The Blue Jays squander a strong outing by Dylan Cease

Between injuries and on-field performance, it's been a tough start to the 2026 season for the Toronto Blue Jays. And the Blue Jays were hoping to snap out of their slump last night by sending Dylan Cease to the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 30-year-old did not disappoint, becoming the first Jays starter to complete six innings since Kevin Gausman did so against the Rockies on the first day of April. He did all this while allowing just two hits and three walks.

Dylan Cease with the strikeout, Brandon Valenzuela with the throw to second to end the inning.

Cease's line in his first six-inning outing with the #BlueJays on 106 pitches:

6 IP • 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K pic.twitter.com/7PuPOFG5sa

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 16, 2026

Cease allowed only three hits with an exit velocity of 100 MPH or more: a force out, a groundout, and a single that did no damage. When the Brewers' hitters weren't making contact, they had to settle for groundouts, as Cease recorded nine outs on ground balls.

The problem? The offense failed to back up its starter.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider had fielded his 16th different offensive lineup in the team's first 17 games, starting the game with Nathan Lukes and moving Ernie Clement down to fifth in the order. Lenyn Sosa was making his debut with his new team.

And it didn't pay off. Sure, Lukes put three balls in play against the Brewers' starter, but none resulted in a hit. The heart of the lineup, meanwhile—comprising Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jesus Sanchez, and Kazuma Okamoto—had only two at-bats total with runners on base.

Then, reliever Tyler Rogers gave up two runs in the eighth inning, allowing the Brewers to come from behind and beat the Blue Jays 2-1.

Rogers' troubles began with two pitches that didn't even make it off the mound. That put two runners on base for William Contreras, who hit the first pitch he saw to right field, tying the game. Moments later, Brice Turang hit a grounder through the infield that gave his team the lead.

Another night to forget.

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