Blue Jays' Gausman Livid After Controversial Balk Call

Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman was very heated after arguing a fourth-inning balk call.

© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman nearly got himself ejected after a controversial call in the fourth inning of Monday's game versus the Orioles. 

After Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman kicked off the inning with a single—he was the O's first baserunner of the game—Gausman set for his next pitch, pumping his front foot in a rhythmic manner, before second base umpire Jeff Nelson called the right-hander for a balk.

Gausman was HOT. 👀 pic.twitter.com/JQHx9Jcbac

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) September 5, 2022

Gausman was livid at the call, marching towards Nelson before shortstop Bo Bichette smartly sprinted in to intervene, ultimately preventing the starter's ejection, which would've been disastrous in the first game of a doubleheader.

The call itself was questionable, as Gausman repeated the motion in each of his following pitches out of the stretch without any protest from the umpiring crew. It appears Nelson had an issue with Gausman's flurry of toe taps before he delivered to the plate.

The balk controversy seemed to fire up Gausman, who promptly struck out the side in order to end the inning. The 31-year-old made sure to shoot a glance at Nelson as he strutted off the mound, too.

It's no surprise emotions are high at Camden Yards, as the Blue Jays and Orioles are currently in a tight race for the third AL wild-card spot. Before Monday, Baltimore trailed Toronto by just 1.5 games. 

You can read more about the Blue Jays' wild-card sprint here.