In the midst of a no-hit bid, Kevin Gausman pulled because of back tightness in Jays' win over Rangers

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With only one scheduled start remaining to Kevin Gausman’s season, more than a few eyebrows were raised when the veteran right-hander was not on the mound to begin the sixth inning Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

He had just pitched five no-hit innings, requiring a tidy 58 pitches to retire the Texas Rangers with relative ease and efficiency, allowing just one base-runner and posting six strikeouts.

Toronto won 4-0 to avoid getting swept by Texas but the focus afterwards was on their staff ace.

Per the club, the 33-year-old Gausman experienced lower back tightness and manager John Schneider labelled him as day-to-day, his final start next Tuesday at home against the Boston Red Sox to be determined.

He stuck around long enough to earn the win and improve to 13-11.

Toronto’s win was capped off by a mammoth home run in the ninth inning to deep centre field by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., his second of the game, to give him 30 home runs on the season. Guerrero is one RBI shy of 100.

Texas had just two hits in the game: A Josh Smith single in the seventh inning off Genesis Cabrera to spoil the combined no-hitter — he was thrown out by Nathan Lukes trying to stretch it into a double — and one in the ninth off Chad Green, who was on the mound in a non-save situation.

Veteran reliever Dillon Tate, making his debut for the Jays, replaced Gausman and pitched a clean sixth inning, posting two K’s.

The Jays’ season was encapsulated in Thursday’s starting lineup. Of the nine hitters in the order only one, Vladdy, is a lock to be on the team in 2025, barring an off-season trade.

George Springer was given the day off on his 35th birthday while Tyler Heineman, beginning his third tour of duty with Toronto, was at catcher.