The Blue Jays could have been swept by Anaheim. If the Angels had covered home plate the first two games, if a hard smash off Jason Frasor had found its way into right field last night, the Jays would have been looking at another embarrassing home-field wipeout. Instead, they're riding a modest but much-valued three-game winning streak, and having stood their ground in Boston the weekend before, they've essentially played the American League's best to a standstill. This team is finally showing signs of a real turnaround.
But the Blue Jays still need, and I mean need, certain things to happen:
* Carlos Delgado has to really catch fire. We've all seen it happen before, and we know he can carry this team when it does. The signs of an impending breakout are there, and he has a history of lighting up the Rangers.
* Eric Hinske has to shake off whatever is bedevilling him. He's now buried in the 8th spot, and amazingly, it's gotten to the point where he's more valuable for his glove than for his bat. He must regain his confidence and command at the plate.
* Miguel Batista and Ted Lilly have to get their ERAs down into the 4.00s. Batista has to master his command, and Lilly has to find a way to reduce the damage from the home runs he inevitably allows. Neither of these pitchers are aces, but they've shown they can be solid performers already this season.
Everything else is secondary, even the return to action of the regular middle-infield combo, the left fielder and the best reliever in the bullpen. This series, against the suddenly scuffling Texas Rangers, will provide an opportunity for any or all three of these elements to fall into place.
The Rangers aren't at their best, either. Their starting outfield tonight -- Eric Young, Gary Matthews Jr. and Chad Allen -- isn't just Triple-A quality, it will hurt flyball-prone Rangers starter R.A. Dickey. Both Dickey and Ted Lilly, the Toronto starter, are prone to the long ball; if neither is sharp, we could be looking at quite a slugfest tonight.
Pro athletes are notoriously superstitious, and the good fortune the Jays have experienced recently, combined with the effort and toughness they've displayed the last week or so, could be enough to feed into a general team-wide sense of momentum. And since I'm feeling particularly bullish, here's my one and only prediction for tonight's game: Alex Rios is going to crank out his first major-league home run.
But the Blue Jays still need, and I mean need, certain things to happen:
* Carlos Delgado has to really catch fire. We've all seen it happen before, and we know he can carry this team when it does. The signs of an impending breakout are there, and he has a history of lighting up the Rangers.
* Eric Hinske has to shake off whatever is bedevilling him. He's now buried in the 8th spot, and amazingly, it's gotten to the point where he's more valuable for his glove than for his bat. He must regain his confidence and command at the plate.
* Miguel Batista and Ted Lilly have to get their ERAs down into the 4.00s. Batista has to master his command, and Lilly has to find a way to reduce the damage from the home runs he inevitably allows. Neither of these pitchers are aces, but they've shown they can be solid performers already this season.
Everything else is secondary, even the return to action of the regular middle-infield combo, the left fielder and the best reliever in the bullpen. This series, against the suddenly scuffling Texas Rangers, will provide an opportunity for any or all three of these elements to fall into place.
The Rangers aren't at their best, either. Their starting outfield tonight -- Eric Young, Gary Matthews Jr. and Chad Allen -- isn't just Triple-A quality, it will hurt flyball-prone Rangers starter R.A. Dickey. Both Dickey and Ted Lilly, the Toronto starter, are prone to the long ball; if neither is sharp, we could be looking at quite a slugfest tonight.
Pro athletes are notoriously superstitious, and the good fortune the Jays have experienced recently, combined with the effort and toughness they've displayed the last week or so, could be enough to feed into a general team-wide sense of momentum. And since I'm feeling particularly bullish, here's my one and only prediction for tonight's game: Alex Rios is going to crank out his first major-league home run.
