Even though they sport the best record in the American League at 22-12, the Blue Jays still have a long way to go as far as proving they are a legitimate contender for postseason play.
Critics point to the fact that the Jays have yet to play the big boys in their division -- Boston, New York and Tampa Bay -- because of a quirk in their early season scheduling. So far, the only East Division opponent they've faced has been the Orioles, a team they swept (3-0) at home to open May.
But that all changes beginning Tuesday night when the Jays play host to the Yankees in the opener of a three-game set. It starts with Roy Halladay, who at 6-1 is off to the best start of his career, going against friend and former teammate A.J. Burnett, who bolted from the Jays to join the Yankees in the offseason. No doubt the boobirds will be out in force at the Rogers Centre to blast Burnett.
Halladay should be looking forward to facing the Yankees. Last year in six starts against the Yankees, Halladay went 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA. His career mark against them is 15-5 with a 2.86 ERA.
The Jays get to face their division foes often this month. Of their remaining 19 games in May, 12 will be against East Division rivals, including two three-game series against the Red Sox.
The Jays are attempting to keep these big series in perspective and not make too much of them.
"For us, every series is a big series," second baseman Aaron Hill said. "We have to do a good job, do the little things it takes to win games. I guess the buzz is bigger because it's the Yankees and the AL East."
How the Jays fare in these games will go a long way in determining if the club is for real or a pretender.
