Nothing separated the teams for four innings. Then Francisco Alvarez hit a ball 415 feet to center field, and the game had its answer. The New York Mets beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 on Tuesday at Rogers Centre, with three solo home runs doing all the damage in a quiet, controlled affair.
Nolan McLean was the story on the mound. He worked six innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7, never permitting a run on 91 pitches. McLean earned his fifth win against five losses, carrying a 3.78 ERA. Devin Williams closed it out with a scoreless ninth, recording his 12th save of the season.
Alvarez broke the scoreless tie in the fifth with his go-ahead home run to center. Luis Torrens added a solo shot to right in the seventh, a 375-foot blast that pushed the lead to 2-0. Brett Baty's sacrifice fly in the ninth scored A.J. Ewing to complete the scoring.
Kevin Gausman matched McLean's effort for most of the night but could not escape the fifth. He finished with 6 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts on 96 pitches, absorbing the loss to fall to 4-7 with a 4.28 ERA. Toronto managed 6 hits on the night but never threatened to score.
Williams is now 2 saves away from 100 for his career. New York has dropped two straight and sits at 35-50. Toronto, despite the loss, entered the game at 40-45 after a previous win.