Things worth mentioning

• Earlier today, the Blue Jays optioned Tim Mayza and Gift Ngoepe to Buffalo, activated Kendrys Morales from the DL and called up large adult son Lourdes Gurriel Jr to the big club. Gurriel’s first MLB game did not disappoint. He went two for five – both singles with runners in scoring position – and knocked in three runs. He’s already contributed more at the plate than Gift Ngoepe has. Also, he has great hair.

• Morales returned and didn’t look awful at the plate. He also added two hits and came around to score both times. In fact, every Blue Jays starter not named Smoak (1-5) and Diaz (0-4) reached base at least twice today. This lineup doesn’t boast many sexy names but there’s so much quality.
• Teoscar Hernandez did some more things today: He hammered a Sonny Gray offering 108 MPH to left field for a two run homer in the third. What I liked even more was he also walked twice, and one of them came with the bases loaded. Teoscar still has his faults – his strikeout today brought him to 7 in his first 27 MLB at-bats – but the patience, especially in a situation where the bases are loaded and a free swinger like him probably wanted to just hammer the ball, is a really good sign.
• Here’s your daily Yangervis Solarte GIF! Yeah, he hit a homer, but let’s admire that bat drop.

• The Blue Jays bullpen took over in the sixth and carried it home. Each of the four relievers – Oh, Barnes, Tepera, and Osuna – gave up a single hit, but none of them got into any kind of trouble. Oh, and they combined to strike out six and not allow a walk.
• The Blue Jays score another easy eight runs, giving them 114 on the league, which is currently second in the league. Kind of feels like there’s somebody missing…