Toronto, ON (Best E Casino) - Anthony Reyes was impressive in his Cleveland debut as the Indians downed Toronto, 5-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.
Reyes (1-0), who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on July 26 and made a pair of starts for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, surrendered just one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo had two RBI apiece for the Indians, who snapped a two-game skid. Choo finished 3-for-4 in the game.
Matt Stairs and Kevin Mench both had RBI singles for the Blue Jays, who had won four straight coming in. Rod Barajas finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
"We didn't do too good as far as swinging the bats," Toronto skipper Cito Gaston said. "We pitched ok but as for getting some key hits, we weren't able to do that tonite."
David Purcey (1-3) picked up the loss after allowing three runs on six hits while walking two and fanning eight in six innings.
"He's been really good through three starts," Blue Jays outfielder Adam Lind said of Purcey. "Three runs, that's all you can ask from your starter."
The Indians jumped on top with a three-spot in the fourth. Kelly Shoppach started things with a one-out double and came around to score on Francisco's two-out, two-bagger. Another double, this one by Choo made it a 2-0 game before Franklin Gutierrez capped the frame with a run-scoring single.
The Blue Jays got on the board with a two-out rally in the home half of the fourth. Barajas, Adam Lind and Stairs recorded consecutive singles to make it a 3-1 game.
The Tribe tacked on two insurance runs off the Toronto bullpen in the eighth. Shawn Camp issued consecutive one-out walks to Jamey Carroll and Shoppach. After Jhonny Peralta struck out swinging, Francisco slapped a run-scoring single up the middle. The Blue Jays pulled the plug on Camp at that point and went to Jesse Carlson but Choo greeted him with another RBI single and Cleveland led 5-1.
Toronto got a run back in the eighth when Barajas doubled off Rafael Perez and Mench, a pinch hitter, came through with a two-out RBI single to left.
Jensen Lewis came on to hurl a scoreless ninth to earn his first major league save.
Game Notes
The AL Central cellar-dwelling Indians are now just 21-38 on the road this season...Reyes had spent parts of the last four seasons in St. Louis and compiled a 10-24 record with a 5.38 earned run average in his 53 major-league appearances, 38 of which have been starts. He was 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 10 games -- all in relief -- with the Cardinals this year...These two teams faced off in Cleveland back in May, with the Indians winning three of the four encounters.
