The Mets vs Blue Jays matchup opened Monday night at Rogers Centre with Sean Manaea set for his fourth start of the season and Trey Yesavage starting for Toronto. The game came with both teams trying to stop short-term slides, and it put a left-hander who began the year in the bullpen back in the middle of New York’s rotation.
Sean Manaea and Trey Yesavage
Manaea was due to make his fourth start of the season after beginning the year in the bullpen. He entered at 1-2 with a 4.87 ERA, then carried a 0-1 record, a 4.40 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP since rejoining the rotation.
His last outing was a rough one. He allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks across three innings against the Cubs.
Blue Jays in Toronto
Yesavage brought a cleaner recent line into the matchup. He was 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA after allowing one earned run on two hits and five walks in 5⅔ innings against the Astros in his most recent start.
The setting added more weight to the opener. The Blue Jays had lost six straight and were 3-7 over their last 10 games, while the Mets had dropped eight of their last 10 and arrived at 35-49 after Sunday’s 5-4 loss to the Phillies. That defeat included a 2-for-16 line with runners in scoring position and 13 runners left on base.
Bo Bichette in Toronto
Bo Bichette’s move gave the game a different edge in Toronto. He joined the Mets after spending the first seven years of his career there, so the trip carried a return that fit the matchup without changing the task in front of New York.
Francisco Lindor sat out Sunday while working back from a calf strain, and the Mets still entered Monday with their full group expected to be available. At 7:07 p.m., the only thing that mattered was whether Manaea could steady a staff spot and whether the Mets could keep one more loss from deepening a bad stretch.
