Gausman yields three homers, 10 hits, as Jays lose to Texas

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The Blue Jays’ 10-game home stand was viewed as a make-it or break-it kind of proposition, 10 games against three opponents whose combined record was 18 games below .500.

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Four games into this extended home stretch. and the Jays have looked bad, even embarrassing.

Three successive losses doesn’t inspire any confidence.

Following a 6-5 loss on Thursday to the Texas Rangers, who jumped out to an early 6-0 advantage, the Jays find themselves in a four-way tie for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League.

The teams tied with the Jays are the Athletics, who were swept in Toronto on opening weekend, the Houston Astros, who left Toronto Wednesday with a 2-1 series win, and the Rangers, who have three games remaining in Toronto.

Things have not been good for the Jays on both sides of the ball.

What is so disconcerting is that things don’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

To makes matters even worse, there’s nothing entertaining in how the Jays have been playing.

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With Toronto trailing 6-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, Ernie Clement’s leadoff single injected some life.

Kazuma Okamoto’s 18th home run of the season brought the Jays to within one run, finally bringing some energy to the Rogers Centre.

The game ended when pinch-hitter Brandon Valenzuela struck out looking.

The following are three takeaways on a night Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struck out twice on an 0-for-4 night that dropped his batting average to .273.

GAUSMAN HANDLED

Another poor outing for Kevin Gausman, who in his previous start lasted only two innings against the Cubs in Chicago.

At least this appearance featured six complete innings.

On one hand, it shows improvement until one realizes he gave up a leadoff homer to Joc Pederson, who battled the veteran right-hander in a somewhat compelling 11-pitch at-bat.

The dinger was a harbinger of things to come.

Gausman surrendered two more home runs in the Rangers’ five-run third inning. After recording a strikeout for the third out, Gausman walked off the mound with his head down.

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In the fourth inning, the Rangers loaded the bases with one out, but came away empty-handed after Gausman induced back-to-back pop ups to end the frame.

Starting pitching was supposed to be one of the Jays’ strengths.

Injuries haven’t helped, but neither has the club’s recent performances on the mound.

Gausman is a competitor and he threw 99 pitches during his outing.

The problem was that 10 of those pitches led to Rangers hits, including three that went yard.

OUT OF THE WOODS

It’s too early to pass any judgment on pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, who looked very good when he made his debut with the Blue Jays earlier this month by providing his team with four scoreless innings in relief.

He wasn’t as sharp in his next appearance, when SWR walked three batters in three innings, while surrendering three hits.

SWR started the seventh inning Thursday and issues two walks in tossing 18 pitches to record the three outs.

The righty hasn’t been asked to appear in any high-leverage situations, though entering a game with his club trailing by three runs meant SWR needed to prevent the Rangers from adding any runs.

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He also issued a one-out walk to Kyle Higashioka in the eighth inning.

The base-runner was erased after left fielder Davis Schneider made a nice sliding catch for the out and then threw to first to complete a double play, giving the announced crowd of 35,273 something to cheer.

SWR issued four walks in three scoreless innings.

GLASS IS HALF EMPTY

The Blue Jays’ 81st game of the year Thursday marked the midway point to the season, which has, by any standard, been a disappointment for a club which entered the year with expectations that seemed unrealistic.

Everyone wants to measure this edition to last year’s club, which amounts to an exercise in stupidity.

No two teams are ever the same, no assurances any momentum from the previous season will carry over into a new season.

The Jays’ starting rotation has never been fully healthy. Only Gausman has been able to make every scheduled start.

Playing clean baseball has been elusive, the offence has been more miss than hits, the bullpen has been overburdened in the absence of reliable starting pitchers providing length.

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But not all is lost as the Jays begin the second half of the season on Friday.

The biggest reason for optimism is the American League and its abundance of inferior clubs.

The Jays have been a meddling team, at times resorting to the ranks of mediocrity.

George Springer has twice been hit on his front foot, while Vlad Jr. continues to search for some kind of power having gone yard four times this season, but none at home.

Alejandro Kirk hasn’t been as productive at the plate since he came back from a thumb injury.

Despite all the issues, and make no mistake because many exist, there is hope knowing the presence of so many hopeless teams in the AL.

UP NEXT

LHP Patrick Corbin is the Jays’ scheduled starter Friday (7:07 p.m. first pitch) as the veteran tries to summon the early form he showed when the club signed Corbin in the wake of injuries to the starting rotation; Texas will counter with RHP Nathan Eovaldi.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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