Blue Jays Bats Fail Kevin Gausman After 12-K Outing

TORONTO – It seemed like nobody wanted to make contact. And for most of the game, nobody came close.

Kevin Gausman left his mark on Tuesday's 3-0 loss, the way Blue Jays fans have grown accustomed to seeing him. Nonchalant and stopping to occasionally scrape his cleats every once in a while, the right-hander reared back and stuffed heaters down Giants hitters’ throats. Gausman wrapped up his day with 12 strikeouts, but he retired the first six batters with the four-seamer.

The 32-year-old was so locked into his outing that only a loud applause from the crowd shook him from his trance. Gausman, noticing the cheers, stepped off and took a peek at the Rogers Centre scoreboard, which flashed a graphic of his 1,500-strikeout milestone.

Eventually, he wobbled. A single, a steal, a balk, and a double cashed in a run for San Francisco. After that, it was back to business. The Jays ace plowed on, twisting San Fran up with heaters in splitter counts and sliders when the G-men splitters. Everything was working as Gausman tossed six frames of one-run ball. But while he spun opposing hitters in circles, the Blue Jays had problems of their own.

Toronto was equally impotent on offense. From the first inning, when the Jays stranded runners on the corners with no outs, to the final out, the Jays’ story was about missed opportunities. The club wasted a gem by Gausman and got pumped at the dish despite outhitting the Giants eight to five.

Chase was the name of the game, and the Blue Jays offered plenty at balls outside the zone. In that key first inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got too excited and reached for a slider on 0-0. He did the same with two strikes and whiffed. The Jays didn’t threaten again until the seventh when Danny Jansen and Cavan Biggio got served by Tyler Rogers’ sidewinding delivery.

Toronto rallied again in the eighth, moving a runner to second base, though Guerrero flew out to end the frame.