The Cleveland Indians played their best baseball game yet in this early, early season. The result?

It’s first win.

It’s amazing how that works.

Trevor Crowe pick up his first major league hit, a two-run double in the fifth.

Travis Hafner hit a home run in his third consecutive game.

Anthony Reyes, unlike the other starters, made it to the sixth inning.

Jensen Lewis shut the door in the seventh.

And Kerry Wood slammed it shut in the ninth as he struck out the side.

Sheldon Ocker writes that Jensen Lewis was the unsung hero on this day.

These Indians won’t be joining the 1914 Naps, who was the last club in franchise history to start 0-6, then eventually went 0-8 as well, according to Paul Hoynes.

The unlikely hero of the game was outfielder Trevor Crowe, according to Anthony Castrovince.

After striking out with two outs and the bases loaded in the third inning, Crowe broke his bat over his knee. When presented with the same situation the fifth, Crowe responded with a two-run double.

The Blue Jays blamed the loss on the 10 free passes it handed the Tribe on Sunday.

The Toronto Sun called the Hafner homer “power versus power” as he turned around a 96 mile an hour fastball from Brandon League.

The rest…

Indian’s prospect Matt LaPorta strained his ribcage, but it doesn’t seem like he will miss any time for the Triple A, Clippers.

Rafael Perez’s early season woes are due to his lack of command on his slider, something he struggled with at the beginning of last season too. Anthony Castrovince has that story.

Blue Jays Ace Roy Halladay knows what Cliff Lee is going through. The two share the common bond of being the only two Cy Young winners to drop their first two games the following season during the last 10 years. Castrovince wrote that one too.

 Scott Lewis‘ forearm injury is not considered serious, but it will keep him on the disabled list for two to four weeks in the estimation of Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff. 

After examining an MRI scan of Lewis’ left arm, Soloff said Sunday, “It was very encouraging news. He has a mild left forearm strain. He felt it on the last pitch he threw on Opening Day. 

“There is no structural damage, but there is inflammation in the flexor pronator (muscle group). Scott will not throw for five to seven days then increase his activity. We are hoping for an expedited return of two to four weeks.”

Even if Lewis misses only 15 days, the minimum he can spend on the disabled list, he will miss two starts, the first of which will be Wednesday in Kansas City against the Royals. Presumably, Lewis’ place in the rotation will be taken by reliever Zach Jackson or one of two Columbus starters, Jeremy Sowers or Aaron Laffey.

Whereas Lewis felt the forearm tighten considerably on the last pitch he threw Friday, the injury predates the home opener by several weeks.

“It was a little sore in spring training, but I thought it was something I could pitch through,” Lewis said. “”But it kept getting tighter and tighter, and finally on that last pitch, I felt it pull.”

Until his last two starts of the exhibition schedule, Lewis pitched consistently well. Then manager Eric Wedge told he he had earned a spot in the rotation and Lewis stumbled in his last two starts of training camp.

At the time, it appeared that Lewis had suffered a letdown after winning the competition for a roster spot with Laffey, Sowers and David Huff. In light of his forearm injury, there might have been a physical reason for his decline in proficiency.

“Once I started getting up to four or five innings per start in the spring, it became more of a factor,” Lewis said. “They knew about it; that’s why they backed me off to three innings in my last start before the season.”

Lewis was referring to being left back at camp in Goodyear, Ariz., to make his final tuneup in an extended spring training game. 

“I’m hoping that by the end of 15 days I’ll be back on the mound,” Lewis said. “But I don’t know about being game ready.”

MORE TO DO — Shin-Soo Choo lost a ball in the sun that went for a triple and led to a Toronto run.

Wedge wasn’t being critical of Choo when he said, “”We need to start making plays. I don’t care if it’s the sun or whatever the hell it is. We have to start making plays to help our pitchers.”

MILLER UPDATE — Adam Miller (right middle finger injury) is scheduled to throw a batting preactice session in Goodyear this week.

