Gausman dazzles, Guerrero sustains forearm contusion as Jays down Guardians 6-0

CLEVELAND – Toronto starter Kevin Gausman pitched eight superb innings Thursday in the Blue Jays 6-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians that saw slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leave the game after being hit by a pitch.

Gausman, who has struggled with consistency in recent starts, was at his best Tuesday. He surrendered just two hits and one walk while striking out six to improve his record to 6-6.

But the win was overshadowed by an injury scare when Guerrero left the game in the third inning after he was drilled by a 96-mile-per-hour fastball from Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee. 

X-rays on the injured arm came back negative, and the team said Guerrero sustained a forearm contusion.

The Blue Jays opened the scoring with a three-run third inning powered by a Nathan Lukes two-run single that scored Myles Straw. They added three more in the ninth on a single from Alejandro Kirk scored Addison Barger and Ernie Clement, then Jonatan Clase crossed the plate on a throwing error,  one of four by Cleveland.

The Blue Jays took two of three from Cleveland and improved to 43-37. The start a three-game series with Boston on Friday at Fenway Park.

Kwan hit in a double in the first for the Guardians, whose only other hit was single by Kyle Manzardo in the fourth.

Bibee (4-8) gave up three hits and two runs in six innings.

José Ramirez hit a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning on Wednesday to lift Cleveland to 5-4 win after George Springer’s grand slam gave Toronto a 10-6 victory on Tuesday. 

Key moment

Clase led off the third with a single, Tyler Heineman was hit by a pitch and Straw laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on a fielding error by Manzardo to load the bases with no outs. Lukes followed with a two-run single and Straw scored on another error by Manzardo, who bobbled a pickoff attempt.

Key stat

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Manzardo committed three errors and Bibee threw two wild pitches in Toronto’s three-run third inning.

Up next

Toronto’s José Berríos (3-3, 3.51 ERA) takes the mound against Boston’s Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.21) on Friday and Cleveland’s Luis L. Ortiz (4-8, 4.30) pitches against St. Louis right-hander Sonny Gray (7-2, 3.72).

— With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2025.