Game #90 Preview: Gausman vs Manning

After another fun shellacking last night, the Blue Jays get right back to it this afternoon as they play their second of three games against the Tigers to close out the first half of the season. Today’s game is set for a 1:10 ET start, but it may have a bit of a delay.

Blue Jays’ Starter

All Star Kevin Gausman gets the ball for the Jays, making his team high 19th start. He’s pitching on an extra day of rest, the time when he has been his absolute most dominant this season. Overall Gausman is 7-4 with a 3.06 ERA. In his seven starts with five days of rest, he has a 1.13 ERA while averaging nearly 7 innings per start, striking out an incredible 77 batters against just 6 walks in 47.2 innings.

Gausman faced these same Tigers back on April 12, putting together a very strong and efficient outing. He made it through 8 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, striking out 11 and walking none. He did give up a pair of home runs in that one, coming off the left handed bats of Nick Maton (currently in AAA) and Kerry Carpenter (batting fourth today). That start was on an extra day of rest as well, and accounts for half of his earned runs allowed in that situation this year.

Tigers’ Starter

Former prized prospect Matt Manning is set to get the ball for the Tigers, making just his fifth start of the season. He missed over two months after taking an Alejandro Kirk comebacker off his foot, causing a fracture.

Manning has made a pair of starts on both sides of that injury, and none of them have gone overly well. Through 22.1 innings, he has a 4.84 ERA, striking out just 15 against 7 walks and 4 home runs. As a flyball pitcher, he’ll take advantage of the large confines of Comerica Park, although the park is a bit smaller for him this year.

As mentioned above, Manning did face the Jays in one his four starts this season, and despite leaving with an injury, it was his longest start of the year. He made it through 6 innings (limped off the field after getting Kirk out on the final play), allowing 4 runs on 6 hits. He struck out 3 and walked 1, while the Jays’ batters managed 3 home runs off him - one each for Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer.

Blue Jays’ Lineup

Tigers’ Lineup

Yesterday’s Heroes

Mookie Betts went 3-4 with a pair of home runs and a double, driving in 4 runs to take home the Monster Bat award. He also was intentionally walked, but pitching around him didn’t come soon enough as the Dodgers beat the Angels 11-4.

Christian Pache hit a pinch hit, 2-out, 2-run home run in the top of the 9th inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. His Phillies would hold on to win by that margin over the Marlins, while Pache gets the WPA King trophy with an incredible .708 WPA.

Jameson Taillon went 8 sensational innings for the Cubs yesterday, holding the Yankees to just 1 hit and 2 walks. For his efforts, Taillon picks up the Pitcher of the Day award, as well as the win as the Cubs completed the 3-0 shutout.

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Stats retrieved from Fangraphs and Baseball Savant