Mets RHP Seth Lugo's fourth start of the season was a mixed bag. A tough-luck loss was the final decision for him after his 5 1/3 innings pitched, but Lugo felt like he competed throughout Saturday's game, a 3-2 edge by the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.

"Obviously, the final wasn't what we want, but I thought I battled out there," said Lugo, who yielded three runs and seven hits with five strikeouts to one walk on 91 pitches (60 strikes). "Thought I was throwing the ball really well early and I left a couple curveballs up there to (SS Bo) Bichette and then to (3B Travis) Shaw, and then I felt like I made some pretty good pitches after that.

"Next inning, the lead-off walk to (C Alejandro) Kirk -- that hurt me pretty big. But other than that, I thought I threw the ball how I wanted, located pitches well. It's tough whenever you get beat by them."

Lugo (2-3, 2.63 ERA) retired eight straight Blue Jays to start the game before a third-inning single by 2B Joe Panik broke things up. Still, Lugo picked up where he left off with his inning-ending strikeout of RF Cavan Biggio.

The second time through the Blue Jays lineup, however, is where he ran into his trouble. Lugo allowed three straight hits -- Bichette's single, Shaw's ground-rule double and CF Randal Grichuk's single -- to even a 1-1 tie at the start of the fourth inning.

After the aforementioned free pass to Kirk started the fifth inning, consecutive singles by Panik and Biggio loaded the bases for the Blue Jays. Lugo got Bichette to line out at 1B Dominic Smith, but Shaw's sacrifice fly scratched another run across, putting the Mets down 2-1.

"I felt like I was a little out in front of myself -- I spiked a couple pitches, missed down -- so then I tried to stay back and I missed up and it took me a few pitches to find that sweet spot," Lugo said. "Ideally, you'd make that adjustment in one or two pitches rather than five or six. But I was able to come back and make pitches after that, moving forward."

In the sixth inning, Lugo allowed 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s lead-off double before LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grounded out to 2B Robinson Cano recorded a first out. LHP Chasen Shreve subsequently entered and surrendered an RBI single to DH Jonathan Villar, scoring Guerrero.

"I'm feeling pretty good ... my mechanics got away from me for two batters, I was able to make the adjustment and I'd like to get through six," Lugo said. "As a starter, that's your job -- to get through six, save the bullpen because they've got to face them again tomorrow, I don't. So in that regard, I've got to be better than that and pitch deeper into a game."

Through four starts, Lugo is up to 17 innings pitched, scattering five runs on 15 hits (two home runs) while striking out 25 and walking five. Although he feels his endurance as a starter continuing to build up, time is ticking for the Mets (20-25), who are two games behind the Miami Marlins (21-21) for the second NL Wild Card spot.

"That's a realistic thing, but if we're focused on that, we're focused on the wrong thing," said Lugo, whose next start is projected to be this coming Friday against the Atlanta Braves at 7:10 p.m. from Citi Field. "So I can't think like that and I'm hoping other guys aren't as well.

"Hopefully, we can just focus on what we can control -- and that's executing pitches, executing plays, having good approaches at the plate. And if we can do that, we're going to put ourselves in a good spot. So I think that's where our focus needs to be."

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