First place in AL East is new Blue Jays target even after falling flat in series finale against D'Backs
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There are any number of motivational checkpoints in a 162-game season to help contending teams ride the inevitable swings of the odyssey, both high and low.
When a three-plus weeks of solid baseball allows you to wake up in late June just two games out of the division lead, that would be one of them.
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That was the position the Blue Jays found themselves in prior to a flat Thursday matinee against the Arizona Diamondbacks that resulted in a mostly lopsided and deflating 9-5 loss.
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Sure, it wasn't pretty but at least the home side took the three-game series 2-1, cooling a team that had arrived on a give-game heater.
Baseball players are generally better equipped at riding out highs and lows than other sports — in part in the name of retaining some sanity giving the length of the season. So dropping a game against the D'Backs shouldn't destroy momentum, especially with the opportunity presented by a three-game weekend series against the Chicago White Sox, the worst team in the American League, right around the corner.
With the New York Yankees defeating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Jays slipped to three games in arrears of the division leaders. But with a big four-game home series against the Yankees starting on June 30, for the first time in 2025 the prospect of chasing the division lead has a whiff of believability.
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'There is so much season left but, yeah, you look up and want so see yourself where you envision yourself,' manager John Schneider said prior to Thursday's lopsided affair played out before 33,978 at the open-roofed Rogers Centre. 'There's the wildcard and that's great, but the goal every year is to try to win the division. 'A lot (of season) to go but nice to look up and say we're playing well and where we are in terms of games back.'
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The unsightliness of Thursday aside, the Jays have still won 14 of their past 20 games and with a record of 40-34 have distanced themselves from that annoying dalliance with .500 that consumed the first two months of the season.
'I remember at the start of the month when I said you kind of want to put your best foot forward before you get into July and the dog days and the trade deadline and all that stuff,' Schneider said. 'I think it's nice that we have done that, and it kind of keeps the carrot at the end of the stick, right there, even though it's a long way to go.'
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The Jays couldn't get much of anything going on Thursday, early on the offence reduced to just two hits through the first seven innings, both of them Alejandro Kirk home runs. An eighth inning mini-rally — started by a Jonatan Clase homer — added three to bring the final score closer to respectability.
NO GAS FOR GAUS?
It's not a stretch to suggest that if the Jays are going to make a meaningful push for a division title, they're going to need stout starting pitching in general and a strong Kevin Gausman specifically.
On Thursday, they got a dull one from the veteran right hander who was chased after 4.1 after the D'Backs rocked him for seven hits (two of them homers), four walks and seven earned runs.
As an outlier, that kind of outing happens. But in three of his past four starts now, Gausman has pitched five innings or less and seen his ERA climb to 4.60.
TO THE MAX?
The more wear and tear that piles up on the Jays starters — not to mention the holes in the rotation that have needed patching for too long now — the more the urgency heightens for a Max Scherzer return to action.
Schneider said that following Scherzer's excellent 75-pitch, eight-strikeout for the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday, the righty will throw a bullpen session here, likely on Saturday.
'Just like everything we've said with Max, it's kind of just a day at a time,' Schneider said. 'If that goes well, we'll see if he needs another (rehab start) or if he's good to go.'
If it's the latter, that could set up a start on Tuesday in Cleveland against the Guardians.
