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Series Recap: Blue Jays take two of three from the Nationals in final road series before the trade deadline
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Photo credit: © Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jul 30, 2026, 12:30 EDTUpdated: Jul 30, 2026, 00:13 EDT
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For the first time in three weeks, the Toronto Blue Jays have won a series.
With their fates as sellers at this season’s trade deadline already secured, the Blue Jays rolled into the United States’ capital and managed to take two of three from the Washington Nationals, the highest scoring team in baseball.
As has been the case all season, strong pitching was needed for a Blue Jays’ victory, and they got that on Monday. Well, not from starter Max Scherzer, who only went two and two-thirds innings. It was the bullpen that carried the Jays to the win, as Tyler Rogers, Jeff Hoffman, and Louis Varland were all nails in the final three innings.
The Jays did enough offensively for the 3-2 victory as well. Luis Urías tied the game with a solo home run in the top of the third, then Ernie Clement doubled in a run later that inning. In the third, Myles Straw hit an RBI single for a much-needed insurance run, as Andrés Chaparro hit a lead-off home run in the fifth.
Unfortunately, the Jays were unable to string together consecutive wins, and it all stems from the first inning on Tuesday. With Shane Bieber on the mound in what could be his final start as a Blue Jay, he managed to destroy all trade value his last two starts got him, walking six and giving up four earned runs in just two thirds of an inning.
That put stress on the Jays bullpen, and aside from Brendon Little’s performance (2.1 IP, 4 K) and another strong outing from Hoffman, it just wasn’t a good day on the mound for the Jays. 
It wasn’t much better in the batters’ box, as Kazuma Okamoto hit his 24th home run of the season, and George Springer hit a three-run blast to make it 8-6, giving the Jays a little bit of life. But in the end, the hole Bieber dug was just too deep to crawl out of.
Bieber may have struggled, but Trey Yesavage sure didn’t. Overall, he went six and two-thirds, giving up just three hits, an earned run, and three walks while striking out four on Wednesday afternoon. That lone run allowed came in the bottom of the fourth, but the Jays were able to answer in the sixth thanks to an Ernie Clement RBI double.
The following inning, Daulton Varsho hit a go-ahead RBI infield single, then the Jays popped off for three runs in the top of the eighth. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, Okamoto was just able to place the ball out of reach, driving in two. Springer then drove in Okamoto to give the Jays a 5-1 lead.
It still got hairy, though. The big inning meant Rogers sat for nearly half an hour. When he returned, he just didn’t have it, giving up a lead-off double, an RBI single, then a walk. With no outs and the game-tying run at the plate, the Jays turned to Varland for the final six outs.
You obviously know what happened next, as Varland escaped the inning by stranding the bases loaded, then got the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth for his 23rd save of the season in 23 opportunities.
For the first time since their series against the San Francisco Giants in early July, the Jays managed to win a series. Now the question is, can they build on it? 
They’ll return home to host the St. Louis Cardinals in the final series before Monday’s trade deadline. The Jays will sell, but maybe, just maybe, a few wins here can slightly alter the front office’s plans and attempt a late season run.
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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