Indians are puzzled by Toronto’s Brett Cecil

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Brett Cecil felt far from perfect — except on the pitching mound.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ left-hander shook off a sinus infection to take a perfect game into the seventh inning, then settled for a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

“Baseball-wise, it was a great night, just awesome,” Cecil said. “I feel like [garbage]. I woke up with a headache and I’m all stuffed up. Papi [pitching coach Bruce Walton] said I should get sick before every game.”

Cecil (2-1) allowed one hit over eight innings, striking out a career-high 10.

“I wish he could have finished it off,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “He worked on a changeup in spring training and it was outstanding tonight.”

Cecil lost the perfect game when he walked Grady Sizemore with one out in the seventh. He then walked Shin-Soo Choo but came back to strike out Austin Kearns before Jhonny Peralta ruined the no-hitter and shutout with one swing. Peralta lined a 2-2 pitch to left field for a single, scoring Sizemore to get Cleveland within 4-1.

“I wasn’t nervous, but people who tell you they don’t know they have a [perfect] game going are lying,” said Cecilold. “I knew in the fifth inning, but didn’t want to think about it too much.”

Peralta hit an inside fastball.

“He’s a strong guy and muscled it,” Cecil said. “If it was a little lower, he’s got good power there and it may have been a lot more than a single. A little more inside, he probably takes it for a ball.”

Kevin Gregg gave up a one-out single to Sizemore in the ninth. He walked Kearns with two outs, then fired a called third strike past Peralta.