TORONTO -- The Blue Jays were up against the Astros Wednesday night and, at times, themselves.
The 3-1 loss, much like their loss Tuesday night in extra innings, could have gone differently at so many points, but a pair of ugly plays late in the game will dominate the discourse Thursday morning.
“It’s frustrating when you feel like you left a couple of wins on the table against an American League team,” manager John Schneider said.
This is what mattered most:
1. One play …
When you live your life in tight, low-scoring ballgames, you must accept that any small moment can turn a good night into a bad one. That moment came in the top of the eighth.
After Joey Loperfido launched a triple off the wall in center, which sent Daulton Varsho crashing into the padding with a loud thud, Jeff Hoffman stood on the mound with Loperfido on third and one out. To the surprise of just about everyone in the stadium, Hoffman attempted a pickoff play on Loperfido at third, and the throw whizzed past Kazuma Okamoto into foul territory, allowing Loperfido to scamper home for the winning run.
“There was just some confusion with Kazuma,” Schneider said. “He thought it was coming from the catcher.”
Essentially, the Blue Jays were looking to catch Loperfido moving or drifting down the line the moment Hoffman lifted his leg, then catch him with the surprise move to third. Instead, it sounds like Okamoto was under the impression that the ball would be coming from the catcher as a back pick after the pitch. It’s one small detail, but those can decide a game.
On a better night for the Blue Jays’ offense, this would just be a footnote, maybe a cause for a quick meeting tomorrow afternoon to sort out some signs. Instead, it’s the ballgame.
2. Yesavage bounces back … kind of
Trey Yesavage needed 105 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings, a new career high for him after he threw 104 in Game 5 of the 2025 World Series against the Dodgers.
Yesavage walked five batters, which is the one ugly number in his line. Otherwise, we’re looking at 5 2/3 frames of one-run ball with five strikeouts, but walks have suddenly become an issue for Yesavage in his first full season in the big leagues. Even within this season, it’s a recent phenomenon. Just look at his season leading up to Wednesday:
Yesavage’s first five starts:
ERA: 1.07
Innings: 25 1/3
Strikeouts: 29 (10.3 K/9)
Walks: 8 (2.84 BB/9)
Yesavage’s last five starts (entering Wednesday):
ERA: 6.07
Innings: 29 2/3
Strikeouts: 24 (7.28 K/9)
Walks: 17 (5.12 BB/9)
This adjustment game was always waiting for Yesavage. When he debuted in 2025, skyrocketing to the big leagues after starting the season in Single-A, Yesavage gave big league hitters a baffling first look. His splitter came from the sky. His fastball was incredibly deceptive, working in tandem with that splitter. Opposing lineups simply didn’t have the time or the reps to adjust. Well, now they do.
Yesavage isn’t producing those same, confused swings from a year ago now that hitters are laying off certain pitches, particularly that trademark splitter as it barrels down below the zone. The 22-year-old still owns a 3.56 ERA, though, and he’s proven a handful of times now that he can survive without his best stuff, even on nights where he’s walking a batter an inning.
This adjustment game will continue to swing back and forth for Yesavage’s entire career, but right now, he’s at the point where he needs to make the next move.
3. Shut down by … Mike Burrows?
Burrows came into play with the highest ERA and second-most runs allowed among all qualified American League starters, but the right-hander held the Blue Jays to just one run on two hits over six innings. Full credit to Burrows, who nailed his return to the Astros’ rotation, but this felt like an opportunity for the Blue Jays to do so much more.
“I go back to when Marcus Semien was here. He said, ‘They drive nice cars, too,’” Schneider said. “Everyone in this league is good. You have to really bear down and not let your guard down against anybody.”
Even when the Blue Jays had an opportunity late, Luis Urías was doubled up at second base on a George Springer lineout to the wall in right, an avoidable play on a night the Blue Jays did too much to help the Astros beat them.