Mets miscues gift Springer a little league homer in Jays win
George Springer scored on a little league homer in the first inning Monday night, and that run held up as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Mets 2-1. Juan Soto misplayed a sinking liner and A.J. Ewing bobbled the backup on a mets blue jays night that snapped Toronto's skid.
Key Takeaways
- Springer led off the bottom of the first with a line drive that became a triple plus an Ewing error after Soto and Ewing failed to corral it.
- The Blue Jays won 2-1 behind Trey Yesavage, ending a six-game losing streak while the Mets fell 15 games below .500.
- Soto doubled in the top of the first but was stranded; Francisco Lindor's solo homer in the seventh was New York's only run.
- Interim manager Andy Green defended Soto's aggressive read on Rogers Centre turf, calling the initial misplay a familiar Toronto bounce.
- Sean Manaea allowed two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, but Amazin' Avenue noted the Mets offense again failed to capitalize on chances.
What happened on Springer's little league homer?
Springer opened the bottom of the first against Sean Manaea with a looping line drive to left field. Soto charged aggressively on the artificial turf, thinking he could catch it, then pulled up as the ball dropped—but it bounced over his glove and rolled to the wall.
Rookie center fielder A.J. Ewing sprinted over to back up the play but had the ball pop out of his glove on the exchange. Soto eventually retrieved it, but Springer had already rounded third and scored without a throw.
The play was scored a triple for Springer—his first of the season—with a one-base error charged to Ewing. Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage later joked Springer was out of breath for the next three innings, per ESPN.
How did Juan Soto explain the weird hop?
Soto had already doubled in the top of the first before the defensive disaster unfolded. Speaking after the game, he said he tried to come through the ball because weird hops are common on Rogers Centre turf.
Just took a weird hop on me and bounced a little differently, Soto told SNY. When you have an outfield like that where the ball bounces a lot, you have to be aware because you can give up extra-base hits really easily.
Green backed his left fielder, saying Soto played the ball aggressively and made other strong catches later. He added that he sees that particular play in Toronto often, though not always with Ewing's bobble at the end.
Why couldn't the Mets' offense bail out their defense?
Manaea kept the damage to two runs over 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Toronto's second run came in the fifth when Luis Urías doubled and scored on Myles Straw's sacrifice fly.
Lindor provided a spark with a leadoff solo homer in the seventh—his third of the season and first since returning from a calf injury. But the Mets stranded Soto after his first-inning double and left two on in the ninth when Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio struck out, as Amazin' Avenue recapped.
Yesavage (4-3) worked 6 2/3 scoreless frames after the first before Mason Fluharty, Tyler Rogers, and Louis Varland closed it out. For a team already reeling under interim manager Andy Green, the self-inflicted first-inning run felt painfully familiar—another bizarre breakdown in a season full of them, not unlike the head-scratching stories we cover in Bizarre News & Florida Man.
What does the loss mean for both teams?
Toronto snapped a six-game skid with a narrow win built on opportunistic baserunning and steady pitching. The Mets, meanwhile, dropped their fifth loss in six games and remained mired in the standings with an offense that continues to wilt when it matters most.
Game 2 of the series pits Nolan McLean against Kevin Gausman on Tuesday. Until New York cleans up its defense and starts cashing in on scoring chances, nights like this mets blue jays debacle will keep costing them winnable games.