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Dylan Cease isn't close to the Cease the Blue Jays needed in deflating loss

Jose Soriano set to start for Toronto on Saturday

Published Sep 18, 2026  •  Last updated 17 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Sept. 18, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Stacy Revere /Getty Images

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On paper, it was right there for the Blue Jays.

A must-win game – let’s face it, they’re basically all must-win now — their ace on the mound, and fully rested coming off a day off.

The problem was the Jays’ ace was not quite himself, nor has he been for a couple of starts now.

Friday night in Arlington, facing a Texas Rangers club that is just an average hitting team, Dylan Cease was again wild early, was again down in velocity, and this time paid for it, taking the loss in 7-1 Rangers win.

The combination of the Jays loss, a Cleveland Guardians win, and a Chicago White Sox loss leaves the Jays two games out of the final American League wild card, currently held by the White Sox. The Jays also are one game behind the Rangers, meaning there are two teams they have to track down for that last playoff spot.

Mathematically, of course, there is still a chance the Jays are playing post-season baseball at the end of the month, but their odds fell dramatically after Friday’s results.

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But right now, all the Jays’ issues are within. They can’t be concerned about what anyone else is doing if they aren’t winning their own games.

The Blue Jays loss Friday was the team’s seventh in its past 11 games and a pitching staff – starters and relievers – that was running on fumes only seems headed for more hardship.

Cease gave the Jays just 2 2/3 innings on Friday, and left the game with his team trailing 4-0 and the bases loaded.

It meant the bullpen, which has two starts to fill in the next three days, had to eat up the final 5 1/3 innings.

Then there’s the issue of Cease’s velocity, which was down yet again from his previous start. His control was nowhere near where it needs to be, even when his fastball is at 97 and 98 m.p.h., rather than the 93 and 94 he was hitting in Arlington.

Cease walked six batters in the short time he was in the game, with two of them coming around to score. Cease gave up four runs, but only one was earned as Ernie Clement’s attempt to get a runner at third base wound up hitting the runner in the back, ultimately making three of the four runs unearned.

Cease wasn’t the only one with control issues. Both Braydon Fisher and Brandon Little walked two batters. Each pitcher gave up an earned run.

That’s a total of 10 walks in the first 5 1/3 innings.

The Jays head into Game 2 of this potentially playoff-deciding series needing both a win and an extended start from Jose Soriano, perhaps the only Jays starter left at this point that gives you any optimism for length.

Soriano is coming off a game in which he took a bid for a no-hitter into the seventh inning, only to have it all come undone in that seventh inning.

Given where they’re at, the Jays are likely asking for more than that from Soriano on Saturday.

Mganter@postmedia.com

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