Bad baseball has a way of draining the life out of a game, and this one never really found a pulse for the Jays.
Toronto managed just six hits over nine innings - five singles and a double - and the offense never put together enough pressure to make the night feel dangerous. Luis Urías was the one bat that kept showing up, finishing with two hits.
Daulton Varsho had the only extra-base hit, a double, and nearly beat out an infield hit in the ninth. George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Pinango each added a single.
Nolan McLean was solid in the Mets’ start, but the bigger story on Toronto’s side was how little damage the lineup could do against him.
There was at least one bright spot on defense: Bo Bichette had what the game thread described as an amazing day at third base. He was 1 for 4 at the plate, but the glove work stood out, especially with the note that he looked miscast at shortstop. The numbers mentioned alongside that were telling too - a +2 OAA at third this year and a -2 at short.
Kevin Gausman, meanwhile, gave Toronto exactly the kind of outing it needed after two rough starts. He went six innings, allowed five hits and one earned run, walked two and struck out seven. The lone run against him came on a Francisco Alvarez home run in the fifth.
The Mets added another homer off Mason Fluharty, with Luis Torrens doing the damage. Then in the ninth, Tommy Nance gave up a single to A.J. Ewing, an error by Sean Keys on a pickoff moved Ewing to second, a groundout sent him to third, and a sacrifice fly brought him home.
Gausman earned Jay of the Day honors with a 0.18 WPA. The other low points listed were Lukes at -0.12 after an 0 for 4 night with a strikeout, Keys at -0.11 with the error and an 0 for 4, two-strikeout line, Gimenez at -0.10 after going 0 for 3 with a strikeout and a poor bunt single attempt, and Fluharty at -0.09.
The Jays are back at it tomorrow in a 3:00 Eastern day game. It’ll be bullpen day, with Braydon Fisher opening for Toronto. Freddy Peralta, who is 5-6 with a 4.53 ERA, starts for the Mets.
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Blue Jays Suddenly Hold One Trade Deadline Edge Fans Can't Ignore
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The move also underscores just how much outfield inventory Toronto has built up as the trade deadline approaches. With several names in the mix and roster and contract questions still in play, the Blue Jays suddenly have a little more flexibility than most clubs, and Anthony Santanders rehab path only adds another layer to watch as teams start sorting out who might be available. [Read more 🡒]
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That is why the deadline conversation has turned so uncomfortable for fans who still hoped for a push. If the front office decides the current roster is too far behind to justify standing pat, Toronto could be forced into a sellers move that prioritizes the future over a fading chase, a path that would be hard to sell in the moment but may be the clearest way to keep the next contention window intact. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Just Got A Blunt Wake Up Call About Their Core
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For the Blue Jays, the uncomfortable part is that the problem looks less like a dugout issue and more like a roster one. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Alejandro Kirk have all fallen short of expectations, and that makes the usual blame-the-manager conversation feel too easy. If Toronto is searching for a fix, the evidence points toward its stars rediscovering themselves rather than expecting a new voice to solve everything. [Read more 🡒]