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Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Gausman's June struggles continue as Diamondbacks beat Blue Jays to deny sweep
TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays' pitching depth is teetering — which makes it a bad time for one of their most reliable starters to be struggling. Kevin Gausman allowed seven earned runs over 4 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays fell 9-5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, denying their sixth sweep of the season. 'I feel like everybody kind of did their job this series and I just didn't,' Gausman said. 'We're playing really good right now and going for a sweep today and I go out there and do that. So I'm pretty frustrated.' The 34-year-old gave up seven hits and three walks as his record dropped to 5-6. Manager John Schneider pulled him after he hit Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., with a pitch to load the bases with one out in the fifth inning. Both Schneider and Gausman pointed to the righty's command as the root of his recent struggles. 'When he's good, he's on the attack, he's getting ahead of you and then he's kind of dominating those 1-1 counts. And that hasn't been the case,' Schneider said. Gausman has walked 12 batters in 20 June innings compared to one in 31 innings in May. He's now allowed 17 earned runs through 20 innings over four starts this month, a rough follow-up to a sterling May in which he went 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA. He said strike percentage has been 'the story' of his season. 'June's been really ugly for me and so I need to take a deep look and figure some things out and get better. I feel like if I can get back to who I am, I think that's the next step for this team and I hope to be a big part of it and right now I feel like I'm not doing my end,' Gausman said. Catcher Alejandro Kirk blasted two solo home runs for Toronto (40-34), which had won the first two of the three-game interleague series. Centre fielder Jonatan Clase also added a solo shot. The Blue Jays sit in the second wild-card position in the American League, one game back of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Diamondbacks (37-37) climbed to .500 with the win. Arizona's Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith combined for two home runs and seven RBIs in the victory, with the slugging Suarez — who ended the game a triple away from the cycle — especially proving to be a thorn in Gausman's side. 'He had a plan going in obviously and I think I kind of fed right into his plan just about every at-bat,' Gausman said. The Rogers Centre roof opened about 20 minutes before the game, and Schneider mentioned windy conditions — with gusts up to 32 kilometres per hour at first pitch — as a factor in Gausman's outing. 'I've pitched plenty of games windy and I kinda need to make that adjustment,' Gausman said. 'My split was moving a lot today, but I just couldn't make that adjustment to figure out how to throw it for a strike and then how to throw it for a ball.' Gausman's next start is likely to come next week against the Cleveland Guardians, whose 277 runs entering Thursday were fourth fewest in the American League. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays continue to face other questions in their rotation. After the game, Toronto announced that right-hander Spencer Turnbull would start Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. The spot would have belonged to Bowden Francis, who was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder impingement. Turnbull, who signed with the Blue Jays in May, has made two relief appearances for the club, allowing seven hits and one earned run in 4.1 innings. Eric Lauer, who started and pitched five strong innings in a win Wednesday, has bounced between relief, starting and bulk roles with the team but could round out the rotation — along with Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios — for the time being. Elsewhere, Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, made his second rehab start with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday. His next game action could come at the major-league level. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays' first-round pick one year ago, recently moved up to double-A and was tied for the minor-league lead with 96 strikeouts through Wednesday's action. But Scherzer, who has pitched three MLB innings this season, and Yesavage, whose next MLB pitch will be his first, remain mysteries to an extent. And so the urgency for Gausman to regain control of the strike zone and rediscover his May form is apparent. '(Gausman's) elite when he's ahead in counts, and I think just not getting there has been tough for him,' Schneider said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
Gausman's June struggles continue in Jays' loss
TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays' pitching depth is teetering — which makes it a bad time for one of their most reliable starters to be struggling. Kevin Gausman allowed seven earned runs over 4 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays fell 9-5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, denying their sixth sweep of the season. 'I feel like everybody kind of did their job this series and I just didn't,' Gausman said. 'We're playing really good right now and going for a sweep today and I go out there and do that. So I'm pretty frustrated.' The 34-year-old gave up seven hits and three walks as his record dropped to 5-6. Manager John Schneider pulled him after he hit Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., with a pitch to load the bases with one out in the fifth inning. Both Schneider and Gausman pointed to the righty's command as the root of his recent struggles. Story continues below advertisement 'When he's good, he's on the attack, he's getting ahead of you and then he's kind of dominating those 1-1 counts. And that hasn't been the case,' Schneider said. Gausman has walked 12 batters in 20 June innings compared to one in 31 innings in May. He's now allowed 17 earned runs through 20 innings over four starts this month, a rough follow-up to a sterling May in which he went 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA. He said strike percentage has been 'the story' of his season. