GDB 90.0: Can the Toronto Blue Jays bats stay hot for Kevin Gausman?

And exhale.

The nerves were undoubtedly high heading into Friday night’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers. After all, it was Alek Manoah’s first game on an MLB mound in a month after he was sent down to Dunedin to find his game.

The Big Man returned, and the Big Man delivered.

91 pitches across 6 innings. One earned run, five hits, no walks, eight strikeouts.

There’s not a whole lot more the Jays could’ve asked for from Manoah last night and it’s clear they wanted to play for him racking up 12 runs in a thrashing of the Tigers.

While the hope is that Manoah will be able to keep this level of play up, eyes have turned to Saturday afternoon’s game and if the Jays bats can keep it up.

Among 66 qualified starters this year, Gausman’s 3.2 RS/9 ranks the third lowest in the league behind only Oakland Athletic’s hurler JP Sears (3.04) and Kansas City Royals journeyman Zack Greinke (2.82). For a team with an offence as potent as Toronto’s can be, these numbers quite simply need to be better.

There’s no better time than today for that to begin.

George Springer was added to the paternity list on Saturday morning and the team recalled Nathan Lukes, who is active today.

First pitch: 1:10 p.m. EST

Toronto Blue Jays: 49-40, 7.0 GB, – WCGB, +35 DIFF.

Detroit Tigers: 38-49, 6.0 GB, 10.0 WCGB, -87 DIFF.

Moneyline: TOR -227; DET +187.

TOR: Kevin Gausman RHP – 7.4, 18 GS, 109.2 IP. 3.04 ERA, 2.49 FIP 1.131 WHIP, 12.0 SO/9, 2.2 BB/9.

DET: Matt Manning RHP – 2-1, 4 G, 22.1 IP. 4.84 ERA, 5.62 FIP, 1.209 WHIP, 6.0 SO/9, 2.8 BB/9

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about the Jays’ latest series against the Chicago White Sox.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached -by email at zach@oilersnation.com.