CLEVELAND -- Before leaving frigid Progressive Field, Nick Swisher delivered a final message in his signature style. "Happy Bro-pening day everyone," he yelled. Swisher made the Indians home opener one to remember. Clevelands first baseman with the infectious attitude hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, two batters after Yan Gomes connected for a solo shot, leading the Indians to a 7-2 home-opening win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday. Swishers homer off Mike Pelfrey (0-1) allowed the Indians to cap a day of pomp and pageantry as they celebrated Progressive Fields 20th anniversary. Before the sixth, the Indians had been shut out by Pelfrey and were in danger of disappointing a sellout crowd that stuck around following a 2-hour, 13-minute rain delay and plummeting temperatures. But Swisher, who added a run-scoring double in Clevelands four-run seventh, helped the Indians win their first home opener since 2008. "I was just so proud of the way the guys fought, man," Swisher said. "Maybe that will be the identity of this team -- the fact that were gonna fight. And regardless of the situation or the obstacle in front of us, were always gonna take that head-on." Indians reliever Josh Outman (1-0) recorded two outs after coming in for starter Danny Salazar in the sixth and got the win. Michael Brantley hit a two-run single in the seventh for the Indians, who were flat and hitless through four innings. But Gomes and Swisher woke the Indians up in the sixth when they finally figured out Pelfrey. "Guys were talking in the dugout and theres the fifth inning, were down 2-0, havent even gotten a hit at that point," Swisher said. "Guys were saying, Hey, we stick around long enough, were gonna get this. And thats a great feeling to have." Chris Colabello homered for the Twins, who jumped on Salazar for two runs in the first inning and were coasting toward a win when Pelfrey fell apart. "It kind of ruins the whole day, no matter how the first four innings went," Pelfrey said. "The game got away from me. It was kind of like a kick in the stomach." Gomes got things started in the sixth with his leadoff homer, a lined shot into the centre-field bullpen to trim Minnesotas lead to 2-1. Lonnie Chisenhall walked and Nyjer Morgan sacrificed. Up came Swisher, who fell behind 0-1 before belting his homer, a towering fly pushed deeper into the right-field seats by the gusty winds. Swisher posed to watch the balls flight and then punctuated the homer by flipping his bat as he headed down the first-base line. After crossing home plate, the Ohio native saluted Clevelands crowd by raising his arms and making an "O" and then "H" an "I" and "O." It was typical Swisher -- animated and enthusiastic. "I think everybody gets a kick out of it," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Swishers theatrics. "Maybe not the other team. But I think our guys like it." Said Swisher: "Im going to be who I am." Before the game, Swisher complimented Clevelands front office for signing All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis to a six-year, $52.5 million contract hours before the opener. "Bro, I think its awesome, so amazing," he said. "I feel that were starting to create an identity of who we are." That process began last season, when the Indians won their last 10 games to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They lost the wild-card game to Tampa Bay, but Cleveland entered this season with expectations to go even further this October. Until then, Swisher wants everyone to stay warm. "Everybody go home and get a hot cocoa," he said. NOTES: Cleveland has won seven straight over Minnesota. ... Kipnis signing means 16 of the 25 players on the Indians roster are signed through at least 2016. ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire has a special fondness for Progressive Field, known as Jacobs Field for most of its history. "I love this place," he said. "Its a beautiful atmosphere with the city in the background and the dude banging on the drum out there. Not too many ballparks have fans sitting right next to your dugout in a glassed-in area offering you a beer." ... Former Indians manager Mike Hargrove threw out the ceremonial first pitch, skipping it to first-base coach Sandy Alomar, who played for Hargrove. Air Max 90 2019 Wholesale . Milan was held to 1-1 at home by Torino. Cagliari scored six minutes from halftime when Mauricio Pinilla blasted home from the penalty spot after Facundo Roncaglia tripped Marco Sau. The home side could have doubled its tally in stoppage time as first Fiorentina defender Stefan Savic almost scored an own goal then Albin Ekdals shot clipped the top of the upright. Air Max 90 Black Royal Blue . Lupul injured the hand in a fall at practice on Thursday. He will wear a cast for a minimum of 10 days before he can put a glove back on it and get some mobility back, said Carlyle, who added the winger wont go on the teams upcoming road trip. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/outlet-air-max-90-ultra-cheap.html . Millsap will miss Wednesday nights game against the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks say Millsap also will be held out on Thursday at Boston. Cheap Air Max 90 Womens China . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Wholesale Air Max 90 Ultra Se . Starters, when they struggle, have to live with it for five days. For Sergio Santos and Steve Delabar, two of the three men who authored one of the ugliest pitched innings in Blue Jays franchise history on Thursday night, the bounce-back chance came right away.TORONTO -- Toronto FC now has brainiac GM Tim Bezbatchenko to go along with up-and-coming manager Ryan Nelsen. The underachieving MLS team has a $20-million training centre that is the envy of the league, a fan base that has stayed remarkably loyal considering the dreck put in front of it, and an owner willing to spend more than US$25 million on two marquee designated players when the transfer window re-opens in January. There is salary cap space and allocation money to spend, not to mention some talent available to move. So is the dark age over for the 4-14-11 club, whose career league record is a woeful 49-102-66 going into Saturdays home game against Sporting Kansas City? "I do not think the dark days are over yet but I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we