The Blue Jays found a way to squeeze out a 3-2 win over the Nationals, and the night had enough odd little twists to keep it from feeling routine. The biggest surprise, at least from this corner, was Kazuma Okamoto stealing a base. That swipe turned into a run and helped push Toronto to a 3-1 lead.
Okamoto singled with one out, stole second, and came around on a Myles Straw single. Luis Urías also walked in the sequence, though he would have moved up anyway. It was one of those innings that had just enough chaos to matter.
Toronto’s other big offensive burst came in the third. Urías opened the scoring with a one-out homer, then Straw and Ernie Clement followed with back-to-back doubles. Nathan Lukes drew a walk after that, but Vlad lined out to deep center - 380 feet, just short of the 390 he needed - and George Springer popped out.
That was enough offense, because the bullpen did the rest.
Max Scherzer started and labored through 2.2 innings, throwing 75 pitches while allowing four hits and three walks. He struck out four and gave up just one run, but it was a grind from the start.
The first inning featured a bases-loaded jam that ended with no damage, even after Alejandro Kirk dropped an easy popup. In the second, Scherzer allowed a single, a walk and a double, though only one run crossed.
In the third, CJ Abrams walked, stole second and third, and still got stranded.
His ERA is under 10 now - 9.49.
Mason Fluharty got the final out of the third and worked a quick fourth. Adam Macko opened the fifth and surrendered a solo homer before recording two outs.
Spencer Miles finished the inning, then worked out of trouble in the sixth after a leadoff single. He got a double play on a terrific play by Urías, who caught a soft line drive, noticed Daylen Lile had drifted too far off second, and fired a strong throw to Vlad.
Miles then added a strikeout.
Tyler Rogers handled the seventh cleanly with a groundout, strikeout and groundout. Jeff Hoffman took the eighth and looked comfortable, striking out two, allowing a double on a good pitch, then striking out another hitter.
Louis Varland closed it out in the ninth, and that inning definitely tried to make things interesting. He opened with a popup on a 100.5 pitch, then a strikeout.
After that came a single and a walk, which had everyone sweating - especially with 30 C weather in Calgary. A long fly ball stayed just foul, then a called third strike was overturned on a challenge.
Varland ended it anyway, pumping a 100 mph fastball at the top of the zone for swinging strike three.
Toronto finished with seven hits and four walks. Straw had two hits, while Lukes, Kirk and Varsho went without a hit. There was also strong defense on both sides, including an amazing ground-ball play by CJ Adams in the ninth.
Jays of the Day went to Varland, Hoffman, Rogers, Fluharty, Miles, Straw and Urías. The other award went to Varsho, who finished at -0.10.
The next game is set for another 6:45 Eastern start, with Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.70) facing Cade Cavalli (7-, 3.58).
In Other News...
Blue Jays Prospect Shakeup Comes With One Worry Fans Can't Ignore
The Blue Jays latest Top-30 prospect refresh brought a mix of stability and movement, with JoJo Parker, Arjun Nimmala, Nolan Perry and Johnny King all holding their places at the top of the list. Beyond that familiar front end, the rankings started to reflect a system that has been shaped as much by opportunity as by talent, with some players pushing up after getting brief looks in the majors and others sliding back because their development has been interrupted.
Perrys rise remains one of the more notable subplots, especially given how much ground he has had to make up after a lost stretch. Sean Keys and Charles McAdoo also climbed after their short major league stints, a reminder that Toronto is still sorting out which prospects are closest to helping in the big leagues. On the other side, Ricky Tidemann and Jake Bloss took hits in the update after injury-plagued seasons, which leaves the organization with a familiar question: how much of this groups trajectory will be determined by performance, and how much by simply staying on the field? [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Selloff Suddenly Puts Several Familiar Faces On The Block
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Shane Biebers latest stretch has at least given Toronto something to weigh, with back-to-back strong outings helping his value at just the right time. George Springers contract situation also puts him squarely in the middle of the deadline chatter, while Daulton Varsho and Kevin Gausman add to a list of established players whose futures could be tied to how the next few days unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies May Be Closing In On The Veteran Arm They Need
Philadelphia is already thinking ahead to the 2026 trade deadline, and the early conversation is less about star power than about stability. The Phillies have enough at the top of their rotation to feel good about October, but the gap behind their leading arms has them looking for a veteran who can slide into the back end and keep the whole group from getting exposed when the games matter most.
Kevin Gausman is one of the names drawing attention, and the appeal is obvious from Philadelphias side. He has the kind of postseason background that teams covet in July, and Torontos place in the standings suggests the Blue Jays could eventually be in a position to listen. For a contender trying to line up its October pitching before the market gets crowded, that sort of arm is exactly the type that can change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]