TORONTO -- For the Blue Jays to get where they want to go, whether that’s in 2026 or beyond, finding some thump at the plate would go a long way toward easing their offensive struggles.
That search for runs and power continued for Toronto in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Rays at Rogers Centre, as the Blue Jays managed just four hits and weren’t able to build any momentum after scoring in the first inning for the first time since July 12.
“[Tampa Bay’s] got some of the best arms in baseball, but it’s been a tough stretch for sure, kind of collectively up and down,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “But hopefully, you make adjustments. You like the way [we] start today, but I think guys are grinding; guys are pressing. So, you combine that with good pitching, and that’s where we’re at.”
It’s no coincidence that both of the Blue Jays’ runs came in the innings in which they had extra-base hits. First, a double off the right-field wall from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. helped them push the game’s opening run across, moving Nathan Lukes from first to third before George Springer’s run-scoring groundout. Then, Alejandro Kirk’s solo homer in the seventh cut Toronto’s deficit to two -- but it couldn’t muster anything else from there.
Despite Guerrero Jr.’s 104.5 mph liner in the first, Tampa Bay’s pitching held the Blue Jays to just six hard-hit balls (with an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher), according to Statcast, only two of which went for hits.
Since the All-Star break, Toronto has been held to 10 runs over six games by the Rays and White Sox, going 1-5 in that stretch and falling to 10 games under .500 (46-56) with the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline on the horizon.
So, as the quiet offensive performances and the urgency that comes with this time of the season mount, how can the Blue Jays find a breakthrough offensively?
“I think you have to remind guys, 'It's OK [to put the ball in play], but you have to still take some shots, throw some uppercuts,'” Schneider said. “And for whatever reason, I feel like when you're not going well, it's safe just to say, ‘OK, I'm going to put the ball in play.’ And we've been trying to tell the guys, ‘You got to flip it. You got to be the other way around.’
“Until you get to two strikes, you gotta really be waiting for a pitch you can hit hard. And when we start doing that, it's a lot easier to score some runs.”
Ultimately, those bigger swings didn’t connect on Wednesday, and the Blue Jays couldn't make their two runs stand up in a game in which Tampa Bay scored three unearned runs in the sixth after Daulton Varsho dropped a Yandy Díaz fly ball at the track to lead off the frame.
The decisive inning followed a bounce-back showing from Spencer Miles, who was pitching behind an opener after surrendering six runs in four-plus innings on Friday against the White Sox. Miles worked 3 2/3 scoreless frames, needing 51 pitches to navigate the Rays’ lineup while striking out four and continuing his breakout rookie season.
“They don’t strike out a lot, so the fact I could get some swing-and-miss, even with my stuff ticked down a little bit tonight, showed I was pitching a little more,” said Miles, who generated six whiffs in his outing. “I’m getting ahead in counts and then putting them away, which I liked a ton.”
Miles’ role will continue to evolve as the season wears on. Whether he works mostly in a bulk-relief role or takes on more traditional starts will likely depend on what direction the Blue Jays decide to go at the upcoming Deadline.
But for a pitcher who entered 2026 with just 14 2/3 professional innings under his belt, each outing the rest of the way presents the 25-year-old with an opportunity to keep learning at the big league level.
“Sometimes you have it, and sometimes you don’t,” Miles said. “But knowing that you can go out there and make pitches coming off [Friday’s outing], and tonight, bouncing back, making a bunch of pitches and getting some strikeouts when they counted, I felt really good.”
As encouraging as Miles’ response was, until the Blue Jays find their way to some more consistent offense, they’ll continue to play these tight low-scoring games where the smallest mistakes can make all the difference.