AMAZIN’S LOSE ON PLAY AT PLATE
Verrett's rotation days may be numbered after dismal loss to Tigers
DETROIT — Logan Verrett’s days as the fifth starter in the Mets’ rotation seemed numbered once Jon Niese returned to the organization last week, and now team brass has even further reason to consider a change.
The Mets are a mess mostly because of injuries to an already underwhelming lineup, but the rotation has been no savior lately, starting with Verrett’s turn every fifth day.
On Saturday, the righty was knocked out in the fourth inning, charged with six runs, as the Mets lost their second straight to the Tigers, 6-5 at Comerica Park.
In his six starts since Matt Harvey was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome that sent him to season-ending surgery, Verrett is winless with a 5.61 ERA.
Now it will fall on Jacob de-Grom to prevent the Mets from getting swept in three games when he faces Anibal Sanchez in Sunday’s series finale. Sunday marks one month since the Mets (56-54) last won consecutive games.
The Tigers played ugly defense in the sixth, committing two errors that helped the Mets pull within 6-5. But with the tying and go-ahead runs on base, Travis d’Arnaud hit into a double play.
The Mets even had a chance to rally in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but the game ended with Jay Bruce, representing the tying run, being thrown out at the plate trying to score from second after a d’Arnaud single.
Overall, the Mets were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Manager Terry Collins employed a lineup that included Ty Kelly in left field with Rene Rivera as the designated hitter in an attempt to put more righty bats against Tigers lefty Matt Boyd.
Kelly reached base three times, and Wilmer Flores also had a productive night as the first baseman, with two hits, but the Mets couldn’t rise to the challenge of escaping a five-run hole.
Niese, in his second appearance since the Pirates traded him back to the Mets on Monday, pitched 2 ¹/3 innings of scoreless relief in which he allowed three hits and one walk.
The Mets started a comeback in the fifth, getting a run on Curtis Granderson’s homer and another on Flores’ RBI single that pulled them within 6-3 against Boyd, who struck out d’Arnaud to escape further trouble. Boyd allowed three earned runs on six
hits and three walks over five innings.
For a second straight night, the Tigers pounced in the fourth to seize control. Miguel Cabrera, the ninth batter of the inning, slashed a two-run single that put the Mets in a 6-1 hole and completed the line on Verrett.
The damage in the inning started with Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s two-run single after Verrett had loaded the bases with nobody out. Ian Kinsler delivered an RBI single that gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead, prompting Collins to remove Verrett and insert Niese. Niese allowed an infield single to Tyler Collins before Cabrera’s single brought in two more runs.
Bruce launched a homer leading off the fourth Saturday to tie it 1-1. The homer was Bruce’s second since joining the Mets on Tuesday after a deal with the Reds. His first came Thursday, when he hit a three-run homer at Yankee Stadium.
Cabrera’s RBI double got the Tigers their first run. Collins walked before Cabrera delivered on an 0-2 pitch to give the Tigers a fast lead.
The Mets wasted a scoring chance in the first inning when Boyd retired Bruce and Flores in succession after Neil Walker’s single and Collins’ error in center field put runners on first and third with one out.