NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Gausman's frustration climbed with his pitch count.
After throwing 53 pitches in the third against the New York Yankees — the most by any pitcher in an inning in three years — and getting just two outs, the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander delivered a message to plate umpire Chris Conroy.
“As I was coming off the mound, I kind of let him know I was going to go watch his bad umpiring inside,” Gausman said following an 11-2 loss in the opener of Sunday's doubleheader that gave Yankees pitcher Max Fried his fifth straight win.
Gausman was ejected after giving up six runs and walking five in the inning — one shy of his career high for a game.
“There was probably at least three pitches that inning that I know were strikes,” he said. “The more frustrating thing was watching kind of what Freed was getting. He’s getting pitches down and so if you’re not calling it for me, why are you going to call it for him?”
Gausman was so focused on shouting at the umpire that he slipped when walking down the dugout stairs.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was tossed for arguing a called strike to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the bottom of the strike zone on the second pitch of the fifth. Schneider was still steamed over some ball/strike decisions on Gausman's pitches.
“I thought he was getting some calls in the first couple innings that weren’t there in the third,” he said.
Gausman needed just 18 pitches to retire the first six Yankees players in order and got Jasson Domínguez on a flyout on his first pitch of the third. The half-inning would extend for 32 minutes as the Yankees fouled off 15 of Gausman's pitches, including nine with two strikes.
“A number of just really, really good, disciplined at-bats," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “If you should go start chasing Gausman and stuff, he's too good and you got to be disciplined, and that inning was phenomenal.”
Gausman threw the most pitches by anyone in an inning since Pittsburgh's Cam Vieaux's 56 in an eight-run eighth inning against Milwaukee on July 1, 2022, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
He threw 50 fastballs and just 19 splitters in a 71-pitch outing as his ERA rose from 3.16 to 4.50.
“Didn't feel like I could throw my split,” Gausman said. “This is a good lineup, so I feel like I really kind of have to pitch to quadrants against these guys, can’t just kind of pitch up or down, so maybe got a little too fine there.”
Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice walked with one out in the third and Aaron Judge hit a hard drive that short-hopped the right-field wall for a single that loaded the bases.
Cody Bellinger tied the score 1-1 with a sacrifice fly on the eighth pitch of his plate appearance, Paul Goldschmidt reloaded the bases with a walk and a four-pitch walk to Jazz Chisholm Jr. forced in the go-ahead run.
Anthony Volpe walked on nine pitches after falling behind 0-2 in the count, boosting the lead to 3-1. Wells fell behind 0-2, then doubled off the right-center field wall on the ninth pitch of his at-bat.
“I feel like there was two that inning that kind of you know just kind of popped right out of Kirky’s glove,” Gausman said of two-strike fouls and catcher Alejandro Kirk. “You’re always going to look back and say kind of that should be a strikeout.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, left, and pitcher Kevin Gausman, right, talk to pitching coach Pete Walker, center, during the third inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider, center, speaks to umpire Chris Conroy (98) during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
