Seven shutout innings, nine strikeouts, and a 5-0 lead handed off to the bullpen: Nathan Eovaldi did not permit the Blue Jays to be competitive until the score no longer mattered. Patrick Corbin surrendered all five runs while Eovaldi was dismantling the Toronto lineup, a matchup of starters that confirmed what the standings already suggest about this roster's rotation depth.
The Jays' eighth-inning rally from 5-0 to 5-4, on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s two-run single and Kazuma Okamoto's two-run home run, was more proof of offensive life than it was a genuine threat. Jacob Latz closed the door for his 16th save, and Toronto dropped its fourth consecutive game, a losing streak that makes this afternoon's start from Dylan Cease, the Jays' most reliable arm at 2.75 ERA, feel less like an opportunity and more like a necessity.