TORONTO – A disastrous four-game sweep at Rogers Centre has endangered the Toronto Blue Jays’ post-season hopes and ace Kevin Gausman is taking the blame for his position in it.
Corey Seager had a house run and a two-run double because the Texas Rangers beat the Blue Jays 9-2 on Thursday. The loss dropped the Blue Jays to a recreation and a half again of the idle Seattle Mariners within the race for the third and ultimate American League wild-card berth.
“We’re as pissed as anyone. We’re mad,” mentioned Gausman (11-9), who gave up 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings of labor. “We’re all rivals, we don’t like what occurred this collection.
“We’ve acquired a nasty style in our mouth. However we are able to’t do something proper now however preserve going.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s two-run homer within the first inning gave the Blue Jays (80-67) a short-lived one-run lead. Bo Bichette had a single and a double to interrupt out of a small hitting hunch.
Jonah Heim had a solo shot as Texas (82-64) gained its sixth straight recreation. Marcus Semien added an RBI double, Nathaniel Lowe batted in two runs, and Josh Smith had a sacrifice fly.
“Immediately is totally on me,” mentioned Gausman. “To exit and provides the lead away (to Seager’s house run) after which Vladdy comes up and takes the momentum again after which I give it up instantly (with Seager’s double) is simply unacceptable and that complete recreation after that’s on me.”
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Tim Mayza, Erik Swanson, Trevor Richards, Yimi Garcia and Bowden Francis got here out of Toronto’s bullpen.
The Rangers began the collection exterior of a wild-card spot however moved as much as the second spot behind the Tampa Bay Rays due to the sweep.
“Each time you’ll be able to sweep a staff, it’s nice, particularly when it’s the staff we’re preventing with for a wild-card spot,” mentioned Heim. “It’s nice for morale. I believe everyone is leaving right here assured.”
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi allowed two runs on three hits and three walks, placing out three. Eovaldi was on a restricted pitch depend, so he exited the sport after 3 1/3 innings with Cody Bradford (4-1), Jose Leclerc, Will Smith and Jonathan Hernandez approaching in reduction.
Seager took Gausman deep on an 87.2 m.p.h. splitter, on solely the fourth pitch of the sport. Seager’s thirty first house run of the season flew 422 ft into right-centre area.
Bichette acquired his first hit of the collection within the backside of the primary, singling to left. That ended a four-game drought that noticed the all-star shortstop go 0 for 15.
Guerrero capitalized on Bichette’s hit, crushing an 81.3 m.p.h. slider from Eovaldi within the subsequent at bat. His twenty second house run of the season went 426 ft into the second deck at Rogers Centre for a 2-1 Blue Jays lead and delighted the 37,594 in attendance.
Seager struck once more within the second when he hit the ball to deep left area, sending Blue Jays outfielder Whit Merrifield to the warning observe. Merrifield caught the ball however when he collided with the wall it popped out of his glove, permitting Ezequiel Duran and Semien to attain for a 3-2 Rangers lead.
“Vladdy took the lead for us and I gave it proper again. That’s robust,” mentioned Gausman. “We’ve acquired to make use of that going ahead use no matter frustrations we’ve got and attempt to take it out on the opposite groups.”
Texas scored in a 3rd consecutive inning when Heim hit his seventeenth homer of the season. It got here on a 95.7 m.p.h. four-seam fastball, the primary pitch he noticed within the at bat, flying 425 ft to centre area for a 4-2 lead.
Toronto’s wheels got here off within the eighth.
Semien doubled to plate Duran, then Lowe singled to attain Evan Carter and Semien. Garcia issued a bases-loaded stroll to Robbie Grossman, all earlier than the Blue Jays had recorded a single out.
Smith hit a sacrifice fly to deep proper area to deliver house Lowe.
Followers at Rogers Centre booed louder and louder with every run-scoring play within the inning. It was the second recreation in a row the Toronto trustworthy turned on their hometown staff.
The Blue Jays entered the collection with among the best pitching staffs in baseball, however surrendered 35 runs to the Rangers whereas solely scoring 9.
“We have to hit, we have to pitch higher, restrict walks,” mentioned Toronto supervisor John Schneider. “You’re taking the lead within the first inning and also you’ve acquired to proceed to discover a solution to rating runs.
“Not an important collection, that’s not our greatest recreation by any stretch of the creativeness.”
ON DECK — José Berríos (10-10) will begin on Friday when Toronto opens a three-game collection with Boston.
Brayan Bello (12-8) is scheduled for the Crimson Sox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Sept. 14, 2023.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
