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PEORIA, Ariz. -- Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said Saturday it would be "hard pressed" for either Hisashi Iwakuma or Taijuan Walker to be in the Mariners rotation on opening day because of their injury setbacks during spring training. McClendon said the injuries to Iwakuma (finger) and Walker (shoulder) will open up chances for others in camp, but also leave a rotation that had questions entering spring training even more uncertain. "I always plan for the worst and our contingency plan has been that," McClendon said. "So like I said before this gives other guys opportunities to go out and see what they can do. Well see what happens." Iwakuma will have his right middle finger in a splint for another three weeks before throwing, while Walker is being shut down for a week because of inflammation in his right shoulder. By the time the duo make up for missed time on the mound it will be early- to mid-April before either is expected in a game. While Seattle is understandably cautious with the sore shoulder of the 21-year-old Walker because of his age, the finger injury has become frustrating for Iwakuma. When he went to see Dr. Don Sheridan on Friday, Iwakuma had the expectation that he could start throwing on Saturday. Instead, he was told to avoid throwing for three more weeks. The earliest Iwakuma is expected to pick up a ball is March 21. By the time he gets caught up on bullpen sessions and simulated games to get the needed innings to be ready for the season, itll likely be mid-April before he could join the Mariners rotation. "I was honestly disappointed and frustrated too at the same time, but you have to respect what the doctor says," Iwakuma said through an interpreter Saturday morning. "I was ready to play catch today so it is what it is and I have to wait three more weeks." Iwakuma went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA in 33 starts last season and was a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. Iwakuma reported for spring training wearing the splint and said his finger got caught as he tried to retrieve a ball in some netting while working out in Southern California on Jan. 20. McClendon also confirmed -- not surprisingly -- that Felix Hernandez is expected to be Seattles opening day starter when the Mariners open the season on March 31 against the Angels. "Unless youve got somebody else," McClendon joked. "Ill try and see if he can go opening day, the second day and the third day." Ryan Smyth Jersey . Stiverne stopped Chris Arreola in the sixth round Saturday night, claiming the WBC heavyweight title belt vacated by Vitali Klitschko. Jari Kurri Jersey . His apology came before a pregame ceremony in which the team honoured its 2004 team that won Bostons first World Series championship since 1918. "I realize that I behaved bad in Boston," Ramirez said. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/grant-fuhr-jersey/.NYCFC confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that this week Lampard signed a contract to start in July — midway through the new teams first season in MLS. Mark Fayne Jersey . -- The top-seeded Alberta Pandas set up of an all-Canada West final against arch rival UBC at the CIS womens volleyball championship after a 3-0 win over the No. Esa Tikkanen Jersey . According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, agent Rick Valette met with Oilers senior VP of hockey operations Scott Howson and general manager Craig MacTavish on Monday to kick off the talks.TORONTO -- It took 36 games but Adam Lind finally found the fence. The Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter ended the longest home-run drought of his career with a two-run shot in the seventh inning Saturday afternoon to power Toronto to a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It was just the fifth homer of the season for Lind, who has hit more than 20 four times in his career. "Nice to join the party," Lind said with a wry smile. The happy-go-luck Jay with the ZZ Top-style beard has been contributing in other ways with his bat even if his long ball has been falling just short of late. He has registered a hit in 15 of his last 18 games with seven doubles and one triple. Lind is hitting .328 this season but hadnt homered since June 23. His previous longest run without a homer was 29 games in 2012-13. "It definitely lessens it a little bit," Lind said of his overall hitting success. "But ultimately home runs are where its at, not doubles and batting average." Toronto manager John Gibbons calls Lind a natural hitter. "Lindys got one of the nicest pure swings youre going to find in all of baseball," Gibbons said. "And against right-handers, theres not a better hitter out there." Edwin Encarnacion followed