Guardians 3 - 2 Blue Jays
Final/11
  for this game

Jimenez goes for Tribe in Toronto

Apr 3, 2013 - 1:47 PM

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(Sports Network) - The Cleveland Indians' season may hinge on the kind of season that Ubaldo Jimenez has. They may get a glimpse into their future on Wednesday when he goes for the Indians in the second test of a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Jimenez was 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in Colorado back in 2010. However, he has not been anywhere near that type of pitcher in the two years since that season. In fact he's only won 19 games since then and last year lost 17, while pitching to a 5.40 ERA.

He also tossed a league-high 16 wild pitches and issued the second most walks (95).

"Last year, I felt lost. I didn't even know what to do when I got to the mound," Jimenez said.

Toronto, meanwhile, will hand the ball to right-handed flamethrower Brandon Morrow, who was 10-7 last season with a 2.96 ERA. Injuries, though, continued to be a problem, as he managed just 21 starts.

Morrow has struggled this spring and pitched to a 6.14 ERA in six spring starts.

Cleveland got its season off on the right foot Tuesday, as Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run homer and Justin Masterson turned in six solid innings in the Indians' 4-1 win.

Masterson (1-0) gave up just three hits, one run and four walks while fanning five. Chris Perez later turned in a scoreless ninth for his first save as the Tribe gave Terry Francona a win in his Cleveland managerial debut.

"A lot of the little things that were taking place that you need to do to win ballgames, we were able to do," Masterson said.

Melky Cabrera scored the lone run for the Blue Jays, while knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (0-1), the reigning NL Cy Young winner, allowed five hits and four runs -- three earned -- with four walks and as many strikeouts over six frames.

His batterymate, catcher J.P. Arencibia, was charged with three passed balls.

"It was moving pretty good," Dickey said of his knuckleball.

Toronto won four of its six meetings with the Tribe a year ago.






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