“”The staff in Goodyear is happy with what they’re seeing,” Soloff said. “”The ball used to come off his middle finger. Now, it comes off the middle and index finger” 

In two weeks, Miller could be ready to pitch in extended spring games if there are no setbacks.

DELLUCCI MAKING PROGRESS — “”David completed a successful baserunning program without symptoms,” Soloff said, referring to the outfielder’s sore calf. “”We expect him to take part in game activity this week in Goodyear, starting at DH and progressing to outfield play. 

   “”He could be ready to go out on a rehab assignment late next week.” 

STILL MONTHS AWAY — Jake Westbrook (Tommy John surgery) is throwing 60 fastballs off a mound and off-speed pitches on flat ground.

Soloff said that Westbrook will continue on the same program for three or four weeks to strengthen his elbow. He remains on schedule to return to the Tribe’s rotaqtion some time around mid season. 

FARM FACTS — Aaron Laffey (0-1, 13.50 ERA) gave up five runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings, as Columbus droppped a 5-1 decision to Louisville in the first game of a doubleheader. Michael Aubrey and Matt LaPorta each tripled and singled. Michael Brantley tripled and drove in two runs in the second game, but Columbus lost 5-4… Karexon Sanchez homered twice and singled twice, driving in three runs, but Lake County lost 6-4 to Hagerstown. Alexander Perez gave up one run and three hits in six innings, striking out six.

Only in Cleveland do home openers happen like this. After more than seven hours of a mixture of rain and baseball the Indians finally lost their fourth straight game of the season, this time to the Toronto Blue Jays 13-7.

The starting pitching was a little better in this one as Scott Lewis gave up four runs in 4 1/3 innings, but that was hardly the bashing that either of the other three starting pitchers took in their games, Sheldon Ocker wrote:

In contrast to the first three games, the seeds of defeat weren’t sewn entirely by the starting pitcher, not that Scott Lewis was blameless. He gave up four runs in 41/3 innings, his downfall being a two-run homer by Adam Lind and a solo by Scutaro.

But there was a difference in Lewis’ performance compared to those by Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Carl Pavano, who started the first three games. Lewis did not dig a hole so deep that his team had no chance to climb out. By the time Lee, Carmona and especially Pavano left the game, the Tribe had virtually no chance to recover.

Someone forgot to wake up the bullpen after the nearly four hour rain delay,, Paul Hoynes wrote.

Yet the offense sure was there. Travis Hafner is inching closer to legitimizing the Tribe’s investment in his recovery. He accounted four the Indians first three runs of the game when he doubled home two in the first inning and hit a solo home run to right in the third inning.

Shin-Soo Choo and Victor Martinez also homered.

Anthony Castrovince made comparisons of the rain delay to the 2007 opener that was canceled due to snow. In both instances, it was just a few outs from becoming an official game.

Whats happenin’ in Akron

The Aeros lost last night 3-0 after sitting through an hour rain delay themselves.

Akron closer Vinnie Pestano feels the Nick Adenhart crash all too closely. One of his best friends was in the car and is the only survivor.

The Rest…

Eric Wedge got a little nostalgic on Sheldon Ocker. As a youngster Wedge had Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson posters on his wall. Bench was his favorite.

Terry Pluto is already looking at the organizational pitching depth.

Bill Livingston found a way to compare the Indian’s home opener to Patrick Duffey’s role on “Dallas.” That is impressive.

Jamey Carroll is waiting to heal and Eric Wedge wants longer nets around the field to protect fans, according to Paul Hoynes.

Cleveland Indian’s starting pitcher Cliff Lee seems to be racking up the accolades this off season.

The 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner is set to receive the Bullet Rogan Award as the American League’s best pitcher Saturday night at the Ninth Annual Legacy Awards of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

The event will be held at the historic Gem Theater in Kansas City.

OTHERS RECIEVING AWARDS:

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will receive the Josh Gibson Award as the National League’s Best Player.

Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston will receive the Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the only African American Manager to win a World Series.

Gaston led the 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back titles.

There will be others as well.