The New York Mets were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 7-3 (Box Score). 

The Amazins’ put together 12 hits but only three runs and the bullpen went off the rails in the sixth inning as they dropped the rubber match in Buffalo to fall to 21-26 with 13 left to play.

Pitching 

Left-hander David Peterson started for the Mets looking to bounce back from a rough outing against the Phillies.

Peterson delivered five solid innings and allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the loss.

Heading to the mound with an early lead in the bottom of the first, Peterson induced three ground balls in a 1-2-3 inning.

Randal Grichuk led off the bottom of the second with a long single off the wall played beautifully by Conforto holding him to a single. However, the next batter, Gurriel struck again with a two-run home run to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead.

The lefty then issued a one-out walk but got Santiago Espinal to pop up a bunt and Danny Jansen to fly out to get out of the frame.

Peterson issued a leadoff walk to Cavan Biggio to start the third but worked around it for a scoreless inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, Peterson gave up a single but that was all the Blue Jays would scratch across in another scoreless half.

Peterson delivered an easy, breezy 1-2-3, nine pitch inning in the fifth.

Despite only throwing 80 pitches, Luis Rojas lifted Peterson in favor of Brad Brach to start the sixth.

Brach couldn’t find the strike zone walking the first three batters he faced to load the bases with no outs.

Rojas yanked Brach for Jared Hughes, who also could not throw strikes as he walked in a run putting the Blue Jays up 3-1. After Hughes struck out the next batter, Espinal took a first pitch into left field to clear the bases busting the game open at 6-1.

Jansen also got in on the fun with a bloop RBI single to score the Jays’ 7th run. Biggio then doubled over Nimmo’s head to setup second-and-third with only one out. Luckily, Hughes was able to stop the bleeding at 5-runs.

Erasmo Ramirez came on for the bottom of the seventh with his team trailing by six runs and delivered a scoreless frame.

Ramirez stayed on for the eighth and worked another scoreless inning in relief.

Offense 

Left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu toe’d the rubber against the Mets lineup and went six innings allowing one run on six hits with seven strikeouts to pickup the win.

Jeff McNeil continued his hot hitting by leading off the game with a base-knock past the glove of Jonathan Villar.

Following the McNeil single, J.D. Davis gave the ball a ride to the left center gap, but was once again robbed for the second straight day by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. who made a spectacular diving play. Ryu got the blazing hot Michael Conforto looking but Todd Frazier was able to shoot one up the middle for a two-out single.

This brought another hot hitter to the plate in Dominic Smith, who drove in McNeil for the game’s first run. Unfortunately, some poor base running from Frazier and Smith saw them both caught in a run down and the Blue Jays eventually were able to get Frazier for the inning ending out.

Pete Alonso chopped one past the third baseman for a leadoff infield single to start the top of the second, but was erased as Amed Rosario grounded into a double play.

Brandon Nimmo, who entered the day batting .178 against lefties, smacked a two-out double off the wall in left center. Robinson Chirinos gave the ball a good ride, but hit it right to the human vacuum in Gurriel to end the inning.

Coming out with a lead in the top of the third, Ryu induced groundouts of McNeil and Davis before allowing a two-out single to Conforto. But Frazier struck out to end the inning.

In between the third-and-fourth inning, McNeil was pulled for the game in favor of Luis Guillorme. It was later revealed that he was lifted with gastrointestinal discomfort.

Smith collected his second hit of the day with a leadoff single to right in the top of the fourth. Rosario also slashed a single to setup first-and-second with one out for Nimmo.

Nimmo worked a 3-0 count but Ryu fought back to catch him looking for the second out. Chirinos struck out as the Mets again failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position.

Ryu began to settle in as he tossed back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth.

Right-handed reliever Tom Hatch came on for the seventh in relief of Ryu and pitched a scoreless inning.

Davis, Conforto, and Frazier led off the top of the eighth with three-straight singles off Hatch to cut the deficit to 7-2.

As a result, Charlie Montoyo brought in A.J. Cole to face the red hot Dom Smith.

In turn, Smith drove in Conforto on a fielders choice for the Mets’ third run. Alonso lined a hot shot up the middle but was robbed by Villar with a stellar diving grab for the second out. Robinson Cano came on to pinch hit but grounded out on a 3-1 count to end the threat.

Blue Jays’ closer Rafael Dolis entered in the ninth. Dolis survived back-to-back two out walks by striking out Conforto to lock down the win.

Up Next

The Mets have the day off on Monday as they head to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in a crucial series trying to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Rick Porcello (1-4, 6.07 ERA) will try to shake off a poor start as he faces off against a starter to be named later.

First pitch will be thrown at  7:05 pm EST. on Tuesday and the game can be seen on SNY.