Detroit Tigers strike in 10th inning for 5-0 win over Mets, improving to 4-0 in 2024

NEW YORK — Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez, the eighth batter in the lineup, stepped to the plate in the third inning at Citi Field for the first time since playing for the New York Mets to finish the 2021 season.

The fans booed him.

The Tigers beat the Mets, 5-0, in Monday's three-game series opener at Citi Field, their fourth consecutive win to begin the 2024 season for their first 4-0 start since 2015. Báez struck out swinging in the third inning, but in the top of the 10th inning, he provided an important insurance run with a sacrifice fly.

"It feels like an exhausting win," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We had to work every inning to try to create something. It's a close win. We broke it open with the big home run, but certainly, it was a closer than the scoreboard indicated."

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As for Báez, there's history with the Mets.

He upset fans in the Big Apple because of his thumbs-down gesture, but he only made the thumbs-down gesture because he was frustrated that the fans were booing the team. More than two years later, Mets fans returned the favor by booing the former All-Star shortstop in his return to Citi Field.

The third-inning strikeout from Báez was the fifth of eight strikeouts from Mets left-hander Sean Manaea, who overpowered the Tigers with a flurry of four-seam fastballs across six scoreless innings.

Right-hander Reese Olson responded to Manaea's dominance by holding the Mets scoreless throughout his start. Four relievers also kept the Mets from scoring, capped by right-hander Shelby Miller retiring all three batters in the bottom of the 10th inning to secure the win.

"If we have the lead, it feels like we can't lose it with those guys coming in," Olson said. "I trust every single guy we have down there."

The Tigers and Mets took a scoreless tie into the ninth inning, when Mets right-handed reliever Edwin Díaz and Tigers right-handed reliever Jason Foley traded punches. Foley struck out Jeff McNeil, a left-handed hitter, with a 100.8 mph four-seam fastball to send the game to extra innings.

In the 10th inning, the Tigers had runners on the corners with one out against right-handed reliever Michael Tonkin. A fielding error by Mets second baseman Joey Wendle eliminated the opportunity for an inning-ending double play on a ground ball from pinch-hitter Colt Keith, and as a result of the error, the free runner in extra innings scored for a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers extended the lead to 2-0 with Báez's sacrifice fly. After that, Carson Kelly launched a three-run home run — his first of the season — off Tonkin's down-and-in sinker for a 5-0 advantage.

"We keep fighting," Kelly said. "We're never out of it. We play nine innings for a reason. If we don't score for the first six or seven or eight or nine, we still have a chance. The biggest thing is that we continue to fight. You're never out of it. That's a good motto to live by: You're never out of it."

Báez, hitting .188 after four games, finished 1-for-3 with one sacrifice fly, one single and two strikeouts in his return to Citi Field.

Too aggressive (again)

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A game-changing situation occurred in the sixth inning.

Andy Ibáñez, a left-handed hitter, delivered the Tigers' first hit of the game in the sixth inning. He slapped Manaea's first-pitch changeup into shallow left field. Third base coach Joey Cora — who had a questionable send in Sunday's 3-2 win that resulted in an easy out — decided to test the arm of left fielder Brandon Nimmo.

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Cora waved his arm to send Kelly, whose sprint speed ranked in the 13th percentile last season, in an attempt to score him from second base, even though Nimmo had the ball in his glove before Kelly touched third base.

Kelly, of course, was thrown out.

"We've got to separate ourselves away from safe or out being right or wrong," Hinch said. "Joey did the right thing. That's a bang-bang play where they have to make a throw from left field. ... That's an easy send for me with two outs in a 0-0 game."

There was a collision at home plate, but nobody was injured.

"Early in spring training, Joey was like, 'I'm sending you guys,' and he means it," Kelly said. "That's something you love. You love having those aggressive plays. You can't play this game scared."

Manaea dominated, firing six scoreless innings on one hit and two walks with eight strikeouts. He threw 55 fastballs, 13 changeups, 13 cutters and seven sweepers, generating 13 whiffs.

He threw 63% four-seam fastballs.

Olson battles

Olson threw too many uncompetitive pitches in the first inning.

He hit a batter and walked a batter, but he survived his struggles — trouble but no damage — when Pete Alonso popped out on a middle-middle fastball and Francisco Alvarez grounded into a double play.

"A little sped up in the first," Olson said. "That's kind of been my thing. I was trying to calm those nerves. I was pretty excited, obviously, to get out there, but after the first, I settled in nicely and felt pretty good about the outing."

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Olson finished the second inning with back-to-back nasty sliders to strike out Harrison Bader, the first sign of dominance. He then settled in by throwing first-pitch strikes to all three batters in the third inning, sending down three in a row.

"I probably threw three (good sliders) tonight," Olson said, "and two of them were back-to-back to Bader right there."

Olson remained steady into the sixth inning, retiring Francisco Lindor and Alonso during his third time through the Mets' batting order before Alvarez chased Olson with a ground-ball double to the gap in left-center field.

Right-handed reliever Will Vest replaced Olson for a matchup with DJ Stewart, a left-handed hitter. Vest sprayed three consecutive pitches to fall behind 3-0 in the count, but he used a fourth-pitch middle-middle fastball to his advantage.

Stewart flew out to left field.

Olson threw 5⅔ scoreless innings on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He generated 13 whiffs.

"I know I have the stuff that it takes to get outs," Olson said. "Now, it's just about execution. Tonight, I didn't really have a feel for my slider, but I know it's probably my best pitch, so I'm not really worried about that. I think the big thing for me going forward is hammering first-pitch strikes and being able to be in the strike zone with all five pitches."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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Next up: Mets

Matchup: Tigers (4-0) at N.Y. Mets (0-4).

First pitch: 7:10 p.m. Tuesday; Citi Field, New York.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Probable pitchers: Tigers — RHP Casey Mize (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2023); Mets — RHP Adrian Houser (8-5, 4.12 ERA in 2023).