TORONTO — The Reds closed the 2026 season Sunday with a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Toronto grabbed the lead in the second inning when Brandon Valenzuela followed a Davis Schneider walk with a two-run home run off Brandon Williamson. Cincinnati answered in the third after Oswaldo Cabrera doubled with two outs and Carlos Jorge singled him home, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
After that, it was all Blue Jays in a game that was, in many ways, a microcosm of the season. Not quite good enough pitching and almost nonexistent offense.
George Springer opened the bottom of the third with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Sean Keys. Brett Bateman followed with a single before Kazuma Okamoto walked to load the bases. Charles McAdoo brought home Keys with a sacrifice fly, and Schneider followed with a groundout that scored Bateman to make it 4-1.
Williamson lasted three innings, allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Zach McCambley followed with two scoreless innings, striking out three, while Luis Mey worked a perfect sixth with two strikeouts.
Cincinnati had opportunities to cut into the deficit but could not take advantage.
Cabrera and Jorge produced back-to-back singles with two outs in the fifth, putting runners at the corners, but Elly De La Cruz was called out on strikes to end the threat. The Reds then went down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings as Max Scherzer settled in and retired the final seven batters he faced.
Toronto added its final run in the eighth when McAdoo hit a solo home run off Carson Spiers, extending the lead to 5-1.
Cincinnati finished with seven hits but struggled to string them together. Jorge went 2-for-4 with the Reds' only RBI, while Cabrera and JJ Bleday each had two hits. De La Cruz accounted for Cincinnati's other hit, finishing 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Cincinnati finishes 2026 with a 75-87 record and another October spent watching from home.
What’s Next
The Reds' 2026 season is complete and what a disappointing season it was.
