DUNEDIN, Fla. - Ricky Romero represents what the Toronto Blue Jays are about this season.
Still young and trying to establish himself after a promising rookie season, the left-hander could be thrust into the role as the No. 1 starter in an evolving rotation now that ace Roy Halladay is with the Philadelphia Phillies after a December trade.
The Halladay deal marked the beginning of a rebuilding period for the Blue Jays, who hope Romero is one of the building blocks.
Romero, who was 13-9 with a 4.30 earned-run average last season, started the Blue Jays spring training opener Wednesday. But the Detroit Tigers scored twice in the ninth for a 7-6 victory before a crowd of 3,096 on windy, chilly day at Dunedin Stadium.
The Blue Jays took the lead on a four-run eighth inning, keyed by Chris Lubanski's three-run homer against Daniel Schlereth.
Starting the Grapefruit League opener does not mean Romero, who gave up one run in two innings on a wind-assisted home run, will be the opening-day starter.
"We haven't made that decision yet," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "He gave up one run but he pitched well."
The temperature was 9 C and the 34 kilometre-an-hour winds were a factor on Brent Dlugach's second-inning two-out homer to right on Romero's 3-1 fastball.
"It's 3-1, I'm thinking don't walk this guy, make a good pitch," Romero said. "Obviously it stayed little up.
"That's where the wind works against you."
Romero said pitchers on the staff have been helping each other.
"I feel like we have to create our own identity as young guys," Romero said. "Halladay is gone and no one is going to be Halladay, no one's going to be Roy here.
"We've got to create our own identity and be our own people. I feel if we do that and look out for each other we're going to be good."
Romero isn't thinking about who might start in the regular-season opener, a spot usually reserved for Halladay in recent years.
"I try not to think about where I might end up in the rotation," he said. "My one and only job is to go out there and give my team the best chance to win and give us as many innings as possible.
"I don't think anyone in our rotation or anyone that's battling for a rotation spot is thinking about who's going to be the No. 1 or who's going to be No. 2. Wherever we stack up at the end, we`re going to be happy and go out there and battle."
Gaston said going first in the rotation means facing the other teams' best pitchers.
"Not to say that he can't do it," Gaston said. "Not to discourage him . . . but if he's facing the (No. 1) all the time, it's going to be tough.
"You certainly don't want to destroy a kid at that age. So it's something we really have to think about."
The Blue Jays enter the season with realistic expectations.
"We know what's going on obviously," said Jose Bautista who played third base, batted leadoff, singled and was on the front end of a first-inning double steal. "But I don't think we can let it affect our game.
"We have to go out there with the same goal. That's to win games. If we just focus on that, who knows?
"There's been a couple of teams in the past that have had young pitching staffs that are very talented like we do and they go out and get results. I think pitching is the mainstay of the team. If they do a good job and keep us in games you never know because I think we're going to score some runs."
Dana Eveland gave up an unearned run in the top of the fourth in his two-inning stint.
After Jeremy Bonderman pitched two scoreless innings, Toronto tied the game 2-2 in the fourth against Nate Robertson on an infield single by Vernon Wells, a walk by Lyle Overbay, a run-scoring double by John Buck and a run-scoring single by Jeremy Reed.
Detroit scored a run in the fifth off Josh Roenicke, who allowed two hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Merkin Valdez gave up two runs, one earned, in the top of the eighth and Willie Collazo allowed two runs in the top of the ninth on four hits including a game-tying triple by Casper Wells and the go-ahead single by Mike Rabelo.
Notes -- The Blue Jays were 13-17-3 last year at spring training before posting a 75-87 regular-season record . . . The Blue Jays and Tigers play again Thursday in Lakeland, Fla. Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski will start for Toronto against right-hander Rick Porcello . . . Former Blue Jay pitchers Dave Stieb and Pat Hentgen are special coaches at spring training and were in uniform for Wednesday's game.
