TORONTO (AP) — Tyrone Taylor scored the tying run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning before fellow pinch-runner Eddy Alvarez dashed home on a passed ball as the New York Mets rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Monday night for their 10th victory in 11 games.
“Today was a good team win,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “When it was hard for us, we found a way to get one.”
New York bounced back after its nine-game winning streak was snapped Sunday by Cincinnati, moving a game ahead of Atlanta for the final National League wild card. The rival Braves lost 1-0 at home to the Reds in the makeup of a July rainout.
The surging Mets got six shutout innings of one-hit ball from fill-in starter Tylor Megill, who retired his last 16 batters and matched a season high with nine strikeouts.
“Felt great tonight,” Megill said. “Everything was working.”
With the Mets trailing 2-1 to begin the eighth against reliever Tommy Nance (0-1), pinch-hitter Jesse Winker drew a walk and was replaced by Taylor.
Francisco Alvarez reached on an infield single, with Taylor advancing to third on a throwing error, and Francisco Lindor walked to load the bases before Eddy Alvarez ran for Francisco Alvarez.
Taylor scored when Nance bounced a pitch to Mark Vientos, and a second run came home on catcher Brian Serven’s passed ball.
“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “We didn’t help ourselves there.”
Eddy Alvarez was just acquired from Boston for cash in a minor league trade Sunday and selected to the major league roster Monday.
Ryne Stanek (7-3) struck out the side in the eighth and Edwin Díaz finished for his 17th save in 23 chances, getting Leo Jiménez to fly out to the warning track and stranding a runner at first base.
“Off the bat we couldn’t tell because he hit it pretty well,” Mendoza said. “Once I saw (right fielder Starling) Marte kind of camp there, I was like, alright.”
Megill started in place of right-hander Paul Blackburn, who had been expected to come off the injured list and face the Blue Jays. Instead, Blackburn will miss the series because of lower back pain, Mendoza said.
After sandwiching walks around Spencer Horwitz’s double in the first inning, Megill escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Alejandro Kirk to ground out.
That was the first in a streak of 16 consecutive outs for Megill, who didn’t allow another baserunner.
“He was pretty much in complete control of the game,” Mendoza said.
Toronto erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring twice against two Mets relievers in the seventh.
Left-hander Danny Young exited after hitting Davis Schneider with a pitch and giving up a single to Kirk. Jose Buttó yielded a single, plunked Jiménez with a bases-loaded pitch and allowed a sacrifice fly to Nathan Lukes.
Buttó escaped by striking out George Springer looking at a 3-2 pitch.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead on J.D. Martinez’s RBI single against left-hander Ryan Yarbrough in the fourth.
ROSTER MOVES
Mets: INF Pablo Reyes was designated for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Schneider said DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had X-rays after fouling multiple pitches off his left foot, but said there was no fracture. Guerrero went 0 for 3 with a walk. … SS Bo Bichette (right calf) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Schneider said. Bichette has been out since July 19.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (9-13, 4.30 ERA) is scheduled to start against his former team Tuesday night. LHP David Peterson (9-1, 2.75) goes for the Mets.
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