Brandon Morrow was lucky.

After just nine pitches, with nobody out and facing rookie Bruce Harper with a runner on second base, the Jays starter walked off the mound in obvious discomfort. The right-hander was escorted off the field by trainer George Poulis and pitching coach Bruce Walton.

Right-hander Chad Beck came on in relief.

Three innings later, the report came back that Morrow had suffered a strained left oblique and is day-to-day. That is as good a report as the Jays could have received.