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Instant Reaction: Blue Jays blow late lead in 8-7 loss to Marlins
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Photo credit: © Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Feb 26, 2026, 16:15 ESTUpdated: Feb 26, 2026, 16:26 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays just can’t seem to pick up a Spring Training victory.
On Thursday afternoon, they took on the Miami Marlins in Dunedin, falling 8-7 after having a 7-2 lead in the eighth inning. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one.
After Kevin Gausman pitched a scoreless top of the first, the Blue Jays came to bat. George Springer led-off the inning with a walk, while Daulton Varsho also got a free pass. They loaded the bases thanks to a fielding error on a ball hit in play by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and after an Addison Barger strikeout, Alejandro Kirk drove in two runs with a double.
Leading off the bottom of the second was Andrés Giménez, and the Blue Jays’ shortstop went deep with an opposite field blast. Following the Jays taking a 3-0 lead, Myles Straw and Varsho singled, with Guerrero Jr. driving in Straw. Varsho was driven in by a Barger groundout.
The Marlins got a run back off the bat of Canadian Liam Hicks in the top of the third. He led off the following inning, earning a walk, and came in to score thanks to a Jared Serna single. The Jays got those two runs back in the bottom of the fifth, as Kazuma Okamoto hit a two-run double with the bases loaded to make it 7-2.
Gage Stanifer came into the game in the top of the eighth, and hit the first two batters he faced, then walked the third. He nearly got out of it, striking out the next two batters, but he was replaced by Geison Urbaez, who gave up a single, then a bases clearing triple to make it 7-6. In the top of the ninth, the Marlins tied it. They then took the lead and held onto it for the 8-7 victory
Takeaways…
Kazuma Okamoto looks great so far. After hitting a home run on Monday, he drove in what was the eventual game-winning run. He just has excellent plate coverage and can get to anything. This will be a good signing.
Dautlon Varsho had two hits in this game, with his double coming off a high 97 mph fastball. That’s always been a big hole in his game, so if he can clean that up, he’ll be even more dangerous than he was last season.
Alejandro Kirk has continued to smack the ball this season, with the catcher hitting the second-hardest ball of the game at 105.2 mph on his double. Last Spring Training, he was also tearing the cover off the ball, so this is a good sign.
Expect a bounce back season from Andrés Giménez. After starting the season with three home runs in a short span, he cooled off, then dealt with an ankle injury for a large portion of the season, resulting in a career-worst year with the twig. Hitting a home run to the opposite field is an encouraging sign.
Kevin Gausman made his first start of the season, striking out the side while giving up a walk and a hit. His fastball sat 93.2 mph, down a tick from last season. He also generated five whiffs on nine total swings, three of which came on the splitter.
Tyler Rogers had a solid game out of the bullpen, striking out two while generating two whiffs on seven total swings. He’s faced 12 batters this season and has four strikeouts, that’s a 33.3 K%. Will that continue into the regular season? Probably not.
The other standout performance out of the bullpen on Thursday was Brendon Little. He threw six four-seam fastballs, averaging 96.4 mph on it and touching 98.1 mph, the second-hardest thrown pitch of the game. Little struck out two in his inning of work.
On Friday afternoon, the Blue Jays head south to Port Charlotte to take on the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time this season. Eric Lauer will get his second start of the year as the Jays look to capture their first win since the first game of Spring Training. Unfortunately, it won’t be televised or on the radio.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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