Russell Martin of the Toronto Blue Jays loses the ball trying to tag Odubel Herrera of the Phillies in the first inning in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
Imperial Stormtroopers were gathered in front of the Toronto Blue Jays dugout, looking menacing and armed to the teeth as usual.
On the field, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca assisted in tossing out the ceremonial first pitch.
It was Star Wars night at Citizens Bank Park and the force was definitely not in the corner of the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
The Philadelphia Phillies won 7-4 over the surprisingly lacklustre Blue Jays, who were hamstrung in this one by a poor starting effort by pitcher Mark Buehrle and a less-than-desirable defensive effort.
The Blue Jays would have been better served in this one had they heeded the wise words of Yoda, the legendary Jedi Master in Star Wars, who once intoned: "Do. Or do not. There is no try."
Toronto's effort was not a performance worthy of a team coming off an 11-game win streak, which put the Blue Jays back in the thick of the American League East playoff race with the New York Yankees.
Toronto sent Buehrle to the mound with the hope of winning its second in a row over the Phillies, who sport the worst record in the majors.
The Blue Jays, perhaps, would have been wiser to have started pitcher R.A. Dickey in the game. Dickey is a huge Star Wars fan, after all.
Buehrle, 13-6, was chased after four innings, having surrendered four runs off seven hits.
The usually dependable lefty was just not his normal self, getting tagged early and often as the Phillies raced into a 4-0 lead through three innings.
And the 36-year-old did not get much defensive assistance.
In the first inning, with Andres Blanco at first for the Phillies, Odubel Herrera lashed a line drive into right field toward Toronto's Jose Bautista.
When Bautista bobbled the ball, Blanco alertly took third base on the error. Blanco scored the Phillies' first run on a sacrifice fly lifted by Jeff Francoeur.
A more accurate throw from Ben Revere in left field might have got Francoeur at home.
Philadelphia's Darin Ruf singled to centre, scoring Herrera from second.
The throw home from Toronto centre fielder Kevin Pillar was well up the third base line.
In his haste to trap the ball, Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin instead deflected it toward the Phillies dugout along the first base line.
The second error of the inning allowed Ruf to race all the way to third base and Ruf scored on a double by Aaron Altherr. Philadelphia led 3-0.
Francoeur added to Buehrle's misery in the fourth when he clubbed his second home run in as many games to bring the score to 4-0.
Earlier in the day, the Yankees continued their solid play, defeating the Minnesota Twins 4-3 for their third straight win. Combined with Toronto's setback, the Yankees' lead atop the AL East is now two games.
Given Buehrle's aversion to having the clubhouse televisions tuned in to any Yankees games during the stretch drive, it is not known if the Blue Jays took to the field aware that they needed a win to keep pace.
The Blue Jays have now completed the first leg of their three-city, eight-game trip.
Now it is on to California for a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels that begins on Friday night. It should be an intensive affair.
The Angels began play Wednesday 31/2 games behind Toronto for first place in the AL wildcard playoff standing.
The Blue Jays finally exhibited some life against the Phillies in the top of the fifth when Edwin Encarnacion lifted a leadoff home run, his 23rd of the season, off starter Adam Morgan.
The blast extended Encarnacion's hit streak to 16 games, the longest active steak in the majors.
And when Cliff Pennington doubled home Revere from first base it cut the score to 4-2.
But the Toronto bullpen, which has been solid of late, dropped the ball in the Phillies half of the fifth. That's where reliever Bo Schultz allowed home runs to Blanco (his fifth) and Aaron Altherr that moved the Phillies comfortably ahead 7-2.
Altherr's shot was a two-run job, his first home run in just his second major-league game.
The Blue Jays got two back in the eighth but it was too little too late.