Inside Pitch

Herd pitching beginning to heat up

In the last 10 games, Bisons starting pitchers have combined to go 3-2 with a 1.63 ERA. The group has allowed just nine earned runs in 49.2 innings. They've also allowed 42 hits and struck out 44. Below is the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees:

Josh Barfield, 2b
Danny Sandoval, ss
Ben Francisco, lf
Jordan Brown, 1b
Ryan Mulhern, dh
Jason Cooper, rf
Andy Gonzalez, 3b
Jason Tyner, cf
Wyatt Toregas, c
Matt Ginter, p

---Rodney McKissic

Yanks finally get to go home

CLEVELAND -- So much has been made about the arduous schedule of the Red Sox that included the long trip to Tokyo. But people seem to have forgotten what the Yankees have been going through. Monday's 5-2 win over the Indians in Progressive Field completed a stretch of 20 games that saw the Yankees play 18 on the road.

They finally got on a plane and went home -- rather than to a new city -- late Monday night and host the Tigers Tuesday in the Bronx. The schedule was caused by the Papal mass in Yankee Stadium, which forced the team to flip-flop home series with the Orioles

The Yankees survived that 20-game stretch with a 10-10 record and are 14-13 overall. They're just one game out of first in the AL East even though they've played 18 road games (most in the majors) and just nine home games (fewest).

Winning pitcher Mike Mussina (above) joked with reporters that he had to find his house key because he's been so used to using hotel keys.

"It really didn't look too good for us when we lost the first two games of this series," Mussina said. "But we can get something going now. I'm encouraged. If we play the way we did the last two days, we'll have a good season."

"I don't remember where we're going and where we've been,'' added Derek Jeter. "It seems like this has just been an extension of spring training. We had one game at home (April 16 against Boston), played the next day and took off for the road again. But we've held our own and tried to stay as consistent as we can. It could be a whole lot worse I think. Hopefully we can go home now and put together a big stretch.''

Of course, the Yanks have a potentially major injury problem to overcome in catcher Jorge Posada. And Alex Rodriguez's quad is still an issue. He DH'd Monday and Johnny Damon pinch-hit for him in the eighth when the muscle tightened. A-Rod may not play tonight. I wonder if the Yankees need to shut him down at home for a few days so the injury doesn't linger all summer. Three days off may not have been enough.

So what's the buzz from Yankees fans -- encouraged they stayed above .500 or discouraged by the injuries?

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Mussina works Monday night against the Indians)

Laffey sticking around

CLEVELAND -- With Jake Westbrook on the DL, the Indians have already announced that Aaron Laffey will not be immediately returning to Buffalo and will instead get another start here Saturday night against the Royals. They had made that decision before tonight's game with the Yankees began and it looks even better with Laffey throwing a no-hitter through five innings.

Laffey walked Melky Cabrera to lead off the game and Derek Jeter then reached on an error. Laffey then took over by setting down the next 14 hitters until hitting Robinson Cano with two out in the fifth. Only one ball has left the infield in the last four innings. Laffey has thrown 63 pitches (39 strikes).

Laffey has a no-no going but the game is still scoreless because the Indians have just three hits off Mike Mussina. Stay tuned.

---Mike Harrington

UPDATE, 8:51 p.m. The Indians have taken a 2-0 lead through five on Jason Michaels' RBI single and Travis Hafner's sacrifice fly but left the bases loaded.

UPDATE, 9:08 p.m. The no-hitter is gone and so is Laffey's lead.  As it turned out, he gave up four runs in the top of the sixth -- even though just one ball left the infield. Melky Cabrera broke up the no-no on an infield single between third and short and things just disintegrated from there. Alex Rodriguez's bases-loaded hit batsman, RBI groundouts by Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui and Morgan Ensberg's infield hit to third scored the four runs. Bronx Bombers? Ha!

Sowers sent back to Herd

Left-hander Jeremy Sowers (0-2, 3.18) was optioned from Cleveland today and will start on Thursday when the Herd faces Charlotte on Thursday. Below is the Bisons lineup for tonight's game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre:

Josh Barfield, 2B
Danny Sandoval, SS
Ben Francisco, LF
Ryan Mulhern, 1B
Aaron Herr, DH
Jason Cooper, RF
Andy Gonzalez, 3B
Jason Tyner, CF
Wyatt Toregas, C
Adam Miller, P

---Rodney McKissic

No Grady again

CLEVELAND -- Grady Sizemore, whose consecutive games streak ended Sunday at 382, will not start again tonight against the Yankees in Progressive Field. But manager Eric Wedge just told us that Sizemore's sprained ankle is doing much better. Sizemore could appear tonight and hopefully will start Tuesday here against Seattle.

Meanwhile, the Yankees reported that Jorge Posada has left for Birmingham, Ala., to see Dr. James Andrews and have his injured shoulder re-checked. Chris Stewart is here from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to back up Jose Molina.

It's cloudy, drizzly and temperatures are in the 40s with lots of rain in the forecast. But it's the Yankees' last night in town for the rest of the season (stupid schedule) and ESPN is here. They will play. Even if it takes all night to finish.

---Mike Harrington

Tough news for Yanks

CLEVELAND -- Strange scenario late Sunday afternoon in Progressive Field: The winning team was down in the mouth and the losing team thought the game was the breakthrough it needed to see from its ace.

The Yankees beat the Indians, 1-0, as Chien-Ming Wang outdueled C.C. Sabathia but the New York clubhouse was a downtrodden place with the news that catcher Jorge Posada (right) is heading to the DL for the first time in his career -- and could be heading to surgery on his sore shoulder.

Manager Joe Girardi was at first putting on a happy face about the injury, saying he thinks it's a short-term thing rather than a long-term one. But asked about a New York Times report that surfaced during the game, Girardi said he didn't know how bad Posada's injury was and then went on to call it "shocking." Sure is. Every pitcher in that clubhouse has to be shaking at the thought of no Posada behind the plate. He's been there basically every day since 1998 and this could be a devastating loss for a Yankees team still looking up at the Orioles and Rays in the AL East.

Girardi is an old catcher. Posada can't throw. Hasn't been able to all month. Something's wrong and Girardi knew it. We then headed for Posada's locker and a 36-year-old who I've interviewed dozens of times over the years in his role as one of the key clubhouse spokesman was just about in tears. When someone says they're going to see Dr. James Andrews, they know it's serious.

There aren't many catchers available for the Yankees to sign right now (someone mentioned just-released Adam Melhuse) and there's no one in the minors unless Chad Moeller clears waivers. But I'm betting someone takes Moeller just to cause the Yankees more trouble rather than let him return to the Bronx. Should be interesting.

As for the Indians, C.C. Sabathia looked great for the second outing in a row after four straight flameouts. He was frustrated he didn't win but knows it was huge to prove his blanking Tuesday in Kansas City was no fluke. Sabathia is more straight up in his delivery and the Indians think he's no longer tipping his breaking pitches with the delivery.

