For eight innings, Bowden Francis was on the verge of making baseball history. The 28-year-old right-hander was slicing through the Mets' lineup with surgical precision, holding them hitless. The atmosphere at Rogers Centre was charged with anticipation as Francis approached the ninth inning, poised to join the exclusive club of no-hit pitchers. The only previous no-hitter in Blue Jays history was thrown by Dave Stieb in 1990.

In the ninth, drama unfolded on the third pitch of the inning when Francisco Lindor stepped up and launched a 398-foot home run to right field. The blast not only broke up Francis’s no-hitter but also tied the game at 1-1.

With Francis’s historic bid dashed, the Blue Jays turned to reliever Chad Green to hold the tie and send the game to the bottom of the ninth. That would not be the case however as Green faced the first three batters, each of whom reached base safely to load the bases.

The Mets’ offensive surge was just beginning. Pete Alonso stepped up and hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Jose Iglesias and giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. J.D. Martinez then drew a walk to load the bases again, setting the stage for Starling Marte, who also delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home pinch runner Eddy Alvarez, extending their lead to 3-1.

Green's outing lasted just 2/3 of an inning, as the Blue Jays replaced him with Genesis Cabrera in hopes of mitigating the damage. On Cabrera’s very first pitch however, Francisco Alvarez made his presence felt with a thunderous 439-foot home run, putting Mets ahead 6-1. The crushing blow added a decisive five-run cushion, putting the game well out of reach.

Despite a lone run in the bottom of the ninth by the Blue Jays, the Mets secured a 6-2 victory. The win was a critical one, like all wins are in September, pushing their record to 80-66 and placing them one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the final National League Wild Card spot.