Toronto Blue Jays hunting 12th straight win versus Mets

May 27, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda (21) hits a double against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Across the Diamond:  New York Mets

The Mets have benefitted from a poor division at times, but a strong pitching staff has built a well-earned level of excitement around this team.  Syndergaard, the former Blue Jay who was traded to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal, is one of the game’s top young arms, while Matt Harvey possesses true ace talent.  Don’t forget the scorching-hot Jacob DeGrom, either, who Toronto are fortunate to miss in this series.

Offensively, the Mets are not as strong.  The lineup is led by lefty power bat Lucas Duda, who is out to a modest .278 start with 9 HR and 28 RBI.  Shortstop Wilmer Flores (.249, 10 HR, 30 RBI) leads the team in runs batted in, but has been a defensive liability, while Curtis Granderson, Michael Cuddyer and ex-Jay Travis d’Arnaud have all chipped in with the bats.

New York sits near the middle of the league in home runs, but slips into the bottom third of team rankings when it comes to runs scored, cumulative batting average and on-base percentage.  One stat to know leading into this series: the Blue Jays have scored over 100 runs more than the New York Mets.  If this series turns into a battle of the bats, it favours Toronto.

The Mets will obviously hope that their pitching can play a more dominant role, as their 3.55 team ERA is good for seventh in the Major Leagues.  New York sits fifth in the league with 38 quality starts in 64 games, and ranks eighth in total strikeouts.

Next: Game 1: Buehrle leads the quest for a dozen