Break up the Tigers! After having won two more games already than they won all last April, the Detroit Tabbies are enjoying their brief lead atop the AL standings. Perhaps they're even happy to see the return of a Toronto squad that rolled over and played dead for them in a three-game opening series at Skydome last week. If so, that would be a mistake.
The Blue Jays were jolted awake by that embarrassing performance, and responded by playing much harder and smarter in Boston over the weekend, though they came away with just one win to show for it. The bats are still coming around -- the team scored more runs in its 10-5 Friday win at Fenway than in its five losses combined -- and with no one named Martinez or Schilling on the mound, it seems safe to expect some breakout performances from this potent lineup at Comerica National Park. The Tigers were not a team to be taken lightly; neither is Toronto.
The pitching staff has been inconsistent at best, but no starter has caused as much early-season concern than Pat Hentgen, who takes the ball tonight and whom Blue Jay officials fervently hope throws a heater that breaks 88 sometime during the evening. Opposing him is Jeremy Bonderman, one of the Tigers' talented youngsters whom the organization has thrown into the deep end to teach how to swim. Detroit badly wanted to sign Hentgen this off-season, in part to mentor Bonderman and his fellow rotation mates; tonight, Jeremy would like to give the lessons rather than receive them.
The Jays have actually been pretty fortunate so far; while they've started off a decrepit 1-5, neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox have bolted from the gate in the first week. Toronto doesn't seriously expect to be a playoff contender in 2004, but the club does want to hang around the playground till the real games start, and maybe pick up a little action in the process. In they intend to do that, while also maintaining fan interest and keeping the young players focused, they can't continue to play .400-quality ball. It's silly to consider an early April series with Detroit as critical, because it's not; but what is critical is that the Jays get their A game in place as soon as possible. No more kidding around; by rights the Jays should sweep this series, and 2 out of 3 should be considered the minimum acceptable outcome.
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