That makes up for Opening Day 2004! The Maple Leaf wearing Blue Jays hammered the Tigers 12-5 Monday night at the Rogers Centre to grab a share of first place in the American League East.
After losing by a converted touchdown five years ago to the Tigers on Opening Day at the Dome, the Jays responded with a seven run victory of their own . Justin Verlander got the first two men out in the first inning but Alex Rios kept the inning alive with a walk. Vernon Wells then ripped a double down the left field line but the speed of Tigers left fielder Josh Anderson prevented Rios from coming home to score. In the first indication that this year's offence isn't last year's offence, Adam Lind came up with a two-run single and that was eventually followed by a two-run opposite field double by Lyle Overbay.
Detroit responded with a solo poke from Curtis Granderson in the fourth but Travis Snider responded with an opposite field poke over the left field wall. The Jays poured it on with an Aaron Hill sac fly and a three run bomb from Lind to go up 9-1. Roy Halladay was on cruise control until the seventh when Detroit responded with four runs. Jesse Carlson, Brandon League and Scott Downs were needed to put away Detroit in the eighth as Downs stranded a pair of League singles with a groundball out. Lind drove in his sixth run of the night with an RBI single as part of a three run rally in the eighth and Brian Tallet and his new moustache put the Tigers away in order in the ninth.
Of course, some a-hole fans nearly cost the Jays the game by throwing stuff onto the field, including a baseball during Lind's RBI single in the eighth. That led to Tigers manager Jim Leyland pulling his team off the field and a 10 minute delay. Leyland said he didn't want to rain on the Jays parade and upstage their big night but he felt he had to pull his club off the field for safety's sake. Personally, I have a whole new level of respect for Leyland for saying that and for not going ballistic on the "idiot fans". I thought Jays manager Cito Gaston also showed class by apologizing on behalf of these moron fans.
It's obvious that alcohol has to stop being served during home openers. I know that'll never happen because teams are in the business of making money and fan/player safety is a distant second. It's too bad we couldn't have the Columbus Police on hand to provide security and taser some people. Having attended each home opener from 2000 to 2007, the trouble began in 2005 when Rogers provided free game programs, magnet schedules, and assorted flyers in a plastic bag that was taped to their seats. Instead of accepting the nice gesture, the knucklehead "fans" decided to chuck the magnets onto the field as well as paper airplanes. Surprisingly, neither team was pulled off the field unlike last night. Just when I thought the height of idiocy was reached during last year's home opener when there were fights in the stands and streakers in the field, the jackass "fans" took it to a new level last night.
I'm not sure what can be done to stop these morons. Unless breathalyzer tests are administered and each and every fan is patted down by security (which they do at Detroit Lions games, yes I know they were 0-16 last season, shaddap!), I have a feeling this new Opening Day "tradition" will not end anytime soon.
Tonight's game marks the first of three "alcohol free" nights at the Rogers Centre thanks to liquor licence violations that took place over the past few months. Lefty David Purcey goes to the hill against Edwin Jackson in his Detroit debut. First pitch is at 7:07 p.m. EDT.
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In other TDIB notes.........
* Da Yankees lose! DAAAAAAAAA YANKEES LOSE! To the Orioles, co-leaders of the AL East.
* The Twins broke out their 1982 duds but just like 27 years ago, it didn't help them against the Mariners as the Twins fell 6-1 in their final home opener at the Metrodome. It's too bad it doesn't have a retractable roof because it's a nice enough ballpark.
* The sleeve wearing Pirates stun the Cards and their new closer Jason Motte with a come from behind 6-4 win.
* Maybe Cliff Lee's Cy Young award was a fluke. He saw a lot of red and it wasn't just the Rangers new unis as the Tribe got spanked 9-1.
* The Mets bullpen doesn't blow one for Johan Santana as they hold off the Reds 2-1.
* Here are your probable starters for Tuesday, April 7th.
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