Dylan Cease struggled in a crucial game against the Texas Rangers, allowing four runs and failing to complete three innings as his fastball velocity dropped significantly below his usual high levels. The Blue Jays now trail the Chicago White Sox by two games for the final wild-card spot, making their playoff hopes increasingly slim. Cease's declining performance also eliminates him from Cy Young consideration in favor of Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler, who has a lower ERA and better WHIP despite fewer innings pitched.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Friday night in ARLINGTON, Texas, the Rangers beat the Blue Jays 7-1, tightening the AL playoff race. The Rangers improved their record to 77-77 and moved within one game of the White Sox for the final wild-card spot, despite Chicago holding the tiebreaker. In a critical second-inning sequence, Evan Carter's groundout and Ernie Clement's error helped Texas score three runs; Corey Seager added an RBI double. Dylan Cease struggled, walking six batters before exiting after 38 pitches in the third inning. The Rangers' win tied them with the Astros for first place in the AL West, though Houston retains the division tiebreaker due to their better head-to-head record against Texas. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays fell two games behind Chicago and are facing diminishing playoff hopes as they trail by two games for the final wild-card spot without a tiebreaker advantage.
Written for “Blue Jays Wild Card Struggles” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Dylan Cease appears to have run out of gas, and the same could be said about the Blue Jays’ ability to make the playoffs.
uncertain
same → appear → playoffs
Cease has been carrying the starting rotation and middling offence for most of the year.
asserted
Cease → carry → year
The heavy lifting clearly took a toll for the stretch run.
asserted
lifting → take → run
The velocity on Cease’s fastball has been steadily declining for several weeks and dipped even lower in a 7-1 road loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
asserted
velocity → decline → night
The 30-year-old right-hander allowed four runs and couldn’t get out of the third inning of the pivotal series opener.
asserted
hander → allow → opener
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians won to move into first place in the American League Central, while the Chicago White Sox lost.
asserted
Sox → win → Central
That means the Jays trail the White Sox by two games for the final wild-card spot, and they do not own the tiebreaker.
asserted
they → mean → tiebreaker
Cease’s poor showing should also eliminate him from Cy Young consideration.
asserted
showing → eliminate → consideration
That honour will likely go to Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, who has pitched more innings (184 2/3 vs. 169) with a lower ERA (1.95 vs. 2.40) and fewer walks/hits per inning pitched (0.90 vs. 1.10).
asserted
who → go → 1.10
It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
asserted
It → suppose → ?
Through the first five months, Cease was consistently hitting the upper-90s in miles per hour with his fastball.
asserted
Cease → hit → fastball
That high velocity combined with a wipeout slider turned him into the major-league leader in strikeouts and a front-runner to win the first Cy Young of his career.
asserted
velocity → combine → career
The warning signs started earlier this month.
asserted
signs → start → ?
Against the Athletics on Sept. 7, his average fastball velocity fell below 95 m.p.h. for the first time since 2023.
asserted
velocity → fall → 2023
The problems continued in Cease’s next outing versus the Baltimore Orioles, when he failed to average 95 m.p.h. or higher in back-to-back starts for the first time in the big leagues.
asserted
he → continue → leagues
The lack of heat became an even bigger issue in Texas.
asserted
lack → become → Texas
Through the first couple of innings, his fastball sat in the 91-to-93-m.p.h. range.
asserted
fastball → sit → range
By the time he walked off the field with his team trailing by four, his average was still only 93.6 m.p.h., a career low.
asserted
average → walk → four
Cease threw just 36 of 74 pitches for strikes with an alarming six walks, his most since Aug. 16 of last year.
asserted
Cease → throw → year
Cease walked two in the first inning, but escaped unscathed.
asserted
Cease → walk → inning
The turning point came on the next ground ball when shortstop Ernie Clement made an ill-advised throw to third base.
asserted
Clement → come → base
He was trying to get the force out, but his throw bounced off Jake Burger’s helmet and ricocheted down the line as two runners scored.
asserted
runners → try → line
Cease then served up a sacrifice fly to Ezequiel Durán before Corey Seager added an RBI double and the Rangers jumped in front 4-0.
asserted
Rangers → serve → front
Cease returned for the third, but loaded the bases again before he was replaced by Brendan Cellucci.
asserted
he → return → Cellucci
The late-season swoon will likely teach the Jays some valuable lessons about how to handle Cease in the future.
asserted
swoon → teach → future
But this isn’t about how many outs he recorded, it’s about how many pitches he threw while doing it.
asserted
he → record → it
There were four consecutive starts in April and May when Cease threw at least 106 pitches, followed by seven straight starts of at least 102 in June and July, including a season-high 120.
uncertain
Cease → be → 120
The Jays continue to insist Cease is fine and there are no injury concerns.
asserted
Cease → continue → ?
That’s probably true — if not, it would be a fireable offence — but it doesn’t change the fact that he has clearly worn down and no longer resembles the pitcher he was through the first five months.
asserted
he → ’ → months
They have eight games left to make up three games in the standings; Toronto owns the tiebreaker with the Guardians, but not with the White Sox.
asserted
Toronto → have → Sox
After playing mediocre baseball through the first four months, the Jays had little margin for error in August and September.
asserted
Jays → play → August
They needed to be at their best over the last couple of weeks and instead were at their worst.
asserted
They → need → worst
The season isn’t technically over, but a 4-7 stretch has put them on the brink.
asserted
stretch → put → brink
Their only shot now is winning almost all of their remaining games while hoping for a total collapse by the White Sox.
asserted
shot → win → Sox
The Aporia
