Blue Jays take cool bats to Detroit
Toronto looks to rebound from sweep, match Tigers' rejuvenated offence
Last Updated: Monday, August 11, 2008 | 11:55 AM ET
CBC Sports
Blue Jays' Alex Rios went 2-for-13 with three strikeouts in a three-game sweep at the hands of Cleveland on the weekend. (Gail Burton/Associated Press)Separated by just a few hundred kilometres, the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are much closer in other ways.
Both teams have lost 59 games this season, are within a half-game of one another in the American League wild-card race, and have had their share of inconsistency and injuries along the way.
But with baseball's stretch drive approaching, now is the time when teams want to distance themselves from those in their path to a playoff berth.
The Blue Jays and Tigers can do as much starting Monday when they open a four-game series at Detroit's Comerica Park at 7:05 p.m. ET.
The Tigers (58-59) moved to within 8½ games of Boston for the wild card with Sunday's 6-1 win over Oakland, while Toronto (59-59) sits eight back after dropping a third straight game to the Cleveland Indians.
"It's important to win every series right now," Tigers starting pitcher Nate Robertson told reporters after Sunday's game. "We'd like to win all three on this [10-game] homestand, but it's important we got the first one."
Robertson played a key role, taking a shutout into the eighth inning en route to his first victory since June 21, a stretch of eight starts in which he had six no-decisions.
The left-hander is one of a few Tigers hurlers who seem to be getting their game on track at the most important time of the season.
Veteran Kenny Rogers held the Athletics to three runs over seven innings in Friday's opener, and Zach Miner and Armando Galarraga each has won three of his last four decisions.
But ace Justin Verlander, on the mound Monday, has allowed no less than five earned runs in each of his past three outings after winning three straight decisions and six of eight leading into last month's all-star break.
Assaulting the A's
However, the right-hander looked strong in his last start — despite yielding five earned runs in seven innings — setting down 12 straight Chicago White Sox, and 21 of 24 from the first inning through the seventh. A three-run home run by Jim Thome was Verlander's downfall.
"I thought [Verlander] made some strides tonight," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said after the 5-1 road loss. "He had good mechanics, threw the ball inside some."
For his first-ever start against Toronto, Verlander (8-12) will face a Blue Jays club coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of Cleveland, which outscored its opponents 13-4.
Like the Tigers, Toronto handled Oakland last week in sweeping four games, but failed to deliver the big hit against Indians starters Anthony Reyes, Paul Byrd and 16-game winner Cliff Lee with runners on base over the weekend.
Detroit, on the other hand, hasn't had that problem of late, having scored 140 runs in 22 games since the all-star break.
Those aren't the kinds of numbers Shaun Marcum wants to see Monday before making his second start of the season against the Tigers. He lasted just 5 2/3 innings on April 21, allowing four earned runs and walking four.
But Marcum (6-5) is coming off his best start since returning from the disabled list. He limited Oakland to one run on three hits over seven innings for his first win since May 26.
The Blue Jays welcomed centre-fielder Vernon Wells back to the lineup Sunday after he missed a month with a strained left hamstring. He went hitless in four at-bats as the designated hitter, but manager Cito Gaston said Wells could return to the field on Monday.
The bad news is Toronto third baseman Scott Rolen was also placed on the disabled list Sunday with a sore left shoulder.
