TORONTO -- With the official halfway point of the season arriving on Thursday night, there’s no more time for moral victories for these Blue Jays.
They need ones that count in the standings.
Starter Kevin Gausman was able to grind through six innings after allowing six runs through three to help save a taxed bullpen from added work. But it was still a night he’d rather soon forget, as the Blue Jays dropped the opener of a four-game series with the Rangers, 6-5, at Rogers Centre.
It wasn’t the walks that plagued Gausman on this night like they did against the Cubs in his last start. Instead, it was hard contact and three home runs that did him in.
Joc Pederson got the night started in the top of the first by launching the 11th pitch of his leadoff at-bat into the second deck in right field for an early 1-0 lead. Wyatt Langford added a three-run shot in the top of the third before Jake Burger left the yard for a two-run homer later in the inning.
Gausman has now allowed eight home runs in five June starts. He allowed six in his first 12 starts of the season.
Making it all the more frustrating is the fact the Rangers are far from an offensive juggernaut, tied with the Rockies and Giants for 19th in the Majors in home runs (86) and sitting at 20th in team OPS (.710) following Thursday night’s game.
The frustration was evident in Gausman’s postgame comments.
“Lots of hits, 10 hits, three homers and one to start the game,” Gausman said. “I don’t think there’s many positives you can take from giving up 10 hits and three homers. You’re just not going to have success with those types of numbers. I just need to be better.”
And then there was the offence that was unable to generate much of anything off of Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore outside of a three-run fifth inning. Gore tossed seven innings and allowed four hits and a walk while striking out five.
Rangers reliever Jakob Junis threw a scoreless eighth and Jacob Latz bent but didn’t break in the ninth to record his 15th save of the season.
Gausman called getting through six innings “the only positive” from his outing and acknowledged his fastball hasn’t been as effective of late.
“I need to take a look at my delivery and figure out my land leg, I feel like it’s kind of buckling right now,” he said. “That allows me to pitch up in the zone.”
Manager John Schneider said he doesn’t believe there’s any trend that has caused Gausman’s struggles over his past two starts.
“They were different games in terms of walks and command and not really having it from the get-go,” Schneider said. “I think mistake pitches today were the difference.”
Despite the tough outing, Schneider praised his starter for pitching the sixth and saving the bullpen innings. It appeared Gausman was pleading his case in the dugout to go back out after the fifth.
“You’re trying to do what’s best for everyone, especially Kev, who’s so important for us,” Schneider said. “He’s one of those guys you trust. That’s big to save three outs from the bullpen.”
The Blue Jays are in an important stretch as they prepare to close out June and enter July.
The three games remaining against the Rangers, who are now tied with the Blue Jays in the muddy middle of the American League, followed by a series versus the Mets and a three-team, 10-day road trip out west that takes them into the All-Star break, serves as an opportunity to get the season on track.
“It’s been a grind, it’s been a challenge,” Schneider said of the first half of the season. “I really think our best baseball is in front of us, in terms of getting healthy and guys turning the corner to perform.”