Grapefruit League opener against the Phillies but

CLEARWATER, Florida – J.A. Happ got the start in the Blue Jays rain-shortened, Grapefruit League opener against the Phillies but it was Todd Redmond who left an early impression on his manager. "Redmonds like anybody else, hes going to get hit every now and then but all weve ever seen out of him is good pitching and he gets guys out," said John Gibbons. "Hes pretty polished." The 29-year-old pitched two clean innings, the second and third, striking out a batter over 22 pitches. He got the win, for what thats worth on February 26, in a 4-3 game called midway through the seventh. Redmond is among more than a half-dozen pitchers in contention for the last starting rotation spot. While not much can be made of one outing, Redmonds performance resonated following a comment Gibbons made before the game. "Usually what happens, when theres a spot open, the guy that takes it, some of those guys have those springs where theyre good all spring and theres no doubt about it ... a lot of times that guy from day one, man, hes standing out and theres no hiccups." All Redmonds ever wanted is an opportunity. Here it is, less than three months before hell turn 29. Think hes overwhelmed? Redmonds been around too long – eight minor league cities over nine seasons – to get rattled by the best chance hes had to crack an opening day roster. "Im an easy-going guy," said Redmond. "Just give me the ball, Ill go out there and pitch. Same thing as I do every day. I pitch." Redmond made 17 appearances for the Blue Jays last season, 14 of them starts. Hed only made one previous appearance in the majors, a start for the Reds in 2012 that didnt go well. Familiarity breeds a sense of comfort. "I have a little more confidence coming into camp. Of my stuff, not of me, just of my stuff. More trusting of my ability," he said. As a starter last season, Redmond slowly earned Gibbons trust, which allowed Redmond to pitch deeper into games. If hes going to succeed at the major league level, however, Redmond will have to vastly improve his numbers facing hitters for a second and third time through the order. Batters have a .627 on-base plus slugging percentage against Redmond the first time through. Redmonds OPS against spikes to .939 when the lineup turns over and .914 the third time around. He insists durability isnt an issue. "My entire career, if you look at my minor league side of it, I dont think Ive ever thrown under 160 innings a year," said Redmond. "The workload. Thats one thing I take pride in is being able to go out there every fifth day and take the ball." Redmonds almost right. In the seven seasons between 2007 and 2012, he logged at least 160 innings five times and never through less than 145 innings. Having worked a modified heavy ball program this offseason, he would typically stretch with the one-pound or two-pound weighted ball prior to throwing, Redmond says his should feels strong as he makes the push for a job in the rotation. "Hes been a good pitcher in the minor leagues," said Gibbons. "Every year hes pretty steady and he never really had that opportunity until he came here last year. If this is his year he makes it and he goes on to have a good year, hell be a big league player and I dont think there will be any looking back." DRABEK UNHAPPY WITH PERFORMANCE Kyle Drabek was visibly upset with his first spring performance, a line that looked like this: 1.2IP/1ER/1H/3BB/1K. In his only full inning of work, Drabek threw 11 pitches but only four for strikes. A candidate for that final rotation spot, he was most bothered by the lack of command. "Ive had it so good in all the bullpens," said Drabek. "Its just frustrating for me to kind of fall back into being wild a little bit. I know what I can do and thats not me." "Kyles whole thing, get it into the zone and hes fine," said Gibbons. "Hes had a long layoff through the surgery. He pitched some last year but in a lot of ways, hes been out for so long it may be something that he can build back into." The 26-year-old has a history of control problems. Hes averaged 5.8 walks per nine innings over 169 1/3 big league innings. Returning from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery last season, Drabek vastly improved his walk rate, issuing just six bases on balls over 43 innings. BAUTISTA IMPRESSIVE It took Jose Bautista all of three pitches to appear in midseason form. He smacked a 2-0, Roberto Hernandez fastball out of the park, literally. The drive to left field cleared the Phillies bullpen, the walkway behind the bullpen and the fence beyond the walkway. "I dont know, for whatever reason, I feel like Im seeing (the ball) better," said Bautista. "Theres nothing that I could have done different. Im not going to go to play winter ball right now. Its kind of odd because I havent played since August. But Im not complaining." CABRERA LIKELY TO HIT SECOND Its not even March, everyone is healthy, and manager John Gibbons is able to envision putting together a full lineup, something he wasnt able to do all of last season. Jose Reyes will lead off and, as the plan was at this time last year, Melky Cabrera has the inside track to bat behind him. "The only real downfall is he does hit a lot of ground balls but you look at what hes done the last few years, take away last year, and hes been one of the better hitters in baseball," said Gibbons. "We like guys there that can get a lot of hits. Hes a switch-hitter, he can manipulate the bat a little bit, he knows how to do those things. Ideally, if hes the player we expect him to be, than hed be a good guy for that spot." One thing Cabrera doesnt do often is walk, an ideal trait of a two-hole hitter and something that would get him on base more often ahead of sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. After walking 56 times in 2006, his first full year in the big leagues, Cabrera hasnt had more than 43 bases on balls in a season. A HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE Nobody wants to read about or hear about injury as an excuse for the Jays disappointing 2013 year. But a little perspective never hurt anyone, either. Last season, manager John Gibbons had these six players – Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Colby Rasmus and Brett Lawrie – in the lineup at the same time on only eight occasions all year. It happened over an 11-day period, starting on July 21 and ending on August 1. Dalton Schultz Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers winger skated with extras and goalies