Toronto left-hander Ricky Romero credited his teammates for picking him up during his last start. If his history against the Oakland Athletics is any indication, he probably won’t need much help his next time out.

Romero will try to continue his domination of the Athletics on Tuesday night when the Blue Jays open a two-game set in Oakland.

The Jays are off to an uneven start on their 10-game road trip. After opening with consecutive shutout wins against the Los Angeles Angels, they settled for a split of the four-game series following a 4-3 defeat Sunday.

Drew Hutchison gave up Albert Pujols‘ first homer of the season in the fifth inning to put the Angels up 4-1, and Toronto’s rally was stifled by double plays in the eighth and ninth on a popup and a liner.

“I don’t think we are satisfied,” manager John Farrell said of the split. “I don’t know if we can ever be satisfied splitting a series when we had ourselves set up for a series win.”

With Romero (4-0, 3.64 ERA) taking the mound Tuesday, Farrell has to feel good about his club’s chances of bouncing back. Romero is off to the best start of his career record-wise, and opponents are hitting .195 against him – second-best among AL lefties.

He wasn’t at his best Wednesday, allowing a season-high five runs to a potent Texas lineup, but he made it through eight innings for the third time this season and got plenty of support in an 11-5 win.

“It’s just one of those things where I couldn’t find it, but I was able to settle down,” he told the Blue Jays’ official website. “The offense picked me up today … and I just had to go out and make pitches.”

Romero hasn’t needed much help against the Athletics, going 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA in five starts – most recently a three-hit shutout Aug. 18 in Oakland.

The A’s, however, return home after scoring four runs or more six times during a 5-4 trip.

Oakland (15-14) finished the trek with consecutive wins over Tampa Bay, including a 9-5 victory Sunday for its fourth victory in five games.

Brandon Inge, released by Detroit last month, homered for the first time with the A’s and drove in four runs while Jonny Gomes and Daric Barton knocked in two runs apiece.

“A three-team swing can be a little taxing,” manager Bob Melvin said, “but it was an above .500 road trip and we’ll take it.”

Josh Reddick didn’t have a hit Sunday, but walked twice and scored twice. He hit .306 during the road trip with three homers and seven RBIs.

Yoenis Cespedes had two hits and drove in a run Sunday, but hit .205 during the trip. A return home might help as he’s batting .316 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 11 games in Oakland.

Brandon McCarthy (2-3, 2.96) will start Tuesday for Oakland to give rookie Jarrod Parker an extra day off.

McCarthy has a 2.18 ERA over his last three starts. He allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-2 win at Boston on Wednesday for his second straight victory, although he’s still looking for his first home win of 2012.

The right-hander is 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA against the Blue Jays.

Justin Masterson was unbeatable last April. This year, the Cleveland right-hander is still winless in the month.

Masterson labored his way through a third consecutive start, matching his career-high of six walks while allowing four runs over five innings in the Indians’ 5-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

That’s 10 walks in the last 8 2/3 innings for Cleveland’s opening-day starter, a trend Masterson doesn’t seem too concerned with despite the results.

“We’re not trying to pick the corners but we seem to be just right there, just missing,” Masterson said. “We’re real close. It’s nothing way out, nothing real crazy. It’s just something that’s happened, a little spree of games. Hopefully we can turn it around.”

Travis Hafner doubled in a run for the Indians, who were trying to start the season 8-1 on the road for the first time since 1910. Hafner reached base in 11 of his 14 plate appearances in the series.

Unlike the first two games, Cleveland failed to generate much offense and repeatedly hurt itself with miscues in the field even though the Indians weren’t charged with any errors.

“There were a couple of plays that we should have been where we didn’t and it cost (Masterson) a few pitches,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “We didn’t score enough runs and gave away way too many outs running the bases and also defensively.”

Seth Smith hit a two-run homer, helping Tyson Ross get his first win in nearly a year to help Oakland avoid a series sweep.

Cliff Pennington had two hits and drove in two runs for the A’s, who ended a two-game slide and have won four of six. Kurt Suzuki also drove in a run.

Ross (1-0) allowed a run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out four while getting his first victory since last May 14 against the Chicago White Sox.

“My whole game is to keep the ball down and let my defense work,” Ross said. “When you get a couple of (double plays), it helps.”

Masterson (0-2), who has allowed 17 runs over his last 13 2/3 innings, threw 111 pitches but only 61 for strikes. The six walks matched the total from his previous three starts combined.

“It’s about attacking the strike zone and being more consistent,” Acta said. “That’s a very low percentage of strikes. You have to be a little bit higher than that to succeed at this level.”

Consecutive doubles from Shin-soo Choo and Hafner gave the Indians a 1-0 edge in the first.

Ross caught Jack Hannahan trying to steal third in the second, ending another possible threat.

It was all Athletics after Pennington doubled in a run in the third to tie the score. He had two hits in his previous 24 at-bats at home.

Following a walk to Kila Ka’aihue leading off the fourth, Smith hit his third home run in six career games against the Indians, a two-run shot that sailed into the right-field bleachers.

Suzuki added an RBI single in the fifth and Pennington beat out an infield single in the eighth, allowing Eric Sogard to score from second base.

