Series Recap: Blue Jays lose two to the Royals, drop another series
Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 28, 2026, 16:28 EDT
Things are starting to go downhill for the Toronto Blue Jays.
After playing some strong baseball, winning seven series in a row, the Blue Jays have lost their last two series and are 2-4. Against the New York Yankees, their inability to cash in runners in scoring position cost them. It was also prevalent in their series against the Kansas City Royals, but their starting pitching was a mixed bag as well.
Returning home to face the American League Central team on Tuesday, the Jays fell 5-3. Each team scored a run in the first and it remained that way until the fifth inning. Max Scherzer gave up a second earned run and didn’t come out for the sixth. Overall, the future Hall of Famer struggled with command, but did enough to keep the Blue Jays in the game.
The Royals extended their lead to three in the sixth, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. threw the ball away on what would’ve been the second out, allowing a run to score and another run to score later in the inning. They then made it a 5-1 game in the top of the ninth.
More mistakes cost the Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth. They finally started to get something going while down to their final out, bring up Nathan Lukes. The outfielder had the team’s lone hit with runners in scoring position, but was thrown out attempting to get to second, ending the game.
Lukes made up for the mistake the following day, hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. Those three runs were the only runs either team scored on Wednesday. Offensively, the Jays were 1-5 with runners in scoring position, but their bullpen kept the Royals at bay.
Spencer Miles pitched 2+ innings, departing in the third with a runner on first. Brendon Little entered, striking out a batter and giving up two walks. The Jays turned to Chad Dallas, who struck out the final batter of the inning. It’s not all that often you see three pitchers in the same inning anymore.
Mason Fluharty, Paul Seawald, Tyler Rogers, and Louis Varland also pitched in this game. Varland picked up his 30th save of the season, getting an inning-ending ground out with the bases loaded in the eight, before retiring the side in the ninth.
The rubber match didn’t go the Blue Jays’ way on Thursday. Spencer Arrighetti made his first start as a Blue Jay, giving up four runs (three earned) over four innings of work. Simeon Woods Richardson gave up six, and recently-signed Michael Lorenzen also gave up an earned run in his two innings of work. Down big, the Blue Jays turned to Myles Straw to pitch, and he gave up two more runs in the 13-2 loss.
By dropping two of three, the Jays are now 65-70, three and a half games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the final wild card spot. This could be the beginning of the end, especially if they don’t win this three-game weekend series against the Seattle Mariners.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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