Blue Jays host Rays in tonight's home opener

The Blue Jays' home opener is tonight.

The first game of the season at the Rogers Centre is scheduled to start at 7:07 p.m. It has been sold out since the day tickets went on sale in February.

R.A. Dickey will take the mound for the Jays as they open a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The knuckleballer pitched well in his season debut, limiting the New York Yankees to one earned run and four hits over 6 1/3 innings but the Blue Jays squandered a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3.

Dickey had a 2-1 record and 3.15 earned-run average over his final three starts against the Rays last season.

Fans are being advised to get to the ballpark a little earlier this season, as tighter security is implemented at the Rogers Centre for baseball games. (Philip Lee-Shanok/CBC)

Just days into the new season, fans are optimistic about what Toronto can do. 

"It'll be exciting, I think. Tampa is not a very strong team this year, it doesn't seem," said fan Bob Pinsent.

Fans are being urged to get to the ballpark early as there are new security rules in effect that will take it longer for them to pass through.

The changes have been mandated by Major League Baseball.

"It's really to provide an extra level of security for our fans, but also to ensure that none of those illegal or prohibited items enter the building," said Mario Coutinho, the team's vice-president of stadium operations and security.

Those prohibited items include weapons, fireworks, alcohol, drugs and other illegal substances.

Toronto baseball fans are hoping the Jays can end their two-decade-long playoff drought this year.

If they make it, Blue Jays fans will have to be patient to see that long-awaited success, as the road to the playoffs is long in baseball.

With their win over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon, the Jays' record stood at 4-2 through the first six games of the year, while the Rays improved to 3-3 with a 8-5 victory over Miami.

Their offence is on a roll, helping the team take two of three games over the Marlins on the weekend with a .275 batting average and scoring 19 runs in the series.

Tampa Bay seems to be the ideal opponent Monday as it sports a 2-11 record as the opponent for a team's home opener.

The Blue Jays were 11-8 versus the Rays last season, including a 5-4 mark at home.

The Rays, who will start Jake Odorizzi (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on the mound, arrive with nine players on the disabled list, most notably starting pitchers Alex Cobb and Drew Smyly, who tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout in Toronto on Aug. 22.

Some Jays fans will recognize Kevin Cash, who has taken over managerial duties for Tampa from Joe Maddon this season. He was a reserve catcher for Toronto from 2002-04.

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