TORONTO -- David Purcey's time in the Major Leagues lasted for one day. The Blue Jays starter was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday in time to make a spot start against the Tigers in Friday's game. And after facing Detroit in his Major League debut, Purcey was sent right back down to Syracuse.

But before he left, Purcey managed to leave an impression with his manager during the start.

"He broke the ice," Jays skipper John Gibbons said. "It wasn't necessarily pretty, but he did a heck of a job. I'm proud of him. He hung in there and kept us in that game when he could've broke very easily."

Against Detroit, Purcey struggled with his command, pitching himself into trouble for most of his 4 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old left-hander allowed two hits while walking seven batters. However, what impressed Gibbons the most was Purcey's ability to pitch out of those jams. Despite loading the bases twice, he only allowed one run -- a sacrifice fly by Miguel Cabrera.

"I told him I don't want him to leave here with a negative thought in his head," said Gibbons. "It wasn't easy, he was under the gun the whole time he was out there. But -- a sign of a good one -- he managed to get out of it."

Perhaps the biggest moment in the game for Purcey came during the second inning when, after loading the bases, he faced Detroit slugger Gary Sheffield with two outs. With a 3-2 fastball, Purcey managed to end the threat by freezing Sheffield on a called third strike.

"At that point, I was just trying to make myself relax and just try to make pitches," Purcey said. "Fortunately, I made one there to Sheffield."

Purcey admitted after the game that nerves may have played a factor in his start, contributing to his wildness. But after settling down in the third and fourth innings, he felt that he was still able to do his job.

"The walks weren't what I really wanted, but I did make pitches when I needed to," said Purcey. "I just tried to keep our team in the game and I ended up doing that. I'm happy about that, but I think just the anxiety and jitters and nervousness -- whatever you want to call it -- got to me a little bit."

Purcey, a first-round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, pitched well at Syracuse to begin the season, leading to his eventual callup. In two starts this year at Triple-A, Purcey was 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA. In 19 innings, he had 21 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .182 average.

Although Purcey is going back to Syracuse, he is happy to have experienced big league life, even if it was only for one day.

"I absolutely loved it," he said. "The guys are great. The clubhouse is great, Gibby is great. I think I learned a lot about the umpires and the way the game is played here. It's just a night-and-day difference from the Minor Leagues.

"Now, I have a taste of it and I'll go from there."