Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman 'had no clue how close Detroit was to Canada'

Unless you’re Canadian, you probably wouldn’t be able to predict how many fans travel to watch the Toronto Blue Jays on the road. That’s something starter Kevin Gausman realized over the weekend in Detroit.

Gausman, who threw six innings against the Tigers at Comerica Park on Saturday, was shocked at the number of Blue Jays fans who travelled across the Canadian border and into Michigan. As a native of Colorado, it’s very understandable that Gausman wouldn’t be aware of how well Toronto’s fan base travels, but he owned up to his lack of geographical knowledge and admitted he didn't know Detroit was so close to Canada.

The Blue Jays experienced a home-crowd atmosphere while winning two out of three games over the Tigers, finishing their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record. Gausman was on the mound for Toronto’s lone defeat in Detroit.

Canada's only MLB franchise is also well-represented in other markets. Seattle and Minnesota are two additional cities where Blue Jays fans travel down in droves to observe their favourite team. There’s usually a strong Canadian presence whenever the club plays in Boston or New York, too. After all, playing for the Blue Jays means you have an entire nation supporting your team rather than just a single city.

Toronto signed Gausman to a lucrative five-year, $110-million contract over the offseason. He had spent his previous two seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

The 31-year-old pitcher is very familiar with the American League East, as he played his first five and a half big-league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, who selected him fourth overall in the 2012 draft. His tenure with the franchise ended when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2018.

This season, Gausman has compiled 70.2 innings across 12 starts with the Blue Jays, performing to a 5-5 record with a career-best 2.67 ERA.

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