Mets at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays dominated the New York Mets with their offense in
Friday’s series opener and shut them down with pitching Saturday. The
Blue Jays pounded five home runs in a 14-5 triumph Friday and gave the
offense most of Saturday off as Brandon Morrow tossed a three-hit
shutout in a 2-0 win. Toronto has won four straight and will be looking
for a season-high fifth straight and a series sweep in Sunday’s finale.
New
York could once again be without major-league leading hitter David
Wright, who had a scheduled day off Saturday but has been battling an
illness. The Mets have had no luck against Blue Jays starters, managing
one run in 15 total innings against Morrow and Ricky Romero, and have
lost four of five while averaging 2.0 runs in the setbacks. Aside from a
four-run inning when the game was out of reach Friday, Toronto has
allowed three runs in the last four games.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), RSN (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Dillon Gee (2-3, 5.65 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Henderson Alvarez (3-3, 2.62)
New
York could use a long start after bleeding the bullpen Friday and
burning out new long man Justin Hefner on Saturday. Gee has gone at
least five innings in each of his seven turns but was knocked around for
seven runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings last time out. The
26-year-old has surrendered 53 hits in 43 innings.
Alvarez had a
three-start winning streak snapped last time out but maintained a string
of five straight starts having allowed two earned runs or less. The
22-year-old Venezuelan has only 15 strikeouts in 55 total innings but
has succeeded by inducing twice as many groundouts than flyouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mets lost starter Miguel Batista to a back
injury after two innings Saturday. If Batista needs to miss a start,
Hefner will take his place in the rotation.
2. The Blue Jays have
benched center fielder Colby Rasmus, who is in the midst of an 0-for-18
slump, in the first two games of the series.
3. Vladimir
Guerrero, who signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays on May 10,
is appearing in games at extended spring training.