Mets 3, Blue Jays 2
NEW YORK -- Matt Harvey snapped out of the longest slump of his career Tuesday night when the New York Mets right-hander threw seven shutout innings and helped his own cause with an RBI double in a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field.
The Mets (36-30) swept the two-game series from the Jays (34-32) and finished 5-3 on a homestand that began June 9 with New York getting no-hit by San Francisco rookie right-hander Chris Heston.
Harvey (7-4) had a 7.20 ERA in his previous four starts, a stretch in which he twice gave up a career-high seven runs in an outing. But he was in complete command Tuesday, when he gave up just four hits and walked none while striking out six and throwing 75 of his 107 pitches for strikes.
The Blue Jays nearly came back in the eighth against right-handers Carlos Torres and Bobby Parnell. Torres walked second baseman Ryan Goins and allowed a single to center fielder Kevin Pillar before shortstop Jose Reyes singled to right.
Third base coach Luis Rivera held up Goins, but Pillar didn't see the stop sign and raced almost all the way to third, where he was tagged out by first baseman Lucas Duda.
After Torres walked third baseman Josh Donaldson to load the bases, Parnell came in and retired right fielder Jose Bautista on a sacrifice fly before giving up an RBI single to first baseman Edwin Encarnacion. He then struck out left fielder Chris Colabello to end the threat.
Parnell then threw a perfect ninth to close out his first save since July 30, 2013.
Third baseman Ruben Tejada and Harvey each had RBI hits in the second for the Mets and shortstop Wilmer Flores had a sacrifice fly in the third. Center fielder Juan Lagares had two hits.
Blue Jays right-hander Scott Copeland (1-1) took the loss after allowing three runs, eight hits and no walks while striking out one in four innings.
The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the second. Flores delivered a leadoff double, went to third on left fielder Darrell Ceciliani's single and scored on Tejada's one-out single. One out later, Harvey ripped a double into the left-center-field gap to bring home Tejada.
Lagares singled leading off the third, moved to third on a one-out single by catcher Travis d'Arnaud and scored on Flores' sacrifice fly to center.
NOTES: The game began on time despite a late-afternoon downpour. ... New York manager Terry Collins said he likely would utilize OFs Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson at designated hitter when the Mets and Blue Jays play in Toronto on Wednesday and Thursday. ... Collins said RHP Rafael Montero (right rotator cuff inflammation) is still feeling shoulder stiffness. ... Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said it was unlikely RHP Aaron Sanchez, who has missed his last two turns with a lat injury, would return from the disabled list in time to start against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. ... The Mets are the only team Blue Jays LHP Mark Buehrle has not beaten. Buehrle didn't factor into the decision in the Mets' 4-3, 11-inning win Monday.