NOTES: RHP Derek Lowe (2-1, 3.50) makes his fourth start of the year for the Indians when they open a three-game series at home Tuesday against Kansas City. He is 4-5 in 23 appearances against the Royals. … Hafner reached base safely in 14 of his previous 17 plate appearances before hitting into a double play in the eighth. … CF Michael Brantley went 0-for-4, snapping his seven-game hitting streak.

TOKYO – The Seattle Mariners rode a wave of ‘Ichiro-Mania’ in Tokyo to beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1 in extra innings on Wednesday in the opening game of the Major League Baseball season.

Ichiro Suzuki, Japan’s most successful sporting export, finished 4-5 batting third for the first time after playing lead-off nearly all his career, driving in Seattle’s third run.

Dustin Ackley drove in the go-ahead run at the top of the 11th inning for Seattle, who had the worst offensive record in the majors last season.

Seattle’s victory means Oakland have now begun the last eight MLB seasons with a loss, the longest active opening day losing streak in the league and the worst since 1992.

“I’ve never been that nervous before,” Ichiro told reporters. “The warmth of the fans almost made me want to cry.

“I felt the significance of the occasion. I knew it would only happen once in my life. I wanted to share a special moment and give something back to them.

“Even Oakland’s players were raving about the incredible atmosphere. I felt very proud,” added the 38-year-old. “To get four hits and a win in Japan is obviously very special.

“I don’t enjoy the pressure but I know it’s something I have to live with. Tonight my nerves were really off the scale.“

SPORTING EXPORT

As the teams were announced, Ichiro doffed his cap as a sell-out crowd of 44,000 paid homage on his first appearance in his home country for the Mariners since he joined them in 2001.

His face staring down from giant advertising boards, Ichiro’s famed hitting wind-up triggered an explosion of camera flashes every time he came to the plate.

Ackley smashed a solo home run at the top of the fourth but Oakland pegged the Mariners back when Kurt Suzuki drilled an RBI into left field at the bottom of the inning.

After Ackley’s go-ahead single, Ichiro cracked a line drive to centre to add the insurance run. He got a standing ovation when he took his position in right field in the final inning.

Felix Hernandez pitched eight innings for the Mariners, striking out six while surrendering one run and five hits in the first of two back-to-back games at Tokyo Dome.

“It was an honour to open the season in Tokyo,“ said Hernandez. “We played unbelievable and the atmosphere from the crowd was awesome.“

Reliever Tom Wilhelmson was credited with the win, while Andrew Carignan took the loss for Oakland.

Seattle and Oakland were scheduled to meet in Tokyo in 2003, but the series was called off because of the threat of war in Iraq.

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Not only am I a longtime fantasy baseball manager, I’m also a lifelong Oakland Athletics fan, so I was pleased to hear that A’s manager Bob Melvin has finally decided on a closer for the start of the season: Grant Balfour.

Balfour beat out Brian Fuentes for the job of closing out games for Oakland–a team that is likely to struggle mightily in 2012 as it rebuilds for the future. Nevertheless, Balfour is not a relief pitcher that you want to leave sitting in free agency in your league.

I’d have picked him up myself, but while I was feeding the poor, visiting orphanages, and otherwise being philanthropic this afternoon when the news broke, my evil brother-in-law who resides on the Death Star swooped in and stole Balfour right out from under me, no doubt kicking puppies and stealing candy from babies all the while. In retrospect, naming my team the Athletics Supporter may have been a mistake, tipping my evil brother-in-law off to my affinity for Oakland players.

There really shouldn’t be any MLB closers sitting there in free agency in your fantasy baseball league if you’re scoring saves. If there are, you’ve got too few teams in your league and/or too small of rosters. For that reason alone, Balfour should be picked up.

Just don’t think that he’s going to single-handedly lead your team to glory in the saves category. Remember that he plays for a team that is likely to lose a lot of games. The right-hander also doesn’t have much experience in save situations, converting only 10 saves in 24 career opportunities with the Minnesota Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the A’s.

His career ERA of 3.57 and career WHIP of 1.24 might make the weak-stomached queasy, but in the past two seasons, he’s been pretty darned good (2.28 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 2010, 2.47 and 1.03 last season). He has maintained a pace of about one strikeout per inning pitched throughout his career, including the past two seasons, so you could do worse for a second or third closer on your fantasy baseball team.

Balfour does not need to be backed up by Fuentes, however. Sometimes it pays to grab the next-in-line if you’ve invested heavily in a closer, but if Fuentes isn’t closing, he’s not worth owning. He’ll be lights out for three or four outings and then, out of nowhere, he’ll cough up 119 runs in a third of an inning, setting your fantasy baseball team back about five decades. For a team as bad as the A’s will likely be, it’s not worth setting yourself up for that kind of damage by rostering Fuentes.

Add Fautino de los Santos to your watch list, though. That kid has the potential to turn into something quite good if and when he gets the opportunity to close.

The author is a longtime fantasy baseball manager and a Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @RedZoneWriting and on Facebook.