One more game in this series, which has felt like October in April. Aaron Laffey goes for the Tribe Monday against Mike Mussina. Why in the world is this the only time these teams meet here this season? Another argument against the overly unbalanced schedule.

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Posada cracks his three-run pinch triple Saturday)

Back to back wins

It hasn't been a pleasant April for the Buffalo Bisons.

But perhaps the ship righted itself a bit this weekend as the Bisons won back-to-back games to sweep a two-game series with Pawtucket in Dunn Tire Park.

It's the first time since the first two games of the season that the Herd has won back-to-back games.

We're not making room for any championship banners just yet, but contributions from throughout the lineup and solid pitching and defense to minimize the damage of three bases-loaded situations may signify the Herd is starting to warm up to winning ways.

--- Amy Moritz

Pregame from Dunn Tire Park

The unlucky Ben Francisco is in the Herd's lineup today. Francisco, as you may have caught in Mike Harrington's blog from Progressive Field, would likely have gotten a start in Cleveland today for the injured Grady Sizemore, but was already sent down to Buffalo and has to stay for 10 days once he's optioned.

So today, Francisco will bat third and play left field.

As expected, Mike Lowell continues his Major League rehabilitation stint with Pawtucket, batting third as the DH.

In other news, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees named Kei Igawa (2-2, 2.93 ERA) as their starter for Monday's game in Buffalo.

The Bison lineup for today's 1 p.m. game in Dunn Tire Park with Brian Slocum on the mound:

Josh Barfield -- 2B

Danny Sandoval -- SS

Ben Francisco -- LF

Jordan Brown -- 1B

Aaron Herr -- 3B

Jason Cooper -- RF

Ryan Mulhern -- DH

Jason Tyner --CF

Yamid Haad -- C

--- Amy Moritz

Pregame from Progressive

Plenty of pregame news as the Indians and Yankees prepare for their 1:05 game (tune in on TBS or YES):

1. Grady Sizemore is not in the starting lineup after tweaking his right ankle in the ninth inning Saturday. If he doesn't appear as a pinch-runner or pinch-hitter, the majors' longest current consecutive games streak will end at 382 games. Sizemore's last missed game was Aug. 25, 2005 but he has not started several other games during the streak and still kept it going. The word is he'll be available to pinch hit and could start again tomorrow. We'll see.

2. Horrible break for Ben Francisco. He would have been starting in the outfield today but was sent back to Buffalo and can't be recalled for 10 days. Brad Snyder got his first callup from the Herd despite his .236 average and showed up about 11:35 in the middle of the Tribe's batting practice. Manager Eric Wedge had to briefly stop his pregame chat with reporters to greet Snyder and tell him where to go in the outfield. Snyder is not in the starting lineup. Franklin Gutierrez has moved from right to center with Jason Michaels and his .163 average in right.

Wedge on Francisco yesterday: "He's a big leaguer. It's just a matter of time before he's here and can help us."

3. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Joba Chamberlain, noticeably absent in the ninth inning yesterday, is available today. The New York media reported this morning and Girardi confirmed that Chamberlain tweaked a hamstring in Chicago and not his knee.

4. Girardi did not want to get into his rotation after the game yesterday, which saw Ian Kennedy need 105 pitches to get through five innings. Girardi was happy Kennedy battled and didn't allow a run after the Indians' three-run second. But you've got to wonder with Kei Igawa (2-2, 2.93) and Darrell Rasner (3-0, 0.72) doing well in Scranton if a move is coming soon. In nine combined starts, Kennedy and Phil Hughes are 0-5, 8.19.  Igawa, by the way is supposed to start against the Herd in Dunn Tire Park Monday night.

Think Johan Santana would look good in this rotation about now? For that matter, so would Chamberlain.

5. Much more representative Yankee lineup today against C.C. Sabathia. Only Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi sit. Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada and Robinson .153 Cano back in. A-Rod at third. Shelley Duncan is at first and Morgan Ensberg is the DH.

UPDATE AT 1:03 -- Just before the first pitch, Posada has been scratched and Jose Molina is in. No reason announced yet.

---Mike Harrington

A word on our power rankings

You may have noticed this season that we've included a Power Rankings feature (click here for this week's list) to run with Inside Baseball that rates every MLB team from 1-30. The NHL powers compiled by Bucky Gleason and the NFL rankings compiled by Mark Gaughan are two extremely popular features so we added baseball to the mix, something done by many large papers and Web sites.

But baseball is a little different animal in some respects and I've already received some reasonable emails asking how this team can be rated here and that team can be there. Some thoughts:

---Football is easier with only one game a week and rarely any games between the time you rank teams and publication. Hockey is a little more difficult. Baseball rankings can be quickly skewed by a couple of games but we decided for a cleaner snapshot to do them through Thursday because everybody starts a new series on Friday.

---Especially early in the season, one team might be ranked ahead of another team with a record two or three games better. A 20- or 25-game sample is very small and a lot of times I'm still going on longterm potential for the season rather than actual results.

---I do realize they can look goofy at times if you sit and compare rankings to standings.  This week for instance, the Red Sox are No. 2 and the Orioles are No. 9 -- even though Baltimore took over first in the AL East last night. Similarly, the Rays are No. 21 while the Yankees are No. 10 even though Tampa Bay is ahead of New York in the standings. But do you really expect those places in the division to hold? Probably not.

If they do, those teams will get a boost in the Top 30. The Athletics and Marlins, for instance, don't land on my radar for October at all but they've been consistently good all April so they got seven-spot bumps this week to Nos. 7 and 11, respectively.

---Realistically, we know the whole thing is just a conversation piece anyway. And a way to get you one more nugget of info on every team each Sunday. As always, feel free to comment here or e-mail your thoughts. More later from Progressive Field at Yanks-Indians III.

---Mike Harrington 

Herd back on track

Maybe what threw the Buffalo Bisons was having such good weather in early April.

On a cold night with gusty winds that made it even colder, the Herd managed a 4-1 win over Pawtucket.

It snapped a three-game losing streak and brought the Herd to 3-6 in Dunn Tire Park in April.

Credit the win to spot starter Jeff Harris, who worked well through six innings, scattering five hits with six strikeouts. The Bison defense made plays when it needed to, backing up Harris who went to 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA.

On Mike Lowell watch, the World Series MVP went 1 for 4 playing third base. Lowell committed an error in the seventh inning.

--- Amy Moritz

Lowell feeling good in Buffalo

Mike Lowell said his thumb feels pretty good today. The World Series MVP for the Boston Red Sox will make his rehab fielding debut in less than an hour when he plays third base for Pawtucket against the Bisons at Dunn Tire Park.

