Blue Jays cling to playoff dream with Sunday win in Texas

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leaves game with back tightness as Toronto records critical victory over Rangers

Published Sep 20, 2026  •  4 minute read

Nathan Lukes of the Toronto Blue Jays is greeted in the dugout after scoring in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Richard Rodriguez /GETTY IMAGES

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At Globe Life Field, the Blue Jays showed some much-needed life following two games of dispirited, disjointed and thoroughly disappointing performances.

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As a result, the Jays live to fight another day, knowing only six games remain, knowing the playoff math is heavily weighted against them, and their margin for error is essentially zero.

But there’s a chance nonetheless after the Jays avoided getting swept by the host Texas Rangers, who earned a four-game sweep when they were in Toronto earlier in the season.

In Sunday’s series finale, the Jays punched first, and overcame a counterpunch before delivering the knockout blow en route to a 7-2 win.

Wins are an absolute necessity with time running out, but even then the Jays will require help.

The following are three takeaways on a day Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was lifted following the top of the fourth inning because of lower back tightness, a day leadoff hitter Brett Bateman scored three runs.

Wonders will never Cease

It didn’t take an educated baseball eye to realize something was woefully amiss with staff ace Dylan Cease on Friday night.

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Bad enough his velocity reached disturbingly low career levels, but Cease’s complete lack of control raised the concern level to alarming.

An MRI was performed in Toronto on Saturday night, the results of which the Jays are likely to provide at some point Monday in Baltimore, but what is known is that Cease will not make his scheduled start Wednesday in the series finale.

The Jays have not ruled out Cease toeing the rubber when the Cincinnati Reds come to town this weekend, but so much will depend on the club’s playoff chances, which is slim at best.

Almost from the moment the Jays gathered in spring training, some kind of issue would afflict a starter.

The term bullpen game began in early April and it has become quite fashionable this season for the Jays, who have been forced to piece together a rotation that has been in perpetual flux.

The list of injuries, in fact, is longer than any win streak mounted this season.

In a weird way, Cease not making Wednesday’s start with no telling he’ll start again this season seems to encapsulate the plight of the club’s rotation.

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Spencer Miles served as the opener in Sunday’s series finale.

Trey Yesavage, in normal times, would be used in the role of a conventional starter, but he’s coming off a knee procedure and is far from being built up as he makes his first appearance since coming off the injured list.

He will, nonetheless, get the assignment Monday night against the Orioles.

Predictably, the right-hander will be on a pitch count with 50 pitches believed to be the max, which brings us to Max Scherzer, Tuesday’s scheduled starter in what could be the veteran’s final start with the Jays.

Arrighetti stays ready

Spencer Arrighetti hasn’t looked nearly as bad since he first joined the Jays.

In fact, he looked pretty good in his past two appearances heading into Sunday.

Once Miles completed three scoreless innings, Arrighetti was asked to carry the pitching torch so to speak.

The way Miles pitched, it was a tough act to follow.

Arrighetti’s appearance began on a positive note by recording a strikeout before a walk was issued.

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Calamity struck when Jake Burger took Arrighetti deep for a game-tying two-run homer.

The dinger was the sixth homer allowed by Arrighetti with the Jays, but it was his first following two strong appearances across 4.2 innings.

Walks have also been an issue.

Arrighetti survived a stressful fifth inning.

His day ended after Arrighetti recorded the first out to begin the sixth on a strikeout, his second of the game in 2.1 innings.

Read More

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   SIMMONS SAYS: Guerrero's woeful season is one for the ages

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   Blue Jays' slim playoff hopes grow dimmer following dispirited loss to Texas Rangers

Keys to success

What to make of Sean Keys is anyone’s guess until he’s allowed enough of a runway to even begin making a definitive statement.

The eye test says he’s a big-leaguer, but the Jays should have used the kid considerably more than they have.

Granted, the team is in the business of winning and not developing players in the majors.

Still, the leash provided to Keys hasn’t been long and his potential to go long is one area of the club’s offence that has been in short supply.

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In his first at-bat, Keys hit a run-scoring double into right-centre to give the Jays a 2-0 lead.

The kid came up in a big moment in the fifth inning with runners on the corner and one out after the Jays regained the lead on an RBI single by Kazuma Okamoto.

Keys worked a full count before taking a ball four to load the bases.

Charles McAdoo pinch-hit for Josh Smith and would hit into an inning-ending double play. McAdoo would make amends by knocking in two runs in a fateful four-run seventh inning.

Up Next

When Yesavage was last seen on a big-league mound, he was warming up to begin the third inning against the host Houston Astros when his left knee buckled; subsequent imaging discovered a meniscus issue, which led to surgery. Fast forward to the present and Yesavage will make his return Monday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (6:35 p.m. first pitch). Yesavage pitched two innings of no-hit ball against the Astros on Aug. 4.

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