The Toronto Blue Jays have been at the top of the American League East for weeks. However, John Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are competing with the New York Yankees for the division. Heading into Thursday's game against the Houston Astros, the Blue Jays needed a win to get back on track. Luckily for them, it was Kevin Gausman's turn in the starting rotation.
Gausman barely struggled at all, throwing a complete game shutout in front of his home crowd. Fans showered applause down on him when the game finished, appreciating the dominant performance he treated them to. The win gives Toronto some much-needed breathing room in the division, even if the Yankees are still lurking behind them in the standings.
Schneider has shouted out the Blue Jays' fanbase all season. Toronto's season took a turn for the better after Guerrero Jr. got his contract extension. Despite the team's confidence, its fans brought a level of energy that seeped into their team. Gausman, for one, shared his appreciation for Blue Jays' fans. To him, the crowd could not have given him any more reason to play well.
“Hats off(to the fans), that was incredible,” Gausman said. “I thought I was gonna be throwing 105, that's how amazing I felt out there. That's all we want as a player.”
Gausman showed out in one of his last starts of the regular season. However, he has a good chance to pitch on his home field in a playoff series. If the standings hold, Toronto will have home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. Having as many games as possible in front of their fans will do nothing but help Gausman and the rest of the Blue Jays.
Guerrero Jr. needs others to step up around him for the team to reach its goals. If that happens, the sky's the limit for Toronto and its championship aspirations.
