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WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 28: Storm clouds hang overhead as the Washington Nationals bat against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Nationals Park on July 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shane Bieber melted down, which cost the Jays a chance to win but probably more importantly derailed a string of solid starts that had hopefully been pushing his trade value back up. Also, Vladimir Guerrero jr. left the game before the bottom of the fourth after legging out an infield single and throwing error in the third. It was later reported to be a right hamstring injury. So a good day all around.
We got a fun moment before the game as Louis Varland and his brother Gus, recently recalled from AAA by the Nationals, got to do the lineup card exchange.
There was an hour long rain delay before we could get going tonight. Cade Cavalli didn’t look bothered, but it looked like the delay really threw Shane Bieber. He couldn’t get any of his pitches across, missing badly all over the plate. After the Jays were retired in the first with just a Nathan Lukes single erased by a Vladimir Guerrero jr. double play ball, Bieber walked two the first three Washington hitters. Then CJ Abrams reached on an infield ground ball when Bieber couldn’t find the bag while recieving Luis Urias’ toss, loading the bases with just one out. Walks to Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile forced in a pair of runs. A Nasim Nunez sac fly plated Abrams to make it 3-0. Then another walk, to Jorbit Vivas, re-loaded the bases, and a sixth, to Jacob Young, pushed yet another run across. That was enough for the Jays, who called for Brendon Little. He got a ground out to finally end the inning.
The Jays had a chance in the second, with George Springer walking and Ernie Clement lining a single, but they failed to capitalize. Little returned for the bottom half and struck out the side.
Toronto got on board in the third. Yohendrick Pinango walked with one out, but was traded for Lukes on a fielder’s choice. The speed upgrade mattered, as Vlad hit a slow roller to third and Vivas’s throw to first went wide, allowing Lukes to come all the way around to score, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Little kept dealing, getting a ground out and a strikeout among the first two batters. Nunez reached when Ernie Clement bobbled a soft chopper to third, but Brandon Valenzuela gunned him down stealing second with a beautiful throw.
Valenzuela kept the good play going with a line single to lead off the next inning. Daulton Varsho lined a double off the top of the wall in right centre to put men on second and third with none out. One batter later, an Andres Gimenez gound out plated Valenzuela to make it 4-2.
Mason Fluharty took over in the fourth. A walk and a Luis Garcia jr. home run off the back of the right field bullpen extended the Nats’ lead back to four and brought CJ Van Eyk into the game. He didn’t fare any better, though, as Dylan Crews lifted one out to centere left to make it 7-2.
Kazuma Okamoto, in for Vlad, hit a solo homer in the fifth, his 24th. That ties him with Eric Hinske for the Blue Jays rookie record (though a 30-year-old six time NPB All Star is a rookie only in a technical sense). Washington got the run back in their half on a pair of singles, a fielding error by Okamoto on a ground ball, and a sac fly.
The sides trades scoreless sixth and seventh innings. In the eighth, the offence decided to rain on the Varland family picnic. Lukes won an 11 pitch battle, lining a single, Okamoto reached on a CJ Abrams error, and George Springer leaned back and golfed a low-inside fastball over the centre field fence to bring the Jays within two. Jeff Hoffman took over from Van Eyk for the bottom half and kept the Jays in it by retiring the Nationals in order with a pair of strikeouts.
The offence couldn’t complete the comeback, though. Washington closer Clayton Beeter retired them in order to lock down the save.
Jays of the Day: Nobody qualifies, but Little deserves credit for strong relief work in an emergency
Less so: Bieber (-0.33), Fluharty (-0.11), Gimenez (-0.10)
It’s an early game tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05pm ET. Trey Yesavage (4-5, 3.92) goes for the Jays, while Zack Littell (7-8, 5.17) toes the rubber for the Nationals.
Jays LoseNationalsShane BieberJaysWASHINGTONStormWashington NationalsToronto Blue JaysNationals ParkPhotoJamie SabauGetty Images
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