TORONTO -- The 2017 Blue Jays have lacked the breakout, pile-on innings that pushed them into the playoffs the last two seasons, but Saturday's 10-9 win was a reminder of what it looks like when the lineup is clicking one through nine.
Home runs from Josh Donaldson and Kendrys Morales, aka "Mo Mo" for Players Weekend, highlighted the 13-hit performance, but the offense pulled out every trick in the bag along the way. There were steals, runners scoring on wild pitches, hits from unexpected places and even some overdue luck.
"It was awesome," Donaldson said after the game. "I've felt like we've been swinging the bats pretty well, we just haven't been able to kind of put those runs across like we needed to and today was a nice relief. We got some nice situational hitting done today too, and it was able to drive some runs in."
Donaldson's stat line is a microcosm of the Blue Jays' day. His two-run, go-ahead home run started a six-run inning in the fifth, and he later raced home for an insurance run in the eighth when Twins reliever John Curtiss threw one in the dirt.

The "Bringer of Rain" even called on the element of surprise in his second trip to the plate, dropping a perfect bunt up the third-base line to load the bases with nobody out. Donaldson did that with the hitters behind him in mind, a philosophy that showed throughout Saturday's win as the Blue Jays' lineup continued to pass the baton.
"I wasn't really seeing the ball well out of [Dillon] Gee's hand my first at-bat," Donaldson said. "[Justin Smoak] has been swinging the bat pretty well so it was kind of one of those ordeals where I wanted to give Smoaky an opportunity to swing with runners in scoring position and it just kind of was an extra positive that I was able to get it in a great place and get a knock out of it."

Beyond Donaldson's 3-for-5 day, Ezequiel Carrera went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks at the top of the lineup, showing why manager John Gibbons is fond of calling him a "spark". At the bottom of the order, catcher Raffy Lopez went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the fifth.
Toronto's offense has had plenty of nights like Friday's series opener, where the lone threat was a home run off the bat of Justin Smoak, but these cumulative efforts have been more rare. It doesn't need to be just the bats either, as Donaldson explains.
"I take a lot of pride in all areas of my game," Donaldson said. "Defense, baserunning, hitting. It's one of those things where you have the opportunity to affect the game in a positive manner in a lot of different facets in the game of baseball. I try to do that to the best of my ability."