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Gausman and the Blue Jays aim to finish off Angels with four-game sweep
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    Gausman and the Blue Jays aim to finish off Angels with four-game sweep

    Right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman heads to the hill Sunday as the Toronto Blue Jays aim to finish a four-game sweep at home against the Los Angeles Angels.

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    The Blue Jays are coming off a spirited performance from starting pitcher Bowden Francis, who took a no-hitter into the ninth inning during Saturday’s 3-1 victory. Francis finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts and gave up just one run on one hit — a solo home run to Taylor Ward.

    Ward downplayed Francis’ stellar performance.

    “I really don’t know. You know, I thought everything was hittable,” Ward said to MLB.com’s Julia Kreuz when asked what made Francis so tough. “Maybe to other guys, he made better pitches. A lot of guys were talking about his split and that being on. But personally, I didn’t think it was anything special.”

    Toronto is also looking to take the season series after completing a three-game sweep in Los Angeles two weeks ago.

    Gausman (11-9, 4.24 ERA) will try to replicate his performance against the Angels on Aug. 13 as he aims for his 100th career win. The 33-year-old pitched seven shutout innings with five strikeouts during the 6-1 victory. Gausman has picked up the win in five of his past seven starts.

    Slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his team-leading 27th home run Saturday as the Blue Jays extended their active streak of games with a homer to 13. Outfielder Daulton Varsho, who has an active on-base streak of 22 games (the longest in the American League, with 24 hits) is not scheduled to start.

    The Angels will counter with left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson (10-11, 3.40 ERA). The 34-year-old took the loss in a 9-2 defeat when he faced the Blue Jays on Aug. 14. Anderson, who is winless in four starts against Toronto, conceded seven runs on six hits with four walks and eight strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Guerrero, Varsho and Ernie Clement all hit home runs off of Anderson.

    Following Sunday’s game, the Blue Jays hit the road to face the Boston Red Sox starting with a doubleheader Monday.

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    Near no-hitter a reminder of the potential Francis offers to Blue Jays


    Angels’ Ward downplays Francis’s near no-hitter: ‘Everything was hittable’

    The Toronto Blue Jays are on a roll, and they are looking to continue their winning streak as they face off against the Los Angeles Angels in a four-game series. After taking the first three games of the series, the Blue Jays are now aiming to finish off the Angels with a sweep.

    One of the key players leading the charge for the Blue Jays is starting pitcher Kevin Gausman. Gausman has been dominant on the mound this season, posting a 2.78 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. In his last start against the Angels, Gausman pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out nine batters. He will be looking to replicate that performance in the series finale and help secure the sweep for the Blue Jays.

    In addition to Gausman’s stellar pitching, the Blue Jays’ offense has also been firing on all cylinders. Boasting a lineup that includes sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Marcus Semien, and Teoscar Hernandez, the Blue Jays have been putting up runs in bunches. In fact, they have scored a total of 21 runs in the first three games of the series against the Angels.

    On the other side, the Angels have struggled to contain the Blue Jays’ potent offense. Their pitching staff has been unable to keep Toronto’s hitters at bay, and their offense has not been able to keep pace with the Blue Jays’ scoring output. As a result, they find themselves on the brink of being swept by Toronto.

    As the Blue Jays look to finish off the Angels with a sweep, they will need to continue their strong pitching and hitting performances. If Gausman can deliver another quality start and the offense can continue to produce runs, the Blue Jays should have no trouble securing the sweep and extending their winning streak.

    Overall, the Blue Jays are in a prime position to finish off the Angels with a four-game sweep. With their strong pitching, potent offense, and momentum on their side, they are poised to come out on top in the series finale and continue their ascent in the standings.