After a stellar complete-game shutout in his last start, Kevin Gausman has a tough act to follow if the Blue Jays want to hit seven wins in a row.
The Toronto Blue Jays ace takes the mound on Wednesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Tampa Bay Rays, with a chance at a series win as the team inches closer to securing a post-season berth and the AL East crown.
Coverage begins on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ with Blue Jays Central at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
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Watch Blue Jays vs. Rays on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays play the third game of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday. Catch the action on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
Gausman (10-10, 3.45 ERA) is coming off the heels of his best outing of the season, blanking the Houston Astros last Thursday with a magnificent 9.0 innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts to boot.
However, last week’s game wasn’t a one-off for the righty, as Gausman has been on a tear over his last three starts, pitching 24.0 innings and only giving up two runs while striking out 22.
After his start was pushed back a day with the addition of Trey Yesavage to the rotation on Monday, Gausman will be pitching on six days of rest, a split that he’s excelled with this season, pitching to a 2.16 ERA in five starts.
Opposite Gausman will be rookie lefty Ian Seymour (3-2, 2.95 ERA). Though he’s come away with the loss in his last two starts, he’s been hampered by poor defence from the Rays, giving up eight total runs but only three earned.
His last outing game in a 5-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox, which saw him pitch 5.1 innings with five strikeouts and three runs (two earned).
Seymour, 26, has yet to pitch against the Blue Jays in his major-league career.
Toronto (89-62) has won the opening two games of this season by only one run each, but has a chance to secure the series victory in its one for its third series win in a row. After their win last night, the Blue Jays’ magic number for a post-season berth sits at three, with the AL East title magic number at six.
The Rays (73-76), meanwhile, sit fourth in the AL East and are fading out of the playoff race, sitting nine games behind the Boston Red Sox for the American League’s final wild-card spot.
After the series against the Rays, the Blue Jays will travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals for a three-game weekend set.
