Gausman Makes History as Blue Jays Bats Find Late Life

The Blue Jays avoided a Framber Valdez no-hitter as Kevin Gausman twirled his latest great start

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO— Bo Bichette landed on the plate in relief, cracking a smile as his cleat touched home.

The ball Bichette pushed over the right-field wall had an expected batting average of .320 and wasn’t even a truly barrelled hit. But it left the park, and after Toronto lined and grounded out all afternoon, unable to give their starter any support, Bichette and the Blue Jays would take it.

The two-run blast ended Astros starter Framber Valdez’s no-hit bid after 5.2 flawless innings, pulled the Jays out in front, and backed up Kevin Gausman's latest, history-making masterpiece.

"Gausman had no room for error," manager Charlie Montoyo said. "It was going to be 2-1 or whatever the score was, but I wasn't nervous because Gausman was on the mound. I knew we had a chance."

Looking to spot his starter an early lead in the first inning, Bichette unleashed on a high Valdez sinker, blistering the pitch on a line back through the infield. With the ball destined for outfield grass, Astros’ rookie Jeremy Peña jumped up, snatching the hit out of the air and robbing Bichette of a deserved hit.

That was the tale of the game for five innings, as Valdez held Toronto hitless until Bichette got revenge with the opposite-field homer in the sixth.

"I didn't even notice it [was a no hitter] until guys in the dugout were trying to jinx it," Gausman said. "Talking about how we haven't got a hit."

For five frames Valdez and Gausman traded zeros, matching up for a true pitcher’s duel. The Houston southpaw dotted up sinkers, inducing soft contact and frustrating Toronto batters while the Blue Jay righty hammered heaters through the zone and earned whiffs with the diving splitter.

Gausman spun in place on the mound after blowing a 97 MPH heater by Martin Maldonado in the seventh inning. With his 98th pitch and 10th strikeout, the righty returned to the Blue Jays’ dugout with his latest dominant outing—seven innings, two earned runs. The only problem was Houston’s hurler was just as clean.

Even with Valdez flirting with a no-hitter, it was Gausman who outlasted him and Gausman who joined the history books. Finishing Sunday's start without a walk or homer allowed, Gausman joined Cy Young as the only pitcher to not allow either outcome in his first five starts since 1903, per MLB Stats.

"Obviously it's cool," Gausman said. "But I got another start in five days."

The streak came inches from ending as Chas McCormick jumped on a second-straight Gausman fastball in the sixth, punishing the pitch into deep right field. Crashing off the top of the wall, the ball bounced by George Springer and ricocheted into the corner for a one-out triple.

Three innings later, with Kyle Tucker bouncing off second and the game on the line, a shot to right field didn't elude Springer's glove again.

As Alex Bregman stapled a Jordan Romano fastball, Springer darted back and to his right, chasing down the liner into the same corner of Rogers Centre as the McCormick triple. A hit would've blown the Blue Jay save, so Springer left his feet to steal the out. Rogers Centre exploded on the catch and popped a few moments later as Romano struck out Peña to finish the ballgame.

"[Springer's] made a couple of good plays," Montoyo said. "But that was the best of them so far, and that's saying a lot because he's made some really good ones.

"I already gave him like three hugs."