Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY)

RAIN-SOAKED LOSS

Mets routed by Blue Jays, losing at home to Toronto for the first time in 13 games

- By Jake Seiner

J.A. Happ reached three times and allowed only two baserunner­s over seven innings, and the Toronto Blue Jays got their first road victory against the New York Mets, 12-1 on a rainy Wednesday in Queens.

Happ (5-3) struck out 10 while pitching two-hit ball. The lefthander also singled twice and walked in his first multihit game since 2011, when he had two hits for Houston at Citi Field.

Toronto was 0-12 against the Mets in New York, the longest such skid against one team in interleagu­e history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

New York’s Brandon Nimmo homered off Danny Barnes with two outs in the ninth and Wilmer Flores added a double before Barnes finished Toronto’s fourhitter.

Justin Smoak, Teoscar Hernandez and Richard Urena each homered and drove in three runs as Toronto piled up 15 hits. The Blue Jays improved to 22-21 and haven’t fallen below .500 since being 1-2 on March 31.

Toronto had averaged 2.8 runs over its past 11 games, batting .211 with a .630 OPS while going 3-8.

Smoak sparked the breakout performanc­e by smashing

a homer to right off Zack Wheeler (2-3) in the first inning. Wheeler was otherwise sharp early on, striking out six prior to a brief rain delay during the bottom of the third inning.

A steady drizzle fell throughout, but the rain picked up in the middle of the third. Moments after Wheeler’s bat slipped from his hands and nearly hit first base coach Ruben Amaro Jr., umpires asked the grounds crew to rake

the field.

Blue Jays players returned to the dugout during the roughly 15-minute break, and SNY reported the Mets used between 80 and 100 bags of Diamond Dry in that stretch alone. The crew returned to the field with rakes and shovels regularly throughout the game.

Wheeler fell apart after the delay. Hernandez put Toronto up 3-0 with a tworun shot in the fourth, and then Smoak ripped a tworun double during a threerun fifth inning.

Wheeler was charged with six runs in four-plus

innings, bringing his ERA to 5.92.

Toronto continued to pound away against New York’s bullpen, including three runs off AJ Ramos in the sixth inning. The Blue Jays sent 24 batters to the plate over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, getting eight runs, nine hits and four walks in that span. By comparison, New York batted 26 players in the first eight innings.

Working Hard

Mets reliever Buddy Baumann batted in the eighth inning for the 17th plate

appearance for New York’s bullpen this season. It had 18 total last year.

Vladdy Watch

Toronto prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had four hits for Double-A New Hampshire on Wednesday. The 19-year-old is batting .415 with seven homers in 35 games with the Fisher Cats.

Making Moves

Toronto recalled righthande­r Danny Barnes from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned right-hander Deck McGuire to its top farm club.

 ?? FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler delivers pitch during 12-1 loss to Blue Jays, Wednesday at Citi Field.
FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler delivers pitch during 12-1 loss to Blue Jays, Wednesday at Citi Field.
 ?? FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ, left, tosses ball to first baseman Justin Smoak to throw out New York Mets’ Luis Guillorme during the fifth inning of Toronto’s victory over New York on Wednesday.
FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ, left, tosses ball to first baseman Justin Smoak to throw out New York Mets’ Luis Guillorme during the fifth inning of Toronto’s victory over New York on Wednesday.

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