TORONTO -- Standing between a shaky bullpen and a star-studded lineup that’s run hot and cold, the Blue Jays’ rotation has been the foundation of this 2021 team.

That’s not how it was supposed to play out back in Spring Training. Entering the season, the Blue Jays had Hyun Jin Ryu and a crowded group of depth starters, but coming out of a 3-0 win over the Tigers at Rogers Centre on Saturday that was desperately needed, it’s clear that Ryu is just one piece of a bigger, better staff.

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This was vintage Ryu, which hasn’t shown up as consistently of late. The lefty threw seven shutout innings with five strikeouts, turning things around after allowing 11 runs over 10 innings in his last two outings. That drags Ryu’s ERA back down to 3.54, and while Robbie Ray has stepped into the role of staff ace with a brilliant season, the Blue Jays need Ryu to turn in some more classics if they have any hope of making a run in the American League Wild Card race.

“Ryu was our ace today. Another great job,” said manager Charlie Montoyo. “He gave us a chance. Bo [Bichette’s] defense at short turning double plays was huge today, too, because there was no room for error. Every play counted and our defense was good, but Ryu was outstanding.”

Context matters here, as it always does. The Blue Jays were coming off one of their toughest losses of the season on Friday night, and just came home after losing a pair on the road to the Nationals and dropping two of three to the Mariners. You could see the Blue Jays slipping, and they needed a veteran to put their foot down.

“It was huge. It’s about the circumstances of the game," Montoyo said. "We’re on a semi-losing streak, we need to win close games, the offense is not swinging the bats very good right now, so there’s no room for error. We needed a game like that, and he gave it to us. He was outstanding. Those were seven huge innings.”

Ryu was always going to be the rock of this rotation, but when you add in a dominant Ray and the Deadline addition of José Berríos, the Blue Jays suddenly have a top three worthy of confidence in a playoff series … if they can get there.

It goes deeper than that, too. Alek Manoah was the star of camp, proved to be too good for the Minor Leagues and has given the Blue Jays a fantastic No. 4 option. The fiery right-hander stumbled in his last outing, but he owns a 3.34 ERA over 12 MLB starts and has the talent to take over a game single handedly on any given night. Again, the Blue Jays need it.

Sunday's starter Steven Matz and his 4.08 ERA make a fine No. 5 -- one that nearly any big league club would take -- so the Blue Jays have arrived in a sweet spot of sorts. It’s taken some injuries along the way, including Ross Stripling, who’s currently on the IL, and also some failed experiments like Tanner Roark. Entering this weekend, though, their 3.81 ERA as a staff ranks fifth in the AL.

“I feel like we’re doing very well as a group,” Ryu said through a team interpreter. “We all get prepared to win each game and play our respective roles appropriately. To come out with a performance like today from yesterday is good for our team."

Like so many other corners of this roster, though, a group that’s worthy of the postseason is still on the outside looking in. The bullpen opened the season as a true strength but hasn’t been in months. The lineup looks like a world-beater when the opposing starter is on the mound, but tends to turn from the Hulk back into Bruce Banner in the later innings. Amid these inconsistencies, the rotation has kept the Blue Jays from entering a complete tailspin, and at the very least, given the rest of the roster a chance each night.

On Saturday, Ryu’s excellent outing allowed the Blue Jays to get by on two big swings, first on a two-run shot from Randal Grichuk and later a solo rocket from Marcus Semien. That was No. 30 for Semien, who’s well on his way to blowing past his career high of 33 set back in 2019.

The blame game has been alive and well in Toronto through the recent skid, and understandably so. There’s rarely any fault to be put on the rotation, though, and if the Blue Jays can find their way to the postseason, it will be that group of five leading the way.