Some potentially discouraging news on what turned out to be a feel-good weekend for the Blue Jays emerged Sunday.
The extent of Kevin Gausman’s cut finger wasn’t immediately known, but it’s never a good development when one of the team’s high-end starters leaves an outing after three innings.
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The cut was to Gausman’s right middle finger.
The Jays would give the visiting Boston Red Sox the symbolic middle finger in completing a three-game sweep, capped off by Toronto’s 6-3 win in the series finale at Rogers Centre.
It’s now on to Baltimore as the Jays, who won their 90th game of the season, control their own post-season destiny.
As long as the Jays keep winning, they’ll know they’ll be back at Rogers Centre for the best-of-three wild-card set.
What remains unknown is their opponent.
The way Alek Manoah pitched in Friday night’s series opener, the Jays should be well suited when next weekend’s wild card round begins.
Gausman’s trademark splitter, considered one of the nastiest in baseball, involves the right-hander applying a lot of force to his grip that makes blisters and other issues unavoidable. But for now, no alarm bells should be sounded until additional information gets released by the club.
During his three-inning appearance, Gausman wasn’t dominant because he did surrender two runs on three hits in the second.
When he’s on and unleashing his patented splitter, Gausman can shut down any offence.
Zach Pop would follow Gausman and flashed his glove on a highlight reel backhanded catch following a rope hit up the middle. The crowd roared its approval as Pop displayed a slickness to his fielding many in attendance had never seen.
Pop pitched two innings and struck out two.
Adam Cimber, who gave up two hits in his one-inning outing, would follow Pop and then Anthony Bass was on the mound to begin the seventh inning. With one out in the frame, Bass served up a first-pitch homer to Bobby Dalbec.
When the eighth inning began, it was Yimi Garcia facing Triston Casas, Boston’s left-handed hitter who batted second in the order. Casas hit a sharply hit liner to centre where Jackie Bradley made a great running catch when he came in on the ball.
At least that’s what the Jays thought.
The play was ruled a hit, but Toronto challenged it only to have it upheld.
Turns out it didn’t matter as Garcia induced Tommy Pham to hit into a double play. The inning ended on a ground out to third.
Jordan Romano was asked to put the finishing touches on the day when he came out of the bullpen to start the ninth inning. He retired the first batter he faced.
Romano than slid awkwardly at first while covering the bag after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fielded a grounder in the hole and then threw underhand to Romano. Guerrero was charged with an error.
Romano recorded the second out on a strikeout. The game ended on a fly ball to short centre.
Pop earned the win to improve to 4-0, while Romano notched his 36th save.
The two became part of Blue Jays history.
For the first time, the win and save went to two Canadian-born players.
BOSTON TEA PARTY
Shut out in the first two games of the series, the Red Sox staged their version of a rally in the top of the second.
For the first time in three games, Boston had a runner at third base. In fact, they also had a runner on second forcing the Jays to have their infield in.
When Dalbec singled to centre with two out, two runs would score.
Boston took an early 2-0 lead.
TEO IN T.O.
The bat-wielding outfielder known as Teoscar Hernandez was up to his old tricks.
Hernandez, who batted cleanup, opened the bottom of the second inning with a blast to centre that landed in the WestJet Flight Deck, a moon shot measured at 437 feet. He then drilled a ball that hit the left-field foul for his third home run in the past two games.
The multi-homer game was the 14th in his career and second for Hernandez in 2022.
WHIT’S END
Whit Merrifield started at second and made a very nice play to get the lead runner out at second on a softly-hit ball.
The transfer from glove to hand was solid as was the throw to second where Bo Bichette recorded the force out.
At the plate, Merrifield hit a home run, his first since Toronto’s visit to Tampa when the veteran produced three long balls in the Jays’ four-game split with the Rays. It was Merrifield’s fifth blast as a Blue Jay.
In the top half of the seventh, Merrifield was responsible for two defensive gems.
In the bottom half of the inning, Merrifield reached base on a leadoff double down the right-field line, leaving him a triple from hitting for the cycle. He scored Toronto’s sixth run on a George Springer ground out.
Merrifield never did get his chance to hit for the cycle.
DANDY DANNY
Danny Jansen is one player to watch closely as the post-season draws nearer.
His at-bats have suddenly become must-see moments.
After he went 3-for-4 Saturday with a home run, Jansen added a double in the fourth inning with one out in the series finale. He has recorded at least one hit in five straight games.
In the series opener against the Sox, Jansen was Toronto’s DH for one of the few times this season.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com