The Mets have relied on David Robertson all season and for the most part, it has worked out.
But they rolled the dice Saturday in the top of the ninth and had Robertson pitch to the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with George Springer on second base, two out and the score tied. First base was open and the light-hitting Cavan Biggio was on deck.
Guerrero made them pay with a double down the left field line to drive in Springer with the go-ahead run, and Erik Swanson closed it in the bottom of the inning, as the Mets lost a second straight game to Toronto, 2-1, at Citi Field.
Robertson was given no margin for error in part because of another rough game for an offense that managed just a run after getting shut out for the eighth time this season on Friday.
The Mets’ one run came in the second inning against Jose Berrios, and the Blue Jays tied it in the sixth, the only run starter Tylor Megill allowed in 5 ¹/₃ innings.
Megill pitched out of trouble in the first inning after he allowed two quick singles to Springer and Bo Bichette. A one-out walk to Brandon Belt loaded the bases, but Megill struck out Matt Chapman and got Whit Merrifield to line out to center.
The right-hander flirted with danger again in the second inning when he walked the first two batters. Daulton Varsho, however, got caught in a rundown and Megill whiffed Kevin Kiermaier and Springer to end the threat.
The Mets took the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Starling Marte led off with an infield hit and Daniel Vogelbach, mired in a slump, delivered a run-scoring double to right-center for a 1-0 lead. Mark Canha, Tomas Nido and Brandon Nimmo were retired to strand Vogelbach.
Berrios shut down the Mets after that, allowing just four hits over six innings.
As for Megill, his luck ran out in the sixth. He gave up a leadoff double to Belt and walked Chapman — the fifth free pass issued by Megill on the day.
He then got Merrifield to fly to right before he was removed for left-hander Brooks Raley, who came on to face the lefty-swinging Varsho, the left fielder who had blasted a home run into the second deck in right on Friday night.
Raley got Varsho to fly to right for the second out, but Alejandro Kirk followed with a hard grounder to Lindor’s left at shortstop. Lindor couldn’t come up with the scorcher and Belt came home from second to tie the score at 1-1.
The Mets had a chance to go ahead again in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff single by McNeil and a one-out walk by Baty. Both runners advanced on a slow grounder by Marte to bring up Vogelbach, whose RBI earlier in the game was his first since May 7. Vogelbach sent a drive to right-center, but Springer caught up to it.
Belt opened the eighth with his second double of the game, this one off Adam Ottavino. Biggio, pinch-running, moved to third on a Chapman groundout to second.
With the infield in, Merrifield grounded to short and Lindor made a strong throw home to get Biggio at the plate and keep the score tied.
Robertson entered and gave up a single to Varsho, sending Merrifield to third, but he struck out Kirk swinging to end the threat.
Pete Alonso reached on a Chapman throwing error with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and then stole second, his second of the season. But Baty and Marte both fanned, as the Mets fell to 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.