TORONTO – Amid the pomp and circumstance of the home opener, the great Roy Halladay throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and the major league debut of Yankees phenomenon Masahiro Tanaka, it could be easy to lose the significance of Dustin McGowans role in Friday nights festivities. Nike Air Max Udsalg . Yet there he was, toeing the rubber to throw the first pitch of the first inning for the first time since September 26, 2011. Even greater an accomplishment, considering his significant injury history, is that McGowan is healthy to begin a season for the first time since 2008. Not many pitchers undergo three shoulder surgeries and another on a knee and continue to throw in the best league in the world. McGowan is a rare exception. Hes allowing himself to enjoy the experience but not enough to distract him from the task at hand. "I have a little bit but the last few days, my focus has been on what Ive got to do to get the Yankees out," McGowan told TSN.ca. "It feels like Ive got a lot of stuff going on in my head but thats part of it. Im ready." The shoulder surgeries chronicle like this: in 2008, to repair fraying of the labrum; two years later, in 2010, to repair a torn rotator cuff; in 2012, an arthroscopic procedure. McGowan underwent the knee surgery in 2009. Yet there he was on April 4, 2014, starting Torontos first home game of the season. His wife Jilly and their two children were in attendance. At the time McGowan spoke to TSN.ca, he was trying to arrange for his brother-in-law to be in the crowd, too. The result matters because the game counts in the standings. But in its own way, the fact McGowan is on the mound in the first place, the fact he went to the Blue Jays late last season and told them he wanted to take one more shot at being a starting pitcher and the fact he achieved the goal seems just as important as the result itself. "To be honest with you, I am," manager John Gibbons said, admitting to surprise. "All hes been through, hes defying all the odds really. So many guys thats happened to disappear and then to be able to maintain most of it, I mean hes not popping it like he once did but theres still plenty there." There really is no plan for McGowan because nobody knows what lies ahead. Hes tired of being asked how his shoulder feels after every bullpen session and each outing but those are important questions. The Blue Jays intend to monitor McGowans innings for as long as this experiment goes. The club, should it choose, could utilize its three April off days to push McGowan back, giving him extra off days in between appearances. If his shoulder starts to ache, or "bark" as players often say, McGowans bosses want to hear about it. "Ive told him multiple times, any concerns at all, youre not doing this for us, youre doing this because you want to do it," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "He had no problems at all last year. We would have loved to have been able to stretch him out but we werent in a position to do it." Halladay tosses ceremonial first pitch It was an all-too-familiar scene: the great Roy Halladay back on the mound for the home opener in Toronto. But he wasnt in full uniform and he only had the ceremonial first pitch to deliver. It was a strike. "Its pretty cool to be back," said Halladay. "It doesnt seem that long ago when you walk in. It feels like I was just here. Its exciting. Im enjoying retirement but this is pretty cool to be able to come back here." Halladay has settled in the Tampa Bay area and went to the Jays season opener against the Rays on Monday at the behest of his son. He worried that sitting in the stands would be uncomfortable so soon after his retirement. "I had my doubts," said Halladay. "But, honestly, I enjoyed it and I have no regrets, no disappointments. Im actually really happy with the choice I made and it was the right choice I made." Nike Air Max Danmark . Striker Dario Mandzukic scored the opener in the 22nd minute but was given a red card nine minutes later for a reckless tackle and left Croatia with 10 men for the remainder of the match. Nike Air Max Tilbud Danmark .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. http://www.danmarkairmax.com/ .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night.MIAMI - The Colorado Rockies erased a two-run deficit in the early innings Tuesday. A second comeback bid fell short. Miami relievers retired three batters with the potential tying run in scoring position in the eighth inning, and the Marlins beat Colorado for the second night in a row, 4-3. A.J. Ramos struck out Nolan Arenado with runners at the corners to end the eighth, protecting a one-run lead. Steve Cishek converted his 30th consecutive save opportunity and first of the year by pitching a perfect ninth. "We didnt get the big hit late," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Bottom line is we have to find a way to tie that game or take the lead." The Rockies trailed 4-2 before Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Gonzalez hit consecutive doubles to start the eighth. Troy Tulowitzki flied out, and Justin Morneau grounded out. Ramos came on to walk Wilin Rosario, and then struck out Arenado looking. Nathan Eovaldi pitched six innings and the Marlins made the most of five hits. Their 2-0 start hints at big improvement from last year, when they began 14-41 en route to a 100-loss season. For the Rockies, the 0-2 start seems like more of the same after they finished last in the NL West in 2013. Miamis rotation — the youngest in the majors — stifled the Rockies for the second game in a row. Eovaldi (1-0) allowed two runs and struck out six after Jose Fernandez limited Colorado to one run in the season opener. Eovaldi gave up six hits, walked one and reached 99 mph on the radar gun. The crowd of 15,906 made for a more subdued atmosphere than Mondays opener, which Miami won 10-1. Brett Anderson (0-1) pitched six inningss and allowed four runs, three earned. Nike Air Max Danmark Billig. It was the left-handers first start with the Rockies after he was acquired in a trade with Oakland in December. Miami went ahead for good in Andersons final inning. Reed Johnson pinch-hit for Eovaldi and led off with a double. He advanced on a groundout and scored when Stanton hit into a forceout. Stanton advanced on a throwing error by second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, stole third and scored on Casey McGehees two-out single. "There werent too many pitches that I would take back," Anderson said. "It didnt fall our way tonight. The outing, Ill take it. I felt I gave us a chance to win. We just came up a little short at the end." The Rockies tied the game in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Tulowitzki, a scratch single by Morneau and a sacrifice fly by Rosario. Newcomer Morneau had three hits. With the score 2-all, Anderson reached on a bloop double in the fifth for his first major league hit, but Eovaldi escaped by retiring Drew Stubbs and Cuddyer. "I got to second and I didnt know what to do after that," Anderson joked. NOTES: Tulowitzki went into the hole at shortstop to rob Marcell Ozuna of a hit on a grounder in the fifth. ... Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles will be activated to start Wednesday in place of RHP Tyler Chatwood, who is out with a left hamstring strain. RHP Henderson Alvarez will make his first start for the Marlins since throwing a no-hitter on the final day of the 2013 regular season. ... LHP Franklin Morales will start Thursday at Miami for the Rockies, and RHP Juan Nicasio will start their home opener Friday against Arizona. 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