Scherzer Struggles in Return as Mets Drop Nightcap to Tigers, 8-1

The Mets took on the Detroit Tigers in the second game of their doubleheader at Comerica Park on Wednesday night as Max Scherzer made his return from his 10-game suspension. After only pitching three innings over the last three weeks, Scherzer had no command and gave up six runs in 3 1/3 innings.  The Mets lost 8-1,  and were swept in the doubleheader to fall to 16-15.

In his first outing since his ejection in Los Angeles on April 19, Scherzer was not sharp to begin his night. After a leadoff walk and an infield single, Scherzer got ahead of Javier Báez but put an 0-2 fastball over the plate that allowed the free-swinging Báez to advance the lead runner to third base on a fly out to right field. Nick Maton followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in the game’s first run. With two outs, Spencer Torkelson hit an RBI double to the gap in left-center to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

In the second inning, Eric Haase continued to torment Mets pitching by clubbing his second home run of the doubleheader. The 0-1 slider from Scherzer was on the outside corner of the plate, but stayed up about belt-high for the Tigers’ catcher to give Detroit a 3-0 lead.

After a scoreless third inning for Scherzer, the Mets got a run back in the top of the fourth inning. Pete Alonso walked to start the inning, and Daniel Vogelbach laced a double down the right-field line to cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-1. The Mets were unable to move Vogelbach any further though after reaching second base with nobody out.

Just as quickly as the Mets cut into the lead in the top of the fourth inning, the Tigers broke the game open in the bottom half of the inning. After Scherzer allowed a leadoff single, Matt Vierling hit the Tigers’ second home run of the game to make it a 5-1 game. Scherzer followed the home run by allowing singles to two of the next three hitters to put an end to his night.

With two runners on base, the Mets turned to Zach Muckenhirn to make his MLB debut. His first pitch to Riley Greene was smoked for an RBI single to give the Tigers a 6-1 lead and close the book on Scherzer’s night.

Max Scherzer’s final line. pic.twitter.com/vgB4QwicZx

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 3, 2023

After the single by Greene, Muckenhirn settled in. He got out of the fourth inning thanks to a 1-4-3 double-play from Báez, then followed with a perfect fifth inning.

José Butto entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, and had a solid outing of his own. Butto threw scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, and went back out for the eighth inning. He allowed a leadoff single and was pulled for John Curtiss after a strikeout. Curtiss got the second out, but a double from Haase and a two-run single by Andy Ibáñez extended the Tigers’ lead to 8-1.

The Mets failed to get any offense going after the fourth inning, and trailing by seven runs, the Mets went down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to close out their second loss of the day. The doubleheader sweep was the Mets first in their previous 26 doubleheaders and their first since 2020 when they were swept by the Nationals.

Player of the Game: Zach Muckenhirn

Not much went well for the Mets on Wednesday night, but Muckenhirn had a quality first-career outing. The former 11th-round pick allowed a hit on his first pitch, but bounced back by getting a double play, then retired all three batters he faced the following inning.

On Deck

The Mets will look to salvage the finale of their series with Detroit on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET. Justin Verlander will make his highly-anticipated Mets debut against the team he spent his first 13 years in the majors with. Verlander has pitched 189 games at Comerica Park and has a lifetime 3.19 ERA over 1,263 2/3 innings in Detroit. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-2, 2.21 ERA) will make the start for the Tigers. After a poor start in his second game of the season against the Astros, Rodriguez has not allowed more than one run in any of his last four starts.

The game will be broadcast on SNY (and MLB Network for the out-of-market Met fans,) and the radio call will be on WCBS 880.

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