Yesavage struggles in sixth inning as Blue Jays drop 13-3 decision to Orioles

TORONTO — Blue Jays manager John Schneider is not reaching for the panic button with his whiz-kid pitcher, Trey Yesavage, despite a third straight rocky effort from the 22-year-old.

Yesavage (2-3) was cruising on Friday until he reached the sixth inning. Five runs later and the Blue Jays went from a two-run lead to a three-run deficit and the Baltimore Orioles (31-33) would roll to a 13-3 rout at Rogers Centre.

“I’m not going to read too much into it,” Schneider said. “He’s still one of our best pitchers.”

But does anything need to change with Yesavage?

“The same, really,” the manager said. “He’s consistent. He is a really, really good competitor and wants to be out there. He understands that strikeouts aren’t always the answer.”

Two starts ago, Yesavage took the loss after giving up five runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. In his last outing, he issued seven walks but surrendered only a run in a no-decision.

On Friday, Yesavage surrendered a first-inning homer to Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and then set down the next eight and 13 of 14 before Baltimore’s big inning.

His 91st and final pitch was a two-run homer from Coby Mayo, silencing the crowd of 41,801.

“I can’t put my finger on anything that changed (in the sixth),” said Yesavage, who felt his last two outings were quite different.

“It’s just the way the game works,” he added.

The six runs Yesavage surrendered were a career high. These recent results, of course, come on the backdrop of what he accomplished when he burst onto the Blue Jays scene late in the 2025 regular season and into the playoffs.

One highlight was his 11-strikeout performance in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.

“I think that people probably put some unrealistic expectations on a guy that was basically unhittable at times in the highest possible stress situations as a rookie,” Schneider said. “So I don’t think he has to change anything crazy.

“I think it’s just focus on getting ahead of hitters and executing.”

Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho left midway through the game with a sore wrist. An X-ray was negative.

“I think it’s just more inflammation in his wrist,” Schneider said. “He’s dealt with it before, he said. So hopefully it’s just a day or two. But we just wanted to be careful.”

Rutschman not only touched Yesavage for an opening-inning homer, he also had a pair of two-run doubles.

He finished with four hits, a walk, five RBIs and four runs scored. In his 28 career games at Rogers Centre, he has a .324 average with seven doubles, eight homers and 26 RBIs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2026.