The Toronto Blue Jays will send right-hander Kevin Gausman to the mound on Thursday afternoon as they go for a three-game sweep of the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Gausman (5-5, 4.08 ERA) is 6-1 with a 2.22 ERA in nine career games (eight starts) against the Diamondbacks but has not faced them since 2021.
The Blue Jays have won the first two games of the series, including 8-1 on Wednesday.
The Diamondbacks will try to salvage the finale behind scheduled starter Ryne Nelson (3-2, 4.14). The right-hander is 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two career starts against Toronto.
The Diamondbacks hope they have avoided a setback after X-rays on outfielder Corbin Carroll’s left hand were negative Wednesday night. He was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, stayed in to run the bases and then left the game.
“He’s being evaluated,” manager Torey Lovullo said after the game. “Left-hand contusion was what I can tell you. The X-rays were negative, so that is positive news. … I wouldn’t be surprised if he told me he wants to play tomorrow. But we’re going to keep an open mind, we’re going to continue to evaluate him and see how he feels.”
Carroll said it will be a matter of pain tolerance. He provided Arizona’s only run on Wednesday when he tripled and scored on a groundout in the sixth.
Arizona already has been without catcher Gabriel Moreno in the series because of a sore hand. He had been expected to play Wednesday.
“Holding him back a little bit and giving him some therapy and some treatment and rest, we felt like would be the best solution,” Lovullo said.
After a 5-1 homestand, Arizona has lost the first two games of a nine-game trip.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, used George Springer in center field for the eighth time this season Wednesday as they deal with injuries to outfielders.
They used four players in center field Tuesday after Jonatan Clase (bruised knee) and Myles Straw (sprained right ankle) were injured in successive innings. Both are listed as day-to-day.
Toronto broke open a close game Wednesday with three runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three walks (one intentional). Bo Bichette had three hits, including a homer, and two RBIs, while Addison Barger had three hits and an RBI and Ernie Clement also had three hits.
Clement extended his hitting streak to a career-best nine games, going 16-for-39 (.410).
On the mound, Gausman will have a tough act to follow Thursday.
Left-hander Eric Lauer had another strong outing on Wednesday, striking out a season-best eight while allowing one run in a season-high five-plus innings. Over his past five outings, including two starts, he has a 1.42 ERA over 19 innings with a .136 opponent batting average.
One of the keys has been the command of his fastball.
“Speeding guys up, slowing them down, moving them in and out and up and down,” Lauer said. “That’s pitching to me. I’m a pitcher. I’ve never been an overpowering guy; never been just a stuff guy. … But I think I can make my pitches play up better based on how I can throw my fastball.”
Arizona’s Josh Naylor was 2-for-4 Wednesday to extend his hit streak to eight games.
–Field Level Media
