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McGowan Solid in First Game of Season
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McGowan - photo by Photo provided / Coastal Courier
Despite Thursday's good performance by Dustin McGowan, the Toronto Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 3-2, in the final of a three-game series.
The Long County native pitched a solid game, shutting out the home team through the first five innings, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
However, in the seventh a leadoff double by Johnny Damon, and an inside pitch that hit Derek Jeter set up New York with men on first and second.
The next batter for the Yanks was Bobby Abreu, who got the walk, loading the bases for the home team with Alex Rodriguez up to bat. A wild pitch by the McGowan let Damon rush home, narrowing the score to 2-1.
McGowan settled down and, with his solid fastball, he struck out last year's American League MVP. But he couldn't stop Jason Giambi's sacrifice fly, and at the end of the inning the score was all even.
In the seventh and eighth, Toronto had Brian Wolfe on the mound, but in the eighth when he gave up a single to Melly Calrera, Toronto manager John Gibbons sent in Scott Downs.
With a man on base, Damon bunted and after a bobbled ball by the pitcher, the Yanks had runners at first and second.  Jeter then gave up the sacrifice bunt, and the runners were on second and third. Abreu then cracked the ball between second and third, allowing New York to score and go on to win 3-2.
For the night, in 6 innings McGowan faced 23 batters throwing 99 pitches with 57 strikes. He struck out 4, walked 3, and gave up 4 hits and 2 earned runs.  The Ludowici pitcher avoided the loss, with it going to Wolfe.
Toronto's record is now 1-3.

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