New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill would be pleased if his second career start against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday goes as well as the first.
Megill allowed two hits in six scoreless innings on July 23, 2021, in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Blue Jays in the first matchup. It was Megill's first major league win.
Megill (5-3, 4.67 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios (5-4, 3.86) in the second game of the three-game series.
Berrios has faced the Mets once in his career, when he was a rookie with the Minnesota Twins in 2016, and took the loss. He gave up two runs and four hits in four innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Blue Jays will be going for their third straight series win on Saturday after posting a 3-0 victory on Friday.
The Mets had a string of eight consecutive home victories snapped. They swept a three-game set against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to start the week.
The starters on Friday were both strong. Toronto's Chris Bassitt pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, and New York's Justin Verlander allowed one run in six innings. Verlander made 117 pitches, the highest total in the majors this season.
George Springer hit a home run on the second pitch of the game. It was his eighth homer of the season and the 54th of his career to lead off a game. He is tied with Alfonso Soriano for second on the all-time list for leadoff homers, behind Rickey Henderson's 81.
Daulton Varsho added a two-run homer in the ninth against reliever Jeff Brigham. The blast came on a 3-0 count and was his ninth of the season.
It was a special night for Bassitt, who pitched for the Mets last season and signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent in December. His wife went into labor in Toronto on Friday, and a private flight was arranged to take him home when he was finished pitching.
He had to wait out a 91-minute rain delay at the start of the game. Asked if there had been consideration given to Bassitt not pitching, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, "He wanted to pitch tonight."
One thing the teams have in common is that they have yet to play up to expectations this season.
The Blue Jays are waiting for players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to reach their top form. Guerrero went 1-for-3 with a walk on Friday. He is hitting .286 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs, but he has just one homer and 15 RBIs in his last 23 games. Six of those RBIs came in the one game when he homered.
"I think Vladdy is really close," Schneider said. "I think it's going to come quickly when it does. I'm pleased with the progress he's made, and again, he's an exception. It's just going to take one swing, one at-bat and he's going to get rolling."
The Mets are trying to take advantage of some recent good pitching.
"We've got to keep it going," Mets outfielder Mark Canha said after the sweep of the Phillies. "We haven't been as great as we should have been in the last couple of months.
"We're making up a little bit of ground, but I think we've got to just keep going and keep looking ahead, not get too high on this one and not get too low when the lows happen. Just keep going, keep going."
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