TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have slayed a few giants this season, Paul Skenes and Chris Sale included, but they couldn’t conquer Cristopher Sánchez.
A short night from Patrick Corbin left the Blue Jays with an uphill climb against Sánchez, who’s already hard enough to beat on the best of days.
This is what mattered from the 5-2 loss to the Phillies:
1. One big missed opportunity
Coming off Ernie Clement's solo shot in the fifth, which brought the Blue Jays within three, it felt like Yohendrick Piñango’s leadoff double in the sixth (which got him to third on an error) would keep that momentum rolling.
A runner on third base with the Blue Jays’ 1-2-3 hitters due up should nearly be a guaranteed run, but it wasn’t.
Instead, George Springer, Nathan Lukes and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all struck out. Guerrero, who showed some frustration on Monday night, watched an inside sinker for strike three to end the inning and he knew it. These moments keep lining up for Guerrero to break through, which puts so much pressure on each one. Soon, one of these needs to burst the dam.
“I want him to keep going, keep understanding he’s the face of our team. He’s our best hitter," manager John Schneider said. “It’s going to come around for him. It takes a game. It takes a swing.”
Yes, Sánchez is a truly dominant pitcher who we might be calling a Cy Young winner later this year, but all the Blue Jays needed here was a ball put in play.
The recent weeks have featured plenty of moments that felt like the 2025 Blue Jays again, all of which are extremely encouraging. This one didn’t.
2. For Patrick Corbin… What now?
Let’s start small before we step back. Monday night was not kind to Corbin, who allowed five runs over just three innings of work, poor timing given that Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer could be pitching with some restrictions on Tuesday and Wednesday. With four walks, including one with the bases loaded, Corbin simply didn’t have his best stuff against the Phillies, the second outing in a row that the 14-year veteran hasn’t looked sharp.
Big picture, though? Corbin has been everything the Blue Jays could have hoped for, arguably the best $1 million they’ll spend this season. When the Blue Jays signed Corbin in early April, it looked at the time like he may only be needed for one or two starts. Injuries just kept piling up in this rotation, though, and now he’s made a dozen.
Just look at how much roster churn there’s already been in the Blue Jays’ bullpen, which could continue with names like Simeon Woods Richardson and Connor Seabold on the bubble as Cease and Scherzer return. If Corbin hadn’t taken this rotation spot and calmed the waters, there would be even more turmoil at the bottom of the Blue Jays’ roster, so his value to this organization has gone beyond the mound.
Monday night against the Phillies wasn’t pretty, but Corbin has already given the Blue Jays plenty.
3. What about a six-man rotation?
This question has mostly been dismissed by Schneider over the years. It could make sense, though, if it would allow the Blue Jays to be more careful with Scherzer and manage the workloads of Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber.
This idea would require two more things: Corbin rebounding and the rotation staying healthy when Bieber returns, which could be after just one more rehab start. That’s a lot to ask for, but if something finally goes the Blue Jays’ way in 2026, they’ll have to be ready for it.
“We’ve discussed that and we’ve discussed not doing that,” Schneider said. “I’m not sure how that affects everyone in the starting rotation. When you’re doing that, you’re really relying on them to give you 100 pitches almost every time out.”
Making this more challenging? The fact that Louis Varland, Jeff Hoffman, Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty have already carried massive workloads. It feels like Tyler Rogers could make 100 appearances without wearing down, but that leaves just two more bullpen spots if you’re running six starters.
A likelier outcome here could be the Blue Jays working in a sixth starter as a “bullpen day”, just like they’ve done with Spencer Miles recently. That’s worked, and if they find themselves with a stretch of 10-plus games without an off-day, it can work again.