Blue Jays offence dries up in Sacramento heat during costly loss to Athletics

Toronto loses 2 of 3 in California capital to fall further behind the Guardians for final AL wild card spot

Published Sep 09, 2026  •  2 minute read

Henry Bolte of the Athletics trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the bottom of the third inning at Sutter Health Park on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson /Getty Images

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This one is going to sting for a while and not just because the Blue Jays have an entire off day to sit on a 2-0 loss that cost them a pivotal, some would say winnable, series against one of the American League doormats.

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It might be the one that the Jays look back on at the end of the schedule and wonder, “What if?”

The Sacramento-based A’s are playing out the string and doing so with a large chunk of their core on the injured list, but finished off the three-game series with a second win in what was a bullpen game for both teams.

The Jays just couldn’t string together any kind of offensive attack against the A’s bullpen.

Manager John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays takes the ball from pitcher Michael Lorenzen in a game against the Athletics in the bottom of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson /Getty Images

Jays muster just one extra-base hit

Toronto managed just five hits against five different A’s pitcher, only one of them an extra-base hit. It was one more than the A’s managed all afternoon, but that didn’t matter in terms of the outcome.

The lone extra-base hit Toronto hitters managed belonged to newcomer Brett Bateman, who doubled in the fifth in front of a sliding Carlos Cortes in left field. Bateman made it to third on a Nathan Lukes infield single with just one out, but was left there when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a routine double play to end the inning.

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The Jays also had two runners on in the fourth, but they were stranded as well.

A Henry Bolte solo homer in the third was all the offence the A’s would need in this one. It came off reliever Mike Lorenzen, who would give up both runs — the other on a wild pitch in the fourth — over 2 2/3 innings. Lorenzen picked up the loss and fell to 3-12 in a season that began with 11 of those losses in a Colorado uniform.

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Mostly dominant display by relievers

The other 5 1/3 innings in this game were shared by Braydon Fisher, Paul Sewald, Joe Mantiply, Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland with the A’s combined output against those pitchers being a single walk. Not a hit, not a hit batsman, just a lone walk, but somehow the A’s still came away with the win.

The Jays have Thursday off before resuming the hunt for the third and final American League wild card spot on Friday at home when they host the Baltimore Orioles. It’s way too early to count the Jays out at this point, but Wednesday’s effort on a hot day in Sacramento will not be remembered as one of the team’s finer efforts, regardless of how this playoff chase winds up.

With the loss, Toronto moved 1 1/2 behind Cleveland for the final playoff spot. Cleveland is in action in Baltimore on Wednesday night.

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