Blue Jays' Bassitt tosses gem in win over Mets, rushes back to Toronto for birth of child

Chris Bassitt took the mound after a 91-minute rain delay, ready to rush back to Toronto as his wife went into labour, and shut down his former team on three hits to lead the visiting Blue Jays over the New York Mets 3-0 on Friday.

Bassitt's wife Jessica was due to give birth to their second child after daughter Landry.

Bassitt (6-4) tied his season high with eight strikeouts and walked none, throwing 101 pitches. He began his big league career with Oakland, was traded to the Mets ahead of the 2022 season and left for a $63 million US, three-year contract with the Blue Jays.

He had not been to Citi Field since losing the decisive Game 3 of an NL Wild Card series against San Diego last October.

The 34-year-old right-hander escaped a first-and-third, no-outs jam in the third, retiring Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil on popups around a called third strike to Francisco Lindor. That inning began a streak of 14 straight batters retired for Bassitt.

One <a href="https://twitter.com/C_Bass419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@C_Bass419</a> will remember for a long time