Blue Jays' ascent takes them to the top of MLB standings for first time since 1992
'Best in baseball' are three words no one would have dared utter when describing a Blue Jays team that ended last season dead last in the AL East.
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But following Friday night's 6-2 win over the host Detroit Tigers, the Jays can officially lay claim to Major League Baseball's best record.
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At 62-42, the Jays have not been atop MLB's overall standings this late into a season since 1992 — the year they won their first World Series.
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Friday's win pushed Toronto ahead of the 61-42 Milwaukee Brewers, who lost to Miami earlier in the day.
It also expanded their lead atop the AL East to 51/2 games over the New York Yankees, losers again to the visiting Phillies.
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What they don't do is beat themselves, which can't be said about their opponents.
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The following are three takeaways from Comerica Park, where the Jays went homerless, but did record 13 hits, including four for extra bases.
1. Vlad the hit man
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While it's true the Jays could use more thump from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and coming through in the big moment with a game at stake, it's also true that the half-billion dollar man in waiting has been swinging it well.
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Vladdy went 2-for-5, with both hits being doubles. With the Jays down 1-0, he led off the fourth with a two-bagger and scored on Addison Barger's double. The hit extended Guerrero's streak to seven games.
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Next time up, in the fifth — yet another four-run inning for the team — his double plated Nathan Lukes and gave him 10 hits in his past four games.
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Vlad's swing is as smooth as ever. That being said, he'll have to provide some consistent power at some point where he carries the team offensively.
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2. Tough act to follow
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Following a brilliant outing by lefty Eric Lauer in the series opener, Jose Berrios was tasked with keeping the ball rolling Friday night.
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Mission accomplished. Despite giving up the game's first run on an RBI double in the second inning, then a Spencer Torkelson homer in the sixth, Berrios looked solid, allowing just five hits and two walks in his six innings while striking out six.
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Of note, Berrios twice faced Tigers veteran Javier Baez — his brother-in-law — and struck him out both times. Baez, who is enjoying a renaissance season for Detroit, has only one hit in his career off Berrios.
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