In Kevin Gausman’s probable last start in Toronto, Blue Jays reward veteran with a win

Max Scherzer is scheduled to toe the rubber Sunday (1:37 p.m. first pitch)

Published Aug 01, 2026  •  Last updated 11 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning of their MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rogers Centre on August 1, 2026 in Toronto. Photo by Cole Burston /Getty Images

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Jose Soriano became the latest starter to get scratched from his scheduled starter when the L.A. Angels were poised to play the Milwaukee Brewers.

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No such fate for Kevin Gausman, whose departure from Toronto isn’t a certainty but it’s certainly a possibility as MLB’s trade deadline (Monday, 6 p.m. ET) approaches.

Two hours following this year’s expiration, the Jays will play the host Houston Astros.

Gausman isn’t the only pending free agent on the Blue Jays, but no player has meant so much to this iteration of the franchise than the veteran, who has already and succinctly made known his appreciation of his time in Toronto.

Under this backdrop, Gausman took the ball Saturday in the second game of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Whether it wasfor  the final time is a question that will be made clear in the ensuing days.

The baseball industry says he will be moved to a team in need of depth.

As he showed last fall, Gausman can start or be used in a relief role when the stakes are at their highest.

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“We don’t want him to go anywhere and I know he doesn’t want to go anywhere,” said manager John Schneider.

“Unfortunately, that’s not how baseball works sometimes.”

There’s no crying in baseball, no room for anything other than winning when everything feels good and tastes good, when any strained relationship is easily tolerated and when there’s no conversation about clubhouse chemistry and camaraderie.

At the beginning and end of the day, it’s a business, and the Blue Jays are in the business to win, which they have done far too infrequently this season for a myriad reasons.

With two outs and a runner at third in the sixth inning, Schneider began the slow walk toward the mound, fans standing in unison, Gausman pointing to his heart in a scene that was authentic as it was fitting other than Gausman going the distance.

When he was relieved for Braydon Fisher, the Jays were leading 2-1 with Gausman in line for the win, his first since June 7.

In his most recent start in Toronto, Gausman gave up nine hits and four earned runs in 3.1 innings against Tampa.

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Saturday, he gave up nine hits in 5.2 innings and the lone run to earn the win.

The following are three takeaways on a day the Blue Jays defeated the Cardinals 5-1 as Toronto won its third game in a row.

CENTRE OF ATTENTION

One pitches right, the other left, there’s a 10-year age gap, a starter who was likely making his final appearance with a club, the other making his debut in the show.

While there are plenty of differences between Gausman and Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews, the one common thread is the venue each broke into the big leagues and obviously the opponent.

For Gausman, his debut with he Baltimore Orioles came on May 23, 2013 at Rogers Centre.

For Mathews, it came Saturday at Rogers Centre.

When Gausman walked toward the mound to begin the game, he was accompanied to the familiar strains of Pink Floyd’s Money from the iconic Dark Side of the Moon album.

He has been money since the Jays acquired Gausman in free agency five years ago.

Sentiment aside, Gausman hasn’t had his finest season with the Jays.

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Oddly enough, Gausman’s season began with him recording a combined 21 strikeouts in his opening two starts, numbers no one thought were sustainable.

Outside of a handful of starts, including holding the visiting New York Yankees to one hit, albeit a home run, in seven complete innings, he has been, charitably stated, average.

Entering Saturday, the Jays had lost eight straight in games Gausman started.

TAKING THE LEAD

It has been a veritable crap shoot for the Jays when it comes to the club’s leadoff hitter.

For most of his tenure in Toronto, the role has been reserved for George Springer.

Injuries and diminishing returns forced the Jays into exploring all and every option.

Saturday, it was up to Luis Urias to set the tone.

Acquired from Arizona for cash consideration in late June, Urias has flown under the radar.

Occasionally, he will step up in big moments, the latest example in Friday’s series opener when he came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit single that cashed in the winning runs in Toronto’s 3-1 victory.

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Saturday, he recorded a leadoff single on a day he also added an RBI.

Springer has settled into the cleanup spot, knocking in two runs in a three-run seventh as the Jays go for a rare series sweep Sunday.

VARSHO’S BUNT

As it turned out, the final batter Mathews would face in his big-league debut was Daulton Varsho.

While he hasn’t been as good on both sides of the ball this season as in past years, Varsho’s ability to bunt, especially against left-handed pitchers, is second to none.

Not surprisingly, the left-hitting Varsho placed a well-executed and well-positioned bunt for a single to lead off the sixth inning.

UP NEXT

Max Scherzer is scheduled to toe the rubber Sunday (1:37 p.m. first pitch) in the veteran’s eighth start of the season and potentially his last for the Blue Jays; twice this season Mad Max has given the Jays six complete innings and 12.2 combined innings for the remaining five outings; in his return from the IL last week in Washington, Scherzer walked three and gave up four hits in 2.2 innings against the Nationals, his former team that feted Scherzer at Nationals Park.

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