Toronto @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( May 3, 2010 ) Toronto 5, Cleveland 1
The last thing the Cleveland Indians want to see is another young left-hander in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform.
But that's exactly what they'll get when Ricky Romero leads the Blue Jays in the second of a three-game set against the Indians on Tuesday.
Cleveland ran into Brett Cecil in the series opener on Monday and came out limping, having managed just one hit against the left-hander in eight innings. The 24-year-old Cecil took a perfect game into the seventh inning before surrendering a pair of walks and an RBI single.
Cecil worked a perfect eighth before yielding to Kevin Gregg as the Blue Jays posted a 5-1 victory in the series opener.
Toronto also saw its offense continue to surge with three home runs for the second straight game. Jose Bautista and John Buck each connected for their fifth homer of the season on Monday while Travis Snider's solo shot was his fourth of the campaign.
Romero is no stranger to close calls on no-hitters, having taken one into the eighth inning back on April 13 against the Chicago White Sox. A disputed hit-by-pitch put A.J. Pierzynski on first base and Romero allowed a home run to the next hitter, Alex Rios. Romero struck out a season-high 12 in the contest.
But the rest of the 25-year-old's season has been almost as bright. Romero allowed two runs or less in each of his first four starts and is coming off a win against Oakland last week in which he yielded three runs on four hits in six innings.
Romero faced the Indians once in his 2009 rookie campaign, getting the win despite getting knocked around for four runs on six hits while walking five in 5 2/3 innings. Luis Valbuena hit a three-run homer in the game while Ryan Garko and Victor Martinez - neither of whom are on Cleveland anymore - combined for five hits.
The Indians haven't put up much of a fight against any pitchers this season, managing just 86 runs to tie for last in the American League. Grady Sizemore is batting .204 and has yet to homer this season while striking out 24 times. Travis Hafner is batting just .189 with two blasts.
Sizemore and Hafner will be swinging in support of struggling sinkerballer Jake Westbrook on Tuesday. The veteran right-hander missed all of 2009 and made only five starts in 2008 before undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his pitching elbow.
Westbrook has had a rough time adjusting this season, posting a 5.53 ERA through five starts. He did manage a quality start last time out, however, yielding three runs and four hits while striking out seven in six innings against the Angels.