It's two teams with identical 30-27 records, and neither of them are all that happy about it. Our destination is Citi Field in the Large Apple, which is a venue where the Jays haven't won very often. Exactly twice, to be exact.
The Jays were last here in July of 2021, and on that occasion they did win the middle of three games, mainly by whacking five home runs off Tajuan Walker and a couple of relievers. And the Jays split a pair of games here in 2018, winning 12-1 in the second game behind J.A. Happ's seven shutout innings. And that was the first time the Jays ever beat the Mets in New York. They lost all nine games they played at old Shea Stadium. The team is now 2-14 all time when visiting the Mets.
It gets better. Tonight they get to see the only man who has actually thrown two no-hitters against them.
Yes, Justin Verlander is now a Met, as Steve Cohen is throwing all the money he can find - a considerable sum, in his case - in an effort to bring the Mets a third championship and their first since 1986. Verlander turned 40 in February, but he is coming off a rather impressive season (18-4, 1.75) that earned him his third Cy Young Award. He missed the first month of this season, and so far he has been alternating outstanding performances with rather stinky ones. The last one was a stinker, by the way. He actually hasn't pitched particularly well against Toronto over the years (4-6, 4.29 in 15 starts) - except on those occasions when he was throwing a damn no-hitter, of course.
The Mets pitching has surely been a disappointment to them - they're barely better than league average in preventing the opposition from scoring. Kodai Senga and Mad Max Scherzer have been just fine but Verlander, Carlos Carrasco, and Tylor Megill haven't been particularly great. The bullpen has absorbed the loss of Edwin Diaz quite well, thanks largely to David Robertson. He's now 38 years old, but since losing most of three seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery Robertson is pitching about as well as he ever has.
The Mets are not a young team. They have the oldest pitching staff in the majors - besides Verlander, you have the two 38 year olds (Scherzer and Robertson) along with Adam Ottavino (37), Carrasco and Tommy Hunter (36), Brooks Raley (35), Jeff Brigham and Dominic Leone (31.) Hey, kinda like the 2015 Blue Jays. Obviously, Jose Quintana (34) won't make them any younger when he finally makes it to the mound, probably in July.
The lineup does have youth at two positions - third baseman Brett Baty is 23 and catcher Francisco Alvarez is just 21. Alvarez has hit so well that Omar Narvaez may have some trouble getting back into the lineup when he makes his imminent return after losing most of two months to a strained calf. At any rate, Pete Alonson (28) and Francisco Lindor (29) are pretty much the only guys on the roster anywhere near what should be the prime of their careers. Everyone else is already on the wrong side of 30.
Verlander and Scherzer do seem determined to prove that a great player's prime may go on and on and on. But time waits for no one, kids. Trust me on this.
Matchups
Fri 2 June - Bassitt (5-4, 3.80) vs Verlander (2-2, 4.80)
Sat 3 June - Berrios (5-4, 3.86) vs Megill (5-3, 4.67)
Sun 4 June - Kikuchi (6-2, 4.47) vs Senga (5-3, 3.44)
The Jays were last here in July of 2021, and on that occasion they did win the middle of three games, mainly by whacking five home runs off Tajuan Walker and a couple of relievers. And the Jays split a pair of games here in 2018, winning 12-1 in the second game behind J.A. Happ's seven shutout innings. And that was the first time the Jays ever beat the Mets in New York. They lost all nine games they played at old Shea Stadium. The team is now 2-14 all time when visiting the Mets.
It gets better. Tonight they get to see the only man who has actually thrown two no-hitters against them.
Yes, Justin Verlander is now a Met, as Steve Cohen is throwing all the money he can find - a considerable sum, in his case - in an effort to bring the Mets a third championship and their first since 1986. Verlander turned 40 in February, but he is coming off a rather impressive season (18-4, 1.75) that earned him his third Cy Young Award. He missed the first month of this season, and so far he has been alternating outstanding performances with rather stinky ones. The last one was a stinker, by the way. He actually hasn't pitched particularly well against Toronto over the years (4-6, 4.29 in 15 starts) - except on those occasions when he was throwing a damn no-hitter, of course.
The Mets pitching has surely been a disappointment to them - they're barely better than league average in preventing the opposition from scoring. Kodai Senga and Mad Max Scherzer have been just fine but Verlander, Carlos Carrasco, and Tylor Megill haven't been particularly great. The bullpen has absorbed the loss of Edwin Diaz quite well, thanks largely to David Robertson. He's now 38 years old, but since losing most of three seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery Robertson is pitching about as well as he ever has.
The Mets are not a young team. They have the oldest pitching staff in the majors - besides Verlander, you have the two 38 year olds (Scherzer and Robertson) along with Adam Ottavino (37), Carrasco and Tommy Hunter (36), Brooks Raley (35), Jeff Brigham and Dominic Leone (31.) Hey, kinda like the 2015 Blue Jays. Obviously, Jose Quintana (34) won't make them any younger when he finally makes it to the mound, probably in July.
The lineup does have youth at two positions - third baseman Brett Baty is 23 and catcher Francisco Alvarez is just 21. Alvarez has hit so well that Omar Narvaez may have some trouble getting back into the lineup when he makes his imminent return after losing most of two months to a strained calf. At any rate, Pete Alonson (28) and Francisco Lindor (29) are pretty much the only guys on the roster anywhere near what should be the prime of their careers. Everyone else is already on the wrong side of 30.
Verlander and Scherzer do seem determined to prove that a great player's prime may go on and on and on. But time waits for no one, kids. Trust me on this.
Matchups
Fri 2 June - Bassitt (5-4, 3.80) vs Verlander (2-2, 4.80)
Sat 3 June - Berrios (5-4, 3.86) vs Megill (5-3, 4.67)
Sun 4 June - Kikuchi (6-2, 4.47) vs Senga (5-3, 3.44)