Lowell, who sprained his left thumb and was placed on the 15-day disabled list by Boston, saw his first game action since April 9 on Friday when he went 1-for-5 with two RBI in Pawtucket's win over Syracuse.

After the game, Lowell apparently bought the team dinner from Outback Steakhouse. Asked if he was going to buy Outback again tonight, he joked about finding a different restaurant in Buffalo for his temporary teammates.

Tonight, Lowell is scheduled to bat third.

The Herd's lineup:

Josh Barfield -- 2B

Danny Sandoval -- SS

Andy Gonzalez -- LF

Jordan Brown -- 1B

Aaron Herr -- 3B

Jason Cooper -- RF

Ryan Mulhern -- DH

Jason Tyner -- CF

Wyatt Toregas -- C

--- Amy Moritz

Odd Yankees lineup

CLEVELAND -- The Yankees are loading up on right-handed hitters against Jeremy Sowers for today's game against the Indians in Progressive Field. Check out who's on the bench: Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui! Joe Girardi will have plenty of pinch hitters to go to when the Tribe goes to the pen.

Alex Rodriguez, by the way, is DHing today to rest his sore quad after returning and playing third base last night.

The Yanks' lineup looks like this: Johnny Damon, lf; Melky Cabrera, cf; Derek Jeter, ss; Alex Rodriguez, dh; Jason Giambi, 1b; Shelley Duncan, rf (just called up today from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after tormenting the Bisons this week); Morgan Ensberg, 3b; Jose Molina, c; Alberto Gonzalez, 2b.

---Mike Harrington

Yankees-Indians matchups

If you're going to Progressive Field for this weekend's Indians-Yankees series, the pitching matchups are pretty interesting. Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey are both getting called up from the Bisons for the series because of Jake Westbrook's injury and Wednesday's rainout in Kansas City that pushed Fausto Carmona back a day.

The matchups:

Friday, 7:05 (WNLO): Paul Byrd (0-2) vs. Andy Pettitte (3-1)

Saturday, 3:55 (Fox): Sowers vs. Ian Kennedy (0-2)

Sunday, 1:05 (TBS, YES): C.C. Sabathia (1-3) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (4-0)

Monday, 7:05 (ESPN, YES): Laffey vs. Mike Mussina (2-3)

We'll have full coverage of the series, both in print and in the blog. I'll be on hand starting with Saturday's game to fill you in on how the Buffalo pitchers do against the Bronx Bombers. I'll make sure to let you know if we see the Lake Erie midges again.

---Mike Harrington

Series MVP in Buffalo

Here's one of the great things about Triple-A: Getting a chance to see big-league players without paying big-league prices. The interest level in Dunn Tire Park games Saturday and Sunday against Pawtucket just grew exponentially in New England -- and hopefully around here for those of you not so Draft-centric -- with the news that Boston third baseman Mike Lowell (right) is going to be playing against the Bisons on injury rehab this weekend.

Over the years, we've seen plenty of stars on their way up downtown and we've also had some interesting rehab stints (Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, C.C. Sabathia, Dwight Gooden and Sandy Alomar Jr. quickly come to mind). The best opponent rehab I can recall offhand was the visit by Frank Thomas with Charlotte a couple years ago -- on a night when Juan Gonzalez was with the Herd!

Those were two regular-season MVPs. This is a World Series MVP. By my count, that will make four of those to play in Buffalo in the Herd's modern era: Randy Johnson (on the way up with Indianapolis in the late 80s), Pat Borders (with the Herd in '99 and against Buffalo in later years), Ramirez in 2001 on rehab and now Lowell.

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: Lowell celebrates after the final out of the World Series in Colorado)

Sowers for the Tribe on Saturday

An answer to the question I posed earlier today just came down from manager Eric Wedge prior to tonight's Indians game in Kansas City: Jeremy Sowers is getting the call to Cleveland over Aaron Laffey to start Saturday's game against the Yankees.

Sowers' first big-league win came against the Bombers in then-Jacobs Field on July 3, 2006, a seven-inning performance in a 5-2 victory. Sowers got bombed in New York last April, allowing six runs in 2 2/3 innings. Laffey has no career record against the Yanks.

---Mike Harrington

Solid IL blogs to follow

If you want a great blog to follow the Bisons-Yankees series this week in Scranton, or you just want to keep an eye on the Yanks' top prospects, be sure to check out Chad Jennings' musings in the Scranton Times. Jennings and Jim Mandelaro in Rochester are veteran IL reporters who've added terrific blogs to their arsenals in recent seasons.

---Mike Harrington

Laffey or Sowers to face Yanks Saturday

I wish the Indians could find a way to keep Ben Francisco around. What more can he do in Buffalo? But it looks like Francisco's callup to Cleveland will be a brief one. With Jake Westbrook going on the DL, the Tribe needs a starter for Saturday night's game against the Yankees in Progressive Field and that's going to be either Aaron Laffey or Jeremy Sowers. Francisco looks like he's going to be sent right back to the Herd to make room for that choice.

As for Laffey vs. Sowers, the Tribe has an interesting choice. The numbers rundown for their four starts:

LAFFEY:  3-1, 3.13 with 18 strikeouts and six walks in 23 innings and an opponents' batting average of .253.

SOWERS: 0-2, 3.18, 16 strikeouts and eight walks in 22 2/3 innings and an opponents' average of .232.

The difference in their records is that the Bisons gave Sowers just four runs of support in his first three starts combined, then couldn't hold a 4-1 lead for him Monday in Pawtucket and lost, 6-5. So while Sowers has had just nine runs behind him thus far, Buffalo has scored 29 runs in Laffey's four outings.

I'm curious to see which one gets the call. If you ask me who's pitching better, I'd say flip a coin. No idea how this one will go.

---Mike Harrington

(By the way, thanks to all of you for your indulgence while I took a few days off...We're back at it full swing today and I'll be at Progressive Field this weekend. Onward...)

Ace Jays' prospect won't face Herd

Bummer for Buffalo fans but maybe good news for the Bisons: Syracuse stud David Purcey won't be starting for the Chiefs in tonight's series finale in Dunn Tire Park because he's been called up by the Blue Jays for a spot start tonight against the Tigers in Rogers Centre.

Purcey, Toronto's No. 1 pick in 2004, was 2-0, 1.89 thus far for the Chiefs. Opponents were hitting just .182 against him.

---Mike Harrington

The 21st-inning stretch?

While you slept Thursday night -- and actually until 4:21 a.m. ET Friday morning -- the Padres and Rockies were playing the longest major-league game since 1993 at San Diego's Petco Park. Colorado won it, 2-1, in the 22nd inning!

The game was scoreless until both teams scored in the 14th and the Rockies then won it on Troy Tulowitzski's RBI double in the 22nd. Tulowitzski was 1 for 7 to that point and he's not the only one whose batting average took a hit.

