We haven’t seen the kind of one-sided wins that managers dream of, and the resulting stress on the bullpen is taking a toll, but then again, not everyone gets to play the Rockies.
At T-Mobile Park in Seattle Saturday, the Blue Jays put together a well-rounded team effort on their way to a 6-3 win over the Mariners that extends their winning streak to three and brings their season record to 19-20. Adding to the significance of the win, they navigated the late innings on a night some of their top relievers were unavailable.
Bowden Francis led the way by pitching into the seventh before Mason Fluharty and Jeff Hoffman combined to shut the Mariners down through the eighth and ninth. For Hoffman, it was his second save in two nights following two rough outings in Anaheim earlier this week.
And while leadoff hitter Bo Bichette got the offence started with a two-run home run, many of the biggest swings came from those further down the lineup. Catcher Alejandro Kirk put together a four-hit game, Addison Barger drove in the tying and go-ahead runs, and Myles Straw broke things open with a two-run single in the eighth.
That’s the kind of offensive performance the Blue Jays have been getting when they’re at their best, and likely a necessity considering they entered play Saturday ranked 30th among the MLB teams in home runs.
As for Francis, he put together one of his best outings of 2025, setting a season-high with 6.2 innings pitched. He had struggled over his last two outings, allowing a combined 11 runs in 7.1 total innings, but recovered this time, allowing just three earned runs while walking one and striking out five.
Considering the toll on the Blue Jays’ bullpen in recent days, those innings from Francis are especially valuable. It appeared as though Yimi Garcia, Brendon Little and Yariel Rodriguez were all unavailable Saturday, given how much they’ve pitched this week, leaving the Blue Jays without three top relief arms.
Now that Hoffman’s pitched four times in five days, he’ll likely be off Sunday, but such is life for a team that hasn’t won by more than three runs in more than a month.
Until the Blue Jays’ hitters start creating more separation on the scoreboard, these games will remain the norm. The good news is, the likes of Fluharty, Rodriguez and Chad Green are proving to be viable late-game alternatives to the trio of Hoffman, Garcia and Little.
Meanwhile, Anthony Santander was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game after crashing into the stands in pursuit of a foul ball Thursday night in Anaheim. Manager John Schneider described the outfielder’s left shoulder as “cranky” and “a little bit sore,” though it had improved enough that a pinch hit appearance was said to be possible if needed.
On Sunday, the Blue Jays will turn to Jose Urena against Bryce Miller as they look to get back to .500 and finish their west coast road trip on a winning note.
