...and it came on the perfect night, Cito Gaston's long time coming return to the Dome as manager of the slumping Blue Jays...
And boy what a
night it was...Toronto scored a remarkable 14 runs on an even more impressive 22 hits, the most they've stringed together in more than 5 years. For the first time all season, it seemed like the Blue Jays finally figured out how to hit with authority. To say they pounded starter Bronson Arroyo is an understatement; we absolutely destroyed the guy and owned him. Every one of the starting 9 collected at least 1 hit and in Scott Rolen's case, 4 RBIs as well.Scoring 6 times in the first inning and 5 more in the second, the Blue Jays took off with breakneck speed and never looked back. It's nights like those that make the manager grin from ear to ear. Cito Gaston was no exception. Paying tribute to the fans and commenting on the offensive outburst, Gaston said after the game: "It gives you goosebumps. Tonight was a special night for me. It's just great to be back."
With every writer burying their heads in the offensive outburst, AJ Burnett's dazzling start couldn't have been more overlooked. Come on, the guy threw 8 innings of 1 run baseball, something he had been struggling to do as of late. Last night was a tremendous break for him and he needed it to silence the critics. Not only did the bats break out big time last night, AJ must've also felt good for what he did on the mound. He deserved it.
Looking back on the calendar, last night was exactly one year to the day that Dustin McGowan came to the doorstep of history, carrying a no-no into the 9th against Colorado before settling for a one hit shutout. But one year ago, who would have had the instinct to predict that Cito Gaston would be back in the managerial chair right now? A year ago, Gaston was only an icon of the past, a hero who's name was instilled into the Level of Excellence. A year later, he has been excellent indeed.
-D
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