The Mets returned home after their west coast road trip to face the Tigers. Freddy Peralta was taking the mound for the Mets, looking to try and get back on the right foot after losing the final two games (and the series) against the Diamondbacks. Jack Flaherty was starting for the Tigers, struggling so far in 2026 with an ERA north of 5.50 and just 34 innings pitched across eight starts. And it was a very special day for Mets top prospect A.J. Ewing, who was getting his first start as a major leaguer, playing in center field and batting eighth.
The first inning was quiet for both sides, with each team having one base runner and both teams stranding that runner. Dillon Dingler hit a solo home run to lead off the second inning for the Tigers, putting the first run of the game on the board. A single and a double put runners on second and third with no outs, and Spencer Torkelson hit a sacrifice to score the Tigers’ second run of the game. Peralta was able to work his way out of the jam to stop the scoring there. In the bottom of the inning the Mets immediately threatened to come back, loading the bases with only one out. Francisco Alvarez drove in the Mets first run on a force out, but that was all the Mets could do in the inning.
Advertisement
In the bottom of the third Mark Vientos hit an RBI single to drive in Bo Bichette and tie the game, and in the bottom of the fourth Carson Benge hit an RBI single to drive in Alvarez and take the lead. The Mets were able to drive Flaherty from the game with two outs in the fourth after he gave up three runs on six hits and three walks.
In the bottom of the sixth, facing Burch Smith, the Mets loaded the bases with one out. In the midst of it, Alvarez hurt himself while at bat and had to be removed from the game, with Luis Torrens coming in to replace him. Bo Bichette came up and hit what should’ve been an inning ending double play. But when Gage Workman threw the ball into right field instead of to second base, two runs scored to give the Mets a three run lead with still just one out. Smith was then pulled in favor of Emmanuel De Jesus. Juan Soto hit a dribbler back to Torkelson at first whose only play was to get the out at first allowing Benge to score as the Mets third and final run of the inning before De Jesus finally got out of it.
Brooks Raley came in to relieve Freddy Peralta, who recorded a quality start giving up just two runs in six innings, with seven strikeouts and just one walk. Raley dealt with a little trouble, ending up with runners on second and third with just one out. But he got through it without allowing a run to score and keeping the Mets lead intact. In the bottom of the seventh, De Jesus was still in the game, and he had given up a single to Brett Baty bookended by outs to put him one out away from a clean inning. But A.J. Ewing, who had already walked twice and gotten his first stolen base earlier in the game, got his first major league hit (and RBI) and made it count, hitting a triple that drove in Baty. Ricky Vanasco came in to try and get the Tigers out of it without any further damage. Luis Torrens hit an RBI single to drive in Ewing as the Mets’ eighth run of the game, but that was the end of the Mets seventh inning outburst.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Mets continued to pile on. Two singles led to runners on the corners with just one out. Austin Slater (who was brought in to pinch hit for MJ Melendez earlier in the game) hit a dribbler up the first base line, and Vanasco fielded the ball but lost it on the transfer to his hand, allowing Slater to reach safely and Soto to score. An infield single for Semien loaded the bases, and Ewing walked to drive in yet another run for the Mets, his third walk and second RBI of the game. That drove Vanasco from the game in favor of Jake Rogers, a position player taking the mound. He was able to get the final out of the inning and get the Tigers up for their last chance, with eight runs distancing them from just coming even with the Mets.
Advertisement
Austin Warren pitched both the eighth and ninth innings, and he went scoreless in both, delivering the Mets the first win of the homestand and helping to keep the rest of the bullpen rested. They started the homestand off on the right foot and saw a burgeoning young star potentially emerge in A.J. Ewing’s first major league game. Next, they have to face Framber Valdez behind Christian Scott, who’s looking to build on his last performance and put his shaky first start behind him.
SB Nation GameThreads
Amazin’ Avenue
Bless You Boys
Box scores
MLB.com
ESPN
Win Probability Added
What’s WPA?
Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette, +15% WPA
Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -14% WPA
Mets pitchers: +16% WPA
Mets hitters: +34% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s third inning single, +11.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Dillon Dingler’s second inning home run, -11% WPA
Read the full article here