TORONTO -- The Rockies understood that improving the offense, which includes trimming strikeouts and having productive at-bats throughout the lineup, would be a project.

Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos made the process painful Sunday afternoon by holding the Rockies to two hits and striking out seven in seven innings while sending them to a 5-0 loss at Rogers Centre.

Poor offense was one of many reasons the Rockies lost a club-record 103 games last year. Strikeouts are still a problem during this year’s 4-12 start, but there have been several individuals who have taken steps forward -- and the Rockies hold onto that.

But once Berríos, who lowered his ERA through four starts to 1.05, wasn’t going to let the Rox make progress on Sunday. Berríos displayed a mature mix of pitches, and showed off his 2024 effectiveness against left-handed batters -- who accounted for four of his seven strikeouts.

“He just wasn't predictable at all,” said the left-handed hitting Ryan McMahon, who entered batting .393 and drew one of Berríos’ two walks, but also absorbed a Berríos strikeout during his 0-for-3 day. “He was confident to throw anything in any count. He threw me a changeup after we were battling [for a flyout to center in the fifth]. I don’t think he’d done that since he faced Nolan [Jones, on a strikeout] in the first inning.

“When a guy is going like that, you can just feel his confidence out there. Sometimes, you’ve got to tip your hat.”

That was not a statement of capitulation from McMahon. Just an acknowledgement that it was another guy’s day.

“I struck out, and it was a dotted, up-and-in two-seam that I thought was going to hit me for a second, then it’s back over the plate,” McMahon said. “We battled, man. I don’t think anybody quit. We just got beat.”

Problem is the Rockies, who took Friday night’s opener but dropped the next two and haven’t won a series this season, will keep facing top pitchers. For example, on Monday they open a three-game set at Philadelphia against righty Aaron Nola, who has been an All-Star and is postseason-tested.

There were opportunities Sunday, even against Berríos, who hit Ezequiel Tovar and walked McMahon with one out in the first. Elias Díaz popped out and Jones struck out.

“That [emphasis on improving the offense] doesn’t disappear,” said Rockies manager Bud Black, whose team finished the game with 10 strikeouts after Nate Pearson fanned three in the ninth. “You’ve got to fight a little harder. You’ve really got to shorten your swing. You’ve really got to see the ball. Today, he [Berríos] really had a devastating breaking ball and his fastball was moving. We just couldn’t get to him.”

Against tough pitching, a team has to be sharp -- and then some. The Rockies didn’t meet that standard Sunday. Kyle Freeland, theoretically, could have done better than allowing four runs in five innings.

In the one-run first, center fielder Brenton Doyle dove but couldn’t corral George Springer’s leadoff single, and second baseman Brendan Rodgers nearly pulled in Justin Turner’s pop-up in short right, but it bounced out of his glove for an RBI single -- the first of Turner’s three RBIs. Doyle won a Gold Glove last season and Rodgers in 2022, so they are fielders who often make difficult plays.

In the Jays’ two-run third, Freeland kicked a Kevin Kiermaier grounder that would have been an out had he left it alone, and committed a throwing error trying to pick Kiermaier off first.

“They had some really good, timely hits, and there were a few missed spots, but overall, I felt my stuff was pretty good,” said Freeland, who has a 13.21 ERA, but has been competitive in his last two starts after two ERA-inflating efforts to begin the season.

The plays and pitches either made or not made fall in line with the offense. Completing the task is the only way to improve.

“It’s the little things that we could do better, whether it’s situational hitting, making a few more plays or making a few more situational pitches,” said catcher Jacob Stallings, who caught Turner stealing in the first inning and picked Ernie Clement off third in the sixth. “We’re close. There were a couple big losses early, but lately we’ve been right there with a lot of good teams.

"Timely hitting needs to go into that. We need to sharpen up the little things in every aspect of the game and we’ll be in a good spot.”