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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 06: Spencer Arrighetti #45 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 06, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays could not complete the sweep. Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals ended a four-game run of wins. The defeat stung because of what it cost in the standings.

The Blue Jays fell one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot.  Toronto holds the season tiebreaker against the Guardians, but that only matters if they keep pace over the final 18 games.

Sunday’s result came down to a rough start on the mound. The Blue Jays managed eight hits but could not dig out of the early hole.

Arrighetti Addresses What Went Wrong

Spencer Arrighetti did not sugarcoat his performance. After allowing six runs across four and two-thirds innings, the right-hander was blunt about what happened.

“The spin wasn’t coming out the way I wanted to. A lot of the execution was really, really subpar,” Arrighetti said.

The conditions in Kansas City played a role. Arrighetti described the turf at Kauffman Stadium as the hottest surface he had ever experienced during a game, even growing up playing on artificial fields in Houston. He struggled to keep his hand dry. His spin was not coming out the way he wanted.

But the message was clear. Arrighetti was not hiding behind the conditions. He acknowledged that his results fell well short of what the Blue Jays needed from him in a game that mattered.

GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 06: Spencer Arrighetti #45 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 06, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

The Outing Unraveled Early for the Blue Jays

The damage started in the first inning. A leadoff single and a walk put two runners on before Vinnie Pasquantino launched a three-run homer to put Kansas City ahead.

Salvador Perez added a two-run shot in the third. The Royals tacked on another in the fifth. By the time Arrighetti exited, the deficit was five runs and the bullpen was left to absorb the remaining innings.

Josh Smith provided the only Toronto run with a solo homer in the sixth. The Blue Jays put runners on in the sixth and seventh innings but could not push anything else across.

GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 06: Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays slips while batting against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on September 06, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Blue Jays

Two out of three against Kansas City is still a good result. The Blue Jays have won three consecutive series and seven of their last nine games. The trajectory over the past two weeks has been encouraging.

But Sunday was a reminder that the rotation depth remains the vulnerability. Arrighetti knows it. His message after the game made that clear.

Sacramento is next. The Athletics are waiting. The Blue Jays need Arrighetti to be better the next time out, and he knows that too.

Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins