Good game tonight. Kevin Gausman pitched well, the bullpen did fine, and while the offence managed only ten men on they were atypically efficient in cashing them in. In particular, Alan Roden and Anthony Santander both had hot nights, which was a great sign after slow starts.
Kevin Gausman wasn’t sharp early. It took him 22 pitches to get through the first, including an 11 pitch battle with Austin Riley that ended in a solo homer.
He righted the ship in the second, working around a single with a pair of Ks. The next three innings were also pretty quiet. He gave up two hits in the third, but also picked up two more strikeouts and got an assist from a nice caught stealing by Alejandro Kirk. The Braves managed another single in the fourth, but in the fifth he finally recorded a 1-2-3 inning.
Finally, in the sixth, the Braves got their second run on a Matt Olson homer. He finished the inning and that was the end of his night. It was a solid evening of work, allowing just the two runs on six hits. He struck out six and didn’t issue a walk.
The Jays got a couple on in the first. Vladimir Guerrero jr. walked and Anthony Santander singled on a bloop single to centre, but Spencer Schwellenbach escaped the jam. They went quietly in the second, but managed to tie it up in the third. Alan Roden doubled to left centre to lead off, advanced on a Bo Bichette line out, and beat a throw home on a Guerrero chopper to third to make it 1-1.
After a quiet fourth, they took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Myles Straw lined a single to set up Alan Roden, who launched his first home run deep to right, making it 3-1. Then, after Bichette doubled and Vlad walked, Anthony Santander smashed one of his own to extend tue Jays’ total to six. Schwellenbach got the next two out, and Zach Thompson relieved him to record the third out.
Thompson returned for the sixth and seventh and didn’t allow a base runner. Meanwhile. Mason Fluharty took over for the Jays in the seventh. He walked the leadoff man, but retired the next two. Nick Sandlin took the baton and recorded a K for the third out.
Brendon Little worked around a walk in the eighth to preserve the lead at four. Will Wagner walked in the home half.
The ninth was given to Chad Green, since it wasn’t a save situation. He allowed a solo homer to Ozzie Albies but that was it, and 6-3 was the final.
Jays of the day: Gausman (0.154), Vlad (0.109), Roden (0.281)
Less so: nobody!
The series wraps up with a 1:07pm day game tomorrow. Spencer Strider will make his return from internal brace surgery last year for the Braves, while Chris Bassitt tries to keep his hot start rolling against his former division rivals. See you there.