BUFFALO — Almost all the roses in this lineup for the past two weeks, but Saturday night Mets was just a handful of dead dandelions.
Maybe it was the effect of a hangover after scoring 18 points the night before. For three and a half hours, they won two games in a row, waiting for a big hit that had never lost to the Blue Jays in Sarenfield 3-2.
This ended strangely. After Rosario first reached Rafael Doris’s wild pitch on Strike 3, Amedro Zario picked the first bass and ended the game (which was a replay challenge by the Blue Jays). With the pick-off Jeff McNeil stood on the plate.
“From my point of view, I was safe,” Rosario said. “I don’t understand because similar calls were made and never canceled throughout the game.”
Subtracting Rosario’s three hits, Mets had few pulses. Still, due to the decent start from Seth Lugo and the performance of the shutdown bullpen, they remained in the game late.
The team, which achieved the highest .346 in Major League Baseball and scored by runners in September, returned in August. Mets went 11 to 1 this night with the runners in the scoring position, leaving seven runners on the base.
Mets (21-25) needs to recover quickly and find a way to win the Sunday Series Finale. The regular season ends in two weeks starting today, and Mets will trail two games in a wildcard berth race. A crowded mix that also includes the Giants, Marlins, Cardinals, Brewers, and Rockies.
Mets may simply run out of time.
“I think it’s realistic, but if we’re focusing on it, we’re focusing on what’s wrong,” Lugo said. “I can’t think that way, and others don’t want it either.”
At the fourth start, Lugo continued his 5¹ / ₃ innings, allowing 3 runs with 7 hits and 1 walk with 5 strikes. The excursion was the longest in Lugo since shifting to rotation, but Mets still needs to work deeper into the game.
“I feel pretty good,” Lugo said. “[But] I’d like to do six. I won’t because it’s your job and as a first step to save the bullpen, they will have to face them again tomorrow. “
Chasen Shreve saw Jonathan Villar hit a ground ball between JD Davis and Rosario on behalf of Lugo in 6th place-both defenders stopped-widening the Blue Jays lead to 3-1 RBI single.
Lugo spent a lot of energy trying to survive the fifth after loading the base. Travis Shaw’s sacrifice fly put Mets into the 2-1 hole after Lugo turned Alejandro Kirk to lead the inning, with Joe Panik and Cavanbillo no one out.
Lugo limited the damage after allowing three direct hits to one run for the fourth time. In the biggest play, Lugo grabbed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s bouncer and raced to uncovered third base, beating Travis Shaw. The Blue Jays challenged, but Cole was upheld. Lugo retired the next two batters to 1-1.
Randal Grichuk’s infield single was responsible for the run, Shaw doubled under the fence from the center right, and Bo Bichette, who was scoring, was returned to third base after being attacked by Mets. A single lead from Bichette’s innings started the rally.
Jake Marisnick’s fourth RBI double brought Mets his first run. Marisnick, who entered the race 23-9 (.409) since dropping off the injury list on August 28, continued his hot stretch. Michael Confort took the lead in 2nd place as Cavan Biggio kicked the single to the right. Robinson Cano extended Marisnick’s innings by doing a two-out walk against Robbie Ray. Marisnick later left the game with the tightening of the right hamstring.