logo
Instant Reaction: Dylan Cease’s dominant performance not enough as Jays fall 3-2 to the Cubs
alt
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Aidan Sinclair
Aug 6, 2026, 19:35 EDTUpdated: Aug 6, 2026, 19:37 EDT
Comments
After winning three consecutive series, most recently fending off a red-hot Houston Astros club, the Blue Jays travelled to Chicago for a make-up game from a rainout back on June 21st and wound up suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in extra innings. Dylan Cease was masterful on the road once again, but his outing was spoiled thanks to poor hitting with RISP from the Blue Jays’ offence. 
The Jays’ ace was nearly unhittable, allowing just two hits through seven scoreless innings, walking one, and striking out ten. After today’s outing, the right-hander extended his scoreless innings streak on the road to 36, mowing down playoff-bound lineups in the process. This was the eighth time this season Cease has struck out 10 or more batters, now up to 184 through 126.1 innings. 
Right after the trade deadline, it appeared as though Kevin Gausman could get the start against his former team, though he was pushed back to the weekend, giving David Peterson the start in this contest. The southpaw has been good since coming to Chicago, aside from a clunker against the St. Louis Cardinals, in which he allowed 10 runs in just 3.2 innings of work. 
The Blue Jays got on the board early in the first inning, with Kazuma Okamoto scoring on a third disengagement balk by Peterson, who had been attempting to pick off George Springer at first base. 
Toronto held their lead through six innings and extended it to 2-0 in the seventh, when Alejandro Kirk singled in Andres Gimenez. Kirk ended up going 4-for-5 on the day, now batting .421 over the past calendar week. 
Braydon Fisher worked a clean eighth inning, striking out one, before the ball was handed to Louis Varland to close the game in the ninth. For the first time all season, Varland was unable to convert a save, serving up a two-run home run to Alex Bregman with the Cubs down to their final strike, to tie the game at 2-2. Varland was 24-for-24 in save opportunities prior to today’s contest. 
Heading to the top of the 10th, the Blue Jays were unable to put a run across the board, forcing recent call-up Chase Lee to hold the Cubs at bay and force another inning. He would eventually end up in a second and third situation with only one out; the Jays would bring in Myles Straw from centre field as a fifth infielder, doing everything they could to keep the game tied. Lee would strike out Dansby Swanson for the second out of the inning, before Ernie Clement made a spectacular catch on a Carson Kelly line drive up the middle, sending the game to the top of the eleventh. 
The Jays were yet again unable to score in the eleventh, which brought in Brendon Little to pitch the bottom half. The first batter he faced, Pete Crow-Armstrong, singled up the middle on what looked like a game-winning base hit, before Myles Straw launched a perfect strike to home plate to throw out Carson Kelly and keep the game tied. Mere moments later, the Cubs attempted a double steal, and the throw at third base got past Josh Smith, allowing Crow-Armstrong to score, giving the Cubs a 3-2 victory. 
It was a rough afternoon offensively for the Jays, who ultimately finished 1-for-19 with RISP, with numerous chances to extend their 2-0 lead and put themselves ahead in extras. Jose Soriano will make his Blue Jays debut tomorrow night, as the team travels to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in a three-game set with the first pitch flying at 6:40 pm EST.
Sponsored by bet365
Editorials
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News