RHP Kevin Gausman yielded all three earned runs in the second inning

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Having just felt the wrath of Kyle Schwarber, the Blue Jays faced a much more subtle and yet equally intimidating presence in Braves left-hander Max Fried.

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Fried started Friday night’s series opener at Truist Park in Atlanta, where the home side is short on bats given the current roster makeup, but deep when it comes to quality arms.

In Kevin Gausman, Fried was pitted against his former teammate.

And despite the 3-1 Blue Jays loss to the Braves, it made for a compelling matchup, especially when compared to Schwarber’s one-man show when he hit four home runs — including three in the series opener — during Philly’s two-game sweep at Rogers Centre.

Fried was nearly flawless, confounding Toronto’s hitters with his pitch mix through seven complete innings. He struck out eight and the only run he allowed — a groundout by Vlad Guerrero Jr., that plated Nathan Lukes in the third inning — was unearned.

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Raisel Iglesias started the ninth by striking out Will Wagner and pinch-hitter and Spencer Horwitz.
But Joey Loperfido, who also came in as pinch-hitter drilled a first-pitch double to right and Lukes singled to right for his second hit of the night to put runners at second and third.

The potential rally fizzled, however, when Iglesias struck out George Springer, who represented the go-ahead run.

Gausman, meanwhile, went six innings, and overall was just as sharp as Fried — outside of the second frame that is, when the Braves scored all three of their runs. The Jays right-hander walked leadoff man Jorge Soler, then gave up a base hit to Travis d’Arnaud, then an RBI single to Jarred Kelenic.

After striking out Orlando Arcia, the Braves tacked on two more runs on a another single and a fielder’s choice.
Gausman wasn’t out of it yet, though. He loaded the bases with back-to-back walks before getting Matt Olson to fly out into deep left field to end the damage.

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In all, Atlanta scored three runs on five hits and three walks off Gausman, whose pitch count sat at 55 through two innings.

Not surprisingly, the veteran regrouped and was able to regain his form, retiring the side in order in each of the ensuing three innings.

Hits were scarce — seven apiece — but Atlanta happened to string together enough of them in the second when the game was won.

BO IN DIXIE

There was more than Georgia on the minds of the Jays when they landed in Atlanta to begin the weekend series.
Somewhere in the back of management’s mind is the health of Bo Bichette, who, up until this season, was generally viewed as one of the franchise’s faces.

What management does with Bichette, whose deal expires at the end of the 2025 season, will be hotly debated this winter.

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For the time being, he will remain with the Jays in Atlanta as he prepares for a minor-league rehab assignment with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

Cameras showed a highly engaged Bichette signing autographs hours before the first pitch.

Away from the glare of the cameras, Bichette could be seen running the bases as his ramp-up continued.

The plan, for now, is to have Bichette play as many five games with the Bisons, split between shortstop and DH and, barring a setback, could return to the big leagues next weekend.

ORELVIS TO SIT

With so many additions to the roster, so many youngsters basically auditioning for a potential roster spot next season, either with the Jays or another team, the chances of top prospect Orelvis Martinez returning to the big-league team were as likely as the team making the playoffs.

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Besides, the optics would have been horrible given the MLB-mandated 80-game suspension given to Martinez when he tested positive for PED, which was announced a day after he recorded his first hit in the show when the

Jays were in Cleveland in mid-June.

For the record, his suspension gets lifted on Sept. 23, but there appears to be no room for Martinez on the roster at the moment.

However, beginning this Sunday he’ll be able to play on a minor-league assignment.

BRIEFLY

Right-hander Luis Frias, whom the Jays claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 10, was recalled Friday from triple-A. Left-hander Brandon Eisert was optioned to Buffalo … Springer, who DH’d on Friday, entered the game one leadoff home run from tying Devon White’s franchise record of 22 … Former Jay Whit Merrifield started at second for the Braves, going 0-for-2 with a walk in the fateful second inning before being replaced to start the seventh.

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