Lind with a blast of his own one pitch later as the Jays snapped a 3-3 tie. The power surge made a winner of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who has won his last four decisions and six of his last eight. Dickey (13-12) gave up three runs on four hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking two. With the Rays swinging freely in the early going, Dickey varied his speed more than usual. His knuckleball ranged from the lows 60s to the low 80s. "I changed speeds today early in the count probably more than I have all year," he said. "I threw a lot of knuckleballs under 70 miles per hour early in the count. "I doubled up a few times, which I hardly ever do, with slow knuckleballs." It marked the 19th straight game that a Toronto starter had gone six innings or more, matching a 1998 run. The starters earned-run average over that stretch is 2.52. The Jays (77-70) have gone 12-7 over that run. "The rotation has been on some kind of roll. Theyve been great," said Gibbons. "We score, we win. "Thats the way it is with most teams I guess." Toronto lost the series opener 1-0 on Friday night, snapping a four-game win streak. The Jays have now won 10 of their last 13 outings, outscoring the opposition 70-30 over that span. "Theyve really held up their end of the bargain. All five of them," Gibbons said of his starters. "And one thing thats done too is its allowed our bullpen to kind of regroup a little bit and keep those guys fresh." Said Dickey: "I think a lot of people have doubted our rotation throughout the year. So for us as a group it feels good as a group to kind of hang our hat on being able to go deep in games consistently, which weve been able to do." The 39-year-old Dickey has now pitched 196 2/3 innings, approaching the 200 mark for the foourth straight year.dddddddddddd Casey Janssen pitched the ninth for his 23rd save as Toronto outhit Tampa 7-6. Linds drive over the centre-field fence also scored Jose Bautista, who was walked by reliever Brad Boxberger. Boxberger (5-2) gave way to Steve Geltz and Encarnacion drove his first pitch into the 200 level of left field for a 6-3 lead. Encarnacions 31st home run marked the eighth time this season the Jays have homered on back-to-back pitches. Encarnacion, who has hit five homers since coming off the disabled list Aug. 15, came into the game averaging a home run every 14 at-bats this season. Evan Longoria homered for Tampa Bay, his franchise-leading 183rd, before 31,268 spectators under the Rogers Centre roof. "The three balls that I hit well were probably the worst three knuckleballs hes ever thrown me," Longoria said of Dickey. "Sometimes thats just the way it works out." Tampa (71-78) is 4-4 in its last eight games, blowing leads of 4-0, 4-0, 3-0 and 2-0 in the losses. Tampas Jeremy Hellickson, making his 11th start since coming off the disabled list July 7 after elbow surgery in January, limited the Jays to three runs on four hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked four Hellickson, the AL rookie of the year in 2011, has now faced Toronto in three of his last five starts. He lost 5-2 to Dickey and the Jays in Tampa on Sept. 2 but did not get the decision in the other two starts. Dickeys first inning lasted just seven pitches but the Jays were down 1-0 after six of them. Ben Zobrist led off with a double and scored on two straight infield ground balls. Tampa manufactured another run in the third after Kevin Kiermaier singled to right and advanced to second, having baited Bautista to throw to first. A groundout and wild pitch made it 2-0. Dickey escaped further damage when the Rays were unable to cash men on second and third after a two-out walk and Longoria double. Toronto went ahead 3-2 in the bottom of a messy third for the Rays. Ryan Goins got to first when a wild pitch saved him from a strikeout. He moved to second on an Anthony Gose single and scored on Hellicksons throwing error on a Jose Reyes sacrifice bunt. Gose then scored when Hellickson, a Gold Glove winner in 2012, couldnt handle a Bautista ball hit back to him. Linds fielders choice scored Reyes to put the Jays ahead. "That was an inning we cant let get away from us defensively and we did," said Tampa manager Joe Maddon. "Thats what got them back in the ball game." Toronto failed to take advantage in the fifth after loading the bases with two outs. Longoria tied it 3-3, leading off the sixth with his 21st homer of the season. The Rays benefited from slick fielding plays from Longoria at third base in both the first and second innings. Reyes matched him in the fourth, jumping high to stab a Yunel Escobar liner. Escobar pulled off a carbon-copy catch on Josh Thole in the bottom of the inning. Rays outfielder Matt Joyce was thrown out in the ninth for arguing balls and strikes. ' ' '