The Toronto Blue Jays blew a two-run lead and dropped the series opener to the Detroit Tigers 6-5 on Monday night, and it cost them ground in the Wild Card race.

Toronto led 2-0 heading into the seventh and still had a 5-4 cushion going into the eighth before the bullpen let it slip away.

The loss dropped the Blue Jays to 75-76 on the season, and they now sit a game back of the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot.

Every game counts this deep into September, and a division rival breathing down your neck makes a blown lead like that sting a little more.

In the middle of that series, Toronto also announced its group of players heading to the Arizona Fall League this offseason.

The list includes outfielders Jake Casey and Jake Cook, catcher Aaron Parker, right-hander Fernando Perez, and pitchers Yondrei Rojas and Gilberto Batista.

But two names stand out for Blue Jays fans, and neither is heading to Arizona because of a strong 2026.

Two former top prospects get a fresh runway in Arizona

Left-hander Brandon Barriera, Toronto's 2022 draft pick, has been buried by injuries and is no longer inside the organization's top 30 prospects.

He posted a 12.46 ERA over just 2 appearances out of the bullpen at High-A Vancouver this year, a role change forced by the physical toll.

Over his minor league career, Barriera is 0-6 with a 5.59 ERA in 28 games, according to MiLB.com, a far cry from the prospect Toronto took in the first round.

Jake Bloss carries a heavier price tag. Toronto acquired him from the Houston Astros in July of 2024 in the deal that sent Yusei Kikuchi west.

Bloss has already pitched in the majors, but Tommy John-style elbow surgery derailed his 2026 season before it started.

He's 0-4 with a 6.18 ERA across 11 starts this year, per MiLB.com, and the Fall League assignment is about innings, not results.

If Bloss rounds back into form, he could push for a rotation spot in 2027. That's the whole point of sending him to the desert.

Back in the big-league clubhouse, Jose Soriano tried to shrug off Monday's collapse. Baseball is like that, he said. It's sometimes going to be back and forth.

John Schneider was not about to bury his bullpen after one bad night, either. They've all been really good, he said, calling the group a huge reason Toronto is where it is.

The Blue Jays get a chance to even the series Tuesday, first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET. A one-game deficit in the Wild Card standings does not fix itself sitting still.