TORONTO — Game 100 just teased Game 1.
The Blue Jays’ rotation is ol’ reliable, built around veteran starters who are the very definition of dependable, but they’ve needed some dominance to step forward as the ace again, the clear starter for Game 1 of a postseason series. In Monday night’s 4-1 win over the Yankees at Rogers Centre, Kevin Gausman showed us why it has always been him.
Gausman gave the Blue Jays seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts, a performance that spilled over with aggression and conviction. With the win, the Blue Jays have now won a franchise-record 11 consecutive home games and sit 59-41, stunning the baseball world with their four-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East.
“That’s Kev,” said manager John Schneider, who couldn’t praise Gausman enough. “Pete [Walker] and I were joking before the game that we needed a gem from Kevin. He did it.”
As the July 31 Trade Deadline creeps around the corner, every conversation around the Blue Jays needs to focus on their ceiling. Seasons like this are rare gifts, an unexpected opportunity to be bold in big moments. Toronto has plenty of depth and a rock-solid floor, so if it’s going to go after a starter, it needs to be someone capable of pitching early in a postseason series, not just helping out this team’s depth. There’s still room to add that, of course, and a million reasons to do so, but Gausman just proved he’s still capable of being a headliner on baseball’s biggest stage.
“He was unbelievable,” said Bo Bichette, who broke the game open with a two-run double. “I think that’s what we expect from him always. He was really hitting his spots. It’s fun to watch him.”
From the opponent to the crowd to the performance itself, this was one of Gausman’s finest moments in a Blue Jays uniform.
To beat the Yankees, you must first slay the dragon. Aaron Judge is a game-killer, capable of turning great days into nightmares with one mighty swing, but Gausman retired Judge twice on either side of a well-timed intentional walk. In those at-bats, we saw exactly why Gausman, more than any pitcher in this rotation, is capable of taking over a game.
Gausman vs. Judge: Strikeout 1
If they’re guessing, they’re losing. Gausman is at his best when he forces opposing hitters to guess — even if it’s an educated one — between his fastball and splitter.
In the top of the first, Gausman bounced back in a 2-0 count with a pair of fastballs to even things at 2-2. In a perfect world, Gausman would live his life in 0-2 counts, but 2-2 is enough to put the hitter in decision mode between those two pitches that look so similar out of his hand but do such different things.
In came the splitter from Gausman, which Judge swung right over the top of. Walking back to the dugout, all Judge could do was let out one big exhale and grimace.
Gausman vs. Judge: Popout
This at-bat was Gausman’s masterpiece Monday night.
In another 2-2 count, Gausman went on the attack with his fastball. After Judge fouled the first one off, Gausman just kept going back to the pitch and threw Judge four fastballs in a row. What’s remarkable is that those were the four hardest pitches of Gausman’s night: 96.2 mph, 96.2 mph, 96.1 mph and 96.6 mph.
“It’s kind of mano a mano, and if he gets a hit, it’s going to score a run,” Gausman said. “I tried to throw my best fastballs. If you look at my numbers, they’re not great against him. He’s had a lot of success against me. I’ve struck him out a good bit, but he’s a two-time MVP for a reason.”
Even with that in mind, Gausman kept hammering away. He was saying, “Here’s my best stuff, try to hit it.”
With each fastball, the threat of Gausman’s splitter only grew. By the time he finally threw that splitter on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, he caught Judge out in front and forced him to pop the ball a mile into the air. Inning over.
This is the version of Gausman the Blue Jays need right now. They’ve seen plenty of the good Gausman, but when he’s truly great like he was Monday against the Yankees, it changes Toronto’s postseason trajectory, and that’s what it’s all about.
