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Instant Reaction: Blue Jays late rally falls short again in 5-4 loss to Rangers
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jun 27, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 27, 2026, 07:27 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays keep digging themselves in holes that they just can’t climb out of.
On Friday, the Blue Jays played the second of four against the Texas Rangers, falling 5-4 to the American League West team. Once again, their rally fell one-run short, dropping their record to 39-43, a four-game losing streak since reaching .500 on Monday.
For the fifth consecutive game, the Blue Jays were down before they even had a chance to bat. Patrick Corbin started the game, allowing a single to Wyatt Langford, then hit Josh Jung with a pitch. The third batter of the game, Brandon Nimmo, hit a double to make it 1-0. Justin Foscue and Ezequiel Duran each hit one-out singles, giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead.
The first two innings saw the Jays muster on walk, which allowed the Rangers to take a 5-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run courtesy of Foscue, his fifth of the season. In the bottom of the fourth, the Jays finally got their first hit, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined one into the outfield, but both Kazuma Okamoto and Daulton Varsho went down swinging to end the inning.
Corbin got the first out of the top of the fifth, with John Schneider turning to the bullpen for the rest of the game. It’s been a tough month for Corbin, and his line of 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K isn’t going to help.
Andrés Giménez led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, and after George Springer struck out, Nathan Lukes hit a single. Unfortunately, Guerrero Jr. grounded out with runners on the corner, killing momentum.
The Jays got two more runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but Davis Schneider and Brandon Valenzuela each struck out. In the bottom of the eighth, the Jays finally broke through. Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run single to cut the lead to three, then Okamoto went deep for his 19th home run of the season to make it a one run game.
Ernie Clement hit a two-out single, but pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk struck out swinging to strand yet another runner. It went from bad to worse in the ninth. Valenzuela led off the inning with a walk, a great start. However, Giménez failed to get the bunt down and eventually popped up. Springer flew out, and Myles Straw popped up, ending the game.

Takeaways…

I mean where do you even start with this game. This was the 82nd game of the season, we’re past the midway mark, and yet, the Blue Jays continue to not be a very good baseball team. With the trade deadline a little over a month away, when does the front office sit down and decide it’s best to sell?
At this point, the team is all but healthy, sans Addison Barger and Yimi García. Their only saving grace is the fact that they are just one game out of a wild card spot, and not even double-digit games behind the American League East leader. Paired with an American League pennant win last season, that puts a lot of pressure on the team to be buyers, even if they probably aren’t good enough to make a run this season.
Well, the team was all but healthy, as Jesús Sánchez crashed into the wall and sprained his right ankle in the top of the seventh. With Sean Keys set to be called up before Saturday’s game, that’s now a pretty clear move, but it subtracts an outfielder for a corner infielder. Maybe George Springer will play in the outfield.
Another option for the outfield is Kazuma Okamoto. Prior to coming to Major League Baseball, he played some left field in Japan. If the Jays were to go down that route, it would free up a spot for Keys at third base and keep Springer off his feet.
That said, Okamoto’s defence at the hot corner has been great, and he’s been even better with the bat. His 19 home runs this season lead the team, and it isn’t even particularly close, as Springer’s eight long-balls are second-best on the team.
Patrick Corbin helped the rotation in April and May, but his string of tough starts in June has continued. It seems for at least now, this is the way that the rotation is going to be set up, as the Jays have no other starter on the way back from the injured list. Well, other than Jake Bloss. I’m not sure he’s ready, though.
At least the bullpen had a successful night. Spencer Miles struck out three over two and two-thirds innings, with the lone blemish being a hit. Adam Macko walked two and struck out one, but his scoreless inning dropped his ERA to 1.38. Louis Varland also pitched a scoreless inning, striking out a batter in the ninth.
The Jays will look to avoid a series loss with Dylan Cease on the mound on Saturday. That game has a 3:07 PM ET start time, and he’ll be opposed by Canadian Cal Quantrill. Keys will be activated before the game, and let’s just hope he’s in the lineup.
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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