Tadahito Iguchi and Brad Hawpe were 0 for 7. Brian Giles and Todd Helton were 1 for 9 and Tony Clark was 1 for 8. Nice rivalry these teams have going: They played a 14-inning game last September at Petco and, of course, staged their 13-inning epic to decide the National League wild-card a week later in Denver's Coors Field.

Here's MLB.com's complete coverage of the 6-hour, 16-minute affair, including several video links and stats.

Here's the Associated Press' recap, including a photo gallery and audio from Tulowitzski.

---Mike Harrington

(AP Photo: The scoreboard tells the story as the Padres come to bat in the 22nd)

Herd's tough times continue

Torey Lovullo usually does all he can to put on a happy face even in defeat. There was none of that Thursday after the Bisons' 9-7 loss to Syracuse. Until a four-run eighth made things respectable, the offense was again struggling with just five hits over the first seven innings.

Taking good pitches, swinging at bad ones, flailing at two-strike offerings. Not much positive going on.

Said Lovullo: "At times, it felt like we were on field one at spring training."

Sure does. Not much energy here. Maybe the eighth is a sign there's some hope. We'll see.

Jason Cooper pointed out today that several players were with the Indians until the final day of spring training and didn't join the Bisons until the team got here for its final workouts. So chemistry is still a work in progress. I've heard complaints about cold weather (it's cold other places), about all the day games this week (silly) and about facing good pitching (spare me). You try not to panic after 15 games (see: Indians, Cleveland) but it would be nice to end this homestand Friday on a good note.

Syracuse has never swept a four-gamer in Buffalo since the Herd's '98 return to the IL. The Chiefs hit town 5-7 and not doing much. They look a lot better as they get ready to exit.

***

Cooper, by the way, keeps clawing up the lists of the franchise record book. His eighth-inning home run was his 41st as a Bison, tying him with Dave Clark for 10th place in the modern era. The three-run shot gave Cooper 182 career RBIs with the Herd, snapping a tie with Tom Prince for fifth place. Cooper is also fourth in doubles (66) and seventh in triples (15).

---Mike Harrington

Humbled Herd

I've dealt with Torey Lovullo off and on since 1995 when he first played for the Bisons. This is his third year as manager of the team. I don't remember ever seeing him as frustrated as he was after Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Syracuse Chiefs.

He should be. The Bisons don't look ready to play and don't look focused. They're 5-9 (their worst 14-game record since 1993). They're not hitting. The bullpen is a major question mark. Seven of the nine losses have been by one or two runs and this team seems incapable of overcoming a deficit.

"We're not looking to take advantage of every nook and cranny and bury the opposition," Lovullo said. "Even when we got our runs [on Aaron Herr's two-run double in the fourth], we were content."

Or just plain stupid. Herr didn't go to third when the ball was fired to the backstop -- because he was taking off his shin guard at second base. That's a rookie league play.

Danny Sandoval and Herr both insisted there's no chemistry issues on this team but I have to wonder. You have guys like them signed as free agents coming from outside the organization. You have the prospects hanging around Triple-A and you have plenty of guys with big-league time stuck down here trying to get back. A volatile mix. Even Lovullo admitted fuses are getting short.

And you can't blame the weather Wednesday. It was 58 and sunny (for once).

"I don't think there's any panic," said Herr. "Our pitchers are throwing well and [Tuesday] we scored five runs but just didn't come away with it. ... If this was happening in June or July, you start to wonder what to do and what's going on."

Well, it's true that it's only mid-April. But I'm already wondering what's going on.

---Mike Harrington

Herd looking for life

Just back from seeing one struggling team in Progressive Field, I'm here in Dunn Tire Park to see another. The Bisons are just 5-8 heading into today's game against Syracuse, the second of a four-game series. Strangely enough, the Indians and Herd both started the season 2-0 -- and haven't won two straight since.

Here's a look at the Herd's lineup today, featuring the team's sickly averages and lack of power numbers. The Herd has a team batting average of just .247 -- which is, amazingly, better than seven other IL teams -- but has just five home runs thus far.

Josh Barfield, 2b (.265-0-3)

Jason Cooper, rf (.200-0-2)

Ben Francisco, lf (.222-0-2)

Jordan Brown, 1b (.314-0-8)

Ryan Mulhern, dh (.257-0-6)

Aaron Herr, 3b (.244-1-7)

Brad Snyder, cf (.211-2-5)

Danny Sandoval, ss (.257-0-2)

Wyatt Toregas, c (.235-0-5)

Jeremy Sowers, p (0-2, 3.75)

---Mike Harrington

Troubled Tribe

CLEVELAND -- Trust me when I say the Indians have a lot more on their minds than figuring out where their Triple-A team is going to be next season. After what I saw the last two nights against Boston,  there's liable to be a full-blown panic at Progressive Field if Tribe ace C.C. Sabathia loses to the Tigers Wednesday night.

This team isn't hitting. Its starting pitching is inconsistent. Its bullpen already seems end-of-the-season overworked and now closer Joe Borowski (left) is down with a triceps strain.

Half the lineup is hitting under .200. Franklin Gutierrez had a terrific spring and was 3 for 3 on Opening Day. He's 4 for 38 since and was picked off second base in the third inning Tuesday on a brutal play that saw him wander off the bag with his head down.

"For a young player, it should happen once and never happen again for the rest of his career," said manager Eric Wedge, who stuck to his every-day-is-a-new-day theme and didn't throw his team under the bus. But Gutierrez might be riding a bus with the Bisons soon if he keeps making plays like that.

The Tribe essentially stood pat after last season, just tweaking the bullpen, because GM Mark Shapiro & Co. felt this was a World Series-caliber team. It looks like a dangerous move at this point. Yes, it's April. Yes, it's 14 games into the season. But this team is dead. The Indians have lost four straight series for the first time since 2006 and seem eons behind the Red Sox, not just one game shy in an ALCS.

There's no life. No passion. A weak relief corps, which looks a lot like the bullpens that doomed the 2004 and 2006 seasons (check out this Tribe bullpen history by Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto). There's an offense that can't manufacture runs and waits for a longball that doesn't come nearly enough. Ex-Bison Andy Marte is a forgotten man at third, with just five at-bats all season while Casey Blake barely hits .150. Shouldn't Marte at least get a look?

The Tigers and Tribe are baseball's biggest disappointments thus far. Starting tonight, it's time for Wedge & Co. to put away last year's press clippings and get to work. What was this group doing for six weeks down in Florida?

---Mike Harrington

(Photo: Associated Press)

Borowski to the DL

CLEVELAND -- No need to wait to get to the ballpark to find out what's up with Joe Borowski, the closer with the 18.00 ERA who has blown up with ninth-inning HRs in his last two outings. The Indians just sent an email announcing that their embattled closer has been put on the disabled list with a right triceps strain and that Tom Mastny has been recalled from the Bisons to take his place.

