Four games does not a season make, but there was much to like about how the Blue Jays played in taking three of four games from the Detroit Tigers.
They say it begins with starting pitching, and in Thursday's victory, rookie left-hander Ricky Romero provided a quality start by allowing two earned runs over six innings. Over the four games, Jays starters made it into the sixth inning every time out, with left-hander David Purcey and right-hander Roy Halladay both lasting seven innings. Romero, the Jays' top pick in the 2005 draft (sixth overall), came on in the final weeks of spring training to nail down the final spot in the rotation, and he continued to roll Thursday.
"What I saw in this kid from the first time out was that he keeps his composure," manager Cito Gaston said of Romero, who allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five. "He doesn't rattle too easy. That's just a sign of hopefully a great pitcher."
Backup catcher Michael Barrett was behind the plate for Romero and liked what he saw.
"He executed a lot of really good pitches today," Barrett said. "Today he came out and showed people that he was ready. It was fun catching him. He did a great job."
BLUE JAYS 6, TIGERS 2: LHP Ricky Romero picked up the win in his major league debut as he allowed two runs over six innings in leading the Jays to their third win in the four-game series. After falling behind 2-0, the Jays came back on the strength of three home runs, a solo shot by Aaron Hill in the fifth, a solo homer by Adam Lind in the sixth and a two-run blast by Marco Scutaro in a four-run fourth.