control our own destiny," said Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. "And now we have to do the heavy lifting to get there by January so we could look everyone in the eye and tell them this is a different era here in this organization. Its not about flash, its not about spin. Its about hard work, tough decisions, spending some money and making the right decisions. I think well know that in January." No stranger to navigating multibillion-dollar sports empires, Leiweke is used to being the smartest person in the room. The 31-year-old Bezbatchenko may give him a run for his money, although the new GM is undoubtedly too smart to make it too obvious. A lawyer with degrees from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Richmond, Bezbatchenko comes from the leagues inner circle. As senior director of player relations and competition at Major League Soccer, he was a young league insider with intimate knowledge of MLSs complicated legal landscape. His brief at the league -- a single entity structure in which players are signed to the league rather than the team -- was to oversee and manage six clubs budgets and rosters, among other things. And his group included Toronto FC. Bezbatchenko (pronounced bez-buh-CHENK-oh) clearly knows where the bodies are buried in MLS. Although Leiweke said exactly that about former president and GM Kevin Payne before firing him. Bezbatchenko, a native of Westerville, Ohio, played midfield for the second-tier Pittsburgh Riverhounds in 2004-05, joining MLS in 2010 after two years with the law firm Shearman & Sterling. Bezbatchenko was working in mergers and acquisitions at the law firm. Or as he explained, he was getting deal experience in buying and selling companies. "This is the same, but youre doing it with players," he said of the move into soccer. Its not exactly a warm, fuzzy management approach. But top sports executives tend to be more ruthless than Ruth Buzzi. Bezbatchenkos job will be to help Nelsen get what he needs to continue the reconstruction of a moribund franchise. Leiweke has given an unqualified vote of confidence to Nelsen, saying the new GM would have to work with him in 2014. But it is clear that come January, if Nelsen gets the players he wants, the clock will be ticking on the manager. Should Nelsen ever depart the team suddenly, he no doubt has a book in him. He has quietly cleaned one mess after another at TFC while staying mostly mum. Leiweke made a point of noting that this is not rocket science. Hard work and good judgment are whats needed. "To be honest with you, this is not that difficult. Theres 11 slots and you need a couple of players per slot. And this is about filling in the boxes ... And one thing that Ryan pointed out, and I think hes right, is its not like were 22 boxes aaway.ddddddddddddWere four or five boxes away. A couple of those are DPs." Those designated players are key, with Toronto eyeing international stars who can score goals while bringing some much-needed sizzle to the franchise. The team has pushed back the deadline for season ticket-holders to put their money down to January so they can see what progress has been made. Asked how long it takes to turn around an MLS team, Bezbatchenko smartly stepped around the crux of the matter. When pressed, he said it would be difficult to do it in one year "but our goal would be to have a nice upward trend over the next few years." Spoken like a true suit. Much of the talk Friday was about business plans, the right course and analysis. Although Bezbatchenko worked himself into a verbal pickle when he talked about Toronto "not having a successful playoff run in, ah, well ever." The club has never made the post-season in its seven seasons in the league. Some observers commented that Nelsen looked uncomfortable at the podium Friday, alongside Leiweke and Bezbatchenko. If so, it was likely because the former New Zealand international is more at home on the training field than in a suit -- although he cleans up nicely. Nelsen, 35, is smart enough to know he needs someone who knows the league and can do the spadework to unearth the talent he wants. Bezbatchenko fits that bill. "This is kind of a Theo Epstein hire," Leiweke said, referring to the baseball executive. Epstein, currently president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs, was 28 in 2002 when the Boston Red Sox made him the youngest GM in Major League Baseball history. Bezbatchenko, who is married with a one-year-old son, acknowledged his goal has been to become a GM. "Absolutely. Its the reason I went to law school," he said. There is no shortage of grey matter in the Bezbatchenko household. His wife is in higher education with a PhD to her credit. Leiweke said while commissioner Don Garber was loathe to let Bezbatchenko go, he saw the bigger picture. The league needs to fix Toronto as a franchise once and for all. "He was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago and he went to the game and he saw whats going on here," Leiweke said of a Sept. 11 tie with the Chicago Fire that drew a season-low crowd of 15,217. "I think he understands our pain ... And he knew that we need a big, bold statement. And amazingly he sees this the same way we do. It wont be the biggest name in the business but it will be the best move we could have possibly made." Bezbatchenko has also been a key figure in an MLS partnership with the French Football Federation that sees MLS youth academy coaches learn from the French model. Leiweke is a big believer in the role MLS academies can play, knowing if done right they can be a pipeline for cheap talent. Toronto canned Payne on Sept. 5 with Leiweke saying the two were no longer on the same page. Earl Cochrane, Paynes right-hand man and Torontos director of team and player operations, was also fired. Chief scout Pat Onstad subsequently left. Just minutes before Fridays announcement at BMO Field, pictures of Cochrane and Onstad remained on the wall outside the news conference room. But they were gone by the time it started. The team also wasted little time trading Argentine striker Maximiliano Urruti, Paynes prize acquisition, to Portland after just 37 minutes action in a Toronto uniform. For those wondering, Bezbatchenko grew up a Manchester United fan. He has since helped sign a Rooney, although unfortunately it was John -- Waynes little brother. ' ' '