The Mets keep finding new ways to let a game slip away, and this one in Toronto followed the same script.
They arrived at Rogers Centre after dropping another series to the Phillies, with Bo Bichette back in the building where he spent six-plus seasons and Sean Manaea on the mound for the Blue Jays against rookie Trey Yesavage. What followed was a night that mixed a little promise with a lot of the same old frustration.
It started poorly for New York and only got worse in the first inning. Juan Soto doubled with one out in the top half, but the Mets left him right there.
Then George Springer opened the bottom half with what looked like it should have been a single if handled cleanly, but the ball got past Soto and turned into a triple. Before Springer could even settle in at third, A.J.
Ewing bobbled it again, and Springer came home. Manaea got through the inning with just the one run on the board, but it was another ugly early moment for a team that has spent too much of 2026 looking sloppy.
From there, the game settled into a quieter stretch. Both pitchers worked through traffic without giving up much, and the score stayed stuck until the bottom of the fifth. Luis Urías doubled to start the inning, moved to third on a Yohendrick Piñango groundout, and scored on Myles Straw’s sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Blue Jays.
Manaea’s night ended in the sixth. He departed with two outs and two runners on after allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out four. Austin Warren finished the inning without letting either runner score, but the Mets were still staring at a two-run hole.
They finally showed a pulse in the seventh. After a delay because Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wasn’t on the field when the inning was supposed to begin, Francisco Lindor jumped on the first pitch he liked and drove it out for a solo home run.
Ewing was hit by a pitch later in the inning, and Trey Yesavage was eventually chased after Mark Vientos sent a deep fly out. Mason Fluharty came in and the Mets immediately short-circuited the rally when Ewing was thrown out trying to steal second during Eric Wagaman’s pinch-hit at-bat for Brett Baty.
The eighth inning had its own chaos. Ronny Mauricio led off against former Met Tyler Rogers by swinging his bat and hitting Francisco Alvarez when both were somehow in the on-deck circle.
Alvarez shook it off and doubled with one out. Juan Soto was then intentionally walked with two outs, setting up a chance for Bo Bichette to do damage against his former team.
Instead, he grounded out and left both runners stranded.
The bottom half nearly opened the door wider. Warren walked one and allowed a single to start the inning, and the Mets turned to newly recalled Joey Gerber. He responded with two strikeouts around a fly out to keep the deficit at one.
New York had one last chance in the ninth. A single and a walk put two runners aboard with one out, but Mark Vientos and Mauricio both struck out to end it.
That finished off the series opener and sent the Mets to their fifth loss in six games, leaving them 15 games below .500. They’ll be back at it against the Blue Jays tomorrow, with Nolan McLean set to start opposite Kevin Gausman.
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