DETROIT — When the top of the fifth inning began, the Mets were behind 4-2. One sudden downpour, two outfield errors and a Francisco Lindor home run later, the sun was out and the Mets were on top 5-4.
But then the stormclouds returned and the sky darkened once again, almost as though it was an ominous foretelling of the Mets’ eventual fate. Adam Ottavino blew the save when he gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth and the Detroit Tigers retook the lead.
The Mets fell to the Tigers 6-5 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park. Nothing came easy.
With Ottavino (0-2) trying to hold a 5-4 lead in the eighth, Matt Vierling hit a one-out single to right field and it deflected off of Starling Marte’s glove. He then hit one-time former Mets infielder Javier Baez to put two on with one out and the second out of the inning advanced the runners.
Eric Haase singled up the center to score both runners and doom the Mets (16-14).
Left-hander Tyler Alexander (1-0) pitched around a Brett Baty walk in the ninth to give the Tigers (11-17) the win.
The bullpen had to pick up five innings in relief of left-hander Joey Lucchesi, who put the Mets in a 3-0 hole in the bottom of the first. Home runs by Tommy Pham and Mark Canha in the second inning cut the lead to one, but Baez teed off on Lucchesi’s churve to lead off the third inning. It was the first pitch of the inning and even after he retired the next three hitters, he showed some frustration coming off the field. After pitching what he called the best game of his career in his return from Tommy John surgery two weeks ago, Lucchesi has yet to repeat that performance.
Lucchesi allowed five earned runs on four hits and struck out only one. This came after allowing three runs to the lowly Washington Nationals in his last start.
The Mets battled intermittent rain, winds and bitter cold throughout. In the bottom of the fifth, Brett Baty led off with a single and reached second on an error by the center fielder. Tomas Nido then singled to left field but Andy Ibañez’s throw to the catcher bounced right off of him and Baty came around to score.
Three batters later, Lindor took Joey Wentz back to right field for a two-run home run.
Tommy Pham went 3-for-4 with a home run. Right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis tossed three perfect innings and struck out three.
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