TORONTO -- We all expected to see a dominant pitching performance on Saturday in Toronto, we just thought it would be the other guy.
In the upset of the season, Patrick Corbin outdueled Paul Skenes in the 5-2 win. Remember, the lesson of the tortoise and the hare is that slow and steady wins the race.
This is what mattered most from one of the most encouraging Blue Jays wins of the season:
1. THE GAP: Corbin vs. Skenes
Corbin’s fastballs sit right around the same velocity as Skenes’ changeups. These two men are simply not the same, but Saturday was not a competition of who throws the hardest. Skenes was still excellent, as he always is, but Corbin put on a masterclass of his brand of baseball, which, at 36 years old, demands he spot pitches nearly perfectly. Over six innings of one-run ball, Corbin struck out seven, didn’t issue a walk and barely allowed any threatening contact.
He just didn’t miss. When you’re flirting with 100 mph, you can miss your spots and still win. If you miss your spots throwing 91 mph, though, good luck.
“When he’s effective, he’s pitching in safe areas. He’s manipulating his slider at different speeds, using his sinker and changeup to righties and just living in safe areas,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I don’t want to say it’s pitching to contact, but it’s understanding where some guys can do damage and staying out of those zones. When he’s had good outings, he’s done that. He’s been pretty stubborn to continue doing that.”
Stubbornness is a skill. When Corbin came to the Blue Jays, Max Scherzer told his manager that the veteran lefty was “a sled dog.” That was a new one for Schneider -- and all of us -- but it’s starting to make sense.
2. BIG PICTURE: The move of the season?
Dollar for dollar, have the Blue Jays made a better move over the last calendar year than signing Corbin to a one-year, $1 million deal earlier this season? Snagging Spencer Miles in the Rule 5 Draft is right up there, but this Corbin addition has already paid for itself several times over.
When Corbin was signed, it felt like the Blue Jays needed just one or two starts out of a competent veteran who would then take his money and wave goodbye. This has grown into something far greater, though, both due to Corbin’s performance and the never-ending list of injuries to the Blue Jays’ rotation.
At this point, you can treat Corbin like an established member of this rotation. Shane Bieber could still be a month away from returning, if not longer, and Scherzer’s return in the coming weeks still needs to feature some effective innings for it to work. Corbin has plenty of runway here, and the 14-year MLB veteran deserves a ton of credit. He’s earned this, and saved the Blue Jays’ rotation in the process.
3. HEATING UP: Jesús Sánchez
Slowly but surely, Sánchez is beginning to show signs of the hitter the Blue Jays hoped he’d be when they acquired him from the Astros during Spring Training in exchange for outfielder Joey Loperfido.
With two doubles off Skenes in Saturday’s win, Sánchez looks more direct and decisive at the plate, finally uncorking some bigger and bolder swings. In Houston, his swing speeds and exit velocities looked a lot like what you’ve seen from Addison Barger, but everything’s been a bit softer so far in 2026. Sánchez’s game should be big, loud and powerful.
This comes at a time when Barger and Nathan Lukes are nearing returns, too. The Blue Jays have some difficult decisions on deck, but Sánchez needs to be in this lineup as often as possible, especially against righties.