Domed With a Chance of Meatballs

A.J. Burnett wasn't happy last night. He wasn't happy that the Rogers Centre dome was closed. He wasn't happy with the mound. He wasn't happy with himself. He especially wasn't happy with the two meatballs he served up to major league's leading home run hitter, Jose Bautista.

Wait, what? Jose Bautista? The guy who doesn't hit for much average and has some pop. But like 15 home runs a year pop, right?

Yeah, that would be the guy. Bautista is the main man on a Blue Jays squad that is on a pace to break the major league record for home runs in a season. Last night Bautista crushed a pair of Burnett meatballs off the facing of the second deck in left field to back eight stellar innings from starter Brett Cecil. Both help the Blue Jays cruise to a 6-1 win over the Yankees in the series opener.

Bautista jump started the Jays offense in the second when he belted a fastball down the middle. Two innings later, he got virtually the same pitch and put the Jays up 3-0. Edwin Encarnacion would join the home run parade as well taking Burnett deep in the 5th.

Cecil, meanwhile, silenced the Yankees bats with relative ease. He allowed just five hits, walked one, and struck out five. And like his idol Andy Pettitte, used a couple of double play balls to get out of jams. The left-hander has now allowed just five runs over his last 29 1-3 innings.