TIGERS LEAVE METS IN TATTERS AFTER 11-3 MAULING
The Mets got pounced on by the Tigers who beat them 11-3 this afternoon at Citi Field to complete a three game sweep and leave them licking their wounds.
Dillon Gee started for the Mets and wasn’t nearly as sharp as we’ve seen from him of late. The right-hander let up four runs and got knocked around for ten hits including home runs to Andy Dirks and Miguel Cabrera, his 42nd homer of the season. Gee walked two and struck out two in his 6.0 innings of work while seeing his ERA rise to 3.69 for the season.
After David Aardsma gave up a single to start off the seventh, Scott Rice came in and got all three outs in the seventh. Carlos Torres followed that up with a scoreless eighth. Then came the ugliest ninth inning of relief I’ve seen this season…. This was brutal to watch…
LaTroy Hawkins came in to pitch the ninth and gives up three straight singles to load the bases with one out. Victor Martinez then stepped up to the plate and ripped another single to drive home Torii Hunter. Things got uglier when Hawkins walked Andy Dirks to force home another run and chase Hawkins out of the game with the Tigers up 6-3.
But the worst was yet to come…
Scott Atchison relieved Hawkins and was immediately greeted by an RBI-single by Omar Infante. He then uncorks a wild pitch that allowed the runner from third to score. Back-to-back singles would plate another pair of runs, and then another wild pitch would bring the runners to get into scoring position. A sacrifice fly would follow and when it was all over, the Tigers were ahead 11-3. Wow…
The only highlight of the game for the Mets, came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Center fielder Juan Lagares singled with two outs to bring up catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who then blasted a 2-run homer to deep left-center to give the Mets a very temporary 3-2 lead. It was his second big league hit since his promotion and his first major-league homer which came on a 90 mph fastball.
After rounding the bases and greeting Lagares at home, D’Arnaud then came out of the dugout for a curtain call and waved his hat to the fans at Citi Field who were still applauding.
“I just put my head down and started running,” d’Arnaud said. “The fans let me know it was gone.” D’Arnaud called it an unbelievable experience. “I was speechless. It was an unbelievable feeling.”
Aside from that, this was a brutal game and the Mets were absolutely annihilated by the Tigers this weekend, who swept the series and left the Mets for dead.
The Mets will try to recover tomorrow when they host the Phillies for the start of a four-game set at Citi Field. Rookie Zack Wheeler will oppose the veteran Cliff Lee at 7:10 PM.
