Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman dreamed of starting in the playoffs, but he certainly didn’t think it would only last four innings.
“Ever since I played in major baseball, I’ve dreamed of being on the mound right in the playoffs. “The first game is the most important,” the 32-year-old shooter said on Monday, 24 hours before the first game of the series against the Minnesota Twins.
The dream eventually turned into a nightmare in which his tormentor was Royce Lewis. The designated hitter hit two home runs to his credit, scoring all of his points in a 3-1 win.
The Twins’ hero for this matchup stretched his arms in the first and third innings.
“He waited for my fast balls and got them,” Gausman analyzed during the post-game press conferences. In the first run I missed the target spot by about a meter. When that happens, good batsmen pay the price.”
Then the Jays right-hander appeared to regain his composure, retiring in quick succession the three batters that appeared in front of him in the fourth inning. That didn’t stop manager John Schneider from replacing him with Erik Swanson early in the fifth inning.
A total of five substitutes were used in this first duel. Several Blue Jays fans criticized Schneider’s decision to use so many pitchers on social media, wondering if he burned too many cartridges.
It’s Jose Berrios who will kick off a clash the Blue Jays can’t afford to lose on Wednesday. Schneider said starters Yusei Kikuchi and Chris Bassitt will be available as backups, as will all of the substitutes who were used in the first game against the Twins.
Bassitt, who had a great regular season, said it was “no big deal” not being in the starting lineup and he felt “pretty comfortable” being used as a backup.
“We just have to win tomorrow,” said twice the man who maintained a 16-8 record and a 3.60 earned-run average in 33 starts this year.