Mets rally past Tigers 2-1 for 1st win of season, doubleheader split
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso launched a tying home run leading off the ninth inning, Tyrone Taylor lined a game-winning single and the New York Mets — after going 13 innings without a hit — rallied past the Detroit Tigers 2-1 for their first victory of the season Thursday and a doubleheader split.
“Obviously, nice to get the first one finally,” said rookie manager Carlos Mendoza, who was doused with beer, champagne and eggs following his first big league win.
Harrison Bader’s bloop single to start the eighth was New York’s first hit in the second game. But the Mets (1-5) finally broke through in the ninth and avoided starting 0-6 for the first time since their second season in 1963.
After consecutive rainouts the previous two days, the announced crowd of 15,020 on a chilly afternoon at Citi Field was the smallest for a Mets game, besides pandemic restrictions during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, since the ballpark opened in 2009.
“I’m just really happy that we were able to turn the page and get the win in the second game,” Alonso said.
New York blew a threerun lead in the opener and lost 6-3 in 11 innings after Colt Keith hit a tiebreaking double. Gio Urshela added a two-run single.
Javier Baez had an early RBI single in the second game for the Tigers (5-1), who were the last unbeaten team in the majors.
“We just won two backto-back series, so obviously happy with that,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “This was a tough loss, no doubt. We had a slim margin pretty much the whole game. Couldn’t quite get anything across to extend it.”
Bader’s soft single to left-center broke up a combined no-hit bid by Matt Manning and Tyler Holton and ended the longest hitless skid (by innings) in Mets history. Alex Faedo stranded Bader at second base by striking out Francisco Lindor.
A converted starter looking for his first big league save, Faedo then gave up the home run to Alonso — his college teammate at Florida — on a low changeup. The drive gave Alonso his 500th career RBI.
“It’s one of those that I just felt it. I’m like, oh nice,” Alonso said. “We definitely needed that one.”
Faedo (0-1) walked Brett Baty, who advanced on Starling Marte’s sacrifice bunt before racing home on Taylor’s first walk-off hit.
Reed Garrett (1-0) tossed three shutout innings in relief for his second major league win. New York’s rally spared Jose Buttó a hardluck loss after he allowed one run and struck out six in six innings.