TORONTO — The sixth inning of Wednesday’s game was emblematic of Kevin Gausman’s season. He bent but he didn’t break. It was a grind, but he found his way through it.
With the Toronto Blue Jays holding a four-run lead, the Boston Red Sox opened the frame with a double, walk and a single. One run had scored and there were still none out, with the visiting club looking to further cut into the Blue Jays’ lead.
Gausman had been cruising to this point in the contest and when he encountered the rough waters, he didn’t waver. Facing the dangerous Tyler O’Neill, he induced a double play that was the result of a smart play by second baseman Leo Jimenez. A fielder’s choice and a walk later, the bases were loaded for Nick Sogard and the Blue Jays’ right-hander needed to dial in.
He got ahead of the switch-hitter with fastballs on the outside part of the plate before busting him inside with a four-seamer that resulted in a fly ball to right field that ended the threat.
All told, Gausman expended 28 pitches against seven batters in the inning. However, most importantly, he allowed just one run.
“The sixth inning was the turning point,” said manager John Schneider. “Bases loaded there. He made a really good pitch.”
It was the final frame of Gausman’s trying season and his contributions on the night were key in helping the Blue Jays to a 6-1 win over the Red Sox in front of 27,694 at Rogers Centre. Catcher Alejandro Kirk drove in three runs and extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games while rookie Jonatan Clase collected three hits, including his first major-league home run.
Gausman’s 2024 campaign was a battle from the outset. He was sidelined for most of spring training with right shoulder fatigue and instead of going on the injured list, the right-hander began the season at the back end of the rotation and used his first few starts to build himself up.
The result was a first half in which Gausman struggled to find a rhythm. He made adjustments to his mechanics and settled down considerably after the all-star break, but his strikeout numbers have been down from his career norm, with the right-hander remarking on several occasions that his trademark splitter just hasn’t been where he needs it to be.
“The consistency definitely wasn’t there as much as I would’ve liked,” Gausman said following Wednesday’s game. “I thought I did a good job making adjustments when I needed to, but the reality is I had a really bad first month.”
While all of that may seem to paint a negative picture, Gausman’s campaign is anything but. The right-hander deserves kudos for stepping up in April to help a Blue Jays staff that lacked rotation depth even though he wasn’t physically ready.
He posted a 2.22 ERA in 56.2 innings across his final nine starts and, overall, produced a 3.83 ERA over 181 innings.
“The way he finished the season is just indicative of who he is,” said Schneider. “It was frustrating for him at the start of the year. Obviously, when you’re a pitcher of that caliber and not getting the results you’re used to, it’s frustrating. So, I give him a lot of credit for evolving a little bit as he went and working through some things.
“I like where he ended with his stuff,” added the skipper. “[In] his last three or four starts his split has been really good at carrying the zone. I’m happy for him that he ended it the way he did after a rough start.”
Gausman made 31 starts in 2024, marking his third straight season with that number. As well, he earned the win on Wednesday to tie his career high of 14, a figure that means something to the veteran.
“It means that I was still resilient,” said Gausman. “I felt like I probably could have won a lot more than that, to be honest. But that’s the game. It’s always good when you can tie a career high, but I wish I would’ve been throwing the ball like last year, to be honest.”
Gausman said he plans to devote time in the off-season to work on his sinker, a pitch he believes could play against right-handed hitters and ultimately allow him to go deeper into games. While he was happy with the way he finished the campaign, Gausman, who turns 34 in January, says he’ll need to continue to be open to change.
“It’s tough because you’re always going to go on the results,” he said. “And sometimes you’re going to pitch great and the results [aren’t going to show]. It was nice to have the results on my side for a little bit. That shows that I’m on the right track, but I’m only getting older, so I need to make adjustments and look at my workload and kind of tweak some things.”
Clase, meanwhile, provided a spark for the Blue Jays from the leadoff spot. Schneider remarked before the game that he inserted the outfielder, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Yimi Garcia trade, atop the lineup because he wanted to see more at-bats from toolsy Clase.
The 22-year-old is known for his impressive speed — he ranks in the 99th percentile in MLB — however he didn’t get a chance to show that element to his game on Wednesday. Instead, he displayed patience and a steady bat while collecting a walk, two singles and a home run.
His two-run blast came in the seventh inning off Red Sox right-hander Josh Winckowski. Clase fell behind 0-2 before working the count full and launching an inside cutter into the right-field stands before celebrating on his trot around the bases.
“I was just dreaming,” Clase responded when asked what he was thinking as he rounded the bases. “I always dreamed for that moment.”