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Blue Jays’ loss to Cubs mirrors their trip to Wrigley Field in 2017
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Photo credit: © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Aug 7, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 7, 2026, 16:43 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays are teetering on the edge of waiving the white flag.
Although they sold off expiring contracts ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, they also added to improve the team. Even after the deadline, they managed to win two of three against the red-hot Houston Astros, their third consecutive series win.
But then they ran into the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon. Entering the game three games behind the final wild card spot, a devastating loss feels like it killed any momentum that they had.
The Blue Jays held a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, with the American League’s best reliever on the mound in Louis Varland. Looking to go 25/25 in save opportunities, Varland got the first two outs, and had Alex Bregman on two strikes, but the Cubs’ third baseman hit a game-tying blast.
Throughout the game, the Blue Jays had plenty of chances to score, but those horrific at-bats continued into extra innings. They even received two great game-saving plays, but it was a throwing error that saw the Cubs walk off the Jays. In then end, the went a franchise worst 1-19 with runners in scoring position.
It’s a game that should’ve been won, but it’s not the first time the Blue Jays visited Wrigley Field in August with a similar situation.
Back in 2017, the Jays were coming off back-to-back American League Championship appearances, but much like 2026, they were underperforming. They sold at that season’s trade deadline, moving Francisco Liriano to the Astros for an outfielder in dire need of opportunity, Teoscar Hernández.
Anyway, they got hot after the deadline, going 10-5 to begin the month of August, including taking two of three against the eventual World Series champions, the Astros. Then they travelled to Wrigley Field in mid-August.
Entering that weekend series, the 2017 Jays were facing a similar situation to the 2026 team. They entered the first game against the Cubs just three games back of the final wild card, but also had a bunch of teams (seven) to jump over.
That series did not go well. They fell 7-4 and 4-3 in the first two games of the series, getting to within one run in the eighth inning in both games. But just like Thursday, their final game against the Cubs saw the 2016 World Series winners walk it off thanks to a bases-loaded single. This began a stretch of poor play, as they went 16-24 for the remainder of the season. 
In hindsight nearly a decade later, you can point to this series against the Cubs being the nail in the coffin in not just their postseason aspirations, but also the window of contention in the José Bautista/Josh Donaldson era. 
The Blue Jays’ next 16 games will determine if they can pull off a late season comeback or not. They’re set to play three games against both the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, four against the Boston Red Sox, and six against the New York Yankees. All four of these teams are playoff bound.
Hopefully, Thursday’s loss against the Cubs is just a blip in what will be a miraculous run to make it back to the postseason. But there’s a chance, I’d argue a highly probable one, that the blown save and 1-19 with runners in scoring position was the beginning of the end of what has been a disappointing season.
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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