Toronto Blue Jays stop streak with heartbreaking loss to Mets

The Toronto Blue Jays have lost for the fist time in nearly two weeks, falling inches shy of a franchise record for consecutive wins. After Jose Bautista carried a thin offensive effort into extra innings, the Blue Jays could not hold off the New York Mets in a back-and-forth game that ended in a 4-3 loss.

Mark Buehrle gave the Toronto Blue Jays everything they could have asked for, lasting seven strong before handing off to Steve Delabar and the bullpen. Brett Cecil will be hit with his second blown save of the season and the loss to move to 1-3.

Former Blue Jays’ top prospect Noah Syndergaard was absolutely electric for the Mets, striking out 11 batters over just 6.0 innings pitched.

39. Final. 4. 3. 3

Game Notes:

Jose Bautista kicked off the game with a bang, homering in his first at-bat against Noah Syndergaard. After several quiet games over the past two series, this could be a sign that he’s prepared to continue his surge from early June.

Home plate umpire Marty Foster got a scare in the third inning as

Josh Donaldson

fouled back a heater from Syndergaard that caught him squarely in the lower part of his face mask. After finished the inning Foster had to leave the game, but the average man wouldn’t have been left standing after that blow.

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Noah Syndergaard flashed the talent that already has Blue Jays fans regretting his departure. He was forced to use 32 pitches in the first, but locked in quickly and began to peak in the fourth inning, striking out the side and looking downright dominant. He would finish the game with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing just two hits while striking out eleven. Syndergaard caused a pile of swing-and-misses that weren’t within a foot.

Mark Buehrle retired 12 straight to begin the game, not allowing his first hit until a leadoff double in the fifth. A strikeout, fly out and ground ball allowed him to escape quickly, however.

Jose Reyes‘ fifth-inning error led to the Mets first run, as he failed to step into a throw that ended up sailing high to Edwin Encarnacion. Kevin Plawecki would come around to score the tying run before a Ruben Tejada double scored Juan Lagares to put New York ahead 2-1.

Bautista tied it up in the ninth with another moment of magic, roping a line-drive home run off Familia. At this point, doesn’t it almost feel expected?

The go-ahead run for Toronto in extras wasn’t flashy, but it didn’t need to be. After a hard-earned walk from Carrera, the red-hot Chris Colabello singled him around to third where he would score on a clutch sac-fly from Dioner Navarro. Colabello would impact the bottom half, too, with a diving stab at first to record the first out.

Of the two dozen plays that could have tipped this game in New York’s favour in the final moments, some will point to a missed double-play opportunity in the bottom of the 11th by Danny Valencia, who chose to chase the runner coming from first instead of throwing directly to second.

STARTING PITCHING . A. If Mark Buehrle gives the Blue Jays ten of these outings, he’ll win at least eight. Some shorty defense cost the veteran lefty late, but he was as efficient as ever against the Mets.Buehrle left the game for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, leaving him with 7.0 innings pitched, four hits and two runs (one earned) with five strikeouts. He and Dioner Navarro look locked in as a quality battery for the remained of the season, barring a trade, and he deserved a better outcome from this performance.. Game Ball. Mark Buehrle

Without Bautista, this one doesn’t even flirt with extras. With one towering shot to left field and one that barely squeaked over the fence, he was the entire offense through the first nine. Without the rest of the order producing around the nucleus, Bautista carried the load.. Game Ball. Jose Bautista. HITTING . C

C. Delabar took over for Mark Buehrle to pitch the eighth and looked just fine, recording a clean inning with one strikeout on just 10 pitched. The Blue Jays’ bullpen has quietly had an excellent month of June, and until Alex Anthopoulos chooses to look outside of the organization, the job of “late-inning shutdown righty” remains wide open.<a href=. Game Ball. Steve Delabar, Roberto Osuna, Aaron Loup, Brett Cecil, Liam Hendriks. BULLPEN

MVJ: Jose Bautista

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