Kevin Gausman has been one of the more reliable arms in the Blue Jays rotation. On Friday at Wrigley Field, that guy was nowhere to be found.
The veteran right-hander allowed seven earned runs in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs. That inning alone included four walks. According to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon, Gausman had not walked more than three batters in any other start this season. He matched that total before recording a single out.
The Cubs knocked him around early. A single here, a double there. And when Gausman did manage to find the zone, the Cubs hit the ball hard. By the time he got out of the inning, the score was 7-0 and the game felt basically over. The Blue Jays pulled him after that frame. It was his shortest outing of the year by a lot.
Even great pitchers have days like this
Gausman came in with a 4.42 ERA and was coming off a decent stretch. But Friday was a reminder that baseball humbles everybody eventually. He didn’t have his splitter working. He couldn’t locate his fastball. And the Cubs made him pay.
It happens. The best in the game get knocked around sometimes. But for a Blue Jays team trying to stay alive in the wild-card race, this was about the worst possible way to start a series.
Toronto’s offense has been inconsistent all year. Asking them to climb out of a seven-run hole on the road against a good Cubs bullpen is a lot. Stranger things have happened, but not often.
What’s next for Gausman?
He’ll get another turn in five days. The stuff is still there. The track record is real. But this one is going to sting for a while. Pitchers like Gausman don’t usually have innings like that. When they do, everyone notices.
The Blue Jays have to hope this was just a bad day and not something deeper. Because if Gausman isn’t right, Toronto’s postseason hopes take another serious hit.
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