Yesavage falters in 5-run 6th inning as Blue Jays fall to O's

TORONTO -- It was all going so well, but the good moments still feel so fleeting for the 2026 Blue Jays.

“It’s not a secret, we’ve been inconsistent for most of the year,” manager John Schneider said, an understatement after the week that’s been.

From Friday night’s 13-3 loss to the Orioles at Rogers Centre, this is what mattered most:

1. UNRAVELLED: Yesavage’s ugly 6th

After Trey Yesavage allowed a solo home run to Adley Rutschman in the top of the first, it looked like he’d decided that was enough for the night. After cruising through the middle innings in his typically dominant fashion, though, Yesavage slammed into a wall in the sixth.

Coby Mayo’s two-run homer capped off a five-run inning and ended Yesavage’s night early, a stunning turn for the young right-hander who has launched himself back into the American League Rookie of the Year conversation.

“I can’t put my finger on anything that’s changed,” said Yesavage, “just a compounding of mistakes. A lot of damage got done.”

We haven’t seen variance like this from Yesavage. We’ve either seen the dominant version of Yesavage, which tends to stay dominant the whole night, or his ‘B’ game, which still tends to be good enough. Rarely have we seen a team adjust to Yesavage and land a counterpunch quite like this, which will be a valuable lesson for the 22-year-old as he learns to navigate long seasons and face the same lineups over and over.

Last week, this same O’s lineup forced a career-high seven walks over 5 1/3 innings out of Yesavage, who was only saved by some timely double-play ground balls. They’ve got Yesavage’s number, so it’s his turn now to get it back.

“We just need to play for each other,” Yesavage said. “Starters need to play for their bullpen to give those guys some rest. Bullpen needs to play for the guys whose runs they’re saving. Offense, just pass the torch. We don’t need a home run swing every time. Get on base, pass the torch to the next guy and rely on the next guy to get the job done.”

2. CLOCK’S TICKING: Catching competition

Brandon Valenzuela’s two-run homer Friday night -- a 417-foot shot on a fantastic swing from the left side -- made yet another statement in his case to stick around when Alejandro Kirk returns, which could happen late next week.

Valenzuela is now batting .234 with a .748 OPS, is a very strong defender behind the plate and could already be one of baseball’s best young catchers when it comes to controlling the running game. He’s a big leaguer, it’s just a matter of whether the Blue Jays believe the time is now. Valenzuela’s production has earned him clear playing time in edge over the incumbent backup Tyler Heineman, who at 34 years old is out of options.

Valenzuela just keeps building his case, though, and the confidence of his game is so easy to see in all phases.

The Blue Jays’ acquisition of Valenzuela from the Padres at last year’s Trade Deadline for infielder Will Wagner was under the radar at the time, overshadowed by bigger splashes in Louis Varland and Shane Bieber. Looking back, it already feels like one of the savviest moves we’ve seen from this front office.

3. OVERTIME: Bullpen usage

Sure, the Blue Jays would rather have been rolling out some combination of Braydon Fisher, Jeff Hoffman and Mason Fluharty to set up a Louis Varland save, but these relievers can’t pitch every night… even if it’s been close to that lately.

All four have appeared in at least 29 games, with Fluharty leading the league at 33. It’s often working in the short term, but it’s risky in the long term.

“We talk to them all the time and [pitching coach] Pete [Walker] does a great job of seeing how they’re feeling,” Schneider said, “but it’s been a weird one for Louis where there are a couple back-to-back outings where it’s innings, then there’s three days off. We try to track it the best we can. It’s tough when he says ‘I’m good’ all the time, but you want to be aware of what that looks like in a couple for months. We’re working through it and try to avoid redlining, if you will.”

The easy answer? A 10-2 win, where a starter pitches seven and hands off to a middle reliever for the final two. Dare to dream.