Inevitable happens: Gausman issues a walk
Four-pitch free pass laughed off after ace's dominant start to open doubleheader split
Jake Crouse
@JakeCrouseMLBCLEVELAND -- This is the way the streak ends: Not with a bang, but with a walk.
On Saturday at Progressive Field, it finally happened. After notching 45 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings without allowing a base on balls, Blue Jays starter ?Kevin Gausman? issued his first walk in the fourth inning of Toronto¡¯s 8-3 win over the Guardians in Game 1 of a traditional doubleheader.
Surprise, surprise: The walk was bound to arrive. Despite the incredible run of control Gausman was on, no starting pitcher since 1871 has gone an entire season without issuing a walk (minimum four games started). But the way it happened was a little odd given the way he approached his start.
On a day when the wind was blowing in, Gausman was even more ready to go into attack mode. He went after batters, and he didn¡¯t falter when a few infield singles and seeing-eye hits found their way through the infield defense. But against slugger Franmil Reyes -- the 137th batter Gausman has faced this season -- he quickly went to his first 3-0 count in 2022.
Against the Guardians¡¯ powerful batter, who has been hot this week -- including a 110 mph homer to help send the Blue Jays to an 8-2 loss in Game 2 -- Gausman never gave up on the at-bat, but he knew he had to be careful.
¡°I was just mad it was on four straight,¡± Gausman said. ¡°That was what I was mad about, but I mean, he¡¯s a good hitter who can do damage and obviously is a big, strong guy.¡±
Manager Charlie Montoyo couldn¡¯t believe it.
¡°I was like, ¡®What just happened?¡¯¡± Montoyo said. ¡°That¡¯s impressive, but we were surprised because it was four straight balls.¡±
There are now only four pitchers in the Majors who have yet to issue a walk this season, and all are relievers. Gerrit Cole set the record for consecutive strikeouts without issuing a walk last season, when he punched out 61 batters before walking Joey Gallo (then with the Rangers) on May 17, 2021.
Gausman still has one great streak that¡¯s alive: He has yet to allow a home run. That one didn¡¯t seem to be in jeopardy Saturday. The way the wind was affecting fly balls, Gausman wasn¡¯t afraid to give up a few lifted baseballs.
¡°There were a couple of balls that were hit pretty hard to the outfield that you could just see [center fielder George Springer] run back on and having to run in on,¡± Gausman said. ¡°When the wind¡¯s blowing straight in like that, it definitely gives you more confidence to not be afraid to give up a fly ball. Whereas if it were blowing out, maybe you pitch a little bit differently.¡±
Perhaps the most important mark for Gausman to hit Saturday was the 100-pitch one. The right-hander prides himself on going deep into games, even saying he wished he had gotten a couple more outs despite finishing after 6 1/3 innings with 104 pitches. But his pitching counterparts have taken notice of that determination to go seven or more innings for the good of the team.
¡°He just consistently goes deep into games,¡± said Ross Stripling, who allowed four runs in four innings in Game 2. ¡°I¡¯ve been pitching after him these past four or five turns, and I think that¡¯s part of the reason I come out so early: Our bullpen is so fresh because he does so well. That¡¯s an awesome problem to have.¡±
Even if there was no history surrounding it, the start Gausman has gotten off to for the Blue Jays after signing a five-year, $110 million contract in the offseason has been extremely reassuring.
What¡¯s even better? The Blue Jays¡¯ rotation that Gausman anchors is about to get even stronger. Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched four innings and allowed five runs (two earned) with six strikeouts for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday in his rehab assignment. Once Ryu returns, Toronto¡¯s rotation will be back to full strength, with Stripling likely moving back to a bulk man or sixth-starter role.
Entering Saturday¡¯s doubleheader, the Blue Jays¡¯ starting staff was tied with the Angels for the lead in WAR per Fangraphs (2.7) -- and it might be even more dangerous in the coming days.
¡°I think each one of us has the mentality every five days that we¡¯re good enough to go deep into the games and give our team a chance to win,¡± Gausman said. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re all pretty confident right now.¡±