Blue Jays rally from a 4-2 hole to stun the Orioles 5-4, riding Addison Barger’s fifth-inning homer and Alejandro Kirk’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly. Kirk also delivered an eighth-inning RBI single to keep Toronto within one as Joey Loperfido added a late RBI hit. Baltimore tagged early against Tomoyuki Sugano, with Gunnar Henderson and Coby Mayo providing key early and late offense, while Max Scherzer worked five for Toronto. Bieber may settle the finale as Baltimore halves look to bullpen-day.

Toronto's bid for a decade-long division title is shadowed by a bullpen in flux after the All-Star break. Hoffman has struggled, serving up homers and blowing late leads, including a ninth-inning shot to Yainer Diaz that doomed a comeback against Houston. The Jays still lead the AL East by three games, but playoff savor hinges on stabilizing late innings and Hoffman’s next few outings.

Depth arms—Louis Varland, Yariel Rodríguez, Brendon Little, Tommy Nance, Braydon Fisher—offer options if Hoffman falters, and Seranthony Dominguez is a logical closer fallback given his prior closing work. Fantasy managers should watch how Toronto choreographs late-innings duties down the stretch and into October.

Milwaukee clipped Toronto 4-1 as Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich clocked back-to-back homers in the ninth, capping a late rally that buried the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Milwaukee’s offense kept chipping away, with Sal Frelick’s groundout setting up Yelich’s tie in the seventh and Isaac Collins driving in a decisive insurance run. Quinn Priester spun six solid innings, and the Brewers’ bullpen tandem—Ashby and Uribe—finished the job after Chourio and Yelich connected. Gausman pitched seven strong for Toronto, but the Jays bullpen faltered late, allowing three ninth-inning runs. The Brewers’ growth at the plate has them cruising atop the NL, while the Blue Jays must regroup after a division-clinching stretch of bullpen woes.

Chourio’s prodigy-level impact returned from the IL with a bang, nearly homering in the first before a spectacular rob by Straw cooled the moment. The two Brewers stars provided the power late, while Milwaukee’s relentless approach—gradual pressure, opportunistic baserunning, and timely hits—proved persistent against Toronto’s defense and relievers. Toronto’s offense had seven strong innings from Gausman but couldn’t support the bullpen’s late collapse, keeping Milwaukee in command of their series in Toronto and reaffirming their identity as a pesky, disciplined offense.

Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman salvaged a rough night with a scoreless ninth against Minnesota, earning his 29th save after fan backlash. Toronto’s bullpen remains a concern, with a 5.60 ERA since the All-Star break and lockdown questions about Hoffman’s HR-prone profile (14 HR allowed) and command. Dominguez and Varland were added at the deadline but haven’t turned the page yet, leaving Toronto leaning on Hoffman in September and watching Yesavage’s potential debut climb the depth chart.

For fantasy players, Hoffman’s volatility is real: saves can come in fits, while back-to-back dn outs can swing from hero to hazard. The Jays’ bullpen-heavy landscape boosts the value of high-leverage arms like Dominguez and Varland, while continued struggles open doors for September call-ups. In a pennant race, relief roles will shift fast, so rostering options off Toronto’s staff requires careful matchup timing and readiness to pivot to streaming relievers when the slate is rough.