New York Mets bench coach John Gibbons was pleased to return to Toronto this week to face the Blue Jays, a team he managed for 11 years over two stints.
He would be even happier to leave with a win in Wednesday afternoon’s rubber match of a three-game set.
The teams have split the first two games of the series after the Blue Jays defeated the Mets 6-2 on Tuesday night.
The loss dropped the Mets (79-66) into a tie with the Braves for the third wild-card spot in the National League. It was New York’s second loss in 12 games. Atlanta defeated the Washington Nationals 12-0 on Tuesday.
It was a welcome win for the Blue Jays (69-77), who had lost six of their seven previous games and sit in last in the American League East.
Gibbons has met several old friends during his return to the city where he managed the Blue Jays from 2004-08 and 2013-18 and still remains a popular figure. This is his first season as bench coach for the Mets, whom he was drafted by back in 1980.
The Mets have been scuffling at the plate and were outhit 12-6 by the Blue Jays on Tuesday, but Gibbons still has confidence in the New York bats.
“One through nine, this lineup is as good as any I’ve been around,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons sees similarities between this year’s Mets and the Blue Jays teams he managed in 2015 and 2016 that both made the American League Championship Series.
The 2015 Blue Jays got a huge season from Josh Donaldson. New York is currently getting a big year from Francisco Lindor.
“Lindor is unbelievable, he plays every day, every inning,” Gibbons said. “When I saw him in Cleveland, I knew he was good, I didn’t think he was this great.”
The 2016 Blue Jays didn’t clinch an AL wild-card spot until the fall, and the Mets appear to be going down to the wire this season.
New York is scheduled to start left-hander Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.43 ERA) on Wednesday. In six career games (five starts) against Toronto, he is 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA. He did not factor into the decision on Friday, when he allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings in a game the Mets won, 6-4, against the Cincinnati Reds.
Toronto is slated to start right-hander Bowden Francis (8-4, 3.72), who will be facing the Mets for the first time. Over his past eight appearances (seven starts), Francis is 5-2 with a 1.96 ERA.
The Mets lost to a former teammate on Tuesday in right-hander Chris Bassitt, who struck out eight and allowed one run in six innings.
“As crazy as it is, I hope they make the playoffs,” Bassitt said of the Mets. “I know I didn’t do a good job for them (Tuesday), but I have a lot of friends there. I have a lot of people over there that I respect a lot. I hope I get to watch them come playoff time.
Toronto’s Spencer Horwitz was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI double on Tuesday. Over his past 10 games, he has hit .444 (16-for-36) with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs.
–Field Level Media