The Toronto Blue Jays dropped a 6-5 Labour Day contest to the Athletics on Monday at Sutter Health Park, falling short after a late-inning rally as defensive miscues and an uncharacteristic start from Dylan Cease cost the club in the American League wild-card race.
According to game accounts, the defeat leaves the Blue Jays one game behind Cleveland for the third wild-card spot in the American League, after the Guardians lost 6-4 to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday afternoon. With only 17 games remaining in the regular season, Toronto’s beleaguered starting rotation faces mounting pressure as injuries continue to test the roster’s depth.
Defensive Lapses and Baserunning Fuel Early Athletics Lead
The Athletics capitalized immediately on shaky command from Cease and a series of defensive miscues by Toronto in the opening frames. In the first inning, Cease issued a leadoff walk to Henry Bolte, who subsequently scored on Zack Gelof’s ground-rule double. Gelof later scored the Athletics’ second run of the inning when Kazuma Okamoto botched a clean throw from catcher Alejandro Kirk during a rundown between third base and home.
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According to game reports, the Athletics added two more runs in the third inning, aided by four stolen bases—including two each by Bolte and Gelof—and another misplay at home plate where Okamoto bounced a throw to Kirk, allowing Bolte to score. Toronto manager John Schneider noted after the game that stopping the A’s running game had been a primary point of discussion in pre-game meetings.
“I wish I had a little more focus on that,” Cease said regarding his inability to control the running game. “I feel like looking back, I kind of just let it happen. But I mean, the biggest thing is not letting them on base would have been nice, but no, they definitely took advantage.”
Cease’s Velocity Dip Complicates Toronto’s Rotation Plans
Cease labored through five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out six batters across 94 pitches. The right-hander induced 13 swings and misses, but featured a noticeable velocity drop throughout the outing. His fastball topped out at 96.4 m.p.h. and sat at 94.9 m.p.h., falling below his season average of 97.1 m.p.h.
“I think it’s just late in the season and I’ve got to kind of roll with what I’ve got and try to figure out how I can maybe maximize that a little bit better,” Cease said, expressing disappointment with his overall command. The velocity decrease presents a challenge for the Blue Jays as they weigh how to structure their pitching staff around injuries that have left the active rotation heavily reliant on Cease, Jose Soriano, and Max Scherzer.
Late Rally Falls Short in the Ninth Inning
Trailing late, Toronto mounted a spirited comeback that culminated in Andres Gimenez hitting a game-tying home run in the ninth inning to level the score at 5-5. However, the Athletics answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame against Blue Jays closer Louis Varland.
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“A couple of infield hits beat you,” Schneider said following the walk-off loss. “It’s going to happen sometimes and no one else I’d rather have out there than Louis. So, good placement by them.”
With the loss, Toronto sits half a game ahead of Texas—who did not play Monday—while the Baltimore Orioles trail the Blue Jays by two games ahead of a three-game series between the clubs scheduled for the upcoming weekend at Rogers Centre.