The Blue Jays found enough offense and plenty of bullpen help to slip past the Red Sox 5-3, even with Dylan Cease not quite at his usual sharpest.
Cease worked five innings and gave up five hits, four walks and seven strikeouts while allowing two home runs. Neither one was a moonshot; one barely got over the wall. By most standards, it was still a solid outing, just not the dominant one people have come to expect from him.
Toronto then leaned on the relief corps, and the group answered. Chase Lee covered five outs and allowed a hit and two walks.
Brandon Little finished the seventh with a strikeout of the lefty. Braydon Fisher handled a quick eighth and gave up only a walk.
Spencer Miles earned the save, though he did allow a double on a ball that looked like Myles Straw should have caught - only Straw seemed to think the wall was closer than it was.
On a day when Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers were rested, the bullpen still came through.
The Jays didn’t hit any homers of their own, but they did pile up 10 hits and enough timely contact to score five. Bateman, Straw and Kirk each finished with two hits, while Clement was the only Blue Jay who didn’t reach base. He also hit into two double plays, though he still managed to drive in a run.
Toronto’s scoring came in bunches and in different ways. In the third, with two outs, Lukes singled, McAdoo walked and Bateman doubled home Lukes.
In the fifth, Andrés Giménez opened with a single, Straw forced a play at second, Lukes laid down a good bunt, and McAdoo delivered a sacrifice fly. Bateman added another RBI in that inning.
In the sixth, Springer walked to start things off, Kirk singled him to third, and Clement reached on a force at second while Springer crossed the plate. In the eighth, Springer led off with a single, Kirk again forced a play at second, Josh Smith pinch-ran, Clement popped out, Giménez was hit by a pitch on the knee, and Straw followed with a double that brought Smith home.
The Jays probably left some runs out there. The double plays hurt, and Vlad nearly added more when he lined one into the right-field corner with Bateman on first.
Wilyer Abreu got there before it reached the back wall and fired a perfect throw to second to get Vlad. It looked like a double off the bat, but Abreu made a great play to keep it from becoming one.
Toronto also flashed some standout defense. Giménez made a diving stop on a grounder to his right, got up and made a perfect bounce throw to first.
McAdoo looked better at third than expected. Kirk also came up with a strong throw to catch a runner stealing.
The other award went to Clement (-0.15), Vlad (-0.12) and Cease (-0.12).
In Other News...
Blue Jays May Be Eyeing An AL East Answer For Rotation Woes
The Blue Jays spent the summer trying to shore up a rotation that has already been reshaped by the trade of Kevin Gausman and the uncertainty surrounding pending free agents Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer. After acquiring Jos Soriano from the Angels ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, Toronto has made clear it is looking for answers wherever it can find them, and the offseason figures to bring more movement as the front office tries to keep the pitching staff from thinning out any further.
One name now being floated in that search is Baltimore left-hander Trevor Rogers, with Bleacher Report linking him to Toronto as a possible fit on the open market. The idea makes sense on a team-specific level: the Blue Jays need innings, stability and a rotation piece they can count on beyond the short term, even if Rogers is far from the only arm who could land on their radar before winter is over. [Read more 🡒]
Alejandro Kirk Keeps Becoming A Bigger Part Of Blue Jays Culture
Alejandro Kirk has already become one of the more recognizable faces around the Blue Jays, and now he is stepping into a different role in Toronto sports culture. The catcher has become both a brand ambassador and a shareholder for Banditos Mexican Lager, a Toronto-based beer brand that launched in 2024 and is brewed in Ontario with Mexican-style lager inspiration.
For Kirk, the partnership fits neatly with the way his profile has grown in Toronto, bridging his Mexican roots and his Canadian baseball career in a way that feels natural to the city around him. It also gives Banditos a built-in link to one of the teams most popular players, which should only deepen the connection between Kirk and a fan base that has watched him become a bigger part of the Blue Jays identity. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Bullpen Gamble Could Put Another Arm On The Bubble
The Blue Jays added another layer to their bullpen picture by bringing in veteran right-hander Paul Sewald after he was waived by the Diamondbacks. It is the kind of move that signals both urgency and caution at the same time, because Toronto is looking for help in the relief corps without pretending the fit comes with much certainty.
Sewalds season has been rough, and the Blue Jays are clearly banking more on depth than on immediate stability as they sort out the roster. To make room, Toronto will likely have to bump another reliever off the active mix, which turns a simple waiver claim into a larger bullpen decision with someone else now sitting on the bubble. [Read more 🡒]