Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman understands the frustration fans are feeling right now. The Blue Jays are struggling to score runs, and the hurler hopes he and his fellow staff can get some support.
“As much as you try to block it out, it's really hard to. The reality is, yeah, if we don't pitch well, we probably lose,” Gausman said, per MLB.com. “We've got to be really good.”
The Blue Jays are in a very difficult American League East this season. The team is 33-36 on the year, and has gone just 5-5 in their last 10 games. The team has also struggled with injuries, as key starting pitcher Alex Manoah is out hurt.
Gausman's performance this season
Gausman is 5-5 on the season for Toronto. He has a 4.08 ERA, which is higher than usual for him. The pitcher has been battered around in his last few starts, giving up eight hits in his last outing Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. He only worked a little more than five innings in that game.
On the season, Gausman has appeared in 14 contests. He's pitched one complete game for the Blue Jays in that span. In his last ten appearances, he has only reached seven innings of work twice. He is relied on heavily by Toronto, who are now 15.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the division.
“Defensively, as pitchers, we need to be better. We almost have to be perfect. It's tough,” Gausman added. The Blue Jays have only scored nine runs in their last four games.
Gausman has had a strong tenure in Toronto. He has won 12 games in each of the last two seasons, with a WHIP of under 1.25 in both years. He led the American League in strikeouts during the 2023 season. The veteran pitcher has also thrown for the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants.
The Blue Jays still have time to turn things around, and it starts with Gausman. The pitcher has made two All-Star Game appearances in his career, and still has plenty left in the tank despite his age. With Manoah out, Gausman is arguably the ace of the pitching staff.
Blue Jays fans were hopeful this past offseason their pitching staff would get more help, as the team made a run at signing Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani nearly signed with the team, but ultimately chose to go to Los Angeles instead. It was a hard blow for the organization. It's been more than 30 years since the team won the World Series, but Toronto has made the American League playoffs three times since the year 2020. The franchise seemed so close to getting to another championship series.
The Blue Jays are in action again on Saturday, again playing the Guardians. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:05 Eastern.
Follow Us
Subscribe