CLEVELAND — Kevin Gausman dominated the mound for eight innings, allowing only two hits as Alejandro Kirk and Nathan Lukes each contributed two RBIs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a commanding 6-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. This win secured the series for Toronto over the three games played.
In a concerning moment, Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exited the game in the third inning after being hit by a 96 mph pitch from Cleveland pitcher Tanner Bibee. Fortunately, X-rays revealed no fractures, and the team confirmed that Guerrero suffered a bruise on his forearm.
Gausman, now with a 6-6 record, was incredibly effective with 104 pitches, striking out six batters and issuing only one walk. Reliever Chad Green sealed the shutout, marking the Guardians’ fifth scoreless defeat this season.
The ninth inning saw some explosive action as Addison Barger hit a single, and after Ernie Clement and Jonatan Clase drew walks, Kirk came through as a pinch-hitter with a single that scored both Barger and Clement. Clase crossed home on a throwing error by left fielder Steven Kwan, which was one of four errors committed by Cleveland in this matchup.
Kwan had managed a double in the first inning, and Kyle Manzardo added a single in the fourth for the Guardians, who struggled offensively. Meanwhile, Bibee finished with three hits and two runs allowed over six innings, leaving him with a 4-8 record for the year.
On Wednesday, it was José Ramirez who played hero for Cleveland, delivering a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning to clinch a 5-4 victory. This came on the heels of George Springer’s grand slam in Tuesday’s game, which powered Toronto to a 10-6 win.
The pivotal third inning on Thursday featured a single by Clase, a hit-by-pitch for Tyler Heineman, and a fielding error on Myles Straw’s sacrifice bunt, which reloaded the bases for Toronto with no outs. Lukes took advantage with a two-run single, while Straw subsequently scored due to another error by Manzardo during a pickoff attempt, extending the Blue Jays’ lead to 3-0.
Notably, Manzardo was charged with three errors, and Bibee allowed two wild pitches during Toronto’s decisive third inning.
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays will now face Boston on Friday, with José Berríos (3-3, 3.51 ERA) expected on the mound. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Luis L. Ortiz (4-8, 4.30) is set to pitch against St. Louis’ Sonny Gray (7-2, 3.72).