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Gausman's Strong Performance Leads Blue Jays to Sweep of Angels
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    Gausman’s Strong Performance Leads Blue Jays to Sweep of Angels

    TORONTO — Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in seven innings while Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk hit two-run homers to push the Toronto Blue Jays to an 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday and complete a four-game sweep.

    After taking three games from the struggling Angels (54-77) in Anaheim, Calif., earlier this month, the Blue Jays (63-68) went 7-0 against a team in a season for the first time in franchise history.

    L.A. has the second-worst record in the American League behind the Chicago White Sox.

    Gausman (12-9) added to the Angels’ woes with an outstanding 94-pitch effort. He surrendered only two hits with no walks and retired the last 12 batters he faced.

    Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke a 1-1 tie with a run-scoring double off the left-field wall that George Springer scored all the way from first on in the fifth inning.

    Barger blasted his two-out, two-run shot to right field in the sixth with Will Wagner aboard after his lead-off walk.

    Kirk smashed his two-run homer to left field after Guerrero was intentionally walked in the seventh.

    Gausman was perfect through three innings. But Taylor Ward tripled off the right-centre wall to begin the fourth. Toronto centre-fielder Joey Loperfido almost made the catch, but the ball was jarred loose when he smashed back-first into the wall.

    Ward scored on Zach Neto’s single to left.

    Ward also busted Bowden Francis’s no-hit bid by leading off the ninth inning with a homer on Saturday.

    The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Davis Schneider led off with a walk and moved to second on Addison Barger’s single to centre.

    They moved to second and third, respectively, on Loperfido’s hard-hit ground out to first.

    After an intentional walk to Guerrero to load the bases, Tyler Anderson (10-12) walked Alejandro Kirk for the game’s first run.

    Anderson lasted five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts before 37,036 at Rogers Centre.

    Tommy Nance relieved Gausman in the eighth and gave up a solo homer to left from former Blue Jays infielder Brandon Drury.

    The Blue Jays tacked on two final runs in the eighth with RBI from Loperfido and Guerrero.

    ON DECK

    The Blue Jays begin a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park with a split doubleheader on Monday.

    Neither team has named a starter for the first game. This is a make-up outing for a June 26 game suspended because of severe weather. The game resumes in the top of the second inning with one out and a Blue Jays runner on first base.

    Former Toronto catcher Danny Jansen was due up when the game was suspended. He was traded to Boston last month and will play for the Red Sox, making history as the first to play for both teams in the same game.

    In the nightcap, Toronto’s Jose Berrios (12-9) will start against Canadian righty Nick Pivetta (5-8).

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    The Toronto Blue Jays continued their hot streak with a dominant performance against the Los Angeles Angels, sweeping the series thanks to a stellar outing from starting pitcher Kevin Gausman.

    Gausman, who was acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade with the San Francisco Giants earlier this season, showed why he was such a coveted asset with a masterful performance on the mound. The right-hander went seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out nine batters. His command of the strike zone was impeccable, as he consistently painted the corners and kept the Angels’ hitters off balance throughout the game.

    The Blue Jays’ offense also came alive in the series, scoring a total of 17 runs in the three games. Bo Bichette continued his hot streak at the plate, going 6-for-12 with two home runs and five RBIs in the series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also had a strong showing, hitting .400 with a home run and four RBIs.

    The Angels, on the other hand, struggled to get anything going against the Blue Jays’ pitching staff. Shohei Ohtani, who has been one of the most exciting players in baseball this season, was held in check by Gausman and the rest of the Blue Jays’ pitchers, going just 1-for-9 in the series.

    With the sweep, the Blue Jays improved their record to 64-54 and solidified their position in the playoff race. They currently sit in third place in the American League East, just two games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays.

    Overall, it was an impressive showing from the Blue Jays, who seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time. With Gausman leading the way on the mound and their offense firing on all cylinders, they will be a team to watch as they make a push for the postseason.