The Mets did just about everything they needed to do to win Monday night’s game, except score.
The Mets’ batting lineup continued to perform hard to open the season, losing 5-0 in 10 innings to the Tigers at Citi Field.
The Mets suffered a four-game losing streak, and rookie manager Carlos Mendoza’s first MLB win was postponed for another day.
The Mets earned just five hits against Reese Olson and the Tigers’ bullpen, while Michael Tonkin allowed five earned runs in the 10th inning.
After Mark Canha was hit by a pitch, Joey Wendle’s fielding error allowed the automatic runner to score the game’s first run in the 10th inning.
After scoring an extra point on Javier Báez’s sacrifice fly, Carson Kelly hit a three-run home run.
The last time the Mets started a season with four straight losses was in 2005, when they started 0-5.
Sean Manaea is the first Mets starting pitcher to go over five innings this season.
The left-hander pitched six shutout innings in his Mets debut, allowing one hit, two walks, and eight strikeouts.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Andy Ibanez’s single over left gave the Tigers their first hit against Manaea.
Running from second base, Kelly received the go-ahead from third base coach Joey Cora and was thrown out to the plate by Brandon Nimmo to end the inning. Manaea’s 5²/3 hitless innings was the longest no-hitter by a pitcher in his Mets debut.
Manaea retired the first 12 batters he faced before Riley Greene walked him in the fifth inning.
However, although Manaea allowed hard hits to Caña and Gio Urshela in the first inning, he retired the next three batters.
Overall, Manaea recorded 13 swings and whiffs, seven of which came from four-seam fastballs.
The left-hander peaked at 95.5 mph with his four-seamer and averaged 92.6 mph with his pitches. His eight strikeouts matched last year’s season high.
The Mets had their earliest chance to score in the first inning after Nimmo was hit by a pitch and Francisco Lindor walked.
Olson retired Pete Alonso with a rebound and then hit Francisco Alvarez, who hit cleanup for the second time in his career, into an inning-ending double play.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Alvarez converted a single into a double, becoming the Mets’ third hit against Olson.
However, Will Best came on to retire DJ Stewart, keeping the game scoreless.
Marte’s leadoff single in the seventh inning gave the Mets hope before Brett Beatty, Harrison Bader, and Wendle were all ejected in quick succession.
In the 8th inning, Baez’s swinging bunt resulted in an infield hit, giving the Tigers their second run.
Brooks Lally got away with it by forcing Kelly into an inning-ending double play.
