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Instant Reaction: Dylan Cease dominates, Blue Jays snap four-game losing skid
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
May 9, 2026, 07:00 EDTUpdated: May 8, 2026, 23:27 EDT
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This is what the Toronto Blue Jays envisioned when they signed Dylan Cease to a franchise record, seven-year, $210 million contract in free agency. 
The right-hander turned in his finest start in his short Blue Jays tenure, helping lead the Blue Jays to a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He dazzled across seven shutout innings to pick up his third win of the 2026 MLB regular season.
Cease worked through the Angels’ lineup with ease, posting a line of 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, his third game this year with 10-plus strikeouts, and his second time this year achieving this feat against the Angels. For the second straight outing, Cease threw seven innings after failing to reach that mark during his first six starts of the year. 
He opened the game by retiring the first nine Angels before shortstop Zach Neto broke the perfect game with a single to left field. Neto was quickly erased on a 5-4-3 double play, highlighted by Kazuma Okamoto’s stab at third on a 105.2 MPH one-hopper off the bat of Mike Trout. 
The Angels were able to pick up a single in each of the ensuing three innings, but every time Cease was able to buckle down and to keep the Blue Jays in front. His seventh inning was the defining moment of the night.
After Jo Adell doubled on a sharp line drive over Daulton Varsho’s head, left-handed power threat Josh Lowe stepped to the plate as the game-tying run. Cease needed five pitches to strike out Lowe on his 99th pitch of the night and keep the Blue Jays’ lead at two runs. 
With the win, the 30-year-old now has a 3-1 record, a 2.58 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP through his first eight starts with the Blue Jays. He looks like every bit like the pitcher they envisioned to join Kevin Gausman atop the club’s rotation. Cease’s 10-strikeout night now places him second in MLB with 66 punchouts, trailing only Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers, who has recorded 70. 
Once again, the Blue Jays’ offence struggled, recording only three hits, but on a night that Cease stole, one run would have done the job. The Blue Jays were able to push both runs across in the third inning, with Okamoto continuing the strong stretch he has been on as of late. 
After George Springer singled to lead off the bottom of the third, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. worked a one-out walk, Okamoto bounced a single up the middle for his team leading 24th RBI of the season. Varsho worked a walk one batter later to load the bases for Ernie Clement. Clement lifted a first-pitch changeup from Angels’ starter Reid Detmers deep enough to right field to bring home Guerrero to extend the Blue Jays’ lead. 
Following Cease’s departure, Jeff Hoffman entered in the eighth and worked around a leadoff double for his fifth hold of the season, picking up a strikeout of Trout to put an end to any Angels rally attempt. 
From there, Louis Varland took over, requiring only 11 pitches (eight strikes) to retire Nolan Schanuel, Jorge Soler, and Yoán Moncada in order and pick up his fifth save of the season. The scoreless outing lowered Varland’s ERA to 0.46, a start to the year that is better than anyone could have hoped for. 
Former Blue Jay Alek Manoah made his return to a big-league mound on Friday night for the first time since May 29, 2024. After undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery in June of 2024, Manoah missed the entire 2025 season as he attempted to work his way back. The right-hander pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and recorded one strikeout. 
The Blue Jays first-round draft pick in the 2019 draft never made his way back to Toronto, ultimately being designated for assignment on September 23. After being claimed by the Atlanta Braves but never appearing in a game, Manoah elected free agency this winter, signing with the Angels on a one-year contract. Manoah dealt with a right middle finger contusion before being activated prior to tonight’s game. 
Saturday afternoon’s game is the second of the three-game set. Trey Yesavage make his third start of the 2026 season and the Angels will counter with right-hander Jack Kochanowicz; first pitch is set for 3:07 p.m. EST at Rogers Centre. 
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