Varland got the call with one out in the eighth inning after Detroit put two runners on base. The All-Star closer struck out Dillon Dingler to put himself in position to escape the jam, but Brett Callahan followed with an RBI single to tie the score. Varland then managed to get the third out, but he yielded the go-ahead run in the ninth and ultimately took the loss. The blown save was just the second of the season in 35 attempts for Varland, who had converted nine consecutive saves while allowing just one earned run over 14.2 innings across his previous 14 appearances. He still has an outstanding 1.32 overall ERA this season and is in no danger of losing his closer role.

Varland had no wiggle room when he entered in the ninth inning tasked with protecting a one-run lead. The right-hander didn't flinch, retiring the side in order on 13 pitches (10 strikes). Varland registered his 11th straight appearance without an earned run, and he's gone 9-for-9 in save opportunities while recording a 13:3 K:BB across 12 innings during that span. He entered the campaign without a single save to his ledger over 112 career regular-season MLB appearances, but Varland has blossomed as Toronto's closer in 2026, as he ranks fourth in the majors with 33 saves in 34 chances.