Blue Jays' offensive outburst powers series win over Reds

CINCINNATI -- The Blue Jays closed out their series at Great American Ball Park with a round of batting practice Sunday afternoon.

With five home runs in a 10-3 win, Toronto finally put together the offensive outburst everyone’s been waiting for. Making these performances part of their identity instead of a biweekly surprise is the next step, but the surge in the series finale was a fine way to start.

“With [Kevin] Kiermaier and George [Springer] coming back into it, George has quietly been swinging the bat really well for a couple of weeks, and that’s a big help for us,” manager John Schneider said. “Bo [Bichette], obviously, with him being gone for a couple of weeks, then a triple and a homer, that’s instant offense. It’s typical Bo with an opposite-field homer. That’s really good for those guys.”

The series win in Cincinnati keeps the Blue Jays (69-56) pacing behind the Mariners (69-55) in the American League Wild Card race after Seattle won again Sunday. That race is turning into a three-team sprint, though, with Toronto just a half-game back of Seattle for the final spot and only one game back of Houston (70-55) for second.

The Blue Jays have a soft spot coming up in their schedule at the end of the month and into September, when they face the Rockies, Nationals and A’s, but they’ll need to figure out the mighty Orioles first, who have taken over the AL East ahead of schedule.

Looming over that series in Baltimore beginning Tuesday is the status of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who left Sunday’s win with left middle finger discomfort. The Blue Jays have the depth to weather an absence from Guerrero, but Vladdy is one of several stars who could propel Toronto into a more comfortable Wild Card spot.

Here’s what the Blue Jays showed in Cincinnati and what comes next:

This is Bo Bichette’s team
This season has made it clear, and the past two days have only solidified it. Bichette is the face of this Blue Jays team, and if they’re going anywhere in the postseason, he will be the one at the front.

Bichette returned Saturday with a message for his club. He wants the Blue Jays to be fearless and plans to lead that way. You’re witnessing a player who has long shown the ability to lead a club, but he is growing more and more comfortable in himself and his role.

Everything about Bichette’s game points toward him authoring some famous Blue Jays moments … some day. But he and Toronto need to get to the postseason for those to happen.

The Mariners are a problem … again
More specifically, Julio Rodríguez is a problem again. After J-Rod set an MLB record with 17 hits in four games, he was held to just one in Seattle’s 7-6 win over the Astros in their series finale. What a bust.

What Rodríguez is doing right now is what Toronto has been waiting on from Guerrero, a star player reaching their highest potential at the right moment. If you put the rosters of the Blue Jays and the Mariners side by side for the average fan, they’d know far more names from Toronto's sheet, but that’s not what matters with 37 games left in the season.

In late August and September, it’s about getting hot and catching some magic. The Blue Jays are having their moments, but the Mariners are riding an incredible hot streak right now.

Hyun Jin Ryu is all the way back
Sunday’s start was a reminder of what it’s like to watch Ryu at his best.

Ryu doesn’t throw harder than many pitchers and doesn’t have a pitch that makes you stop and say “wow,” but he’s smart. Ryu reads a hitter’s swing and eagerness as well as anyone, which makes him so dangerous against young or aggressive hitters.

His matchups with Elly De La Cruz on Sunday were perfect examples. In a pair of two-strike counts, Ryu struck De La Cruz out on curveballs clocked at 66 and 67 mph.

“I thought they were going to be very aggressive, so I tried to get ahead in counts,” Ryu said through a club interpreter. “That was a key point of my game, and I was able to do that. Our team was able to get us some runs early on in the game, too.”

It’s incredible that this rotation has sustained the downfall of its Opening Day starter, but Ryu has come back quicker -- and better -- than most expected in Spring Training.