It will be interesting to find out before tonight's game against the Red Sox who Eric Wedge will use to close if the situation arises. Rafael Betancourt pitched in a setup role last night. Wedge could go with Masa Kobayashi, Jorge Julio or maybe even Jensen Lewis. We'll see.

5 p.m update: Wedge said before the game Betancourt will become the closer as Borowski will be out at least 2-4 weeks. But Betancourt won't pitch tonight and Wedge said he'll decide as the game goes what he might do.

As for Mastny, he has been pretty bad thus far for the Bisons (0-0, 6.75 in four games) but he was already on the 40-man roster. I would have called up Rick Bauer but I forgot that he's NOT a 40-man guy and that would have forced the Tribe to create a spot for him by taking someone off and exposing them to waivers. Not doing that in April. To replace Mastny in Buffalo, Bubbie Buzachero has been called up from Akron.

---Mike Harrington

No finishing kick for Tribe

CLEVELAND -- The Indians don't have much jump in their step thus far this season and closer Joe Borowski has no jump on his fastball. Big problems.

Borowski wouldn't break a pane of glass with the junk he was throwing in the ninth inning Monday. Manny Ramirez's game-winning home run came on an 83-mph "fastball" that Ramirez said was so slow he couldn't tell if it was a breaking ball or what. Didn't matter. He crushed it. I think it landed about 10 minutes ago.

Anyway, after the game Borowski fessed up and admitted he's worried about his shoulder. I think he's headed to the disabled list, with either Rafael Betancourt or Masa Kobayashi moving to closer. With a seventh-inning spot open, I'd call up Rick Bauer from the Bisons. He's thrown four scoreless appearances to date.

''I'm grasping at straws," said Borowski, who saved an AL-high 45 games last season despite an ERA over 5.00. "I think we're going to get it checked. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it is. It's driving me crazy too...I just felt like I had nothing, like I was throwing through water. It's like I'm stuck in one gear."

That doesn't sound too good.

---Mike Harrington

Big Papi back in the lineup

CLEVELAND -- Terry Francona gave struggling David Ortiz a day off last night against the Yankees but Big Papi is in his customary DH slot batting third tonight for the Red Sox in Progressive Field.

Ortiz is 3 for 43 this season -- and his .070 batting average is the lowest in the majors. He's hitless in his last 17 at-bats and has one hit in his last 29 ABs since homering in the seventh inning April 2 at Oakland.

Francona had reporters cracking up in his office before tonight's game explaining how he decided to put Ortiz back in. Seems he told Ortiz to call him today before they headed to the ballpark and Ortiz texted his manager with a "Hey, Pop" salutation.

Francona, however, got confused thinking it was his 14-year-old daughter and got alarmed when he got a couple profanities on the text. So he called the number and Ortiz answered.

"I call and it's David and I'm all mixed up now," Francona said. "The last [text] was, "Put me in [bleep]." I was actually kind of relieved. At least I don't have a 14-year-old  talking like that to her dad. The good news is my daughter's not speaking like that and David wants to play. That's a win-win."

---Mike Harrington

Triple-A no treat for Francisco

Memo to Cleveland: What is Ben Francisco doing here? You're ruining him. And do you really think Jason Michaels and David Dellucci are the answer?

We've seen this before. Brian Giles. Richie Sexson. More recently, Ryan Garko. Two and three years in Buffalo isn't a good thing for a player who's ready for the big leagues.

Francisco's third year in Buffalo, which started with a 4-for-26 slump but picked up with three hits Sunday, is not unlike what Cleveland first baseman Garko experienced here before finally sticking with the Tribe for good in 2006. Francisco and Garko were teammates at Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif., and they've talked all spring and into the season about their similar career paths.

"Everybody has been telling me the same thing and it kind of gets redundant,''  Francisco said. "But you've got to focus on what you can control. That's what I'm trying to do. Stay positive and look for things in the future.''

Francisco's batting title last year was the first by a Buffalo player since Mark Ryal took the American Association crown in 1990, and the first IL champ produced by the Herd since former league most valuable player Ted Savage won the crown in 1961. He has 280 career hits in Buffalo, four shy of passing Casey Candaele to move into the top 10 of the Herd's modern era. So a sub-Mendoza Line average was not something he's used to.

"He's looking at [the .154 average] wondering what's going on,'' said manager Torey Lovullo. ""He's going to have those bumps in the road. The key is that he gets back, gets focused and remembers how good he is.''

You can read Monday's report on Francisco here. And maybe I'll actually see Dellucci or Michaels do something the next two days as I'm heading to Progressive Field to file reports on the Indians-Red Sox two-gamer that begins Monday night.

---Mike Harrington

Around the horn

Watching the Bisons sleepwalk through another game. It's 3-0 for the Toledo Mud Hens in the fourth and the punchless Herd has only one hit. At least it's sunny, albeit 40-degree chilly at Dunn Tire Park.

Some more interesting baseball news going on elsewhere:

----Old friend Joe Inglett got called up by the Blue Jays from Syracuse Saturday and promptly went 3 for 4 in Toronto's win at Texas.

----The Red Sox jersey that was buried in the new Yankee Stadium was NOT a hoax told to the New York Post. It was true -- the tattered David Ortiz shirt was unearthed today!

----The Blue Jays activated closer B.J. Ryan from the disabled list after he's missed nearly a full year due to elbow surgery. Ryan's rehab in Florida went better than expected and he got an early call, after he was expected to be in Buffalo this week pitching a couple rehab stints for the Syracuse Chiefs.

---Mike Harrington

Herd facing tough decison on parent

In Sunday's Inside Baseball column, I lay out the reasons for the Cleveland Indians' apparent decision to leave Buffalo for Columbus starting in the 2009 season. Nothing official will happen until September but it would be a major surprise if this move isn't what the Tribe is planning.

This is mostly about marketing, specifically television money. The Tribe wants to pump SportsTime Ohio and figures moving its Triple-A team to the state capital is a major way to do it.

What a shame for the 14-year affiliation to end. What a tough decision the Bisons face. There will be no shortage of big-league clubs calling Buffalo this fall but how many really interest Buffalo fans? Other than the Mets and Blue Jays, I don't think too many do.

I've listed my reservations about Toronto here in the past. What do you think the Bisons should do and how disappointed are you in the Tribe?

---Mike Harrington

No hits but no history either

Bisons pitcher Brian Slocum left Saturday's game against Toledo after five innings -- even though he was throwing a no-hitter. Slocum threw 67 pitches (46 strikes) but there's no way he was going the distance on a cold day in just his second start after sitting out for 11 months after forearm troubles. Slocum had three strikeouts and recorded seven groundball outs.

Jeff Harris has come on in relief to start the sixth with the Bisons up, 3-0. Andy Gonzalez has homered and scored twice for the Herd.

