TORONTO — The pathway to wins for the Toronto Blue Jays will lead to stretches in which they ask a lot of their relievers, the way they did in pitching Jeff Hoffman for a fourth time in five days against the New York Yankees.

At times, it will catch up to them, as Ben Rice ambushed a first-pitch fastball and sent it over the right-field wall for the decisive margin in a 5-4 loss that ended the AL East leader’s club-record 11-game home win streak. 

But it will also create opportunities for various relievers to step up in leverage moments, which is what lefties Mason Fluharty and Justin Bruihl did in combining for three shutout innings of relief behind Max Scherzer. 

Their work gave the Blue Jays (59-42) a chance to pull out a sixth straight win over the Yankees (56-45), the latest example of the contributions-from-everywhere ethos that’s helped carry them to what’s now a three-game lead atop the division. 

“It’s been kind of the theme of the year,” said manager John Schneider. “If you’re putting them in spots where they can have the most success, that’s our job, but the guys have to go out and do it and they’re doing it. … You’re going to need everyone as you go 162 and hopefully plus. It’s nice for them to go out and make pitches. 

“A lot of it is done behind the scenes, too, where they know when they may come in. That’s a pretty unique lineup with the lefties today, too, so they knew they were going to be called upon in a spot where maybe they wouldn’t normally be and you’ve got to focus on the task at hand. I thought they did a great job.”

Fluharty, recalled Monday after a reset at triple-A Buffalo, went six up, six down in the sixth and seventh innings, each a shutdown frame after the Blue Jays scored once in the fifth to make it a 4-2 game before tying it with a two-run sixth. 

The 23-year-old quickly earned trust following an early April promotion by posting a 3.04 ERA in 26.2 innings over 27 outings, but then allowed runs in eight of his next 10 outings before getting optioned.

While in Buffalo, he made an adjustment in the way he comes set, turning his back to the hitter a bit more to better hide the ball, while also getting back to pitching to both sides of the plate, rather than trying to hit corners and be perfect.

“It kind of felt like my debut again, coming back after resetting down in Buffalo and understanding my plan,” said Fluharty. “I got away from it before I got sent down and I understand my plan now and I feel like I embraced that today. It’s good to be back and just got to keep attacking and keep going with my plan.”

Bruihl, who signed to a minor-league contract March 16 after the Blue Jays made the only offer he received all off-season, kept the top of the Yankees lineup silent in the eighth. He caught Trent Grisham looking, induced a weak roller to first from Cody Bellinger and after Judge was walked intentionally, caught Jazz Chisholm Jr. looking to end the frame.

Tuesday was the second time he’s faced the Yankees in a high-leverage spot this season — he struck out Bellinger in the eighth inning of an 8-5 win July 3, protecting what was a one-run lead at the time.

“It’s great, I think it means the coaching staff trusts me, especially in those lefty-lefty situations, that’s my bread and butter, so having that confidence boost from them helps a lot,” he said. “It’s always been the same mindset every time I’m out there. I don’t get too high. I don’t get too low. I have a saying, try to be a machine, just go out there and do your job, don’t get too emotional, just try to stay focused and in that same mindset.”

The Blue Jays couldn’t take advantage of their work, as they missed a chance to add on more during their rally in the sixth, stranded a Bo Bichette leadoff double in the seventh, wasted a one-out Davis Schneider walk in the eighth and couldn’t build on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s leadoff single in the ninth.

Hoffman, who closed out wins against the San Francisco Giants on Friday and Saturday as well as Monday’s opener versus the Yankees, missed a spot on the heater to Rice and paid for it, to the chagrin of a sellout crowd of 42,326.

“We’re at the point now where guys are going to have to be pushed a little bit,” John Schneider said of using Hoffman again. “I didn’t want to start the ninth inning with someone else and then feel the urge to bring Jeff in. I’d rather give him a clean inning and just kind of a pulled heater there to Rice and they can hit home runs, that’s what they do. But Jeff’s stuff was consistent. It was basically the same as it was yesterday. And sometimes they get you.”

That’s what happened early as Scherzer, pitching on extended rest coming out of the all-star break, went Grisham single, Bellinger double, Judge strikeout and Chisholm homer to open the game before settling in. He held the line from there until the fifth, when Bellinger added a solo shot in the fifth that made it 4-1.

While Scherzer was frustrated by the way he located — “I’ve got to put the ball where I want to, I’ve got to execute better,” he said — the wider takeaway is that his command was the primary post-game talking point, rather than questions relating to his thumb.

“That’s the only good that’s coming out of this start, that I’m physically good,” said Scherzer. “Hopefully I get a good turn here, five days back out and then pitching Sunday against Detroit.”

The Blue Jays had chances to do more against Cam Schlittler but managed only RBI singles by Addison Barger in the first and fifth innings that twice narrowed the Yankees lead to two runs.

Then in the sixth, they tied it in their typically scrappy style. 

Myles Straw subbed in for Joey Loperfido as the Yankees handed the reins from Schlittler to lefty Tim Hill and hit a groundball to short, booted it up the line and reached when Rice at first couldn’t scoop Anthony Volpe’s throw in the dirt. After Ernie Clement flew out, Davis Schneider hit for Will Wagner and ripped a double to left that plated Straw.

Hill induced a lineout to short by Nathan Lukes before giving way to Jonathan Loiasiga, who watched George Springer line a base hit to right and Schneider come around to tie the game ahead of the relay home from Judge.

Loiasiga struck out Guerrero to escape that jam, keeping the game 4-4.

“Guys are doing their part, man,” said John Schneider. “We left some guys on early, Vlad leads off the ninth, just couldn’t get it done. They’ve got a good back end of the bullpen, had our chances, but didn’t really come through. I love the way they fought, though. Every night it’s the same thing. It seems to be a different guy. And we’re right in there every minute.”