Blue Jays starter Eric Lauer in form as Toronto dumps Arizona 8-1
TORONTO - Pitcher Eric Lauer has done a little bit of everything for the Toronto Blue Jays since his season debut seven weeks ago.
The 30-year-old left-hander has worked in short relief, served in a bulk role and is now used as a spot starter.
He has been getting results every step of the way.
Lauer was in top form Wednesday night, allowing one earned run over five-plus innings in an 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rogers Centre.
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'He has been really damn good,' said Blue Jays manager John Schneider.
Lauer (3-1) had a season-high eight strikeouts and allowed four hits and a walk. Over his last five appearances, he has given up three earned runs over 19 innings and held opponents to a .136 average.
He credits fastball command for his solid performance this season.
'Speeding guys up, slowing them down, moving them in and out and up and down — that's pitching to me,' Lauer said. 'To me, I'm a pitcher. I've never been an overpowering guy. I've never been just a stuff guy. I'm not going to out-stuff people.
'But I think I can make my pitches play up better than they actually are based on how I can throw my fastball.'
Bo Bichette hit a leadoff homer off Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs for the Blue Jays (40-33), who will go for a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon.
Bichette and Addison Barger had three hits apiece while Guerrero reached base five times. He had a single, double and three walks.
Toronto has won 11 of its last 12 home games and earned 14 victories over its last 19 games overall.
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Lauer threw five shutout frames before he was pulled after giving up a leadoff triple to Corbin Carroll in the sixth.
With Yariel Rodriguez on in relief, Carroll scored the lone run for Arizona (36-37) on a groundout by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Toronto answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and broke the game open with a three-run seventh. The Blue Jays improved to 15-8 in interleague play.
Lauer has made four starts this season in a rotation anchored by veteran right-handers Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt.
Max Scherzer made only one start due to a thumb issue and Bowden Francis was mostly ineffective before landing on the IL this week due to a shoulder impingement.
Lauer has filled in admirably when needed and has likely earned himself a temporary spot in the five-man mix.
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'Over the course of the year, your depth is going to get tested,' Schneider said. 'So to have a guy like him step up has been awesome.'
A first-round pick (No. 25 overall) by San Diego in 2016, Lauer made his big-league debut with the Padres in 2018.
He later spent parts of four seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers before splitting last year between Triple-A and the Korean league.
Lauer signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays last December and his contract was selected from Triple-A Buffalo on April 30.
Since then, he has posted an impressive 2.29 earned-run average over 10 appearances with 36 strikeouts against just 11 walks.
'Your best ability is availability,' Lauer said. 'So I just try to go out there and do my job every time I'm called.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
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