Moments earlier, a 100 mph line drive off the bat of Wander Franco had struck Gausman on his right ankle, leading to a scary moment at Rogers Center on Saturday afternoon. The fan chased the right-hander from the game after just two innings, but X-rays came back negative and the official diagnosis was a sprained right ankle. “You feel for a guy like that,” said Casey Lawrence, who replaced Gausman after a brief warmup in the Blue Jays’ bullpen. “You don’t want anyone to fall into those situations. At the same time, you know you have to be ready to go out there and play. Still thinking about it, hope all goes well. But then you have a job to do: get the big league players out.” In the end, the Blue Jays still lost the first game of their doubleheader against the Rays 6-2, but Gausman’s status matters more than the outcome of this game, and on that front, the Blue Jays seem to have avoided a much worse fate. . Once Moreno took the ball and threw it to first for the out with an athletic play, Gausman left the field under his own power. When Lawrence was added to the Blue Jays’ roster as the 27th man on Saturday morning, he wasn’t even sure he would pitch, but the 34-year-old gave the Blue Jays 5.2 innings of relief over 87 pitches just four days after throwing 99 pitches in the triple -A on Tuesday. “It’s part of the job description,” Lawrence said. “When I’m in that situation for me, it’s kind of just putting my head down and going as deep into the game as I can, giving us a chance to win.” “I left it all out there,” he added. Like Gausman, Lawrence produced a winner from his leg. After a visit from the coach, he stayed in the game. “A little ice and some Advil and I’ll be fine,” he said. While Lawrence was charged with all six runs, including home runs by Isaac Paredes and Franco, the innings he absorbed on short rest were significant for a team preparing for two games in one day. “It’s a great job by Lawrence,” manager Charlie Montoyo said. “I could go to Lawrence right now and ask for a spot in the second game (of the doubleheader) and he’d say yes. He deserves a lot of credit for that.” But Shane McClanahan was absolutely dominant for the Rays, limiting the Blue Jays to just one run on three hits while striking out 10 in one of his best pitching performances against Toronto all year. Aside from a leadoff RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays managed very little in front of a crowd of 39,426. “I don’t usually talk about the other guys, but he was really good,” Montoyo said. “It keeps you off balance. He steps like a guy who throws 90 or 91, but he doesn’t. Drops 97. It’s tough. He is a good pitcher. Definitely one of the best pitchers in baseball.” The scary moment with Gausman also underscored the vulnerability of this starting rotation beyond the front five. At this point, the Blue Jays aren’t sure if Gausman will be able to take his next turn, which is scheduled for Thursday in Seattle. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and go from there,” Montoyo said. “That’s a long way from now.” If Gausman or anyone else needs to miss a turn, Lawrence, Max Castillo and Thomas Hatch represent the next level of depth for the Blue Jays. In recent weeks, the Blue Jays have been eyeing the trade market for rotation help, and those efforts are sure to intensify as the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaches. Of course, big-name players haven’t yet been traded for recovery projects that are easier to come by than strike weapons right now. Along those lines, the Blue Jays announced the acquisition of Anthony Banda during the game. A 28-year-old lefty, Banda was recently designated for assignment by the Pirates after posting a 6.41 ERA in 23 relief appearances with Pittsburgh. Despite an ugly ERA, he controls the strike zone well with 22 strikeouts compared to just five walks. With a 95 mph fastball and a changeup he uses liberally, Banda has been excellent at limiting hard contact so far in 2022. However, before he joins this staff, the Blue Jays have a second game to play. And thanks to Lawrence, their bullpen is in decent shape for the night ahead.
