be "fired up" to play his first meaningful game in a L

TORONTO -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons didnt hold his usual post-game availability with reporters after Toronto dropped a 5-3 decision to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. His brief quote issued through a team spokesman said it all. "Skaggs was great -- he man-handled us," Gibbons said. It was the first time Los Angeles pitcher Tyler Skaggs had started against Toronto and he didnt allow the Blue Jays to find their rhythm. The 22-year-old left-hander gave up a run in the first inning and then retired 21 straight batters. Skaggs was pulled after giving up two singles in the ninth inning. The Blue Jays scored twice in the frame to make things interesting for the crowd of 31,412 at Rogers Centre. Toronto (18-19) brought the potential winning run to the plate but reliever Joe Smith got pinch-hitter Adam Lind to hit into a game-ending double play. Skaggs (3-1) gave up four hits and two earned runs over eight-plus innings of work. "He pitched one heck of a game for us, took us into the ninth inning," said Angels acting manager Dino Ebel. "Cant say enough about the kid today." Skaggs struck out four and didnt walk a batter. He threw 70 of his 103 pitches for strikes. "He was missing our barrel," said Jays catcher Erik Kratz. "He did a good job of mixing his speeds a little bit but attacking with his fastball. He had some good movement on his fastball that kept us (hitting) ground balls, popups, ground balls, popups. "Not a lot of hard hits today." Smith earned his fourth save of the season. C.J. Cron hit his first career home run and Chris Iannetta added a two-run shot for the Angels, who knocked Toronto starter J.A. Happ (1-1) out of the game in the third inning. "He just got hurt on a couple of balls in the middle of the plate or up," Kratz said. "He got behind in a few counts and they made him pay." Los Angeles (18-17) has won two straight over Toronto. The teams will continue the four-game series on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the first when slugger Jose Bautista reached base after Skaggs misplayed a comebacker. Edwin Encarnacion drove a double into the left-field corner that brought Bautista home. Howie Kendrick hit a ground-rule double off Happ in the second inning and came around on a single by Cron. Iannetta made it a 3-1 game with his third homer of the season. The Angels batted around in the frame and nearly broke the game wide open. Slugger Albert Pujols flew out to deep left field with the bases loaded for the final out. Happ didnt fare much better in the third. He gave up a solo shot to Cron and was replaced by Todd Redmond after an Iannetta single. "Obviously theyre a great-hitting ballclub," Happ said. "Weve got a lot of those in our division though too and throughout baseball. So you kind of put that out of your mind and try to pitch and try to execute. "It certainly was frustrating today not being as sharp as Id like." Skaggs, meanwhile, was in complete control. Steve Tolleson finally got to him with a two-out double in the eighth inning but Chris Getz grounded out to strand him at second base. Redmond did a nice job in long relief, allowing just one unearned run and five hits over 4 2-3 innings. Happ, meanwhile, allowed seven hits, four earned runs and a walk while striking out four. Jose Reyes started the Toronto rally in the ninth with an infield single and Melky Cabrera followed with a single up the middle. Bautista hit another single to drive in Reyes. Encarnacion hit a grounder that moved Cabrera to third but forced out Bautista at second base. Smith gave up another single to Dioner Navarro that brought Cabrera home. Lind followed by hitting a comebacker to Smith and the Angels turned the double play for the win. The game took two hours 46 minutes to play. Notes: Drew Hutchison (1-2) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Sunday. The Angels will counter with fellow right-hander Jered Weaver (3-2). Toronto will close out its nine-game homestand next week with a three-game set against Cleveland ... Bautista has reached base safely in all 37 games this season. Hes one away from Carlos Delgados club record set in 1998. ... Ebel filled in for regular manager Mike Scioscia, who missed the first two games of the series to attend his daughters college graduation. ... Former Blue Jays infielder John McDonald batted ninth for the Angels and played third base. ... It was the first home game this season that the Blue Jays didnt hit at least one home run. Toronto fell to 7-9 at home and has dropped six of its last nine games at Rogers Centre. Nike React Element 55 Dames . The move - the latest twist in Greeces nearly three-year financial freefall -- is the first such action by any of the countrys major sports bodies. 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Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand.David Clarkson took it on faith that the Maple Leafs could win without him. Still, the waiting was the hardest part. That wait is almost over as Clarkson has served his 10-game suspension and will make his debut tonight at the Columbus Blue Jackets. Its fair to say he has been looking forward to this day for a long time. "Its like Christmas: You used to open up the box thered be a chocolate and then another chocolate," Clarkson said jokingly. "I got a box at home, I get my daughter to open it. No, but Ive been definitely checking off the dates and getting ready to go." Clarkson earned an automatic ban from the NHL for leaving the bench to enter an altercation in the pre-season when Toronto played the Buffalo Sabres. The veteran right-winger didnt express much in the way of remorse for coming to the aid of Phil Kessel when he was matched up against tough guy John Scott, but regretted how the punishment affected the team. "I think you try to take something from it," he said. "No ones perfect and when you do things or things happen bad, you try and make a positive from it." The biggest positive is the Leafs 7-3-0 record without Clarkson, who acknowledged getting a different perspective on games from sitting up in the press box. "The boys have been winning, which makes it easier," he told reporters this week. "I got to watch a bit of hockey. But Ive watched enough, and Im ready to get back at it." While the Leafs are unsure if winger Joffrey Lupul or call-up Josh Leivo will be in the lineup at Columbus. Lupul is questionable for the game with a bone bruise and did not skate at morning practice. Leivo skated on the third line with Jay McClement and Nazem Kadri. Clarkson has been slotted on the second line with Mason Raymond and Dave Bolland. Clarkson recalled a suspension from his junior hockey days as prior experience but called this time sitting oout the toughest thing he has had to endure in his career.dddddddddddd Teammates made it easier with text messages and phone calls of support, but that was little consolation for missing the Leafs first game at the Montreal Canadiens and the home opener against the Ottawa Senators. All Clarkson could do was serve as a measure of moral support and a practice player. As the Leafs lost Nikolai Kulemin and James van Riemsdyk to injuries, they cycled through minor-league call-ups and Clarkson — who forfeited US $269,230.80 during the suspension — became the fill-in for line rushes. Not anymore. "Obviously its been a while that we have been waiting for him," coach Randy Carlyle said. "We see him every day, and were just looking at him to come in and add a piece to our puzzle." Clarkson expected a lot of himself after signing a $36.75-million, seven-year contract with the team he grew up rooting for. He conceded hell be "fired up" to play his first meaningful game in a Leafs uniform, but the 29-year-old knows he wont be able to do everything the first time he steps on the ice. "We think that he can make a contribution, but we dont want to put too much pressure on him," Carlyle said. "He hasnt played in a while. We just want him to do the simple things, be David Clarkson and make the simple, strong play." Clarkson figures being himself means going to the front of the net, scoring and bringing a physical presence — no different from his time with the New Jersey Devils. He learned a lot from deep playoff runs with the Devils, like how teams can win without playing pretty. That has been the Leafs so far. But Clarkson has felt great camaraderie within the team since training camp. "Its a great locker-room. Theres no cliques, everyones on the same page," he said. "Weve got something special here." Finally, Clarkson gets to be a part of it. ' ' '