Blue Jays lefty Steven Matz has capped a strong first season in Toronto with a strong performance that helped keep his new team's playoff hopes alive.
The former longtime Met was touted as the player of the game on Friday night, after he beat the lowly Orioles at Rogers Centre.
With the win, the Blue Jays remained one game behind the Red Sox for the second wild card spot.
The 30-year-old southpaw went seven solid innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits, including a homer, and one walk. He fanned five.
Upon leaving the game to a standing ovation, Matz became a trending topic on social media after he donned the Blue Jays' famed navy-blue "home run jacket," which obviously is typically worn by position players. But on this special occasion, teammate George Springer made an exception and slipped it onto Matz as he entered the dugout.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters after the game that Matz was the team's "unsung hero" this season.
Matz struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness during his years with the Mets Mets, but he finished this season with a 3.76 ERA and 14 wins in 150 innings.
For his part, Matz, who was a member of the 2015 Mets squad that reached the World Series, suggested the '21 Jays were the best team he's played on.
"Man, this team is so good," Matz told reporters. "We're so close. I don't know if I'll ever be on a team this good. ... You've got a potential Cy Young, a potential MVP, and just go down the list."
Matz, a Long Island native who was drafted by his hometown Mets back in 2009, was dealt to the Blue Jays in January. The Mets received relievers Sean Reid-Foley and Yennsy Diaz in exchange.
The seven-year veteran is due to be a free agent in the offseason.
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