The Jays had the last laugh in April by winning more games than anyone expected.
So far this season the Blue Jays offence has more than held up its half of the bargain while the pitching staff, beset yet again by injuries, did its best to battle on. But with 15 wins in 24 games, it is difficult to complain.
No one in their right mind would have suggested that the team would go until the last game of the month to finally lose back-to-back games. No one except the eternally optimistic Cito Gaston, of course.
THE GOOD
Marco Scutaro and Aaron Hill set the tone for the offence from the top. Hill, who missed the final four months of the 2008 season, led the majors with 38 hits in April (Coincidentally, the man he replaced, Orlando Hudson, led the National League with 34 April hits and had at least one hit in 21 of the 24 games). Scutaro, not exactly a prototypical lead off man, filled the bill by reaching base 49 times for a solid .421 on-base percentage which ranked 4th among all A.L. lead off hitters and scored 24 runs to lead the league. He also slugged five home runs to tie Hill for the team lead.
Adam Lind, now the full-time designated hitter, started his year with a team-record six RBI on Opening Night and parlayed that into 20 for the month to tie Hill - there's that name again - for the team lead. The one month tally also places Lind fifth in the league.
Travis Snider entrenched himself in left field, blasting half of his 16 hits for extra bases and, surprisingly, proved to be an adept bunter with a pair of sacrifices and a bunt single the three times he's been called on to drop one down.
On the pitching front, Roy Halladay was, well, Roy Halladay, winning four of his five starts. The biggest surprises came from a pair of rookies: Ricky Romero made three excellent starts - winning two - before a strained oblique muscle landed him on the disabled list while Scott Richmond won three of his four starts and still hasn't given up more than three earned runs in any of his nine career starts going back to 2008.
Scott Downs continued his run as one of the top relievers, first in his usual set-up role and then filling in for B.J. Ryan in the ninth inning when he was put on the DL with a strained neck muscle. Jason Frasor has yet to be scored upon while Jesse Carlson has a solid 1.50 ERA after 12 appearances.
THE BAD
The biggest head scratchers continue to be the No. 3-and-4 hitters Alex Rios and Vernon Wells. The pair combined to hit just four home runs between them which rank them 11th in the league. Their lack of production is surprising seeing as the rest of the offence has been clicking on all cylinders. Rios has also took his batting woes into the field with him failing to catch several balls that he got is glove on.
THE UGLY
David Purcey. The left-hander clearly has big league stuff yet continues to have trouble throwing it over the plate. Without the injuries to Jesse Litsch and Romero he likely would have been sent down to Las Vegas (triple-A) to sort out his problems a couple of weeks ago and the axe finally fell on Friday. Here's hoping he can get it back together quickly and return to claim his spot as the No. 3 man in the Jays' ever evolving rotation.
Although he ended up injured, Ryan proved to be a major disappointment in blowing a pair of saves while giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and five walks in just 5 2/3 innings of work. A return date is up in the air.
Finally, Brian Burres made a pair of starts when the injuries started to pile up on the rotation, and was sent back before after the road trip after giving up 12 runs - 10 earned - over his two starts. Why anyone would think that he'd be any better than the career 5.88 ERA that he brought over from the Orioles is anyone's guess.
IN CLOSING
A very successful month for Canada's major league team. Tabbed by all the pundits - myself included - to finish no better than fourth, they have definitely surprised everyone thanks to a high-octane offence than can score at will, leading to several come-from-behind wins and an AL-best plus-30 run differential. But there is a CAVEAT: This all came about when playing its first 24 games outside of the East Division, which ends with the Orioles coming to town. Once they start playing the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees we'll get a better gauge on what this team is all about.
But until then, the run as been fun.
