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Toronto lost in extra-innings to visiting Colorado Rockies after starter racked up 10 strikeouts in six shutout innings
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Published Apr 01, 2026 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 4 minute read
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Colorado Rockies’ Jake McCarthy steals second base as Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andrés Giménez tries to make the tag during Wednesday’s game. The Canadian PressArticle content
Had the Blue Jays’ game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday taken place on July 1 and not April 1, chances are pretty good to the point of being a certainty that starting pitcher Kevin Gausman would have been on the mound beyond the sixth inning.
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With Major League Baseball having a marathon 162-game schedule, however, there was no way the Blue Jays were going to compromise their ace right-hander.
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Two starts into the season and Gausman has earned two no-decisions, even though he easily could have earned two wins had he received better support from his offence.
In the season opener, the Jays walked off the visiting Athletics. Gausman went six innings, allowing one run, and striking out 11 without allowing a base on balls.
On Wednesday, the Rockies were stymied by Gausman, who pitched six scoreless innings, while recording 10 strikeouts and not allowing a walk.
Previously, no pitcher in MLB history had issued zero walks, while posting 21 strikeouts, in his first two starts to the season.
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He also joined Roger Clemens as the lone pitchers in Jays history to record the 21K-0BB milestone over the course of any two-game span.
Granted, it is a small sample size, but there’s no questioning Gausman’s opening two performances.
He has two no-decisions, but Gausman doesn’t make any plate appearances wielding a bat.
“He was in total control,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said when asked about Gausman’s outing. “I thought he turned it up when he needed to. When you get a starting performance like that, you want to win.”
The following are three takeaways from the Blue Jays’ 2-1 loss in 10 innings. The Jays next face the White Sox in Chicago on Friday. Chicago’s home opener, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been rescheduled to Friday because of weather concerns.
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1. Relief and Grief
After Gausman left, Tommy Nance wasn’t at his best, while Mason Fluharty was at his best.
Brendon Little missed recording a strikeout “by the width of a paper’’ as the skipper noted during his post-game availability.
“We need him to get on track like he did (Wednesday),’’ continued Schneider, who reminded the assembled media how Little was among the best relievers on the team for an extended run last season.
“He’s a big part of our bullpen. I’ve said this for a long time … whether fans or people like it or not, but I trust everyone on our team.”
Louis Varland was unavailable, continued Schneider, who said his righty reliever is not nursing any issues.
“What have we played, six games? We have a lot left.”
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Fluharty’s coming-out party arrived last season at Dodger Stadium when the Jays visited during the regular season.
“The dude is not scared … He’s growing into a very head-strong reliever, if that makes sense,’’ added Schneider.
Speaking of pitchers, Cody Ponce — whose return to a big-league mound for the first time in five years was marred by a knee injury that landed the righty on the 15-day injured list — will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon based at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.
He specializes in sports medicine, knee, shoulder and elbow injuries and also serves as the team physician for the Dodgers and the NFL Rams.
The bottom line is that no definitive diagnosis on Ponce’s right knee has been determined, hence the visit to the L.A.-based specialist. There remains the possibility of Ponce requiring surgery.
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2. Bats Go Silent
The Jays had their chances Wednesday after opening the scoring on a Davis Schneider RBI singled that scored Myles Straw in the third inning.
Not to single out any player in particular, but of course one will be singled out.
Despite recording at least one hit in his first six games in the majors, Kazuma Okamoto struck out with the bases loaded.
It happened Wednesday, which marked the third time in his past five at-bats that the Japanese star has whiffed.
It’s hard to find any fault in his play knowing he has gone deep twice and has gone 7-for-24.
A timely hit would have helped in the series finale, but let it be known he wasn’t alone.
3. Comforts of Home
Rewind to the start of last season, when this collective angst seemed to envelope Rogers Centre.
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No more was it more pronounced than on opening day when the Baltimore Orioles lit up starter Jose Berrios.
Many had already thrown in the towel.
Fast forward to this season and the energy was beyond palpable as the baseball buzz was in the air and will likely remain.
Naturally, when a team is literally inches away from winning a World Series for the first time in a generation, the excitement level is understandable as it is predictable.
A 4-2 home stand should have reminded everyone that no opponent is ever taken for granted.
The Athletics kicked off the home stand and pushed the Jays to the limit, losing in walkoff fashion in the series opener and losing in extra innings as Toronto recorded a sweep.
The Rockies took the series 2-1, a far cry from last season when the Jays visited Coors Field and demolished the Rockies.
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“Thank you to the fans and keep coming out,’’ Schneider said in tipping a metaphorical cap to the team’s faithful, which numbered 37,208 Wednesday afternoon.
“The atmosphere here is very, very noticeable and it’s noticeable to opposing teams too.”
Up Next
An unscheduled off day in Chicago should be welcome as the Jays’ next game will be played Friday against the South Siders; Toronto’s Dylan Cease and Chicago’s Sean Burke were the expected starters for Thursday’s game; barring something out of the blue, each should start Friday in what will be the home opener for the White Sox.
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