today. Chidobe Awuzie Jersey . - The fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is set to ask a judge to throw out allegations that she lied to a grand jury. http://www.footballcowboysshop.us/cowboys-connor-williams-super-bowl-jersey-authentic/ .The seventh-seeded Raonic was scheduled to play U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori of Japan, but was replaced in the Group B pool by Spanish substitute David Ferrer.Raonic, who was 0-2 at the year-end event, said he suffered the injury late in the first set of Tuesdays 6-3, 7-6 loss to Murray. Allen Hurns Jersey . Betancourt was 2-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 16 saves for the Rockies last season before tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow. He considered undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy to fix his arm, but announced in August his decision to have Tommy John surgery. Terrell Owens Jersey . That further limits the options of Australia coach Ewen McKenzie, who on Monday suspended six players who were involved in a night out in Dublin ahead of the Saturdays 32-15 win over the Irish. The Wallabies play Scotland on Saturday before facing Wales on Nov. NEW YORK -- The first momentous thing Chris Young did Thursday night was spoil Alex Cobbs bid for a no-hitter, saving the Yankees some embarrassment. Then, he gave them a scintillating victory. Young doubled in the eighth inning for New Yorks first hit and launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that rallied the Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the stunned Tampa Bay Rays. "It feels like youre floating on a cloud. I dont even remember it, to be honest with you," said Young, swarmed by happy teammates and doused with an orange sports drink during his postgame television interview. "All I remember is hitting the ball and being at home plate." Pinch-hitter Martin Prado connected for a two-run shot immediately after Cobb was pulled in the eighth, and the Yankees took two of three in the series by climbing out of a four-run hole for the second consecutive night -- the only times theyve done that all season. Young homered off closer Jake McGee with one out to win it. Clinging to slim playoff hopes, the Yankees finished 5-4 on their penultimate homestand to move within four games of Detroit for the second AL wild card with 18 remaining. Three other teams are between them and the Tigers. Yunel Escobar homered twice and drove in four runs for Tampa Bay. Youngs one-out double ended Cobbs attempt to become the first visiting pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Yankee Stadium since Virgil Trucks did it for the Detroit Tigers in 1952. Six pitchers combined on a no-hitter for the Houston Astros in the Bronx on June 11, 2003. "Wow. I dont think its actually set in yet," Cobb said. He was lifted after Youngs opposite-field drive up the right-centre alley on his 102nd pitch. The right-hander with the funky windup, on quite a roll lately, received a warm hand from a crowd of 32,627 that included former Yankees great Mariano Rivera. "It was tough to break it up at that point," said Cobb, who was a little surprised to be taken out. "At that point I was still in game mode. I looked up at the video board and saw that it was a pretty decent pitch, so I wasnt too upset about it." Prado, on the bench because of a sore hamstring, homered off Brad Boxberger to trim Tampa Bays lead to 4-2. Moments later, Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch in the left elbow and bent over in obvious pain. Jeter stayed in the game, and X-rays were negative. He said he was fine. New York got a bigger scare in the ninth when Chase Headley was struck on the chin by a 98 mph fastball from McGee (4-2). Headley stayed down on his back for a couple of minutes as he was attended to by two trainers. With blood trickling down hhis chin, Headley sat up and walked off the field with both trainers.dddddddddddd He was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. "It doesnt appear he will need stitches. His teeth are all there. I still think you have to get his jaw X-rayed," manager Joe Girardi said, adding that Headley would not travel with the team to Baltimore but could join the Yankees there at some point Friday. Ichiro Suzuki followed with a double and Young, released last month by the crosstown Mets after a season-long slump, drove an 0-1 pitch to left field for his latest big hit in pinstripes this week. Hes made three starts for the Yankees, all as an injury fill-in during the Tampa Bay series, and finished a triple shy of the cycle Wednesday night. "Hes done an awful lot. They said he was a talented player who had a rough year this year," Girardi said. "Its amazing how things can turn around for a player. ... Thats a huge hit for us." Shawn Kelley (3-5) got two outs for the win. Cobb hasnt yielded more than two runs in any of his past 12 starts, a club record and the longest active streak in the majors. Escobar connected twice off starter Michael Pineda, including a three-run shot, for the first multihomer game of his career. BIG FLY It was Youngs sixth career game-ending homer and New Yorks fourth of the season. His previous one came on Aug. 11, 2011, with Arizona. TOUGH ASSIGNMENT Cobb is 5-1 with a 1.69 ERA in nine starts against the Yankees. RAY MATTER The Yankees said Cobbs gem was the deepest a Tampa Bay pitcher has gone without allowing a hit since Matt Garza pitched the teams only no-hitter against Detroit on July 26, 2010, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. TRAINERS ROOM Rays: Manager Joe Maddon said there was nothing new to report on ailing CF Desmond Jennings (sore left knee), who might miss the rest of the season. Jennings sat out his 13th consecutive game. Yankees: LF Brett Gardner missed his fifth straight game with an abdominal injury. Girardi said he hopes Gardner might be able to play this weekend. ... DH-OF Carlos Beltran (right elbow) sat out for the second straight game. UP NEXT Rays: RHP Nathan Karns looks for his first major league win when he makes his Tampa Bay debut Friday night in Toronto. Karns made three starts for Washington last year. Yankees: RHP Brandon McCarthy (6-4, 2.79 ERA) and rookie RHP Bryan Mitchell will be the starters Friday when the Yankees begin a seven-game road trip with a day-night doubleheader at first-place Baltimore. Mitchell has pitched in one big league game, out of the bullpen on Aug. 10, but was primarily a starter in the minors. 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