Same Old, Same Old in Toronto

     After a horrendus season that had the Blue Jays as World Series contenders, the Toronto Blue Jays looked to put a dark season behind them and start fresh for the 2014 season in their season opener in

Tampa Bay. However, nothing has changed in Toronto. Alex Anthopoulous (don't check my spelling on that one) made little to no moves in the offseason, and it showed on Monday afternoon. R.A. Dickey had a rough outing, allowing six walks and six earned runs in just five innings of work in an eventual loss. Dickey couldn't throw strikes consistently, and when he did, he got knocked around by the eager Rays. Not to mention, Jose Reyes left after just half an inning with a left hamstring injury, one that he aggravated in spring training. It's the start all Jays fans feared, and it's coming in the worse way.

     R.A. Dickey is quite the odd character. To be thirty-nine years old and be the only knuckleballer in the MLB and the #1 pitcher of the Toronto Blue Jays. Dickey was coming off a Cy Young season

R.A. Dickey had a rough outing to start the 2014 season.

when he was traded to the Blue Jays, in return for top prospect Travis D'Arnaud and much more of the Jays bright future. Although he had a better second half of 2013, Dickey's season was still nowhere up to snub. Dickey was announced the opening day starter for the second straight season, and for the second straight season, the Jays lost. Dickey got shelled in his five innings of work, with the bullpen warming up as early as the third inning to relieve the #1 pitcher. Dickey struggled to find the strike zone all game, as he walked six, yes, six batters in just five innings of work. When Dickey did find the zone, he got knocked around for five hits and six earned runs before being chased out of the mound. It was a rocky start to the season for the knuckleballer, to say the least.

     Although Dickey had a bad outing, his offence didn't back him up. The Blue Jays had two runners on base with none out twice in the first three innings, and failed to generate any runs both times. The Blue Jays were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, something that will need to be fixed if the Blue Jays want to have a successful season. Pinch hitter Erick Kratz was the only Blue Jay to get on the board, as he knocked a 2-run homer off of David Price in the eighth inning, ending Price's shutout. It's alarming when Maicer Izturis, Josh Thole and Erick Kratz are your most productive hitters at the plate over guys like Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie. Despite Dickey's failure on the mound, the Jays should also be held accountable at the plate.

     Although there are still 161 games remaining in the 2014 season, the Toronto Blue Jays did not get off on the right foot against the Rays in their season opener. The pitching was bad, the hitting was bad, the team was bad. All Jays fans are hoping for a bounceback game from the boys in blue and white, as Drew Hutchison takes the mound to face-off against Alex Cobb. Opening day may not be a foreshadowing for the rest of the season, but it was an opportunity missed to get the 2014 season headed in the right direction.