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Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman (34) applauds to the crowd as he is taken out of the game by manager John Schneider during sixth inning MLB baseball action against the St. Louis Cardinals in Toronto, on Saturday.Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press
The love fest for Kevin Gausman began well before he pitched for the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Fans cheered as the 35-year-old stretched in the outfield at Rogers Centre in the run-up to what was likely be his final game in a Toronto uniform.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season he is expected to be dealt to another team before Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline passes.
The crowd rose to its feet as he walked with his bowed from the dugout to the bullpen where he warmed up before he stymied the St. Louis Cardinals.
He got another standing ovation as he took the pitcher’s mound beforehand and then again as he left the contest with two outs in the sixth inning.
To acknowledge the 41,000-plus folks in attendance he tapped his chest near his heart.
“What a cool moment for me,” Gausman said after a 5-1 victory that improved his record to 5-10 in a roller coaster fifth year with the Jays. “I have had a lot of cool moments here but that was definitely up there.
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“I kind of blacked out as I walked off the field and just tried to soak it in. I felt great appreciation for that kind of support. I hope the fans realize I embraced not only this team and city but the country.”
Gausman threw 94 pitches – 65 of which were strikes – and scattered nine hits before he was removed for a relief pitcher. It wasn’t his cleanest start – there have been many more others – but his split-fingered fastball kept St. Louis batters from taking advantage of their opportunities.
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Gausman looks on as he is taken out of the game by manager John Schneider during the sixth inning on Saturday.Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press
“It was great to see how people recognized him,” John Schneider, the Toronto manager, said. “It was pretty well deserved.”
With the triumph, Toronto has now lost seven more games than it has won but remains in the periphery of the playoff race. It has won in four of its last five outings.
How that will effect the organization’s thinking over the next two days is anybody’s guess.
Including Gausman, five players in the lineup could possibly no longer be on the team as of Tuesday. George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Myles Straw and Davis Schneider all could generate interest before the deadline passes. The same is true of reliever Jeff Hoffman, who came on in the eighth inning.
Springer collected a pair of hits and drove in two runs. Varsho and Straw each also had hits – Straw’s was a double.
Gausman won 53 games after he joined the club in 2022. He has been its most consistent pitcher over that span. This is his 14th season in the big leagues and another team in a better position in the standings will surely find him a valuable addition.
“Kevin will go down as one of the best free-agent signings the organization has made, especially from a pitching standpoint,” John Schneider said before the outing. “He is remarkably consistent, professional, a good teammate and low maintenance. He is everything you want from a dude.”
Gausman said he has had discussions with management about his situation but would not describe the nature.
“I don’t think it is my business to share that,” he said. “I will leave it at that.”
In the hours before the game he said he tried not to think about the moment at hand but was unable to do it.
“As much as you try not to think about it, it sneaks into your mind,” he intoned.
After he left the contest he had to take a bit of time in the tunnel that connects to the dugout to compose himself.
A fan stood holding a poster that read, “Thanks for everything.”
