The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t plan on setting records against the Colorado Rockies; neither did they intend to lose a series against the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers. However, baseball is a peculiar sport – both events unfolded throughout the past six games on the road.

Toronto swept the Rockies at Coors Field while setting the most runs (45) and hits (63) in a three-game series. In the following series in Los Angeles, the Blue Jays mightily struggled but found ways to scrounge up one heart-attack-inducing win to avoid a sweep.

If we use the approach the 2025 Blue Jays are using, according to The Athletic, the past two weeks have been one of the more confounding stretches the team has had so far.

Their latest series in the city of stars revealed some of the holes the team continues to struggle with. Although the Blue Jays have a better record than the Dodgers on paper, a lineup featuring Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith was not going to be a walk in the park. Nor was it going to be easy to score runs against starters like Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Blake Snell on the mound. Sure enough, Toronto only scored two runs across the first two games while the Dodgers recorded 14 runs.

The team finally managed to outduel the dangerous Dodgers in the last game of the series, thanks to its blue-collar mentality. The Blue Jays are one team that won’t roll over, even if the odds are stacked against them. The Sunday afternoon game ended with rookie reliever Mason Fluharty striking out Ohtani and grounding out Betts in a bases-loaded jam for his first career save. The Blue Jays won, proving that the idea of giving up isn’t in their vocabulary.

Coming back home, Toronto’s schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out.

Starting Tuesday, the team hosts the NL top Wild Card contender in the Chicago Cubs for three games, and the recently surging Texas Rangers are arriving this weekend. Both teams have better run differential (Chicago is at 118 and Texas is at 59), and they also possess far better team ERA numbers, with the Rangers at the top of the league with a 3.28 ERA and the Cubs at 14th with a 3.88 ERA. For reference, Toronto ranks 23rd in team ERA, with a 4.28 ERA.

The trials aren’t quite over yet for the Blue Jays; in fact, it’s only just starting. The solution to having a successful homestand is simple: prevent runs and score more runs – easier said than done. That plan has played out pretty well for Toronto, despite some slumps, but trying to replicate their success against good teams won’t come easily. The Dodgers didn’t make things easy for this team with leaky pitching and fluctuating bats against top arms; the Cubs and the Rangers will try their best to capitalize on that for the next few games.

The Blue Jays are now at the home stretch with just under a month and a half of the campaign left, where they have to continue proving why they deserve to be at the table with other contenders around the league. Cashing in as many wins against bad teams is a must, such as winning that Rockies series, but a truly great team knows how to win against stronger opponents because the playoffs will be filled with excellent rivals.

Even with the struggles on the road, the Blue Jays are still one of the top teams that put the ball in play often than not. This is when they have to maximize their strength to put pressure on their opponents while hopefully allowing as few runs as possible. If there is a glimmer of hope, Toronto has had a 38-19 record at Rogers Centre, showing their love for playing on its home turf.

Wouldn’t it be nice to extend that enthusiasm right about now? It’s time for the Blue Jays to keep doing weird really well.

Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.