RealGM

It wasn't a perfect game, but it was almost a perfect night for rookie right-hander Jesse Litsch in what turned into a whirlwind romance with a boisterous Rogers Centre crowd, besting the O's 2-1 in his major-league debut and being "pied" twice for his efforts, by Vernon Wells and A.J. Burnett.

Oh, certainly there were reasons to believe that Litsch's start for the Jays might turn to disaster. On the other hand, there were many more reasons for fans to hope his debut would play out as a feel-good opus with a true Hollywood ending. It did.

The club's pre-game plan was to send Litsch back down to the Jays' affiliate in New Hampshire after this one start. The 31,000 who stood and roared as Litsch took a curtain call after being pulled will expect that plan to be reconsidered.

Incoming closer Jeremy Accardo wobbled, conceding a single that moved Miguel Tejada to third with two outs. But his streak of runless innings held after he got Aubrey Huff to ground out and end the game.

Son Jesse, fresh out of Double-A ball, had four-hit the Orioles over 8 2/3 innings for a 2-1 triumph in his major-league debut.

"That," said Rick Litsch, a little after 9 p.m., "was the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life. Although, I tell you, the first hitter and the last hitter almost did me in."

Jesse had walked them both