ATLANTA -- Toronto may have dropped its weekend series against the Braves at Truist Park, but starting pitcher Yariel Rodríguez had a solid outing in his 18th MLB start.

Though the Blue Jays lost Sunday’s rubber match 4-3 in 11 innings, Rodríguez kept his squad in the game against NL Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale.

The 27-year-old Cuban rookie, who was signed by the Blue Jays in February, allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts and one walk over five innings in the no-decision.

“I felt good all day,” Rodríguez said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “That was the plan I had, to try and mix [things] up with the rhythm for the hitters. It worked out pretty [well].”

Rodríguez’s lone blemish was Jarred Kelenic’s solo home run in the bottom of the second, but he competed with Sale throughout the day.

“He was really good,” manager John Schneider said. “It was just the one pitch to Kelenic. I thought he was really good. I liked his tempo and his delivery. He had some swing-and-miss [stuff] going. He was efficient with his pitches. We’re not going to ask him to go seven or eight [innings], but I think what he did today, you can look for outings like that from him.”

Rodríguez, who played in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball from 2020-22, did not pitch professionally in 2023, though he did pitch for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic that spring.

Over his first six starts with the Blue Jays, Rodríguez did not pitch more than four innings; he’s had nine starts of four-plus innings since the start of July.

“Knowing that I’m going to be out there for three, four or five innings, I know how to mix my energy,” Rodríguez said. “I try to attack the zone early and be aggressive from the get-go.”

Rodríguez, who has pitched 73 1/3 innings this season -- partly due to a pair of back-related IL stints -- lowered his ERA to 4.42 on Sunday, and has now struck out 75 batters on the year.

“I feel pretty good overall about this year,” Rodríguez said. “I think we accomplished the plan that we had since the beginning. There’s been a lot of ups and downs during the process. At the same time I think it’s going to help a lot to carry over to next year with confidence.”

In his first year of a five-year, $32 million contract, Rodríguez can certainly look ahead to how he will approach his second MLB season.

“I’ve learned this year that in between outings you really have to work and stay ready and prepare yourself with recovery,” Rodríguez said. “It’s something that I’m carrying over to next year to start the year with a lot of energy, and try to pitch [well] and help my team win some games.”

Rodríguez’s effectiveness kept the Blue Jays in it long enough to land a punch. Toronto was down 1-0 over the first 7 2/3 innings, but fellow rookie Spencer Horwitz continued his banner weekend with a pinch-hit go-ahead home run off Joe Jíménez.

Horwitz finished the weekend 6-for-7 with three homers and a double, raising his OPS by 60 points (.767 to .827) in the process.

“Pinch-hitting is tough, and I think on a day like today he impacted the game in a variety of ways,” Schneider said. “A day like today is tough to come in and pinch hit against a high-leverage reliever. It’s pretty impressive.”