Despite Blue Jays' loss, Gausman shows why he belongs in postseason

TORONTO -- The sooner the Blue Jays pop champagne, the sooner they can put Kevin Gausman on ice.

Tuesday evening’s 2-0 loss to the Yankees didn’t help either of those goals, even though Gausman, as he always does, held up his end of the bargain.

The pitchers’ duel between Gausman and Michael King eventually broke away from the Blue Jays when Austin Wells launched a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, which was more than enough to bury a Toronto offense that combined for just three hits.

• Games remaining (5): vs. NYY (2), vs. TB (3)
• Standings update: Toronto (87-70) sits second in the AL Wild Card race, one game up on Houston and 2 1/2 games up on Seattle pending the results of those teams' games late Tuesday night.
• Tiebreakers: Win vs. Houston; lose vs. Seattle; lose vs. Texas

The Blue Jays still have both hands on the wheel and a clear path to the postseason over their final five games, but this complicates the seeding picture, leaving the door cracked open for the Astros to move within a half-game with a win over the Mariners late on Tuesday night. It also delays the Blue Jays’ decision on Gausman, who is lined up to pitch in Game 162 on Sunday, but who would look much better as the Game 1 starter in the AL Wild Card Series.

“I’ll just go as if I’m pitching Sunday,” Gausman said after the loss. “Everything after that, we’ll adjust. Obviously, we need to win more games. I’m going to prepare like I’m pitching Sunday. If I’m not, then we’ll get to that when we get to that.”

Gausman carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and gave the Blue Jays seven scoreless frames, but these brilliant performances often haven’t been enough. The veteran right-hander has been cursed with poor run support in 2023, and while pitcher wins aren’t exactly this decade’s sexiest stat, the ‘12’ in Gausman’s win column just doesn’t make sense.

“He’s as consistent as they come in the league,” manager John Schneider said. “Having a true ace is awesome, then having four guys behind him who have been really, really good big league pitchers is great. His performance this year has been especially good, just given how hitters are and how good the league is. The strikeouts are there, the composure is there, everything is there, every single night.”

All of that is what makes Gausman such a natural fit for October. Just like George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and many others, the Blue Jays need to get Gausman back to the postseason stage because he is capable of writing his own “moment” in Blue Jays history.

Gausman has been in peak form for three of his past four starts, too, and he seems to have plenty left in the tank, even at 185 innings.

“I’m tired, that’s for sure,” Gausman said. “But I feel good overall. I’m happy to have made all my starts to this point. That’s definitely a goal going into every season. That’s one thing as a pitching staff we’ve done a great job of. Four guys making 30 starts, that’s super rare. It’s cool to watch these guys. We learn from each other. We’re constantly talking.”

There’s an art to all of this. It’s part player, part training staff, part philosophy and part luck.

Fatigue, 157 games into a season, can be mental as much as it is physical. Gausman believes that his mental strength protects his physical strength -- if one goes, the other begins to bend -- and that gets easier when he has something to play for.

“I’ve been on a lot of teams where the last month of the season doesn’t mean anything,” Gausman said. “To be in the last week of the season with still a question mark is fun, exciting, stressful, all of the things. That’s what you want. As a player, to be in this situation and being able to control our own destiny, that’s all you can hope for.”

Toronto’s path to the postseason is still clear. This team can still survive another stumble or two, but the Blue Jays need to be entering October riding the high of their recent series win over the Rays instead of running out the clock, risking the small possibility that Gausman still has to pitch on the final day of the season.