NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Gausman was ejected by plate umpire Chris Conroy as the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher was removed after giving up six runs and walking five while throwing 53 pitches in the third inning of Sunday’s doubleheader opener against the New York Yankees.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was ejected two innings inning later for arguing a called strike to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the second pitch of the fifth.
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.
Gausman’s ERA rose from 3.16 to 4.50, and the five walks were one shy of his career high for an entire game.
Staked to a 1-0 lead, Gausman needed just 18 pitches to get through the first two innings but got only two outs in the third.
Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice walked with one out 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.
Gausman was replaced by Paxton Schultz and appeared to be ejected as he returned to the dugout. Gausman yelled at the umpire from the dugout, and Schneider came onto the field to speak with the crew chief.
Schneider was tossed when he came out to argue after Conroy called a strike on Max Fried’s 1-0 pitch to Guerrero on a changeup at the bottom of the strike zone.
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