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'June's been really ugly for me and so I need to take a deep look and figure some things out and get better. I feel like if I can get back to who I am, I think that's the next step for this team and I hope to be a big part of it and right now I feel like I'm not doing my end,' Gausman said. Story continues below advertisement Catcher Alejandro Kirk blasted two solo home runs for Toronto (40-34), which had won the first two of the three-game interleague series. Centre fielder Jonatan Clase also added a solo shot. The Blue Jays sit in the second wild-card position in the American League, one game back of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Diamondbacks (37-37) climbed to .500 with the win. Arizona's Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith combined for two home runs and seven RBIs in the victory, with the slugging Suarez — who ended the game a triple away from the cycle — especially proving to be a thorn in Gausman's side. 'He had a plan going in obviously and I think I kind of fed right into his plan just about every at-bat,' Gausman said. The Rogers Centre roof opened about 20 minutes before the game, and Schneider mentioned windy conditions — with gusts up to 32 kilometres per hour at first pitch — as a factor in Gausman's outing. 'I've pitched plenty of games windy and I kinda need to make that adjustment,' Gausman said. 'My split was moving a lot today, but I just couldn't make that adjustment to figure out how to throw it for a strike and then how to throw it for a ball.' Story continues below advertisement Gausman's next start is likely to come next week against the Cleveland Guardians, whose 277 runs entering Thursday were fourth fewest in the American League. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays continue to face other questions in their rotation. After the game, Toronto announced that right-hander Spencer Turnbull would start Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. The spot would have belonged to Bowden Francis, who was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder impingement. Turnbull, who signed with the Blue Jays in May, has made two relief appearances for the club, allowing seven hits and one earned run in 4.1 innings. Eric Lauer, who started and pitched five strong innings in a win Wednesday, has bounced between relief, starting and bulk roles with the team but could round out the rotation — along with Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios — for the time being. Elsewhere, Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, made his second rehab start with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday. His next game action could come at the major-league level. Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays' first-round pick one year ago, recently moved up to double-A and was tied for the minor-league lead with 96 strikeouts through Wednesday's action. But Scherzer, who has pitched three MLB innings this season, and Yesavage, whose next MLB pitch will be his first, remain mysteries to an extent. Story continues below advertisement And so the urgency for Gausman to regain control of the strike zone and rediscover his May form is apparent. '(Gausman's) elite when he's ahead in counts, and I think just not getting there has been tough for him,' Schneider said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.
National Post
5 hours ago
- National Post
First place in AL East is new Blue Jays target even after falling flat in series finale against D'Backs
There are any number of motivational checkpoints in a 162-game season to help contending teams ride the inevitable swings of the odyssey, both high and low. Article content When a three-plus weeks of solid baseball allows you to wake up in late June just two games out of the division lead, that would be one of them. Article content Article content That was the position the Blue Jays found themselves in prior to a flat Thursday matinee against the Arizona Diamondbacks that resulted in a mostly lopsided and deflating 9-5 loss. Article content Sure, it wasn't pretty but at least the home side took the three-game series 2-1, cooling a team that had arrived on a give-game heater. Article content Baseball players are generally better equipped at riding out highs and lows than other sports — in part in the name of retaining some sanity giving the length of the season. So dropping a game against the D'Backs shouldn't destroy momentum, especially with the opportunity presented by a three-game weekend series against the Chicago White Sox, the worst team in the American League, right around the corner. Article content With the New York Yankees defeating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Jays slipped to three games in arrears of the division leaders. But with a big four-game home series against the Yankees starting on June 30, for the first time in 2025 the prospect of chasing the division lead has a whiff of believability. Article content 'There is so much season left but, yeah, you look up and want so see yourself where you envision yourself,' manager John Schneider said prior to Thursday's lopsided affair played out before 33,978 at the open-roofed Rogers Centre. 'There's the wildcard and that's great, but the goal every year is to try to win the division. 'A lot (of season) to go but nice to look up and say we're playing well and where we are in terms of games back.' Article content The unsightliness of Thursday aside, the Jays have still won 14 of their past 20 games and with a record of 40-34 have distanced themselves from that annoying dalliance with .500 that consumed the first two months of the season. Article content Article content 'I remember at the start of the month when I said you kind of want to put your best foot forward before you get into July and the dog days and the trade deadline and all that stuff,' Schneider said. 'I think it's nice that we have done that, and it kind of keeps the carrot at the end of the stick, right there, even though it's a long way to go.' Article content The Jays couldn't get much of anything going on Thursday, early on the offence reduced to just two hits through the first seven innings, both of them Alejandro Kirk home runs. An eighth inning mini-rally — started by a Jonatan Clase homer — added three to bring the final score closer to respectability. Article content