UPDATE: The no-hitter is gone as Harris walked leadoff man Erick Almonte and allowed a single to right-center from catcher and No. 9 hitter Nick Trzesniak.

---Mike Harrington

Friday night opener not so special?

I know Bisons fans overwhelmingly love their Friday night parties and postgame fireworks. I hear you. But I'm starting to wonder if having Opening Day on a Friday night makes it seem like, well, just another Friday night. Your home opener should almost have a civic holiday feel to it. It used to be that way around Dunn Tire Park. Only in the last six years have the Bisons gone to the Friday night gig.

I wish they'd go back to a weekday afternoon opener. Yes, people work and kids go to school and parking is tough. But we dealt with that for the first 15 years or so that the park was open. It would have a more special feel -- and you could almost guarantee the weather would be warmer than a night game. And how about some sunshine (yes, that's rare around here in April)?

Any thoughts: Friday night or afternoon home opener?

In case you missed them, here's a multimedia look at Friday's opener :

---Audio slideshow available here.

---Photo gallery here.

---Video recap here.

As for today, the Bisons and Toledo Mud Hens are planning to play the second game of their series. It's cloudy. It's freezing. There were probably 7-8,000 in the house last night. Take away one of those zeroes and you might have today's crowd. Brian Slocum starts for Buffalo against Toledo's Chris Lambert. Here's the Bisons' lineup:

Josh Barfield, 2b

Jason Tyner, cf

Ben Francisco, rf

Jordan Brown, dh

Ryan Mulhern, 1b

Andy Gonzalez, lf

Aaron Herr, 3b

Danny Sandoval, ss

Yamid Haad, c

---Mike Harrington

An ugly opener

Not much to cheer about for an opening night. Two hits? One run? It's only nine games into the season but we certainly need to see more life out of the Bisons. There are far too many proven hitters on this team. No excuse for a .228 batting average and just two home runs so far. There's been no cold weather in Norfolk, Richmond or even here for the opener.

Feel free to post your thoughts on the opener here. And for the record, here's the rundown of Dunn Tire Park openers.

---Mike Harrington

Date        Result                       Att

4/11/08*  4-1 loss to Toledo    11,283

4/9/07   8-3 win over Ottawa    5,388

4/14/06*   9-1 win over Columbus    15,011

4/8/05*  5-4 loss to Richmond (G1)    7,778

4/16/04*   10-5 loss to Ottawa    17,104

4/3/03   10-8 win over Pawtucket    12,720

4/10/02   3-2 loss to Ottawa    14,038

4/5/01   5-2 win over Pawtucket    14,169

4/12/00  6-2 win over Ottawa    13,039

4/8/99   8-4 loss to Ottawa    19,699

4/10/98   4-0 win over Rochester    11,525

4/4/97   4-3 win over Nashville (11)    19,576

4/8/96   4-0 win over Indy    15,187

4/5/95   6-3 loss to Nashville    12,398

4/14/94   3-2 win over Omaha    19,525

4/8/93   8-1 win over Omaha    21,050

4/17/92*   4-3 win over OKC    14,159

4/17/91   5-2 loss to Denver    21,050

4/16/90   3-1 loss to Iowa    17,779

4/5/89   8-3 win over Louisville    18,614

4/14/88   1-0 win over Denver    19,500

After a long winter, it's time to play ball!

Some random updates from the Bisons' home opener against the Toledo Mud Hens in Dunn Tire Park:

---Mike Harrington

9:03 p.m.-It's over: The Mud Hens win it, 4-1. The Bisons are held to two hits. Not the way to open a home schedule.

8:50 p.m-end 8th: Sorry for the lack of updates. Pursuing another story and, frankly, not much happening here. It's still 4-1 for Toledo and the Bisons have been held to two hits.

7:55 p.m.-mid 6th: Jeff Larish belts his IL-leading fifth home run to put Toledo in front, 4-1. It's the third longball of the night off Jeremy Sowers -- after the entire pitching staff combined to give up just two on the team's eight-game road trip.

7:47 p.m.-end 5th: It's now an official game as Toledo continues to lead, 3-1. The rain has stopped but the skies which had lightened up are now very dark again. It's been a pretty dark day for the Buffalo offense as well, as the Herd has just two hits while Mud Hens starter Jeremy Johnson has retired the last 11 batters.

7:26 p.m.-mid 4th: Toledo took a 3-1 lead on Erick Almonte's RBI double off the top of the wall in left. It was initially ruled a two-run homer but manager Torey Lovullo correctly came out to argue the call and got it reversed.

7:07 p.m.-top 4th: It's POURING but the skies are much brighter. They're playing through it. Looks like they think this shower will blow over. Mike Hessman just took Jeremy Sowers deep to left-center to give Toledo a 2-1 lead. Like we haven't seen him hit a home run or two here before. With the rain coming down, I'd say the umpiring crew is trying to get five innings in to make this official rather than force a suspended game that will have to be completed tomorrow.

-top 4th: It's POURING but the skies are much brighter. They're playing through it. Looks like they think this shower will blow over. Mike Hessman just took Jeremy Sowers deep to left-center to give Toledo a 2-1 lead. Like we haven't seen him hit a home run or two here before. With the rain coming down, I'd say the umpiring crew is trying to get five innings in to make this official rather than force a suspended game that will have to be completed tomorrow.

6:59 p.m.-mid 3rd: Barfield makes a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch heading into short right field to end the inning. It's still 1-1. The rain is really starting to come down and it is daaaaaaaaarrrrrrrk out here.

6:53 p.m-bot 2nd: Josh Barfield's drive to the wall prompts a spectacular, crashing catch against the left-field wall by Brent Cleven -- and brings some rain. Folks are scattering.

6:40, mid-2nd: Toledo ties it at 1-1 on Matt Joyce's solo homer to right-center. Holy cow, is it getting dark here. Clouds rolling in off the Lake. We're not getting this one in dry.

6:25 p.m., end 1st: Both teams had a chance to score but the Bisons capitalized to take a 1-0 lead when Jordan Brown's two-out grounder was booted at short by Derek Wathan, allowing Ben Francisco to score from second base. The crowd has definitely filled in more down the lines. I bet there's more like 6-7,000 here.

6:07 p.m.: The home season is underway as Jeremy Sowers throws a fastball for a called strike against Toledo second baseman Henry Mateo. It's 65 degrees but the skies, which were sunny in the late afternoon, are threatening again.

6:03 p.m.: The rain definitely held the crowd down. I'm guessing there are about 5,000 bodies in seats. Pretty disappointing. On a 61-degree night in 2006, the crowd was more than 14,000. On a 70-degree night in 2004, it was more than 17,000.

6:01 p.m.: Mayor Brown, wearing uniform No. 08, bounced his ceremonial first pitch home. As the  catcher, Buster Bison got a chance to make a play with a much better toss from SSgt. John Glyshaw of the 914th out of Niagara Falls.

