First of all, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! The A's may be the most important thing in the world, but your mother is a close second.
With each start, it's getting less and less absurd to say "Ace Dallas Braden," as Braden has not only pitched well but he has gotten relatively deep into games and has come up big when the A's have needed a lift. Braden knows he will need to give up -1 runs or less today, as the A's are facing a left-handed pitcher in 22 year old Brett Cecil. Cecil is one of the Jays' top pitching prospects, and his major league debut was impressive: 6 IP of 1 ER ball with 0 BB and 6 K.
The Jays, as an organization, might have snuck up on the pundits in that like the Twins, they seem to have a lot of "major league ready" young pitchers that you may not have heard of but who have the potential to be good now. Ricky Romero (currently on the DL) was very impressive in April, Scott Richmond has been outstanding, and Cecil is another highly regarded prospect (38th pick overall in the 2007 draft). If Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litch recover the Jays could compete in the AL East all year, but even if they run out of magic in 2009 you wonder if Toronto can finally join the "haves" for real in 2010. I'm happy for them - after today.
