OF Carlos Beltran (bone spur in right elbow) went 2 for 3 with a walk as the designated hitter in an extended spring training game in Tampa, Florida. Girardi said it was possible that Beltran could rejoin the Yankees on Friday in Kansas City. ... The Athletics put OF Josh Reddick on the 15-day DL because of a hyperextended right knee. ... Up next: Oaklands Jesse Chavez (4-3) faces New Yorks Vidal Nuno (1-2). cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
