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Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider explains why he pulled Kevin Gausman

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Oct 13 2025, 3:38 am
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider explains why he pulled Kevin Gausman
Adam Laskaris/Daily Hive

Like many other managers, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider knows that his decisions aren’t always going to be popular ones.

In Game 1 of the 2025 American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, Schneider was faced with one of his biggest ones as a manager yet.

Facing a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning, Schneider had the choice to keep starting pitcher Kevin Gausman in the game after he’d given up just three hits and one run, or yank him out to avoid further damage.

Gausman was pulled for reliever Brendon Little after 76 pitches, 5.2 innings into the game. The only run Gausman surrendered while on the mound was a solo homer to MVP favourite Cal Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 regular-season home runs.

The next plate appearance, Gausman walked Julio Rodriguez, before being pulled for Little.

“I was more upset about walking Julio [Rodriguez] after that. Obviously, that was the difference,” Gausman said when asked about the Raleigh home run.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Raleigh said postgame. “He’s a really good pitcher.”

After exiting the game, Gausman was also charged with an earned run off a Jorge Polanco RBI single to cash in Rodriguez, which gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

“I just kind of read the situation after [walking Julio Rodriguez]. You’re trying to read the situation, every game is different… we talk about everything before the game, and you just try to read it in real time,” Schneider said following the game about his choice to pull Gausman.
“I was reading the situation after the walk. You try to squash it,” Schneider added.

Despite the thoughts about pitching decisions, the Blue Jays’ offence wasn’t exactly at its best today, either.

Toronto’s George Springer had given his team a 1-0 lead on a solo home run on the very first pitch the Jays saw of the series, but the Blue Jays’ bats fell mostly cold after that. Anthony Santander picked up a single in the second inning, Toronto’s lone other hit in the game.

The two teams are back at it tomorrow for Game 2 of the series.

Trey Yesavage is scheduled to be Toronto’s starting pitcher tomorrow in Game 2 of the series at home.

“Heading into tomorrow, I’m just looking to — like I was saying earlier, not put too much pressure on myself, just go out there and be who I am and be the pitcher I’ve always been and trust my defense, trust my catchers, trust my offense,” Yesavage told the media today.

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