NEW YORK – For the third day in a row, the game started the same for the Tigers. They took an early lead against the Mets on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, but like the previous two games, it ended up as a loss – this time by the score of 9-4.
The Tigers were swept for the fourth time this season, with three of those coming on the road. They also dropped their road record to 7-19, and their .269 winning percentage on the road is the worst in baseball. It is their worst start on the road since they began the 2002 season at 6-20. Keep in mind that the 2026 Tigers are dealing with a plethora of injuries, from Tarik Skubal (elbow) to Gleyber Torres (left oblique strain).
The Tigers next go back to Detroit to play a three-game series against the Blue Jays. Don’t look for manager A.J. Hinch to panic. It’s only May 14. He acknowledged, however, that nothing is going right on the field.
“We are going to keep playing,” Hinch said. “I know this emotional roller coaster that we are on and there could be built-up frustration and there should be. We missed out on some opportunities, even having the lead in these three games. ...
“We are getting beat up a little bit. We are wearing it and it’s no fun. Obviously, we’ve had some really rough series. We haven’t clicked on all cylinders. We are not healthy and we have a game tomorrow. The schedule is relentless when you are down, but you must respond and keep playing.”
In Thursday’s drubbing, Detroit had Mets right-hander Nolan McLean on the ropes. Gage Workman’s three-run homer in the first inning gave the team the lead, but McLean shut them down during the next six innings.
“That’s baseball sometimes,” Workman said. “The boys are grinding through at-bats. We couldn’t string anything together after that [first inning].”
“McLean has a lot of different shapes moving in a lot of different directions,” Tigers outfielder Riley Greene said. “He is one of the best in the league. It is what it is."
Tigers right-hander Keider Montero couldn’t hold on to the early lead, lasting 4 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on four hits, taking his third loss of the season.
Starting with the Blue Jays on Friday night, it’s about playing one game at a time for the Tigers. Focus on what’s at hand. Don’t look far into the future or think about the past.
“It’s about getting to the ballpark tomorrow with a chance to win another game. You do your best and not drag this stuff into the next series,” Hinch said. “I have to talk about it every day. I just want the players to just show up and play, continue to try and get better. We have a lot of work to do to be the good team that we expect to be.”