MLB

Mets shut out by Blue Jays’ Morrow

Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar seems to miss the tag. (Getty Images)

TORONTO — David Wright had a good excuse for not getting a hit yesterday — he was sick and didn’t play. The rest of the Mets lineup was even sicker.

But Brandon Morrow has that ability. The Blue Jays right-hander frustrated the Mets for nine innings, leaving manager Terry Collins to question his team’s approach in the aftermath of a 2-0 loss at Rogers Centre.

“We’ve got to start grinding out some at-bats,” Collins said after Morrow’s three-hit shutout sent the Mets to their fifth loss in seven games. “It’s not about taking pitches. It’s about being patient, and when you get the pitch you want, hit it. I don’t want guys to go up there and think they have to take good pitches they can hit.”

Wright was scheduled for a break yesterday regardless of his health, but the third baseman wasn’t even available for pinch-hitting duty as he continues to battle flulike symptoms.

The Mets (21-19) barely showed a pulse until the ninth, when Mike Baxter slapped a shot to right field and was called out attempting to reach second, despite the fact shortstop Yunel Escobar missed the tag. The blown call by umpire Brian Knight kept the Mets from having runners on second and third with one out. Morrow then retired Daniel Murphy to end the game.

Jeremy Hefner, who arrived from Triple-A Buffalo before the game as bullpen insurance, gave the Mets a chance by allowing two earned runs over five innings in relief after starter Miguel Batista departed the game with lower-back tightness.

Batista felt soreness on a 3-2 pitch to Eric Thames in the second inning. After Thames walked, Batista got the final two outs of the inning, but was removed when the back soreness persisted during his warm-up pitches before the third.

The veteran righty had battled a sore groin in his previous start, but said that wasn’t an issue yesterday.

“My groin was fine,” Batista said. “I was very disappointed, because I was up to the challenge. [The Jays] had a good game [Friday] and they were all fired up, and they had their best pitcher out there, but I was determined to go nine, 12, 15 [innings], whatever they needed.”

Batista will be evaluated today. If the 41-year-old can’t take his next turn, Hefner would get the call.

Collins indicated he hasn’t lost faith in Batista to hold a spot in the rotation.

“He takes great care of himself and he’s in great shape,” Collins said. “If Jamie Moyer can go out there at 49, Miguel is decent to go out there at 41. He keeps himself in tremendous fitness shape, his arm is in good shape so today was one of those things and I applaud the job Jeremy Hefner did.”

Batista allowed one hit and one walk in his abbreviated stint, running his scoreless streak to 12 1/3 innings over parts of three games. The Blue Jays did their damage against Hefner in the fifth, when Kelly Johnson stroked a two-out double for a run before Escobar’s RBI single made it 2-0.

But the Mets couldn’t produce anything resembling a rally against Morrow. Ronny Cedeno’s single in the third was the team’s only hit until the seventh, when Lucas Duda smashed a two-out double. But Morrow rebounded to strike out Ike Davis.

Morrow (5-2, 2.63 ERA) pitched his second complete game shutout of the season.

“He made a lot of good pitches,” Baxter said. “He mixed well and elevated his fastball in the zone. He threw really well.”