Blue Jays Flying High in AL East

OAKLAND -- You heard all that talk over the winter about how the American League East was going to be a tight three-team race.

The Blue Jays apparently didn't.

"You don't have to believe what you hear," Toronto shortstop Marco Scutaro told FanHouse. "In baseball, anything can happen. Last year if you would have told me in spring training that Tampa Bay would be in the World Series, I'd say you are crazy."

The first-place Blue Jays improved to 22-12, best in the American League, by taking two of three from the A's this weekend. Toronto has lost only one series so far this season.

"The guys are playing together," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "They are pulling for each other. They've enjoyed getting off to a good start and being in first place. I think we've played maybe three bad games all year."

The Blue Jays have been winning because of a prolific offense. They are leading the league in runs and batting average, but the production has not just come from the typical sources. Alex Rios and Vernon Wells, the two marquee players in the lineup, are two of only three starters hitting below .300.

Scott Rolen (remember him?) is healthy again and hitting .304. Catcher Rod Barajas, a career .244 hitter, is batting .319. Adam Lind is hitting .333. Kevin Millar is hitting .327.

Second baseman Aaron Hill has been the best of them all, hitting .353 and becoming a focal point of the team in the field, at plate and in the clubhouse. Gaston has recently compared him to Roberto Alomar.

"He's a smart player, like Robbie," Gaston said. "This kid is just going to get better. He loves to play. He plays hard. He's still learning, but he can even get better."

Hill and several of his teammates credited Gaston for the offensive breakthrough this season.

The Blue Jays are 73-49 since Gaston was hired for his second term with the Blue Jays on June 20, 2008. It's the second best record in the majors during that time.

Players say Gaston is a personable manager who deftly handles the clubhouse, but he's also effective as a second hitting coach.

The Blue Jays hit .258 and averaged 4.0 runs per game before Gaston took over last season. Since then, they are hitting .277 and averaged 5.1 runs.

"He's great with talking to the guys about their approaches," Hill said. "He'll talk to you at-bat to at-bat. If he sees something different, he might say 'What are you looking for there?' or 'What are you going to look for in your next at-bat?' It gets you in the right frame of mind. It's great that you have someone that pays attention like that."

Added Barajas: "All the little things that go into baseball that you don't really see, he brings to our attention and gets us thinking a little bit."

Toronto's robust offense has helped a patchwork pitching staff have enough breathing room to succeed. The four starters who filled out the Blue Jays rotation behind Roy Halladay most of last year are all gone. A.J. Burnett signed with the Yankees. Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan are on the disabled list. Litsch is about a month away. Marcum could be back after the All-Star break, and McGowan may miss the whole season.

Two of the pitchers who replaced those guys -- top prospect Ricky Romero and Casey Janssen -- are also hurt. Both could be back within two weeks.

That's left pitchers like Scott Richmond (plucked out of an independent league) and Brian Tallet (twice released) to piece together innings. So far, they've done the job.

Toronto has also been without injured closer B.J. Ryan. Scott Downs has filled in effectively of late.

"Not a lot was expected of these guys, but they are going out and competing and giving us a chance to win," Barajas said. "That's all you can ask. They are doing above and beyond what people expected."

Barajas doesn't believe the Jays will need to rely on the likes of Richmond and Tallet all year, because he is anticipating the others getting back from the disabled list.

"Getting those guys back will definitely take the pressure off the offense," Barajas said. "We know what we have coming back in the rotation. This team is definitely capable of keeping us going for a long time."

Even competing with the mighty Yankees and Red Sox, or even the Rays?

"We want to be the team that beats them," Hill said. "We want to take down the empire."