The New York Mets headed to Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland today to take on former Mets’ farmhand Michael Fulmer and the Detroit Tigers. The game ended in a 4-4 tie.

Starting for the Mets’ was left-hander Steven Matz. Coming into today still fighting for a rotation spot in Mickey Callaway‘s starting rotation, Matz’ had given up eight hits and ten earned run over 1.2 innings.

Starting for the Tigers was the centerpiece of the return that Detroit got back from the Mets in the Yoenis Cespedes trade in 2015, Michael Fulmer (21-19, 3.45 ERA, 1.14 WHIP in 51 career starts).

Pitching

Steven Matz began his day by giving up a hard-hit double to Leonys Martin. He got Jose Iglesias to ground out, Kevin Plawecki caught Martin trying to steal 3rd, and with Miguel Cabrera still at the plate, Matz got him looking at a called strike three to escape the 1st unharmed.

After Nicholas Castellanos led off the second with a single to center, Matz got Victor Martinez to fly out, and James McCann grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

The Mets’ 26-year-old hurler began the third by retiring Jeimer Candelario and JaCoby Jones. He walked Dixon Machado then got Martin to ground out to leave the runner stranded.

Matz worked around a leadoff single in the fourth to finish out his afternoon with four scoreless innings on three hits, one walk and two strikeouts while lowering his spring ERA from 54.00 to 15.88.

Hansel Robles began his outing by giving up a leadoff single to McCann and a double to Candelario to start the 5th. He then gave up a three-run HR to JaCoby Jones, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

The very next batter, Dixon Machado, also took Robles deep to make it a 4-1 game. Martin followed with another base hit before Iglesias grounded into a 5-4-3 double play and Cabrera popped out to get out of the inning.

Paul Sewald came out for the sixth. Besides a HBP to Martinez, he worked a clean inning and lowered his spring ERA to 1.80 in six innings.

Tyler Bashlor got the call in the seventh. After Jason Krizan reached on a Todd Frazier fielding error, Alexi Amarista walked, and Tomas Nido picked off of Krizan at second, Mike Gerber singled to right, putting runners at first and third with one out.

Sergio Alcantara flew out to Phillip Evans in right, Evans threw a strike home to catch Amarista tagging up, and Bashlor got out of trouble.

Corey Oswalt pitched the eighth, giving up a leadoff triple, but retired the next three batters to leave the go-ahead run on third. In the ninth, Oswalt struck out Kody Eaves and set down Kriznan and Amarista to bring his spring  ERA down to 2.84.

Offense

Kevin Plawecki led off the second inning with a home run to left, his first of spring, to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Jose Lobaton followed with a double to right, his fifth hit of the spring (in 15 at-bats).

Detroit’s 31-year-old RP Alex Wilson pitched 2.1 perfect innings before walking Reyes in the sixth (Guillorme pinch-ran) and giving up a two-run HR to Wilmer Flores, his first of the spring, cutting Detroit’s lead to 4-3. Flores finished the game 2 for 4 as the Mets first baseman.

Gavin Cecchini hit a triple to left in the seventh off of Tigers’ prospect Enrique Burgos. Ty Kelly knocked him in with a two-out single to right to tie the game at 4-4.

Amed Rosario made his first appearance since Feb, 28, pinch-hitting in the 7th, and grounded out. He stayed in the game as the DH and grounded out again in the eight.

The struggles for Juan Lagares at the plate continued, he went 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout.

On Deck

Tomorrow the New York Mets will travel to George M. Steinbrenner Stadium in Tampa to face the Yankees at 1:05 PM. Matt Harvey will make his third Grapefruit League start. You can watch the game on YES Network.