Blue Jays fail to complete sweep with 4-1 defeat to Pirates, lose Cease, Guerrero Jr.

TORONTO — Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez’s first major-league career hit, a two-run home run in the sixth inning, and solo shots from Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday at the Rogers Centre.

The loss to the Pirates (27-26) snapped a season-high four-game win streak for the Blue Jays (25-28). More concerning, however, was that starting pitcher Dylan Cease (3-3) and all-star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both exited the game with injuries in the fifth inning.

Cease was lifted from the game with two outs in the fifth with mild left hamstring discomfort, the Blue Jays said. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.

Guerrero exited the game in the bottom of the inning after he was struck by a pitch on the inside of his right elbow. The Blue Jays called the injury a right elbow contusion after X-rays came back negative for a fracture.

Pirates starter Mitch Keller (5-2) yielded one run on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts across a 101-pitch outing.

Former Blue Jay Horwitz hit the first pitch of the game over the right-field wall for his fifth home run of the year. Cruz led off the second inning with his own solo homer to make it 2-0.

Ernie Clement’s RBI single in the fourth inning scored the Blue Jays’ only run.

Pirates relievers Yohan Ramirez, Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto combined for three scoreless innings.

Takeaways

Blue Jays: For the third time this season, the Blue Jays failed to secure a sweep after winning the first two games of a series. The club’s only sweep came in the season-opening series against the Athletics.

Pirates: The win helped Pittsburgh earn an even 3-3 record on their six-game road trip through St. Louis and Toronto. It also improved their record to 7-5 against American League opponents this season.

Key moment

With two on and one out in the first inning, Keller induced an inning-ending double-play ball from Yohendrick Piñango.

Key stat

Kazuma Okamoto’s second-inning double, which snapped his 0-for-18 skid at the plate, was the first extra-base hit Keller has allowed to a right-handed batter this season.

Up next

The Blue Jays host the Miami Marlins for a three-game series, beginning Monday. Right-hander Trey Yesavage (2-1) will take the mound for Toronto, while right-hander Janson Junk (2-5) starts for Miami.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2026.

Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press