FinalFinal lineupsAL East / AL West

Toronto Blue Jays 5, Athletics 6

Final Score and Game Recap

Final score, pitching lines and standings context.

10:05 PM ET · Sutter Health ParkGame-day snapshot Sep 8, 1:10 AM ETFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 20, 5:00 AM ET

T-Score36

5–6

FINAL · 9 innings

T-Score22

FINAL · 9 innings

Athletics answer Toronto’s late push with winning run in the ninth for 6-5 victory

The Athletics did just enough early, then had the last answer late Monday night at Sutter Health Park, beating the Blue Jays 6-5 on a game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Toronto erased most of a four-run deficit with a three-run seventh, then pulled even with a run in the ninth. But the Athletics immediately responded against Louis Varland, who allowed two hits, two walks and the deciding run while taking the loss.

The Athletics scored in four different innings and made the most of limited traffic, finishing with six hits but capitalizing on three Toronto errors. Henry Bolte set the tone with a 1-for-2 night that included a homer, three runs scored and three walks. Zack Gelof added two runs and two RBI, while Carlos Cortes went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Jeff McNeil drove in one.

Toronto’s offense was powered by three home runs. Andrés Giménez went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, Alejandro Kirk finished 2-for-4 with a solo shot, and Kazuma Okamoto homered and walked twice.

Jacob Lopez worked 6.0 innings for Oakland, and despite Hogan Harris being charged with a blown save, the Athletics still came away with the final swing.

The Athletics won 6-5 by scoring the deciding run in the bottom of the ninth after Toronto tied it in the top half.
Oakland had only six hits, but three Blue Jays errors and Henry Bolte’s three-run-scored night helped fuel the offense.
Toronto got home runs from Andrés Giménez, Alejandro Kirk and Kazuma Okamoto, including a late rally that fell one answer short.

Pitching recap

Pitcher	Team	Role	IP	H	ER	BB	K	P
Dylan Cease	TOR	Starter	5.0	4	4	2	6	94
Louis Varland	TOR	ReliefLoss	0.2	2	1	2	0	24
Jacob Lopez	ATH	Starter	6.0	7	4	1	1	93
Hogan Harris	ATH	ReliefWin	1.1	1	1	1	1	25

Scoring by inning

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto Blue Jays	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	5	9	3
Athletics	2	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	6	6	0

Top hitters

Andrés Giménez2-for-4 · 1 HR · 2 RBI

Alejandro Kirk2-for-4 · 1 HR · 1 RBI

Henry Bolte1-for-2 · 1 HR · 1 RBI · 3 BB

Kazuma Okamoto1-for-2 · 1 HR · 1 RBI · 2 BB

Zack Gelof1-for-4 · 2 RBI · 2 R

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation

CategoryComparisonWhy

Starting pitcherJaysToronto has the stronger starting-pitcher profile: Cease leads in P-Score, WHIP and K/9.

Offense vs handAthleticsAthletics has produced the stronger offense against right-handed pitching.

LineupJaysToronto's official lineup includes 6 right-handed bats against the opposing starter.

BullpenJaysToronto has allowed fewer runs from the bullpen on the season ERA.

Recent formJaysToronto has won 7 of its last 10 and owns the stronger recent run differential.

Pregame contextStarting pitchers

Dylan Cease RHP

Toronto Blue Jays

2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)

ERA

2.25

7th

WHIP

1.04

33rd

K/9

12.72

2nd

BB/9

3.74

191st

P-Score80i

FIP

–

HR/9

0.58

13th

OPS/R

–

156.1

Last 5 starts

ERA

2.10

QUALITY
START %

80%

(4 of 5)

DAYS
REST

Jacob Lopez LHP

Athletics

2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)

ERA

4.71

187th

WHIP

1.46

187th

K/9

8.83

113th

BB/9

4.46

194th

P-Score41i

FIP

–

HR/9

1.46

195th

OPS/R

–

105.0

Last 5 starts

ERA

2.40

QUALITY
START %

80%

(4 of 5)

DAYS
REST

How the starters differ

·Cease strikes out 3.9 more batters per nine innings.

·Cease allows fewer baserunners, with a 1.04 WHIP compared with 1.46.

·Cease enters with a 2.25 ERA compared with Lopez's 4.71.

·Cease allows the lower home-run rate: 0.58 vs 1.46 per nine.

Dylan Cease gives Toronto a clear mound edge against a more productive Athletics offense

At first glance, this matchup pulls in two different directions.

Toronto arrives with the better overall record at 72-71 and the hotter recent run, going 8-2 over its last 10 games while averaging 5.50 runs. The Athletics, though, have actually been the more productive offensive team over the full season. They hold the edge in runs per game (4.37 to 4.02), on-base percentage (.321 to .309), slugging (.406 to .382) and OPS (.727 to .691), and they have scored 5.30 runs per game over their last 10.

That makes the probable pitching matchup the clearest separator on the board.

Toronto is lined up to start Dylan Cease, whose season profile has been outstanding across the key categories: a 2.25 ERA, 2.40 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings through 26 starts. He has also limited damage better than Jacob Lopez, allowing 0.58 homers per nine compared with Lopez's 1.46, and his quality-start rate sits at 58 percent.

Lopez has had a tougher season for the Athletics. In 20 starts, the left-hander owns a 4.71 ERA, 4.84 FIP and 1.46 WHIP, with a 20 percent quality-start rate. He can miss some bats at 8.8 strikeouts per nine, but the overall run-prevention gap between the two starters is substantial. By every supplied comparison — ERA, FIP, WHIP, strikeout rate, walk rate, home-run rate and quality-start percentage — Toronto has the edge on the mound.

That edge matters even more because Toronto also brings the stronger bullpen numbers. The Blue Jays' relief group has a 4.45 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, both better than the Athletics' 5.59 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. If this game becomes a battle of run prevention after the starters exit, the numbers still lean Toronto's way.

So the central question is whether the Athletics' better season-long offense can pressure Cease enough to change the shape of the game. Their lineup has been more effective than Toronto's over six months, and it has been scoring well lately. But this is also a matchup where the Blue Jays can reasonably expect their biggest advantage to come from the mound first, then the bullpen behind it.

For the Athletics, the path is narrower: keep Cease from controlling the game early and make Toronto's lighter season offense do more against Lopez than it has on average this year.

The biggest statistical gap is on the mound, where probable starter Dylan Cease holds a decisive edge over Jacob Lopez in ERA, FIP, WHIP, K/9, HR/9 and quality-start rate.
The Athletics have been the better offense over the full season, leading Toronto in runs per game, OBP, SLG and OPS.
Toronto enters in stronger recent form at 8-2 over its last 10 and also owns the better bullpen numbers.