Tigers 5 Mets 0 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 0-4
Mets streak: Lost 4
Last ten : 0-4
WP - Jason Foley (1-0)
LP - Michael Tonkin (0-1)
Seat on the Korner:
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Carson Kelly gets the seat on the Korner as the his 3 run home run in the 10th inning put the game away.
Need to Know
The Mets have now lost four straight games to start the season the last time they did that was in 2005, when they dropped the first five contests of the year
New York played under the lights for the first time this season...Last year, the Mets went 50-57 at night, posting a 4.02 ERA and hitting .239/.313/.409...The Mets went 29-27 under the lights at Citi Field in 2023.
The Mets played their first Interleague game today against the Tigers...Last year introduced the new schedule format which had New York playing a total of 46 Interleague games in 2023, more than double their previous high for a single season (20)...The Mets went 19-27 against the American League...Overall, New York now owns a 254-255 record in Interleague play
Manaea made his seventh career start against the Tigers...Through his first six starts against Detroit, Manaea is 3-2 with a 3.98 ERA (14 ER/31.2 IP) and 31 strikeouts...Manaea's best effort against Detroit came on September 8, 2019 as a member of the A's when he tossed 7.0 innings of one- run ball, allowed just two hits and recorded 10 strikeouts..
Reese Olson made his season debut for the Tigers tonight in the series opener at New York. He was on an Opening Day roster at the Major League level for the first time in his career..
Turning Point
The entire top of the 10th inning, Michael Tonkin struggled to contain the ghost runner, Spencer Torkelson. After inducing Riley Greene to ground out, advancing the go-ahead run to third, Tonkin hit Mark Canha. Parker Meadows entered as a pinch runner, and Colt Keith hit what appeared to be a potential inning-ending double play. However, Joey Wendle couldn't handle the ball, allowing Torkelson to score. Unfortunately, things unraveled from there for the Mets as the Tigers capitalized, putting up five runs in the 10th inning. Their rally included a hit batsman, a critical error by Wendle, an infield dribbler hit, a sacrifice fly, and a three-run homer by Carson Kelly.
This disappointing turn of events left the Mets alongside the Marlins and White Sox as the only winless teams in baseball after tonight's game..
Three Keys
MANAEA MOWS DOWN MO-TOWN
Sean Manaea delivered a quality start for the Mets, pitching six innings with just one hit and two walks while tallying eight strikeouts. His strong performance was complemented by an outstanding throw from left fielder Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo's throw prevented Tigers catcher Carson Kelly from scoring on Andy Ibanez's single, preserving a scoreless game in the sixth inning. Manaea continues his strong pitching against the Tigers as in his seven starts he now owns Manaea is 3-2 record with a 3.37 ERA (14 ER/37.2 IP) and 39 strikeouts
Nimmo's throw:
PEN SPRUNG A LEAK LATE
Throughout the spring, the Mets consistently highlighted their revamped bullpen as a significant strength. Tonight, that assertion proved true for three innings as Jorge Lopez, Brooks Raley, and Edwin Diaz combined to provide three innings of shutout relief in the team's victory. Furthermore, it marked the first instance this season that Diaz entered a game with the stadium transitioning between light and darkness, as the trumpets sounded adding a unique element to his appearance.
While Michael Tonkin didn't surrender an earned run, unfortunately, five runs crossed the plate during his less-than-stellar tenth inning, tarnishing an otherwise strong performance by the bullpen.
MENDOZA : GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS
Carlos Mendoza can take some comfort in the fact that his four consecutive losses to start the season aren't a record for a first-year manager of the New York Mets. However, the silver lining quickly fades as he realizes he's only five losses away from Casey Stengel's infamous record of nine, set in the tumultuous inaugural season of 1962. Adding to the pressure, he's now just one loss shy of matching Willie Randolph's five straight losses in 2005. While it's a relief not to hold the record, Mendoza knows he must swiftly turn things around to avoid further tarnishing his managerial debut with the Mets.