Kevin Gausman yields two homers and four runs in a rough fifth inning

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A four-game series in Baltimore that resulted in a split, the opening two games in Toronto that saw the host Blue Jays and visiting Orioles each earning a win, the term rubber match took on a new meaning in Sunday’s series finale.

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Also consider both teams entered a sun-baked afternoon with identical 31-34 records, knowing the AL East rivals will not meet again until September.

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Each team entered the day one half-game back of the final wild card.

Throw everything into the mix and the backdrop was as big as any this season, that is, until the next big one rolls around.

The game certainly lived up to the billing, the O’s delivering the opening salvo before the Jays countered.

The day’s importance was underscored when the Jays summoned Louis Varland with one on and two outs in the eighth inning.

He was a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities.

It increased by one as the Jays won the game, 6-4, to take the series and improve to 4-3 in games played against the O’s.

The following are three takeaways on a day Vladimir Guerrero Jr. completed a hitless series as his struggles at the plate continue, a day when reliever Tyler Rogers induced a key double play, a day when rookie Brandon Valenzuela provided a huge add-on run by crushing his seventh homer to move him into second place for the club lead.

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1. Catching up with Kevin

In his last start, Kevin Gausman was quite pointed in his self-assessment, while lamenting the Jays’ lack of consistency.

In the series opener in Atlanta, Gausman yielded two first-inning runs as the Jays would ultimately drop the series 2-1.

He was back on the mound in Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles, who drafted the right-hander out of LSU with the fourth overall pick in 2012.

Gausman’s first pitch on the afternoon resulted in the game’s first out when he induced a groundout.

Right from the start, his day began on a much more encouraging note compared to his start in Dixie.

It changed in the fifth inning when Gausman yielded two home runs and two doubles as the O’s plated four runs, Gausman’s last inning on the afternoon.

In fairness to Gausman, the inning could have unfolded differently had Yohendrick Pinango took a better route to a ball hit into the right-centre gap.

Pinango made amends by launching a leadoff homer in the sixth inning as additional damage would ensue.

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2. Cleaning up the cleanup spot

For the second game in a row, Jesus Sanchez hit cleanup in the order.

You may recall Sanchez was the unwitting victim last Sunday when a 12-year-old threw a ball from the stands in Baltimore that hit Sanchez in the wrist area.

Sanchez would later tell reporters that it was a complete misunderstanding.

There’s no sugar-coating the need for someone to step into the cleanup role, a spot in the order that has been elusive in recent years.

Completely forgotten, which is understandable given his unavailability, has been Anthony Santander, who cashed in his career season with Baltimore by signing a lucrative free-agent deal with the Jays.

If there’s one player who profiles as a cleanup hitter, it’s Santander, but he’s hurt and only had 194 at-bats in an injury-plagued season last year, his first with Toronto.

3. Pitchers aplenty

There’s an old baseball saw that goes along the lines that no team can ever have too much pitching.

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When the Jays armed themselves with a bevy of starters entering the season, no one thought so many would land on the injured list.

Cody Ponce, whose debut resulted in a season-ending knee procedure, and Jose Berrios, who never did appear on a mound this season as he battled an elbow issue that ultimately led to season-ending surgery, won’t be around.

Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer and Dylan Cease are back with the club, which will make roster moves in due time.

Cease and Scherzer are close to returning with one, perhaps even both, being available when the Phillies come to town when a three-game series begins Monday night.

The days of resorting to an opener appear to be coming to their end, but then again another such scenario may unfold Tuesday.

Ironically, the Jays have done well when a non-traditional starter is on the mound to begin a game or at worst they haven’t suffered when the likes of a Braydon Fisher or a Mason Fluharty are used as an opener.

Clearly and for obvious reasons, a bona-fide starter is preferred, which only adds depth to the bullpen.

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Up Next

LHP Patrick Corbin has been a major revelation, even though his current status as a starter is sure to change; for now, he’s the scheduled to be on the hill Monday (7:07 p.m. first pitch). Philly counters with LHP Cristopher Sanchez (7-1, 1:46 ERA). Sanchez did not give up a run for the month of May and has established himself as the favorite to cop the Cy Young Award in the National League after he was named runner-up to Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes last year. For the record, the Jays handled Skenes quite well a few weeks ago when the right-hander made his Toronto debut. Also for the record, Philly will start Zack Wheeler on Tuesday and Jesus Luzardo in the series finale, while the Jays have exercised the ubiquitous TBA option knowing full-well Cease and Scherzer loom.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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