The Mets did just about everything needed to win a game Monday night — except score a run.
A brutal stretch by this Mets lineup to start the season continued in a 5-0 loss to the Tigers in 10 innings at Citi Field.
The Mets lost their fourth straight, placing rookie manager Carlos Mendoza’s first MLB victory on hold for yet another day.
Michael Tonkin surrendered five unearned runs in the 10th inning after the Mets had amassed only five hits against Reese Olson and the Tigers bullpen.
Joey Wendle’s fielding error in the 10th — after Mark Canha was hit by a pitch — allowed the automatic runner to score the game’s first run.
Javier Baez’s sacrifice fly brought in another before Carson Kelly provided the dagger with a three-run homer.
The Mets last began a season with four straight losses in 2005, when they started 0-5.
Sean Manaea became the first Mets starting pitcher this season to extend beyond the fifth inning.
The left-hander fired six shutout innings with one hit allowed, two walks and eight strikeouts in his Mets debut.
Andy Ibanez’s single to left with two outs in the sixth gave the Tigers their first hit against Manaea.
Kelly, running from second base, received the green light from third-base coach Joey Cora and was thrown out at the plate by Brandon Nimmo to end the inning. Manaea’s 5 ²/₃ innings hitless was the longest no-hit bid for a pitcher in his Mets debut.
Manaea retired the first 12 batters he faced before Riley Greene walked leading off the fifth.
But Manaea retired the next three batters, despite allowing hard-hit balls in the inning to Canha and Gio Urshela.
Overall, Manaea got 13 swings and misses, seven of which came on his four-seam fastball.
The lefty topped out at 95.5 mph with the four-seamer and averaged 92.6 mph with the pitch. His eight strikeouts matched his season-high from last year.
The Mets had their best early scoring opportunity in the first inning, after Nimmo was hit by a pitch and Francisco Lindor walked.
Olson rebounded to retire Pete Alonso before getting Francisco Alvarez, who was batting cleanup for the second time in his career, to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Alvarez hustled a single into a double with two outs in the sixth for the Mets’ third hit against Olson.
But Will Vest entered to retire DJ Stewart, keeping the game scoreless.
Marte’s leadoff single in the seventh gave the Mets hope before Brett Baty, Harrison Bader and Wendle were retired in succession.
Baez’s swinging bunt for an infield single in the eighth gave the Tigers their second hit.
Brooks Raley escaped by getting Kelly to hit into an inning-ending double play.