Detroit @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2010 ) Detroit 2, Toronto 3

The Toronto Blue Jays weren't sure what they were going to get when they acquired Brandon Morrow in the off-season.

It has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, but The Blue Jays have to be happy with what they've seen so far.

Morrow looks for his 10th victory of the season Saturday afternoon as he leads the Blue Jays into the third game of their weekend series with the visiting Detroit Tigers. The Blue Jays dropped the opener 7-1 before bouncing back Friday night with a 3-2, 11-inning victory on the strength of a game-winning bloop single by Aaron Hill.

The Blue Jays' long-bomb offense has earned most of the headlines this season, as they continue to lead the majors in home runs by a comfortable margin. Yet, it has been the performances of starters like Morrow, Ricky Romero and Shaun Marcum that has been the greatest contributor to the team remaining above .500 despite playing in the American League East, easily the toughest division in baseball.

Marcum bouncing back from Tommy John surgery has been a major storyline, as has Romero's emergence into a premier left-handed pitcher in just his second season. Morrow's evolution, however, may be the biggest surprise on the pitching side.

Considered one of the most erratic young hurlers in the majors, the 26-year-old was dealt to the Blue Jays by Seattle in a deal that saw hard-throwing reliever Brandon League wind up with the Mariners. Morrow was taken fifth overall in 2006, but never found his groove in the Pacific Northwest as he alternated between starting and relieving.

After a rocky start to the 2010 season, Morrow has curbed his wild side and is seeing victories as a result, riding a personal four-game winning streak. He's 4-0 since the All-Star break, with a 3.13 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 37 1/3 innings. That includes a one-hit, 17-strikeout masterpiece against Tampa earlier this month that measures as one of the finest pitching performances in modern major-league history.

Morrow was strong last time out, limiting the New York Yankees to a pair of runs over six innings while striking out 12. He didn't get much run support, however, and ultimately settled for a no-decision in a game the Jays won 3-2.

Morrow has never made a start against the Tigers in his career, but has a 1.80 ERA over nine appearances. Pitching at the Rogers Centre has been his forte, as he owns a 7-1 record with a 2.84 ERA in his home digs compared to a 2-5 mark with a 6.31 ERA on the road.

He'll be hoping for more offense from Jose Bautista, who continues his remarkable power surge into late August. Bautista leads the majors with 42 home runs, and has gone deep in both games in the series.

The Tigers will try to keep Bautista in check as Alfredo Figaro (0-1) makes his first start of the season. The 26-year-old replaces scheduled starter Jeremy Bonderman, who was scratched Friday night with a sore muscle in his right side.

Figaro has appeared in just three games this season, posting a 5.79 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.

The Tigers' bats suffered through a rare lull in Friday's loss, managing just a pair of runs despite banging out 13 hits. Detroit had erupted for 50 runs in the seven games prior to that, going 6-1 over that span to return to the .500 mark.