An incredible streak by Lee was tarnished. A chance for a Phillies weekend sweep floated away with those three mammoth home-run blasts by Eric Thames, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion.
All Lee could do was helplessly watch each ball's flight to the outer reaches of Rogers Centre. He put his arms at his sides each time.
"I felt like they were decent pitches, to be honest with you," Lee said. "But obviously that doesn't matter."
"That's life," Manuel said. "That's the game."
This day began with Lee seeking history. Another complete-game shutout and he'd match a 100-year-old franchise record of 41 straight scoreless innings established by Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Lee extended his streak to 34 innings before surrendering a run on a Rajai Davis third-inning triple and a groundout by John McDonald.
Still, the Phillies had a three-run lead because of a four-run second inning. With Lee on the mound, that has been about as good of a guarantee as there is in baseball recently.
But the Phillies never added to the total. A bumbling mistake in the eighth cost them a sure run. Shane Victorino, who jammed his right thumb in the sixth when his cleats were caught in the outfield turf, doubled with one out. He saw a chance to steal third, but that idea was sniffed out by Blue Jays reliever Octavio Dotel, who picked him off. On the next pitch, Raul Ibanez doubled over Juan Rivera's head in left. Victorino would have easily scored from second.
"It's never a good play when you've got a lefthanded hitter standing there and you get thrown out," Manuel said. "If you make it, it's something different."
