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Marcus Stroman gives up four earned runs in the first inning as the Texas Rangers win the opener of their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday night. TSN Baseball Reporter Scott Mitchell provides his key takeaways from the game:

GAME 25, APRIL 27: RANGERS AT JAYS

RESULT: 6-4 loss

RECORD: 14-11

STREAK: L3

1—After breaking an 18-game home-run drought Thursday night — it was his longest homerless stretch since a 19-gamer late in the 2012 season — Justin Smoak parlayed that into another terrific night at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three singles and a double to raise his average from .241 to .275. Smoak also drove in his team-leading 14th run of the season, but was thrown out twice on the bases, once at third and once at home.

2—Marcus Stroman had a rough start (four earned runs in the first inning) and a rocky finish (two earned runs in the sixth before exiting with one out), but in between spun four scoreless innings. In total, Stroman gave up six earned runs for the second straight start, and now hasn’t allowed less than four earned runs in any of his five outings this season. He threw 91 pitches and topped out at 94.3 mph. Stroman will lug an 8.88 ERA to the mound in his next start, a matinee affair Wednesday against the Twins in Minnesota.

3—John Axford returned from the bereavement list Friday — lefty Tim Mayza was sent back to Triple-A in the corresponding move — and was immediately put to work. The big right-hander answered with two scoreless innings, allowing a pair of hits and striking out two to lower his ERA to 2.25. All three of GM Ross Atkins’ scrap heap bullpen pickups — Axford, Tyler Clippard and Seung-hwan Oh — have pitched well so far this year.

4—Kevin Pillar’s triple that bounced over Rangers left fielder Joey Gallo’s head in third inning — thank you, artificial turf — gave the Jays five three-baggers on the season, equalling their total from all of last year.

5—The Blue Jays announced after the game that Josh Donaldson (shoulder inflammation) will begin a rehab assignment Saturday as the DH for High-A Dunedin. After progressing from long tossing to throwing to the bases, this is the final step before Donaldson returns to the big-league lineup, but no firm target date has been set. Donaldson hasn’t played since April 10.

UP NEXT: RHP Bartolo Colon (0-0, 2.59) vs. LHP Jaime Garcia (2-1, 4.57) on Saturday, 4:07 p.m.​