Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) works against the Houston Astros during first inning MLB baseball action in Toronto, on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

TORONTO — Kevin Gausman pitched a complete game shutout in arguably his best start of the season as the Toronto Blue Jays blanked the Houston Astros 6-0 on Thursday.

Gausman (10-10) struck out nine, allowing just two hits in the fourth complete game of his career.

Davis Schneider led off the second inning with a home run and then scored Daulton Varsho with a sacrifice fly in the fourth as Toronto (84-62) took two of three from the Astros to tighten its grip on first in the American League East.

Addison Barger went 2 for 4 at the plate, driving in two runs. Nathan Lukes also had an RBI double, while Varsho delivered a triple and an RBI single.

Cristian Javier (1-3) struck out six over six innings for Houston (79-68) but allowed four runs on six hits and a walk. Lance McCullers Jr. allowed two runs over two innings of relief.

Takeaways

Astros: Houston was the better team for the first two games of the series, clearly motivated to hold on to its lead in the competitive AL West. But fielding gaffes and an inability to make contact off Gausman meant the Astros left Toronto with just one win and the Seattle Mariners hot on their heels.

Blue Jays: Gausman brought his best stuff from the start, getting two of his nine strikeouts in the first inning, and facing the minimum number of batters through three. His best outing to this point in the season was a six-inning gem in Detroit, where he allowed just one hit and a walk, striking out 10 over six scoreless innings.

Key moment

Barger could have gotten out twice in the first inning, but instead earned a double. His hit should have been caught as a pop fly, but three different Astros fielders failed to track it in the afternoon sun at Rogers Centre. He had been jogging to first, assuming he was out, when it dropped to the field. Barger picked up the pace but still could have been thrown out at second, except centre-fielder Mauricio Dubon had no one to throw to once he scooped up the ball.

Key stat

Gausman has only had one other complete game shutout in his career -- a 7-0 win against the Oakland Athletics on June 8, 2024.

Up next

Max Scherzer (5-3) takes the mound as Toronto opens up a three-game series against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

Dean Kremer (9-10) is scheduled to start for Baltimore.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025