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While the Oakland Athletics lost their Cactus League opener on Friday, March 2, they went on to win the next two on Saturday and Sunday. One of the A’s newest pitchers, right-hander Jarrod Parker was impressive in his debut, striking out four in the game against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Oakland Coliseum
Wikimedia Commons

Outfielder Jonny Gomes and second baseman Jemille Weeks helped Oakland get the 9-2 victory over Seattle with two-hit homers off the Mariners’ Kevin Millwood in the third and Hong-Chih Kuo in the fifth. By the end of the game, the A’s had a total of 16 hits.

Parker came in after starter Tyson Ross pitched just one inning. He remarked after the game, “It was good to get back in or that second inning. Good to get back up and see how it felt.”

The bigger news came on Sunday with the potential phenom from Cuba, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, working out with the team for the first time. Cespedes was signed to a four-year, $36 million contract and introduced at an A’s press conference early Sunday morning. It’s the highest salary ever for a Cuban defector.

Cespedes may have a lot on his shoulders with some rather high expectations. A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki said of the 26-year-old’s arrival, ” He’s finally here. We hear about the potential and the tools and all that stuff. I’m not just excited to see him hit but excited to see him working out with the team.”

Cespedes commented, ” I’m very happy to be here because I feel I’m very close to my dream to play in the big leagues.”

It seems that Cespedes and the A’s newest designated hitter, Manny Ramirez, became fast friends with Ramirez mentoring the younger player and spending a large chunk of the day together.

Brandon Allen called the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Athletics on Sunday the best Cactus League game of his career. He knocked out a grand slam that sent in seven runs, helping the A’s defeat the Cubs by a score of 12-10. Infielder Eric Sogard also contributed with a solo home run.

Despite all the talk of the Oakland team being the predicted bottom of the barrel in the American League West, they didn’t look bad this weekend in Arizona, though the true test will come next month.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, following the Oakland Athletics since the days of Billy Ball, and attending hundreds of games over the past three decades. Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter, Twitter @kcdermody, or www.kcdermodywriter.com.

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Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

PHOENIX (AP)—Sean Doolittle is looking to his past to help shape his
future.

The Oakland Athletics made him a first-round draft pick as a first baseman
in 2007 but two knee injuries and a wrist problem conspired against his
development. So the left-hander has returned to his pitching roots, hoping it
will eventually land him a job in the major leagues.

Doolittle was initially drafted out of high school by the Atlanta Braves as
a pitcher but attended the University of Virginia instead, where he was used in
both roles.

He said then-Braves scout J.J. Picollo, now an assistant GM with the Kansas
City Royals, and current Athletics director of player development Keith Lieppman
were instrumental in helping guide his career choices.

“J.J. was pretty influential in getting me some exposure,” said Doolittle,
who faced major league hitters Thursday for the first time in an intrasquad
game. “He asked me to play for a Braves scout team and we had some games in
northern Virginia. I had put the word out that I wanted to go to college.”

He signed with the Cavaliers, who had a new coaching staff at the time.
Picollo reminded him, though, if things didn’t work out there was always the
Braves.

He recorded 243 strikeouts in 220 1-3 innings in a three-year career at
Virginia. Doolittle, who had a career 2.23 ERA, was the Cavaliers’ all-time
winning pitcher with 22 victories (against seven losses) when he left in 2007.

Doolittle also hit .300 or better in all three years at Virginia, leading
the team with 11 home runs in 2005 and 53 RBIs in 2007. He had 22 homers and 167
RBIs overall and ranks second on the school’s all-time walks list with 125.

“The A’s saw more upside with my bat,” Doolittle said. “But they also had
an insurance policy because it’s a little easier to go back to pitching.”

Once he started playing professionally, he neglected even long toss.

When his wrist failed to make progress last summer, Doolittle became
frustrated. He couldn’t swing a bat and he couldn’t sit still.

Lieppman told him to start a throwing program just to keep him busy and that
led to Doolittle seeking permission to resume his pitching career.

“I made the switch the last week of August,” Doolittle said. “By the time
I was ready to pitch, there was only one game left in the rookie league and they
told me I could pitch in it. That’s my only game experience.”

A’s manager Bob Melvin said he saw Doolittle throw once before camp. “He
has the tools to be a pitcher,” Melvin said. “The ball explodes out of his
hand. He has a great arm … and he’s left-handed, which is good.”

The A’s have had some success in converting position players into pitchers.
Matt Keough was a failed infielder in 1976 but became an All-Star pitcher with
the A’s in 1978.

Outfielder Marcus McBeth, a 2001 draft pick, played four years with the A’s
before he made the change. He rose rapidly through the minor league system as a
closer but was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where he made his major league
debut in 2007.

“I want to show that I am a reliable left-handed pitcher out of the
bullpen,” Doolittle said. “I will come in, throw strikes and challenge
hitters. I know I have a lot to learn, especially with the management of a
game.”

He’s also a different pitcher than when he used a big, twisting windup at
Virginia. He’s more compact and can throw harder.

“It was easier than I thought it would be,” Doolittle said. “It’s easier
to repeat the windup and I’ve added size and strength, which has also helped. My
fastball and change-up came back pretty quickly. My slider is still a work in
progress.”

Just like his position change.