Sean Manaea had a memorable Mets debut, but once again the Mets would like to forget the result.
The left-hander had a great performance Monday night in his first start with his new team, retiring the first 12 batters he faced and allowing no hits and no runs through six innings.
It all happened in another disappointing game at Citi Field, with the Mets losing 5-0 in 10 innings to the Tigers, falling to 0-4.
Manaea’s 5²/₃ innings of no-hitter was the longest in a Mets debut.
He admitted there was a no-no in his mind.
“I would be lying if I said otherwise,” Manaea said. “I should have thought of something else, but it’s hard not to.”
Manaea was perfect until the fourth inning, when he allowed a walk to Riley Greene as Detroit’s first base runner.
In the sixth inning, after giving up one out and a walk to Carson Kelly, he gave Matt Viering two outs with a slow roller, and when Kelly advanced to second base on this play, Andy Ibanez broke the no-hitter with a single over left.
However, Manaea got an out on that play as well, as Brandon Nimmo struck out Kelly at the plate, ending the inning scoreless.
Manaea was ejected after pitching 88, his last batter of the game. He had two walks and eight strikeouts.
Asked on Monday why it was so effective, Manaea said: [and] tempo. “
Manaea signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Mets this offseason and struck out seven batters through the first five innings.
The 32-year-old is coming off shaky seasons with the Giants and Padres, but pitched a no-hitter through eight innings in his debut with San Diego in 2022.
He provided the Mets with a much-needed stable starting pitcher after Luis Severino slumped in Game 2 of the season and Tyler Megill was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury on Monday.
It ultimately wasn’t enough for the Mets to come away with a win, as they fell to 0-4 for the first time since 2005, thanks to an offensive line that had been mostly silent all season.
Even with increased support, it was almost certain that Manaea would not leave its mark on history.
“I was pretty gassy at the end,” Manaea said, saying he was more upset about the loss than the lack of a no-hitter. “I don’t care about that. We didn’t get the win, but in the end that’s the only thing that matters.”