Sun is out, so are the lineups

The sun keeps trying to peek through here at Dunn Tire Park and the lineups have been posted for the Buffalo Bisons' home opener against the Toledo Mud Hens. The field is pretty soggy (no batting practice for either team outside) but we should be good for a 6:05 first pitch unless there's a sudden shift of some rain this way.

Here's the card Torey Lovullo has posted for tonight's game

Josh Barfield, 2b

Jason Tyner, rf

Ben Francisco, lf

Jordan Brown, 1b

Andy Gonzalez, ss

Jason Cooper, dh

Brad Snyder, cf

Aaron Herr, 3b

Wyatt Toregas, c

Jeremy Sowers, p

Batting second in Toledo's lineup is 31-year-old shortstop Derek Wathan. Yep, he's the son of former Kansas City manager John Wathan and the brother of longtime former Bisons catcher Dusty Wathan. Derek Wathan is batting .360 thus far this season. The Mud Hens were scheduled to start right-hander Chris Lambert, but he'll go tomorrow and righty Jeremy Johnson is going today.

---Mike Harrington

It's still on

3 p.m. update: The tarp is off the field at Dunn Tire Park, the rain has stopped and the sun is trying to peek through. There's plenty of work to do on the infield and warning tracks but things look good for a 6:05 start. Pregame party begins on the Swan Street plaza at 4:30.

-------------------------------

Despite all the rain around, the Bisons' home opener is still on for tonight -- and if it is postponed, we're several hours away from a decision. That's because this one is not in the team's hands.

For any visit by a team making its only trip to town, such as this four-game set with the Toledo Mud Hens, the umpires make the decision on when to play. And they usually wait for at least 45 minutes to an hour after the scheduled start (which is 6:05 tonight). Keep in mind that any postponed games have to be made up during this series or they get played next month in Toledo.

From a baseball and business perspective, the Bisons don't want that to happen. And with the forecast even worse the rest of the weekend, I'm thinking the umps will wait it out tonight and try to get this one in.

We'll have updates here as needed. If you're on your way to the park, the best bet is to call THE-HERD (843-4373) and choose option 1 on the menu for a gameday update.

---Mike Harrington

Thoughts on Opening Day

I'm going to take the glass is half-full approach by assuming we won't see rain all day Friday and we'll get in the Bisons' home opener Friday night in Dunn Tire Park.

So here's some things I want to see as the Herd meets the Toledo Mud Hens:

1). Another strong outing from Jeremy Sowers.

2). Some signs of life from Ben Francisco, whose .154 average indicates he's not happy about being back in Triple-A.

3). A better performance from what should be a solid bullpen. An ERA over 7.00 thus far is not acceptable.

4). Caution with Toledo slugger Mike Hesseman, the reigning IL MVP and an annual Bison-killer dating to his days with the Richmond Braves.

5). No rain and no chilly weather (OK, so I probably won't get that one).

What do you want to see? Got any favorite Dunn Tire Park memories? Post them in the comments section

---Mike Harrington

Get ready to eat..and eat..and eat

I continue to be intrigued by the Bisons' all-you-can-eat concept that will be rolled out in the right field corner this season. Here's a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story on the Pirates' version that's been unveiled in PNC Park.

The Pittsburgh picture of the guy stuffing two hamburgers in his mouth is priceless.

---Mike Harrington

(UPDATE: My bad. The Bisons have two six-game packages for all-you-can-eat. Neither begins until May 16 but they're all prime dates. Check out more info here.)

Bisons can't catch a weather break

When it comes to Opening Day weather, if the Buffalo Bisons had any luck, they'd have no luck at all.

Last year, everyone moaned and groaned about an International League schedule that forced the Herd to try to open at home on April 5. That never happened as the first four games were snowed out and the next two were in played through temperatures in the 30s.

This year seemed more logical. The team opens April 3 with an eight-game road trip to Norfolk and Richmond and gets to come home on April 11. So what happens? It's rainy and miserable much of the time in Virginia, including a rainout Saturday in Norfolk, and it's sunny and warmer than normal here.

We've just had about five great days of baseball weather. But look at the long-range forecast now with the home schedule supposed to start Friday night against Toledo. Four straight days of rain and snow showers and five straight days with temps not getting out of the 40s. Unbelieveable.

GM Mike Buczkowski subscribes to a theory the team always had since the days of Mike Billoni -- if a TV weather forecast says there's a 60-percent chance of rain, that means there's a 40-percent chance it won't rain.

Hope that's the case the next few days. But even if you're dry, you better keep the winter gear handy.

---Mike Harrington

Ringing in a new season

Nearly three weeks and 16,000 miles of travel later after they left Florida on a three-nation jaunt, it's finally Opening Day at Fenway Park for the Red Sox. And today's game against the shockingly 0-6 Tigers is a big one in Boston because the Sox will be getting their 2007 World Series rings and unveiling their championship banner.

The Boston Globe got a sneak peek at the rings and unveiled the design in the paper today (left). Snazzy. The Sox are 3-4 and were a tired bunch by the time they left Toronto over the weekend. All the travel has put them largely in survival mode thus far. I think they start to ramp things up beginning today.

---Mike Harrington

Beckett-Halladay is must-see TV

I won't be in the Rogers Centre today because I'm doing some end-of-season research for a Sabres story to appear in Monday's paper as well as preparing for locker cleanout day (hard to believe). But I'm certainly going to be locked to TBS at 1 p.m. to see the Josh Beckett-Roy Halladay pitching matchup. As April baseball goes, it's must-see TV.

Beckett, the majors' only 20-game winner last year, didn't make Boston's trip to Japan due to back trouble and this Boston Globe story reveals he's also been battling hip trouble. It will be interesting to see where he is at this early point in the season. I don't expect to see the Beckett of October that was about the most dominant pitcher the game has seen since Bob Gibson. But the Sox do need Beckett to be pain free and I'm betting he goes in the 80-85-pitch range.

Also today, be sure to check out the season's first Inside Baseball column for some chat on the Yankees' suspicious banging of their home opener, the early struggles of the Tigers and Cubs and other notes from around the game.

---Mike Harrington

Jays-Red Sox: A wild home opener

TORONTO -- Far more happened in the Blue Jays' 6-3 home-opening win over the Red Sox Friday night than any reporter can get in one story. Here's some of my random thoughts/leftovers:

---The Sox look completely bedraggled. You would be too if you had gone from Florida to Japan to Los Angeles to Oakland and then to Toronto. No one was really biting on the topic before the game but here's what David Ortiz said Wednesday in Oakland: "We're fighting a lot of things right now. It's hard, man. We were in Fort Myers, we went to the other side of the planet, come back to L.A., go from one place in L.A. to another and now we're leaving the country. You tell me? What do you think? But what can you do about it? I'm just an employee. I've got to follow."

