In a stunning turn of events on Sunday, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman faced an early exit in a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, escalating tensions in the Bronx.

Ejected by plate umpire Chris Conroy, Gausman's dismal performance in the third inning saw him surrender six runs and hand out five walks—all while throwing a staggering 53 pitches! This was the highest number of pitches thrown in a single inning since Cam Vieaux of Pittsburgh managed 56 during a calamity-filled eighth against Milwaukee last year.

Gausman’s ERA skyrocketed from a respectable 3.16 to a troubling 4.50. The five walks nearly matched his career-high for an entire game, leaving fans and analysts alike bewildered.

Things began promisingly as Gausman established a 1-0 lead, needing just 18 pitches to breeze through the first two innings. However, the wheels came off in the disastrous third.

After Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice walked, Aaron Judge delivered a hard hit that short-hopped the wall, loading the bases and igniting the Yankees' offense. Cody Bellinger promptly tied the game with a sac fly, followed by Paul Goldschmidt walking to reload the bases. Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s four-pitch walk forced in the go-ahead run, and soon after, Anthony Volpe drew another walk after falling behind 0-2, pushing the lead to 3-1. A double off the right-center wall by Wells left Gausman reeling.

As Gausman was pulled from the game, he expressed his frustration loudly from the dugout, prompting Blue Jays manager John Schneider to confront the umpires. Unfortunately for Schneider, he also found himself ejected after arguing a critical strike call made on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fifth.

With tensions running high and the game spiraling out of control, this matchup is set to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Gausman’s calamity on the mound will surely spark debates among analysts and fans about the pressure of big games. Will he bounce back in the next outing?