Midway Blues: Losing skid hits three games as Jays close first half with 6-5 defeat

TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays stumbled to the halfway point of the season with their third straight loss at Rogers Centre, a second clunker in a row from veteran starter Kevin Gausman, and slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., having gone homerless at home so far this year.

The Blue Jays dropped a 6-5 decision to the Texas Rangers after Gausman (4-6) spotted the visitors six runs thanks to three homers over the first three innings on Thursday.

Guerrero, meanwhile, went 0 for 4 in the opener of the four-game series. He hit into a double play in the first inning and struck out twice, including an 11-pitch strikeout against closer Jacob Latz with American League all-star Ernie Clement on first base with none out in the ninth.

“Weird, really, really weird,” said Toronto manager John Schneider, addressing Guerrero’s lack of power at Rogers Centre in 2026. “Baseball is a weird game. I know the fans are waiting for him to put on the (home run) jacket here. I know he is. I know we are. You know, it’ll turn.

“I’ll put a dollar on it with you, that’s he’ll hit at least one here before the season is over.”

Kazuma Okamoto cashed in Clement with a homer to straightaway centre field for his team-leading 18th long ball in 2026 to pull the Blue Jays (39-42) to within a run. But Gausman put his teammates in a hole that was too difficult to climb out of.

“I don’t think there are many positives you can take from giving up 10 hits and three homers,” the 35-year-old Gausman said. “You’re just not going to have success with those types of numbers. I just need to be better.”

Gausman persevered to extend his outing to six innings. He begged Schneider for one final inning in order to ease the pain on a taxed bullpen.

“At that point, I kind of told Schneids, ‘Just give me over 100 pitches at this point,’ to try to save as many (bullpen arms) out there as we can,” Gausman said.

Gausman got to 99 pitches before his night before 35,273 concluded. Joc Pederson, Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger hit homers for the Rangers (39-42).

The outing came less than a week after a poor outing against the Chicago Cubs. He lasted only two innings in that appearance and gave up seven runs.

He pinpointed his delivery, specifically his landing foot, as something he’ll work on in the hopes of a return to form in his next start.

Schneider didn’t see any similarities between the two appearances.

“I think the one in Chicago was just a lack of command,” Schneider said. “Today, I mean, you’ve got to give credit to Joc for that at-bat, 11 pitches in the first at-bat of the game. And then the slider to Langford, and then just kind of a hanging split to Burger.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

“I don’t think it’s a common denominator. I think they were kind of different games in terms of walks, his command.”

And where does Schneider believe his team, which is in a four-way tie for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League, sits at the halfway mark?

“It’s been a grind, it’s been a challenge, not just for us, but I think for a lot of teams,” Schneider said. “The fact that where we are where we are speaks volumes to the character of the guys in the clubhouse. I think our best baseball is in front of us. I really do. 

“In terms of getting healthy, and in terms of guys turning the corner to perform, whether it’s pitching, or whether it’s defence, or whether it’s at the plate. That gives me comfort going to bed each night.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2026.