---The Jays' powder blue unis, a throwback to the 70s, look terrific. At left is a good shot of Frank Thomas wearing them. The old centered logo with the Maple Leaf on the right and the old batting helmet. Normally worn on the road back in the day, they will be home alternate and Sunday jerseys this year. And I'm sure tons of them will be sold to fans.

''I kind of had the extra adrenaline going,'' said pitcher Shawn Marcum. ''Fifty-thousand plus here, the white towels, the blue uniforms, everything. It was a fun night."

"We're wearing the baby blues," second baseman Aaron Hill said before the game. "It's going to be very exciting."

---The Jays have a new clubhouse under the third-base stands of Rogers Centre, a little closer to home plate. And it is spectacular. I bet it's three or four times the size of the old one. Huge oak lockers, ceilings that must be 20 feet high, HD TV monitors everywhere, personalized stereo speakers above the lockers. Bet a few free agents will see it over the next few winters.   

---The out-of-town scoreboards on the outfield walls continue to be a problem. Remember when they cut Johnny Damon's elbow a couple of years ago? Friday, umpires couldn't see Jacoby Ellsbury make a catch in the sixth inning and ruled Hill's ball a single. Hill nearly passed Lyle Overbay before sprinting back to second base.

''You cannot see that,'' said Sox manager Terry Francona. ''Umpires can't see it, I can't see it (from the dugout), nobody can see it. I don't even know how to argue."

---Jays chairman Paul Godfrey thinks this is a playoff team. Asked during the Hill-Alex Rios press conference what he thought about postseason prospects for a franchise that hasn't seen any playoff action in 15 years, Godfrey said, "If we stay healthy, I can't see any reason why we can't be competitive throughout the month of September towards the playoffs." Manager John Gibbons better get this team close this year.

---There was plenty of panic both inside and outside the Boston clubhouse when the Sox waived Doug Mirabelli, the personal catcher of knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Remember how bad the Josh Bard experiment went last year? Not to worry. Former Jays prospect Kevin Cash did fine Friday. Just one wild pitch and no passed balls. I don't think this will be an issue. Nice outing from Wakefield. The Jays did nothing against him for five innings.

---The ninth inning was delayed when a man and woman raced onto the field and had to be corraled by security. The woman had no shirt on and only a bra. You can guess what kind of reaction that got once a security guard got to her and put his jacket over her. Told you it was a wild night.

---Looking for something to do Sunday? Make the drive north of the border. It's Roy Halladay vs. Josh Beckett in a 1 p.m. game. Francona said Beckett's back is fine after his final throwing session in Florida.

---Mike Harrington

(Photo: Associated Press)

      

Big festivities for Jays' opener

TORONTO -- It's been a big day in the Rogers Centre before the first pitch is thrown for the Blue Jays' home opener against the Boston Red Sox. Earlier this afternoon, Alex Rios and Aaron Hill agreed to longterm contracts with the team, joining Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay as core members all signed through at least 2010.

Then, in an elaborate ceremony in a darkened stadium, the team inducted former second baseman Roberto Alomar and longtime executive Paul Beeston into its Level of Excellence. It was a spectacular show thanks to the building's incredible jumbotron and ribbon boards. Alomar was standing in the dark behind second base when the spotlight came on him and the crowd erupted. He walked forward, touched the bag and then headed to a podium behind the mound to give his speech. Beeston, the team's first employee dating to 1976, was inducted in a surprise honor.

In his prime in Toronto from 1991-1996, there were few better all-around players in the game than Alomar. The Jays won two World Series and three AL East titles and have never gotten back to that level since.

"When I got here, I was 22 years and I didn't know what to expect," Alomar told reporters earlier today. "(Former manager) Cito Gaston taught me the way, how to play the game, how to be strong, how to be a good major-league ballplayer. It's like home. This is my house. I feel like putting my uniform out and going out to play."

The Blue Jays who are playing tonight, by the way, are wearing their powder blue unis from the 70s. The team will be donning them from time to time during the year.

---Mike Harrington

Get your Bisons and MLB coverage

The Bisons' season got off to a fast start with Thursday's 9-4 win at Norfolk and there will be plenty of new ways to follow the Herd on Buffalonews.com.

From time to time, we'll have video presentations on the team. In the last two days, we've posted a two-part season preview including interviews with players and manager Torey Lovullo. You can check out Part I on the pitching staff here. The second part focuses on the position players and it can be viewed here. 

Our newly designed main Bisons page is a must-bookmark spot, with several links to quickly get you the latest IL scores, standings and stats. It also includes a link to the Inside Pitch blog, where we'll be spending the summer chatting up the Bisons, the parent Indians and the rest of the major leagues (I'll be at the Rogers Centre Friday, chiming in with thoughts on the Blue Jays' home opener against the Red Sox).

Have your say on the Bisons, the Yankees, the Indians and our coverage all season long at Buffalonews.com.

---Mike Harrington

Perfect Igawa relieved in Scranton

Good news for Yankees fans: Japanese import Kei Igawa, Brian Cashman's failed $46 million investment from last year, threw six perfect innings in Thursday night's season opener against Lehigh Valley before being relieved because of a pitch count. Igawa threw just 60 pitches in six innings but came out because he had not gone more than four innings in spring training.

Scott Patterson relieved Igawa and gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Lehigh Valley outfielder Brandon Watson, to end the perfecto and no-no. It was the IronPigs' only hit in Scranton's 4-1 victory. Pretty dubious debut game for the new Lehigh Valley franchise, which played its opener more like the pathetic 2007 Ottawa Lynx than the free agent-filled team that's supposed to be pretty competitive in the International League.

---Mike Harrington

Opening Day, minors style

While the Bisons are opening the season tonight in Norfolk, the season is also starting around the International League and the entire minor leagues. Minorleaguebaseball.com has an excellent Opening Day guide for things to watch around the minors (yes, it says Adam Miller is starting for the Bisons and we know it's Aaron Laffey but the rest of the info is top-notch).

Be sure to check out our video previews on the Bisons: Part I on the pitching aired today. We'll have another presentation available tomorrow.

By the way, the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals who debut tonight are the former Wichita Wranglers and are owned by Rich Baseball Operations. And the name of the team? Nope, it's not from the movie filmed in Buffalo. It's the state's nickname.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who replaced Ottawa in the IL, open tonight against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But a major hurdle the first-year team is having is finding housing for the summer for its players. That's a big no-no and could hurt the Phillies in signing minor-league free agents in the future if it's not settled quickly. The first-year franchise should have been working all winter to make sure this didn't happen. Ooops.

Meanwhile, ex-Bison and Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon will start tonight for Pawtucket in its opener against Indianapolis and might be going to Boston soon. Scranton is preparing for its second year as a Yankees affiliate but it will be hard-pressed to replace the buzz it created in town for year one by setting attendance records and getting to the playoffs.