Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a single against the New York Mets during the eighth inning of a baseball game on June 2, 2023, in New York.Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a go-ahead RBI double in the ninth inning, leading the Toronto Blue Jays past the New York Mets 2-1 on Saturday.
Guerrero’s big hit came three pitches after Blue Jays manager John Schneider was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Home plate umpire Charlie Ramos called the first pitch of Guerrero’s at-bat, which appeared to land low and out of the strike zone, a strike. Schneider shouted at Ramos from the dugout and was tossed before coming out and arguing at the plate.
Mets closer David Robertson (2-1) got ahead of Guerrero 1-2 before the Blue Jays’ star doubled down the left-field line to score George Springer, who singled with one out and stole second base.
Nate Pearson (2-0) struck out two in a hitless eighth and Erik Swanson worked around a one-out single by Mark Canha in the ninth to earn his first save.
Alejandro Kirk had a run-scoring single in the sixth for the Blue Jays’ other run.
Toronto almost took the lead in the eighth, but Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor threw out pinch-runner Cavan Biggio trying to score from third on a grounder by Whit Merrifield.
Kirk, Springer and Bo Bichette had two hits apiece.
Daniel Vogelbach hit an RBI double in the second for the Mets. Brandon Nimmo had a pair of singles.
Blue Jays starter José Berríos allowed one run and struck out six in six innings. Mets starter Tylor Megill gave up one run despite allowing five hits and issuing five walks in 5 1/3 innings.
HALL OF FAME DAY
Former players Howard Johnson and Al Leiter and current broadcasters Gary Cohen and Howie Rose were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame before the game. Long-time media relations executive Jay Horwitz also was honoured with a Hall of Fame achievement award.
Johnson ranks third in team history with 202 stolen bases and fourth in both homers (192) and RBIs (629). Leiter is sixth in wins (95) and starts (213) and eighth in strikeouts (1,106).
The quintet threw out ceremonial first pitches. Jack Leiter, a Texas Rangers pitching prospect, surprised his father by attending the ceremony and caught Al’s pitch.
LABOUR DAYS
Chris Bassitt tweeted early Saturday that his wife Jessica was still in labour as the couple awaits the birth of their second child. Bassitt tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win in Friday’s 3-0 victory before flying home to Toronto. He was placed on the paternity list Saturday morning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: To replace Bassitt on the active roster, Toronto recalled RHP Jay Jackson from triple-A Buffalo. … INF Santiago Espinal (right hamstring) was scheduled to play his third rehab game Saturday night for single-A Dunedin.
UP NEXT
Mets RHP Kodai Senga (5-3, 3.44 ERA) will make his first big-league start on four days’ rest when he opposes Blue Jays LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 4.47 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale. Senga gave up one hit over seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Phillies on Tuesday. Kikuchi matched his victory total from last year that same day by limiting the Brewers to two runs over five innings.