Kevin Gausman picked up where Bowden Francis left off in Jays’ win

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The homestand that was featured just about everything, including an over-reaction to Chris Bassitt appearing on a host-friendly podcast and the subsequent fence-mending, Joey Votto’s unusual retirement, Bowden Francis’ near no-no and the Blue Jays playing some of their most entertaining baseball when the home run suddenly surfaced.

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There was the back-to-back blasts produced by Joey Loperfido and Addison Barger in a walk-off win as fans got a glimpse of what the future might hold.

There was Ernie Clement hitting a homer in three straight games, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. eclipsed last year’s belt total when he crushed his 27th long ball Saturday on a day when all the buzz, justifiably, was on Francis and how he came within three outs of joining Dave Stieb as the only pitchers in Blue Jays history to throw a no-hitter.

What the past week ultimately means in the big picture, knowing some major moves await the franchise this winter, is anyone’s guess.

Suffice to say it hasn’t been boring nor has it been uneventful.

Fittingly, Toronto’s seven-game homestand wrapped up Sunday with Kevin Gausman fashioning an eventual outing in helping the Jays put an exclamation point on their four-game sweep of the L.A. Angels following a 8-2 win.

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Toronto went 5-2 on its homestand.

Gausman went seven complete innings, striking out 10, no walks, one run on two hits.

Now comes a tough stretch of the schedule, which begins in Beantown Monday afternoon in a scheduled split doubleheader.

The day’s oddity at Fenway Park features the resumption of a suspended game that had Danny Jansen playing for the Blue Jays.

When he plays for Boston, he’ll become the first player in MLB history to play for both teams in the same game.

Bo Bichette is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays as he ramps up for a possible return from a calf injury, a road that will involve a rehab assignment in the minors.

Beginning Monday, the Jays will face five teams with winning records during a 16-game stretch as opposed to the recent slate when Toronto’s opponents sported losing records.

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In fairness, just before the cupcake portion of their schedule began, the Jays did earn a series win at home against the Baltimore Orioles, who will never be confused as a patsy.

The Angels clearly embody the patsy tag.

In fact, they might represent the essence of mediocrity residing in the same neighbourhood as the Chicago White Sox.

The Chisox, in fact, became the first team Toronto swept this season when the Blue Jays visited Chicago’s South Side in late May.

When the Jays were in Anaheim two weeks ago, they swept the Angels in a three-game series.

The season’s final game between the Jays and Halos featured the visitors issuing an intentional walk to Vlad Jr. that would load the bases with two outs.

Angels starter Tyler Anderson then walked home the game’s first run when facing Alejandro Kirk.

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The day’s best pitcher, hands down, was Gausman.

He began Sunday’s start by retiring the first nine batters.

Oddly enough, it would be Taylor Ward recording the first hit off Gausman, the same Taylor Ward who broke up Francis’ no-hit bid when L.A.’s leadoff hitter began the ninth inning by stroking a no-doubt home run.

He came close to going deep again when he led off the fourth inning by sending a rocket off the wall in centre field.

Loperfido started for Daulton Varsho, who, one could argue, would have caught the ball.

There’s no arguing Varsho had absolutely no chance of catching Ward’s hit Saturday.

Regardless, Ward ended up at third and would tie Sunday’s game on a Zach Neto single.

Toronto regained the lead in the home half of the fifth inning on a Vlad Jr. run-scoring double.

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The Jays’ lead increased after Barger went deep on a two-run blast one inning later when he destroyed a slider and sent it deep into right field.

For the 14th game in a row, the Jays had recorded at least one long ball, the team’s longest streak since 2019.

The day’s second dinger arrived in the seventh when Kirk went deep on a two-run blast.

Strangely, the Angels elected to intentionally walk Vlad Jr. with one out before Kirk’s blow.

During the team’s current run of home runs, baseball’s longest active streak by the way, the Jays posted a 9-5 record.

A two-week sample size isn’t sufficient to make any definitive conclusions.

For a team that couldn’t hit home runs, the Jays have flipped the script in the span of a fortnight.

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Keep in mind the opposition has not been good, but at the same time the Blue Jays have been playing better baseball with an obvious freedom to their game because they know there won’t be any playoff appearance.

Funny how that works.

SUSPENDED ANIMATION

While five games will be played at Fenway Park in the coming four days, the most fascinating is Monday’s scheduled 2 p.m. matchup.

When weather led to the June 26 game being suspended, the Jays’ lineup had Bichette at leadoff, Justin Turner at cleanup, Jansen hitting in the No. 7 hole followed by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and finally Kevin Kiermaier to round out the bottom of the order.

All but Bichette were traded.

Rain fell in the middle of Jansen’s at-bat before it reached the point where the game was suspended.

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Monday’s resumption essentially picks up from where the June 26 game left off with one out in the top of the second inning, the count 0-1 and Davis Schneider on first base after he drew a walk.

Both teams will have to replace every player in the original lineup who is no longer with the team.

In Boston’s case, Reese McGuire’s spot will need to be replaced.

Enter Jansen and history.

Once the Bosox acquired Jansen, the corresponding move involved McGuire, a one-time Blue Jays catcher, being DFAed.

Jose Berrios is expected to start in the first game, but it will technically be in a relief role, one of Monday’s many oddities.

For Monday’s second game, both teams will be allowed to add a 27th player.

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