Bassitt fans 8 against former team as Blue Jays beat Mets
TORONTO — Davis Schneider hit a two-run triple, Chris Bassitt struck out eight against his former team and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Tuesday night.
The Mets lost for the second time in 12 games and fell into a tie with Atlanta for the final National League wild card. The Braves beat Washington 12-0 on Tuesday.
Ernie Clement scored three runs and Leo Jiménez reached base three times and drove in a run as the Blue Jays won for the second time in eight September games.
Bassitt (10-13) allowed one run and five hits in six innings. He's 2-0 in two career starts against the Mets, his team in 2022.
"As crazy as it is, I hope they make the playoffs," Bassitt said. "I know I didn't do a good job for them tonight but I have a lot of friends there. I have a lot of people over there that I respect a lot. I hope I get to watch them come playoff time."
"Baseball is a weird thing where I've got to do a job and be professional but at the same time I'm rooting for a lot of those guys over there," Bassitt added.
Bassitt won for the first time since Aug. 6 against Baltimore. He'd gone five starts without a victory.
"He was hitting his spots today, had a good game plan, and he was executing it," Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said.
Bassitt has won 10 or more decisions in each of the past four seasons, joining José Berríos, Corbin Burnes, Kevin Gausman, Framber Valdez, Logan Webb and Zack Wheeler as the only big league pitchers to do so.
Bassitt hit Mets slugger Pete Alonso with a 70 mph sweeper in the third inning.
"You don't want to get Pete mad," Bassitt said. "I'm happy I hit him with probably my slowest pitch."
Left-hander Brendon Little got one out in the seventh and righty Zach Pop got the final two, striking out Pete Alonso to end the frame and strand a runner at third base.
"We just couldn't get the big hit," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "We came up short there in that inning."
Left-hander Génesis Cabrera worked a 1-2-3 eighth and righty Chad Green finished for Toronto.
Mets left-hander David Peterson (9-2) was charged with five runs, four earned, and a season-high tying eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Peterson lost for the first time since July 28 against Atlanta.
"I let that third get away from me and didn't stop the bleeding fast enough," Peterson said.
Peterson allowed more than two runs for the first time in 10 road starts this season.
"He just didn't have it, especially the fastball, the command," Mendoza said.
Nimmo's RBI single gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in a three-hit first but Toronto tied it in the second before adding four more in the third.
Alejandro Kirk hit an RBI double, Schneider's triple brought home two and Joey Loperfido capped the inning with an RBI single.
The Mets got just three more hits over the final eight innings.
New York's Jose Iglesias scored on a passed ball in the seventh but Spencer Horwitz answered in the bottom half with an RBI double.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: RHP Paul Blackburn will not be available to face Philadelphia this weekend, Mendoza said. Blackburn was scratched from Monday's scheduled start because of a sore lower back.
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (right calf) went 1 for 3 with a single in his first rehab game with Triple-A Buffalo, exiting after his at bat in the top of the fifth. Bichette has been out since July 19.
UP NEXT
RHP Bowden Francis (8-4, 3.72 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays in Wednesday's series finale. LHP Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.43) goes for the Mets.