Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman injured in loss to Rays

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This was a hill very tough to defend for the Blue Jays in the first of two games Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Toronto lost starter Kevin Gausman early in what was shaping up as a great duel with Rays’ nine-game winner Shane McClanahan. But a rocket off Gausman’s right ankle in the second inning ended his afternoon.

Righthander Casey Lawrence, summoned from Buffalo as the extra man for this doubleheader, was also struck on the mound by a drive and though able to continue, was burned in a three-run burst that helped Tampa to an eventual 6-2 win.

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But it was just as vital to the Jays in the bigger picture to have Lawrence come in so unexpectedly and be able to last almost six innings to give the bullpen a break from a long stretch with no days off.

Gausman was trying to extinguish a bases loaded situation after walking lead-off man Yandy Diaz in the second. Wander Franco drove it back through the box, but alert catcher Gabriel Moreno stayed with the ball and just beat out Franco. Gausman was down in considerable pain, but eventually walked to the dugout himself. An X-ray on the ankle was negative.

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Gausman, seeking his seventh victory, had just bounced back from a rough June by going seven strong against the Red Sox in another vital American League East wildcard win.

Lawrence warmed up quickly and got the first two batters he faced to pop up, but Isaac Paredes sent a 1-0 delivery inside the left field pole. Lawrence steadied to fan Kevin Kiermaier and two of the next three men he faced, but in the fifth was struck himself in the midsection, by Randy Arozarena, allowing Franco to scoot home. Lawrence was checked as well by the medical staff and continued, but the Rays filled the bags again for Pinto’s two-run single.

Franco also tucked a homer to the left side with two out in the sixth. Max Castillo was finally called upon when Taylor Walls singled off of Lawrence, but Diaz was able to drive the latter in after a stolen base.

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Toronto’s run came early, Bo Bichette keeping a string of team doubles going from Friday and scoring on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. single. This was ‘Vlad and Dad Bobblehead Day’, with giveaways of figurines of the Jays young star and his famous father, who also spent quality time in Canada with the Montreal Expos. There were early father-son pictures during a video tribute to the family, but the single was all Junior could muster for 39,426 spectators at Rogers Centre.

McClanahan struck out 10 before Javy Guerra relieved him in the eighth. Guerra  got a break on a high pitch to Guerrero that could’ve loaded the bases for Teoscar Hernandez, but Guerrero had to be pulled back from his bases-on-balls trot and then popped out to end the threat.

Phoenix Sanders closed, inducing a double-play ball from Matt Chapman that scored Hernandez.

During the game, the Jays announced they’d acquired left hander Anthony Banda from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash and moved righty Julian Merryweather to the 60-day injured list. Thomas Hatch, starter in Buffalo, was to start the night cap for the Jays.

lhornby@postmedia.com