It’s hard to say what’s worse — losing a game or losing your balance — but for the Blue Jays’ $110 million pitcher, it was a day he’d likely prefer to forget altogether. Sunday’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees delivered plenty of action, and things took a chaotic turn, with the Blue Jays’ star Kevin Gausman at the center of it.
Gausman, the 34-year-old pitcher now in his 12th Major League season, endured one of the roughest outings of his career. During the third inning, he threw 53 pitches — the highest total for a single inning in the MLB since 2022. Over the course of his short appearance, Gausman walked five batters and surrendered six runs. After pitching just 2 2/3 innings, frustration boiled over, and he got into a heated argument with home plate umpire Chris Conroy regarding the strike zone.
Tough day at the office for Kevin Gausman, who gave up 6 runs in 2.2 innings against the Yankees before being ejected
🎥: @YESNetwork pic.twitter.com/7ZKMK8XKhC
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 27, 2025
The confrontation escalated quickly. Conroy ejected Gausman, who stormed off the field toward the dugout, visibly mouthing words in anger at the umpire. Every camera at the stadium caught the scene, but the drama didn’t end there. As Gausman made his way down the dugout stairs, he stumbled, creating a moment that quickly circulated across social media platforms.
The stumble only added to the rough outing for Gausman. Yankees announcer Michael Kay couldn’t resist poking fun, laughing and commenting, “Oh, he stumbled down the steps, hope he’s okay.” It became a moment of mockery online, especially among Yankees and Blue Jays fans.
Opinions are divided on whether Gausman’s ejection was warranted. Some feel the pitcher overstepped, while others believe the umpire acted too harshly in the heat of the moment. Either way, Gausman’s own take was that the decision was unfair.
Ultimately, the Yankees cruised to a 5-1 victory, completing a sweep over the struggling Blue Jays. For Gausman, though, the physical stumble and heated ejection arguably overshadowed the outcome of the game.
The weekend series reflected a broader issue for the Blue Jays, who have been on a steep decline. Coming off a loss to the Houston Astros (5-1), the team desperately needed a bounce-back performance. Instead, they were swept by the Yankees, outscored 16-3 across two games. It was a brutal stretch that highlighted major concerns for Toronto’s pitching and offensive capabilities.
Meanwhile, the Yankees continued their hot streak. Anthony Volpe launched a home run off Paxton Schultz, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Volpe further fueled the offense with back-to-back walks. Austin Wells added to the scoring with a powerful double to right-center field.
While Yankees players celebrated their success, the Blue Jays were left grappling with serious questions about their roster and season outlook. Currently sitting at a .500 record, Toronto faces mounting pressure to reassess their strategies if they want to stay competitive for the remainder of the season.