Blue Jays miss opportunity to sweep Yankees despite Kevin Gausman’s comeback.
The Blue Jays lead by two at the start of the ninth inning following a solid five innings, one run performance by Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman and a two-home run game from left fielder Daulton Varsho. Erik Swanson, a right-hander who had just come off the 15-day injured list, was put in charge of making the save. But he ran into problems right away, giving up a 437-foot home run to Giancarlo Stanton, the designated hitter for the Yankees, which turned the game into a one-run contest. After tying the score with a single, second baseman Gleyber Torres moved to third base and left fielder Alex Verdugo doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out.
After getting Oswaldo Cabrera to hit a weak groundball to second base, Swanson was replaced by left-hander Tim Mayza, who allowed pinch hitter José Trevino to score the game-tying single. The order was reversed, so Mayza would have to hit through the top of the Yankees’ formidable order in order to keep the tie alive.
Mayza walked Juan Soto to load the bases following the popup that retired leadoff hitter Anthony Volpe. The Yankees slugger then lined a single down the third-base line to score two runs and put the team ahead 6-4 after Mayza had worked Aaron Judge into a full count.
In the ninth inning, a Kevin Kiermaier single was stranded by the Blue Jays.
When Swanson made his first appearance of the season, it appeared to be a difficult situation to put him in. However, Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed during the game that right-hander Chad Green was not available due to shoulder pain. In an effort to be ready to pitch when the Blue Jays begin a series against the San Diego Padres, he was undergoing treatment. The Blue Jays refrained from utilizing closer Jordan Romano on back-to-back days so soon after his return from the injured list, so he was also unavailable. Yimi García, who had pitched three times in four days, was also down.
Schneider, who was removed from the game in the ninth after contesting a strike decision, stated, “You want to protect guys this time of year.” “Obviously, I would have preferred to have (Green) there today, but you have to act in the players’ best interests.”
The manager expressed satisfaction with the team’s 6-3 home-opening record despite the setback ending the homestand on a “sour taste,” according to Schneider.
Schneider remarked, “At-bats were really good up and down the lineup against good pitching.” “I think we played really well together. It’s also good to return home after a ten-day road trip. Being back home in front of our supporters is fantastic. I just wish today had ended a little bit differently.
Gausman did give the Blue Jays a promising comeback performance before the day was ruined.
The right-hander for the Blue Jays was coming off of his worst two-start run since joining the team, heading into Wednesday’s game. Over the course of five innings, Gausman gave up 11 earned runs on 14 hits, two walks, and just four strikeouts.
On the surface, the performances were decidedly un-Gausmanesque. But when seen in the larger perspective of the previous few weeks, his difficulties made sense because Gausman’s shoulder fatigue during spring training hindered him from fully recovering. The Blue Jays decided that it would be better to have Gausman on a short leash than not have him at all, so they allowed him to begin the season with the team despite a drastically shortened buildup and pitch limitations for his first four appearances.
That made sense when he played Tampa in his season opener. With six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, Gausman limited the Rays to one run on two hits. However, Gausman’s ability to execute pitches as he desired was lacking in his next two starts. It was simple to assume that Gausman’s slow start was due in part to missing so much of spring training, when kinks may be sorted out.
Gausman had established himself as one of baseball’s top pitchers over the previous three seasons, so it was also simple to believe that the right-hander would eventually find success. Gausman made a positive move on Wednesday, rewarding those who advocated for calm instead of panic. In five innings, Gausman gave up just one run on four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts while facing a formidable Yankees lineup. He also delivered huge pitches when it counted.
Kevin was good, in Schneider’s opinion. “His blend seemed better today, in my opinion. Items were present. Towards the end of his stint, he made enormous pitches against the middle of the order there. In their tussle, the Yankees increased Gausman’s pitch count. Getting Torres to strike out on three pitches allowed him to escape a bases-loaded situation in the first inning.
Then, after Varsho hit his first of two home runs to put the Blue Jays ahead 2-0 in the fifth, Gausman allowed Cabrera to hit a leadoff double. After retiring the next two batters, the Blue Jays starter gave up a strong double to Soto, whom he has faced twice before. The Yankees scored their first run of the day thanks to the hit. Gausman got Judge to strikeout at a splitter down in the zone after working him into a full count with Soto as the tying run. Gausman responded emphatically to that.