Series Preview: Mets Travel to Toronto Amid Tight Wild Card Race

The New York Mets (78-64) head across the border to play the Toronto Blue Jays (68-76) in a three-game series. With just 19 games left to play this season, it will take a concerted effort to clinch a Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays indirectly harmed the Mets by losing two out of three to the Braves. The Mets and Braves are tied for the final spot in the Wild Card race.

Before we get to this series, let’s look at what has happened lately.

Mets Have Won 9 of Their Last 10 Games

The Mets are on a hot streak at just the right time. Although the season spans 162 games, the teams that figure it out later are generally successful in the playoffs. Of course, injuries also play major roles in these situations, and the Mets are on the unfortunate end of that with the season-ending injury suffered by Jeff McNeil (fractured wrist). The Mets must now rely on their infield depth in McNeil’s absence, which could expose a potential weakness in roster construction.

After taking a seven-game winning streak into their weekend series against the Reds, the Mets won two out of three. The entire pitching staff played an instrumental role in securing these two victories, as well as offensive contributions from Mark Vientos, J.D. Martinez, and others.

What’s The Story?

Entering Monday, the Mets are tied for the third Wild Card spot with the Braves. They trail the Padres and Diamondbacks, who are both two and one and a half games ahead, respectively. It is positive progress from last week, as they have made up ground on both teams since beginning their series against the Reds.

The Blue Jays are not in the race entering the series, sitting 8.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot. They have won just one of their last six games against the Twins, Phillies, and Braves. While they have standout pieces, they haven’t seemed to figure it out this year, and the Mets should be able to take advantage of that.

Pitching Matchups

• Monday: RHP Tylor Megill (3-5, 4.95 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Burr (0-1, 4.44 ERA): While Paul Blackburn was supposed to return from the IL, he was a late scratch early Monday, and Tylor Megill will get the start instead. Megill has had an up-and-down season, seeing most of his time in Triple-A Syracuse. The trend has somewhat continued in his return to the big league club, and he continues to struggle to go deep into games. In the two starts since his return in late August, Megill has gone just over nine innings and allowed four runs, ten hits and struck out nine while walking two. The Blue Jays made a last minute switch to their rotation for the series, sending opener Burr to the mound for Monday. The Mets should expect to see him for an inning or two.
• Tuesday: LHP David Peterson (9-1, 2.75 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (9-13, 4.30 ERA):
•  David Peterson continues to lead the Mets to pivotal victories, most recently tossing six innings of one-run ball. He has not allowed more than three runs in a start since July 28, showcasing his value down the stretch. The former Met Bassitt struggled through a recent start, where he allowed 10 hits and four runs over 5 1/3 innings. His summer struggles have seeped into September, with a 6.03 ERA since the begging of July.
• Wednesday: LHP Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.43 ERA) vs. RHP Bowden Francis (8-4, 3.72 ERA): Sean Manaea took a minor step back in his last start, allowing four runs over 6 2/3 innings. However, he has been strong lately, consistently delivering outings of six or more innings.  Bowden Francis has been really effective recently, tossing six or more innings in each of his last five starts. In that span, he has allowed just five runs.

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