TORONTO _ Seth Lugo the reliever is among manager Mickey Callaway's favorite bullpen options, effective enough and flexible enough that the Mets have twice removed Seth Lugo the starter from the rotation to put him back in the back end. Sure, the right-handed swingman might be one of the Mets' five best starting pitchers, particularly with Noah Syndergaard and Jason Vargas out hurt, but his availability in shorter, more frequent stints changes their bullpen's dynamic. Callaway has been consistent in deeming Lugo more valuable in that role.
The Mets' 6-3 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday served as a prime example why.
Corey Oswalt offered a so-so start, giving up two runs in four innings, and the Mets needed five relievers a night after another late-game implosion. Lugo provided three of those innings, allowing Toronto one run on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s groundout that was nearly an inning-ending double play. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out two, still stretched out enough to throw 37 pitches (including a perfect, 10-pitch, two-strikeout seventh inning).
That was enough to hand the ball to Jerry Blevins (two outs) and Robert Gsellman (one out) for the eighth and Jeurys Familia for the ninth.
As a reliever this season, Lugo has a 2.23 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. As a starter _ a small sample size of five starts _ he has a 3.52 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 23 innings.
The relief quartet made the lineup's fireworks good for the Mets' second win in three games (and third win in 14 games). A five-run fifth inning, highlighted by Todd Frazier's two-run home run, offered the bullpen room to work.
Frazier, Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores (double) all finished 2-for-4. Five Mets scored runs and five drove in runs.
Flores' strong night _ a ho-hum night during his hot stretch _ extended his hit streak to a career-high 11 games, matching Cabrera for the Mets' longest such streak of the season. Flores said he likes being the designated hitter, a role he filled in both games this week at the Rogers Centre, an American League ballpark.
"Flo is a hitter. I'm sure he loves to hit. I wouldn't be surprised if DH is very enjoyable for him," Callaway said. "He can kind of lock in, go watch some film, go in there and hit in the cage, stay loose and go out there and perform at the plate. (A DH routine is) probably different for every hitter and what they're comfortable with. As long as you're staying loose, staying busy between innings, it's probably not that big of an adjustment."
Oswalt was better than he was in his previous start, when he got moved up a day on three hours' notice, but was still hit hard by the Blue Jays. Callaway lifted him in favor of Lugo after 65 pitches.
Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman, a Medford native who pitched at Patchogue-Medford High School, fared poorly in his first career start against the Mets. They reached him for six runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Stroman walked four and struck out two.
That outing _ only Stroman's 10th of the year _ was the latest in the series of tough ones for him this season. He spent about a month and a half on the disabled list with a right shoulder issue, then allowed one earned run in 12 innings across his first two starts since. Wednesday represented a step backward, raising his ERA to 6.50.
