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Instant Reaction: Blue Jays’ bullpen blows another game in 5-4 loss to Reds
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Photo credit: © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Sep 1, 2025, 16:30 EDTUpdated: Sep 1, 2025, 16:55 EDT
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That was one of the worst losses of the year.
On Monday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays began a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, heartbreakingly falling 5-4. Let’s take a look at what happened in this one.
In the bottom of the second, Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a double, which scored two runs. That 2-0 lead stood until the top of the seventh, when Alejandro Kirk hit an RBI single to cut the lead in half. After a scoreless eighth, the ninth inning was eventful.
Leading off the final inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an infield single to put the tying run on base. Next up was Bo Bichette, who hit his fourth hit of the game, a two-run shot to give the Jays a 3-2 lead.
For good measure, the Blue Jays went back-to-back as Daulton Varsho hit a solo home run, giving them a 4-2 lead with just three more outs to get.
The Blue Jays couldn’t get those three outs. Hayes hit a lead-off single, but Tommy Nance got Miguel Andujar to pop out. Matt McLain hit a single to put runners on first and second, with the Jays turning to Brendon Little to get the final two outs. The first batter, TJ Friedl, hit a ground-rule double to bring the Reds to within one, and Noelvi Marte hit a two-RBI single with the infield drawn in for the walk-off win.

Takeaways…

I mean, what can you even say about that game? It’s heartbreaking because that should’ve been a win, but once again, the bullpen blew it. Over the past three months, I’ve said that this team has a similar feeling to the 2015 teams, but it’s starting to feel more like 2021.
Bo Bichette did his best to give the Jays a chance, going 4-4 with two singles, a double, and a home run, the latter giving the Jays a late lead. Bichette is now slashing .310/.354/.478 with a 131 wRC+, and this was his fifth four-hit game of the season.
It’s good to have Daulton Varsho back in the lineup, as he hit his 16th home run in just 186 plate appearances to give him a 129 wRC+ for the season. The outfielder had missed the past two games after getting hit by a pitch on Friday.
Chris Bassitt had a solid start, giving up two earned runs in the second inning, but he went 6+ innings with six strikeouts. He gave the Blue Jays a chance to win, but he didn’t have much run support.
Yariel Rodríguez has seemingly gotten back on track, going two innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts. Tommy Nance gave up two hits, with those runs scoring after Brendon Little came in. Little was tagged with the blown loss and save. Nance should’ve been allowed to get out of that jam; he’s earned it.
The Blue Jays’ division lead has dwindled with the loss. While that game was ongoing, the Boston Red Sox closed out the Cleveland Guardians, winning 6-4 to move to just two and a half games behind the Blue Jays. The New York Yankees were off on Monday, but the Jays’ loss brought their division lead to two and a half games as well. It’s worth noting the Jays have the tiebreaker over both teams, so it’s a three and a half game lead.
Tuesday’s game begins at 6:40 PM ET, with José Berríos getting the start. The Jays have to get out of this funk because the Red Sox and Yankees are not far behind them.
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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