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The New York Mets lost on Thursday for the ninth time in 11 games and fell to .500 (16-16) on the season following their 2-0 shutout defeat to the Tigers in Detroit. It was the sixth time the Mets offense has been shutout this season after being held scoreless only eight times all of 2022.
Where’s the Offense?
The Mets’ offense mustered only six runs as they got swept by a Tiger team that is now 13-17 and five of those came in their game one 6-5 loss. The Tigers’ pitching staff entered the series with a 4.80 ERA with 40 home runs allowed in only 27 games.
The struggles came right from the top of the order with Brandon Nimmo going 2-for-13 with four strikeouts in the series. When he did get a big hit, a leadoff single in the ninth inning of the finale, Nimmo was thrown out trying to steal second with the Mets down two runs. The meat of the lineup struggled as well. Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor both went 2-for-11 and Jeff McNeil went 1-for-11. The only Mets player with more than two hits in the series was outfielder Tommy Pham with four including a home run.
They found different ways to lose in the series from going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the second and not even getting a runner to second base in the final game against Eduardo Rodríguez.
Verlander, Scherzer Return to Detroit
It was certainly a mixed bag of results from co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander returning to Detroit. Scherzer, coming off his 10-game sticky substance suspension, was roughed up to the tune of six runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. Scherzer’s ERA is up to 5.56 on the season and has given up six home runs in five starts.
Following an injured list stint that began on Opening Day, Verlander was making his Mets debut against the team that drafted him in 2004. It was a rough first inning for Verlander allowing two home runs and four balls of at least 100 mph. The three-time Cy Young winner settled in to throw four consecutive scoreless to finish off his outing.
