TORONTO — As the fifth inning threatened to unravel on the Toronto Blue Jays, the recent struggles of their bullpen appeared destined to deepen with yet another implosion.

Lefty Brendon Little, taking over from Max Scherzer with a one-run lead, could have been out of the inning, or at least in a good spot with two out and one on, but instead, a bobbled dribbler and an imperfect relay left the bases loaded with none out. After a Sal Frelick chopper to the mound led to an out at home, manager John Schneider turned to Tommy Nance — and the right-hander completed a remarkable escape by striking out Andrew Vaughn and inducing an Isaac Collins groundout.

For a relief group under the microscope during a rough stretch that’s coincided with a challenging period overall for the club, it was an imp

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