Shoutbox » empted slog off the recalled Josh Hazlew

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Opening their season against a perennial playoff performer, the Toronto Blue Jays head into 2014 facing a Tampa Bay Rays team that has enjoyed the type of success the Jays are looking to duplicate. The division rivals are set to face each other Monday afternoon at Tropicana Field, with David Price and R.A. Dickey taking the mound in a matchup of 2012 Cy Young Award winners. The Rays are coming off a year in which they won 92 games and made the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons. The Blue Jays would just as soon forget 2013, when they battled injuries and finished in last place after being a popular preseason pick to contend for a championship. Toronto failed to bolster its starting pitching this winter and returns with essentially the same lineup as a year ago, yet Dickey thinks the results will be better. "I think the heartbeat is a lot different this year. I think, one, were very comfortable. If I had a word to describe what (spring training) has been, its been comfortable. Guys really know that this is a big year for us collectively," said Dickey, who was 14-13 with a 4.21 ERA last season. "Were kind of getting a mulligan this year," the knuckleballer added. "Last year, a lot of things went wrong. This year, were pretty much all healthy. ... Were in a much different place." Only the Yankees, Cardinals and Phillies have earned as many post-season berths as the Rays over the past six seasons. And after hiking one of baseballs lowest payrolls above $80 million to keep most of last years roster intact, Tampa Bay anticipates another strong run. Price was 10-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 2013 after winning AL Cy Young honours two years ago, but he went 9-4 with a 2.53 ERA in 18 starts following the first stint of his career on the disabled list. The 28-year-old lefty was the subject of trade speculation much of the winter before agreeing to a $14 million, one-year contract to continue anchoring one of the ALs strongest rotations. The Rays, often overshadowed in the AL East by the big-spending Yankees and Red Sox, dont shy away from taking about how good they believe they can be. "To be honest with you, I thought last year we had more expectations going into the season than we do this year — only because the Red Sox won the World Series and the Yankees have made some pretty big acquisitions. So, that kind of puts us in the shadows again," third baseman Evan Longoria said. "There are a lot of expectations from within this team," he added. "But from an overall perspective, well probably be picked down the ladder a little bit more this year ... which is perfectly fine with me because I think weve proven time in and time out that if you believe the right things and play the right way, then the rest will take care of itself." Toronto pursued free agent Ervin Santana in hopes of improving its rotation, but the right-hander wound up signing with Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays offence has a chance to be potent if a lineup featuring Jose Reyes, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and off-season acquisition Dioner Navarro can stay healthy. Dickey, who had a solid spring, hopes to revert to the form that helped him capture the NL Cy Young Award with the Mets two years ago. "I feel prepared," Dickey said. "I feel confident." Besides not trading Price, the Rays re-signed first baseman James Loney, acquired free-agent closer Grant Balfour and traded for catcher Ryan Hanigan, reliever Heath Bell and utilityman Logan Forsythe. Longoria is confident the manoeuvring has made the Rays better. Still, he stops short of predicting another playoff berth. "Even when we were the favourites, I would say maybe we are on paper," the three-time All-Star said. "We should have that underdog mentality." The teams set their rosters Sunday, with the Rays placing injured pitchers Jeremy Hellickson and Juan Carlos Oviedo and shortstop Tim Beckham on the 15-day disabled list. The Blue Jays put closer Casey Janssen on the DL due to a strain in his left abdominal area and lower back. Backup catcher Erik Kratz was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. Jim Kelly Jersey . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration. Andre Reed Jersey .The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Bruce-Smith-Bills-Jersey/ . The roster changes have been constant and continuous since late last year, but even with their 46-man roster set for the start of the season, the banged-up Bombers will be kicking off Week 1 with a handful of fresh faces and back-ups in the starting lineup. Buffalo Bills Jerseys .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week. O. J. Simpson Jersey .Y. - His opponent couldnt stop him, and LeBron James didnt quite know what to think when his coach tried.Australia dumped Pakistan out of the World T20 and set up a winner-takes-all clash with hosts India on Sunday courtesy of a 21-run victory in Mohali. Steve Smith (61no from 43) top scored for Australia in a total of 193-4, the skipper sharing rollicking, 38-ball stands of 62 with Glenn Maxwell (30 from 18) and an unbeaten 74 with the soon-to-retire Shane Watson (44no from 28).Spinner Adam Zampa (2-32) then accounted for the dangerous Umar Akmal (32 from 20) and Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi (14 from seven) as the 2009 champions were restricted to 172-8, James Faulkner (5-27) firing at the death to complete the best bowling figures by an Australian in T20Is.Pakistans defeat was their third in four games in Group 2 and leaves them unable to progress to the semi-finals, with the victor of this weekends Australia-India encounter - the sides currently locked together on four points - joining table-toppers New Zealand in the last four.Usman Khawaja (21 off 16) made a brisk start in his first match against the country of his birth, before being clean bowled by a Wahab Riaz yorker in the fourth over, two balls after pulling the searing left-armer for a sumptuous six over deep backward square. Wahab Riaz (R) bowled Usman Khawaja and David Warner David Warner (nine) - up a spot to No 3 in a rejigged Australia bating line-up that saw Aaron Finch drafted in to open and Watson drop from the top of the order to No 6 - fell in similar fashion two overs later, Wahab (2-35) rattling the top of his middle stump.Finchs dismissal shortly after, the burly opener bowled by spinner Imad Wasim for 15, saw Smiths men slip to 57-3, but the skipper and Maxwell powered on, the lattter drilling a superb maximum over long-off just prior to being caught at long-on off Imad (2-31).dddddddddddd Maxwells exit didnt disrupt the scoring, with Smith reaching his second T20I fifty from 35 deliveries - his other, an effort of 90, coming against England in Cardiff last August - and Watson nailing three sixes and four fours as Australia plundered 66 runs from the final five overs.Sharjeel Khan (30 from 19) started like a train for Pakistan, much like he did against New Zealand on Wednesday when cracking 47 from 25 balls, but his opening partner, Ahmed Shehzad (one) fell cheaply, top-edging an attempted slog off the recalled Josh Hazlewood to mid-off.Sharjeels enterprising knock, which featured nine boundaries, came to an end when he chopped Faulkner onto his stumps in the sixth over, though Pakistan rebounded in the seventh with Akmal walloping Watson for 17 runs, including for six over midwicket. Sharjeel Khan powered nine fours from his opening berth Akmal, though, came unstuck against Zampa, bowled middle pole after missing an almighty heave to leg, and Pakistans hopes diminished further when Afridi - perhaps in his final T20I - was stumped having launched the leg-spinner over the ropes the ball before.Afridis men looked beaten way before Faulkner dismissed top scorer Khalid Latif (46 from 41) and Imad (0) from successive balls in the 18th and, needing 30 from Faulkners final over, could only muster eight, with Sarfraz Ahmed (two) and Wahab (0) caught out in the process.Watch highlights of Australias game with Pakistan at 6.30pm on Sky Sports 2 and then catch their crunch clash with India, in Mohali, from 1.30pm on Sunday on the same channel. ' ' '