Marlins beat Blue Jays 8-2 behind Junk, Stowers and Sanoja

The Marlins are starting to look less like a team surviving on bursts of luck and more like one with a repeatable formula. Miami paired five solid innings from Janson Junk with a balanced attack at the plate Monday night, beating the Blue Jays 8-2 and stretching its winning streak to a season-high four games.

Junk earned his first win since April 28 by giving Miami the kind of start the club had often lacked earlier in the season. He allowed one run and eight hits, all singles, and worked long enough to let the bullpen protect a lead that kept growing. For a Marlins team trying to stabilize itself over a long year, that kind of outing mattered as much as the final score. Miami also improved to 14-5 all-time at Rogers Centre, a useful reminder that the club has handled this setting well.

The offense did not depend on one swing or one inning. Kyle Stowers went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, and Javier Sanoja matched him with a 2-for-4 night, two doubles and two RBIs. Miami scored once in the first, added another run in the fifth, then broke the game open with three in the sixth and three more in the eighth. That scoring pattern showed a lineup producing pressure throughout the order rather than waiting for one isolated rally. Owen Caissie, who grew up in Burlington, Ontario, also chipped in with two hits and an RBI against Miami, adding another layer to a game that featured several Canadian ties.

Toronto had chances to shift the game early, but the Blue Jays never turned those opportunities into the kind of inning that could change the night. Rookie left fielder Yohendrick Piñango made two misplays in the sixth that directly led to three Miami runs, and those mistakes helped turn a close contest into a lopsided one. Trey Yesavage allowed five runs in 6 2/3 innings, Ernie Clement hit a solo home run, and Toronto dropped its second straight after winning four in a row.

For Miami, the result carried more weight than a routine May win. The Marlins have now strung together four straight victories while getting production from multiple spots in the lineup and enough stability from the mound to avoid handing away leads. If that balance holds, this stretch could be more than a hot week. It could be a sign that Miami is quietly correcting the flaws that had defined its season.