The New York Mets (33-49) were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays (40-45) by a score of 8-6 on Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre.

Pitching

Zack Wheeler opened the night by retiring the first nine hitters in order. He touched 99 MPH on his fastball in an easy bottom of the first.

Then a nice diving catch by Jose Bautista helped Wheeler work through a quick 1-2-3 second inning. Wheeler then struck out Randal Grichuk, and Amed Rosario made a nice over the shoulder play to help him through a 1-2-3 bottom of the third.

Wheeler worked his way into and out of trouble in the fourth. After issuing a leadoff walk to Curtis Granderson, Teoscar Hernandez was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. With Granderson at third and one out, Wheeler battled to strike out Yangervis Solarte.

Justin Smoak then drew a two-out walk, but Kevin Pillar grounded out to get Wheeler out of trouble in the fourth.

Wheeler lost his command a bit in the fifth, and it cost him. Russell Martin led off the inning with a walk and Devon Travis was hit by a pitch with two outs. Granderson then lined a two-out RBI double to cut the lead to 5-1. Wheeler was able to strike out Hernandez and limit the damage.

Wheeler bounced back with a quick 4-pitch 1-2-3 sixth inning. He came back out for the seventh and struck out Martin to begin there inning, but was pulled after Bautista played a single into a two-base error.

Wheeler threw 107 pitches over 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out five.

Anthony Swarzak got Gurriel to ground out, but allowed the run to score, making it 6-2 Mets. Swarzak then issued a two-out walk to Travis and Granderson doubled. Travis came into score on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 6-3, he was pulled after walking Hernandez.

Robert Gsellman then allowed a game-tying three-run home run to Yangervis Solarte.

Tim Peterson didn’t fare much better, as he hit a batter with two outs in the eighth and then allowed a go-ahead two-run home run to Gurriel.

Hitting

After Jose Bautista drew a one-out walk, Asdrubal Cabrera poked a two-run home run over the right-field fence to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead.

The Mets tacked on two more runs in the second. Dominic Smith lined a one-out double into the right-field corner, Devin Mesoraco then cranked a two-run shot to left to make it 4-0 Mets.

Wilmer Flores led off the top of the fourth with his seventh home run of the year, a solo shot to deep center.

Brandon Nimmo snapped a 1-for-20 skid with an opposite field one out double in the fifth. After Bautista drew his second walk of the game, Nimmo was caught trying to steal third. Cabrera then drew a two-out walk to put two men on, but Michael Conforto struck out to end the inning.

Dom Smith lined his second double of the night with two outs in the sixth, an opposite-field liner into the corner.

The Mets added another run in the top of the seventh. Nimmo and Bautista drew back-to-back one-out walks, after Cabrera struck out, Conforto lined an RBI double to right to make it 6-1.

Bautista was on-base for the fourth time with a two-out single in the ninth, followed by a Cabrera walk. Conforto however, grounded out to end the game.

On Deck

The Mets look to avoid the two-game series sweep as they send Corey Oswalt (0-1, 9.82 ERA) to the mound against Marcus Stroman (1-5, 6.02 ERA) at 7:07 p.m. at Rogers Centre.