On Sunday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays watched their ace starter, Kevin Gausman, unravel in real time. Once a beacon of reliability, unraveled in a nightmarish frame. But they stood still and let it happen. Gausman literally slipped down the stairs on his way to the dugout—because of their mistakes. But the real frustration turned toward Blue Jays management as fans were left questioning why the team leaned so heavily on their struggling star.

Gausman, the $110 million arm that they’ve leaned on since 2022, threw 53 pitches in a single inning. He tied the franchise record, marking the most by any MLB pitcher in an inning since 2022. It’s a mark that was previously set by Woody Williams in 1998. It wasn’t just an odd stat; it was a glaring red flag. However, the most jarring part is that the Blue Jays staff didn’t pull him when they should have.

And Ben Nicholson-Smith didn’t shy away from calling out the Blue Jays for it.

“I think it was a mistake,” said Nicholson-Smith during a recent episode of At The Letters. He added, “At 44 pitches, he’s got to come out because he is so important to the team.” And really, it is hard to argue with that. Gausman had already walked three straight hitters, and his command was clearly fading. Yet he stayed in long enough to give up a bases-clearing double to Austin Wells on his 53rd pitch of the inning.

By then, the damage was done. Gausman was ejected after venting his fury at the umpire’s calls. On top of that, he tripped down the dugout stairs, highlighting just how exhausted he may have been. Manager John Schneider followed suit just two innings later. The Blue Jays lost both games, falling to 13-14 in April, and now, suddenly, all the momentum they had isn’t there anymore.

It’s hard to believe they would take such a chance with Gausman. The 34-year-old isn’t just another starter—he has been a workhorse, a postseason anchor, if they hope to go deep in October. Leaving him out there on a short leash would be understandable. But letting him burn through 53 pitches? That’s a gamble—a huge one. In a season where every pitch counts, the Jays are risking a loss they can’t afford. Not with the season unfolding the way it is.

Toronto Blue Jays’ slide deepens as Bowden Francis joins an unwanted record

The Blue Jays were beaten 10-2 by the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, dropping to 13-16 on the season. As if that loss was not enough, Bowden Francis managed to etch his name into the history book. And no—it’s not on a list anyone would want to be on. Francis joined Kyle Gibson of the Baltimore Orioles in a rare (and unfortunate) club. According to @JayHayKid of Underdog Fantasy, this is the third time in MLB history that multiple pitchers have allowed five home runs on the same day.

Others on this exclusive—and unfortunate—list include CC Sabathia, Carlos Zambrano, Jeff D’Amico, and Dave Telgheder, all the way back in 1996. So, not exactly the kind of record the Jays thought their stars would end up making.

But Francis gave up seven earned runs on eight hits and struck out only one. His ERA is at 5.28, and it’s a far cry from the result he posted last season. He won eight games last year with a 3.30 ERA. For Toronto, this marks their eighth loss in the last nine games. They are sitting fourth in the AL East. It’s quite alarming that the Blue Jays, who were said to have playoff aspirations this season, are here. Not to mention, they recently signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a monstrous deal, so this just seems like a major setback.

The Jays are probably going to have a reset on Wednesday when they face Boston again. Lucas Giolito is set to make his first start since 2023—so a big day. It remains to be seen if he’ll be the missing spark the Jays need.