SEATTLE — A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Kevin Gausman once more.
The staff ace with two Game 1 starts under his belt already in this postseason will get the ball in Game 5 for the Blue Jays, where he’ll either be tasked with putting them on the doorstep of the World Series or keeping their season alive.
The stakes have never been higher for Gausman, the 34-year-old who was brought to Toronto four years ago for moments just like this. The two performances we’ve seen from Gausman this postseason have been enough, but both he and the Blue Jays know there’s more in there. With Bryce Miller going for the Mariners, “good” might not cut it.
Gausman’s Game 1 starts against the Yankees and Mariners were nearly identical, each lasting 5 2/3 innings with 75 pitches in one and 76 in the other. The one pitch he’d love to take back came against the Mariners last Sunday in Toronto, when Gausman’s splitter caught too much of the zone and Cal Raleigh launched a solo shot to tie the game in the sixth. In each of Gausman’s starts, he’s been cruising until some late turbulence.
That’s why Gausman’s workload is the most interesting wrinkle in all of this. Given his first two starts, something in the range of 75 pitches seems likely in Game 5 too, but could the Blue Jays be even quicker with the hook if Gausman stumbles? Ideally, he takes that decision out of manager John Schneider’s hands and bridges the gap right to the back end of Toronto’s bullpen with Louis Varland, Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman, but the Blue Jays will need to be ready for all possibilities.
Yes, one of those possibilities needs to include Trey Yesavage. If the Blue Jays are fighting for their postseason lives, Yesavage could be an option on short rest after throwing 70 pitches on Monday. Don’t expect Schneider to tip his hand, though. He’s been keeping his cards close to his chest this postseason, even keeping a couple tucked up his sleeve.
Remember Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium, when Yesavage made that long, slow walk from the Blue Jays’ dugout to the bullpen mid-game? That was all for show. Yesavage was never truly an option in that perfectly executed bullpen game, but this is the postseason, where any distraction is worth exploring, even if it’s all smoke and mirrors.
Those are decisions for the chaos of the game, though. All the Blue Jays can control in the hours leading up to first pitch is their decision to roll with Gausman, putting their best foot forward in a game that could define how we remember this 2025 team.
