Kevin Gausman shines in Blue Jays' loss to Guardians

Kevin Gausman delivered a dominant performance against the Cleveland Guardians, striking out nine and allowing just one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings in his first start since a taxing 53-pitch inning against the Yankees. His fastball velocity rebounded to above his season average, demonstrating both his health and resilience following concerns about the potential effects of the previous outing's heavy workload. Despite Gausman's strong showing, the Blue Jays ultimately lost after a bullpen collapse led to a late grand slam by the Guardians. Blue Jays manager John Schneider and team officials expressed relief and confidence in Gausman's recovery, noting they would avoid putting him through such a strenuous inning again. Gausman's outing reassured the team of his status as a frontline starter and key rotation piece, even as the loss dropped Toronto below .500 for the season.