logo
Instant Reaction: Blue Jays swept at Tropicana Field, fall 3-0 to Rays in series finale
alt
Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
May 6, 2026, 16:27 EDT
Comments
The Toronto Blue Jays’ return to Tropicana Field is one that many within the organization are going to be hoping to forget. 
Toronto lost 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon, suffering their second sweep of the 2026 MLB regular season. 
The Blue Jays’ offence struggled once again, mustering only four hits, in what was their third shutout of the year, as Shane McClanahan, Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger, Bryan Baker, and Ian Seymour combined to hold the Blue Jays off the board.
Patrick Corbin was once again solid for the Blue Jays, pitching to a line of 5 1/3  IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K as he continues to impress after being signed to a one-year, $1 million contract on Friday, April 3. 
Due to early-season injuries to Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, and Max Scherzer, Corbin has spent most of April and now into May in the club’s rotation. Even with Yesavage’s return, Corbin looks like he is set to remain as a starter for the foreseeable future, as Bieber has yet to face batters, Berríos is headed for more imaging on his elbow, and Scherzer’s forearm continues to give him issues. 
Through six starts, Corbin has a record of 1-0, an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.27 over his 30 innings pitched. While Corbin doesn’t strike out a ton of opposing bats, highlighted by his 21 punchouts across 30 innings, the left-hander has limited hard contact (only eight barreled balls) and kept down his walk rate, which is sitting at 6.9%, his lowest total since 2022. 
The Rays scratched both their runs off Corbin in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jonny DeLuca doubled home a Jonathan Aranda one-out walk and would advance to third base on a groundout by Ben Williamson. Chandler Simpson came through with a two-out single, driving a Corbin slider to right field for his eighth RBI of the 2026 season. 
Rays’ left-hander McClanahan spun a gem, holding the Blue Jays to two hits over 5 ⅔ while striking out four. After missing all of 2024 and 2025 due to various arm ailments, the 29-year-old showcased why he was a former first-round draft pick, selected by the Rays 31st overall during the 2018 MLB Draft. 
Through his first seven games of 2026, McClanahan has posted a record of 4-2, an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.07. With the Blue Jays and Rays set to meet at the Rogers Centre beginning next Monday, McClanahan’s next scheduled start is set for Tuesday night in Toronto, giving the Blue Jays a second look at the left-hander. 
The Rays scratched an unearned insurance run off Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland after the defence continued its poor play. With runners on first and second with one out, DeLuca hit a ground ball to Ernie Clement, who stepped on second base before an errant throw couldn’t be hauled in by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., allowing Cedric Mullins to push the Rays’ lead to 3-0. 
The story of the road trip, which saw the Blue Jays go 2-5, was the lack of offence. The Blue Jays’ catalyst, Guerrero, struggled through this two-city trip, batting .154 with no extra-base hits, while only recording one RBI. If the Blue Jays are going to work their way out of this funk, Guerrero needs to be the driving force on a team that finds itself with a record of 16-21. 
The Blue Jays will have an off day on Thursday before returning to action on Friday, May 8, when they host the Los Angeles Angels at the Rogers Centre. Dylan Cease is scheduled to square off with left-hander Reid Detmers. These two arms matched up in Anaheim back on April 20, with Cease picking up the win, and Detmers taking the loss in a 5-2 Blue Jays win. 
First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. EST. 

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.

Breaking News