Series recap: Blue Jays win second series in a row, fail to complete the sweep over Cardinals
Photo credit: © Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Aug 3, 2026, 12:30 EDTUpdated: Aug 3, 2026, 12:21 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays have now won two series in a row.
This past weekend, they hosted the St. Louis Cardinals in the final series before the trade deadline, managing to take two of three for the National League Central team. Entering the deadline, they have a 52-60 record and sit four and a half games back of the final wild card spot with a bunch of teams to jump.
After taking two of three from the Washington Nationals, the Jays won their second in a row on Friday evening. The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the fifth, but the Blue Jays tied it thanks to back-to-back doubles from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto in the bottom of the sixth.
They had a chance to score in the bottom of the seventh, but Guerrero Jr. hit into a double play with the bases loaded, ending the threat. They threatened again in the bottom of the eighth, earning three consecutive walks to load them up once again. This time, Luis Urías snuck a ball through a hole on the left side to score two runs.
The Jays went on to win that game 3-1, as Louis Varland pitched a scoreless inning for his 24th save in 24 attempts this season.
Kevin Gausman started on Saturday in what happened to be his final start for the Jays. He was able to go five and two-thirds, giving up just one earned run. That turned out to be the only run that the Cardinals scored, doing so in the sixth.
Coming into that inning, the Jays held a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, George Springer hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third, then Urías hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-0.
The Blue Jays tacked on some runs in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win for Gausman. Springer hit an RBI double, then Alejandro Kirk drove in two with a single to give the Jays a 5-1 lead. Jeff Hoffman and Tyler Rogers each threw a scoreless inning.
On Sunday afternoon, the Blue Jays were looking for their first sweep since they managed to do so against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway in June. They were unable to do it though, falling 5-1.
Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer hurled a gem, giving up just one earned run over six innings of work in what could end up being his final start as a Blue Jay. The Jays couldn’t get anything going against Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore, but scored a game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth, as Urías drove in another run in a clutch moment.
Varland entered in the top of the ninth and had an uncharacteristic outing, struggling with command and giving up three hits. Only one of the four runs given up was earned, as Urías committed an error on what would’ve been an inning-ending ground out, adding three more runs for the Cardinals. This was a disappointing loss that stopped the Blue Jays momentum in its tracks.
Who knows what the team will look like when they hit the road to begin a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Monday. Gausman has already been traded, and the Blue Jays acquired José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels on Monday morning.
We’ll see what the team looks like, but if they want a late-season playoff push, it has to start here.
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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