The Detroit Tigers saw some evidence their long rebuild might be nearing its completion during a season-opening sweep of the Chicago White Sox.
The New York Mets have to hope being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers isn’t a sign their retooling effort will take far longer than expected.
The Tigers will look to remain perfect and the Mets will attempt to earn their first win Monday night, when Detroit visits New York in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Right-hander Reese Olson (5-7, 3.99 ERA in 2023) is slated to start for the Tigers against left-hander Sean Manaea (7-6, 4.44 ERA in 2023), who will be making his Mets debut.
The Tigers earned their third straight one-run victory Sunday afternoon, when Andy Ibanez delivered the tiebreaking, ninth-inning single in a 3-2 win over the host White Sox. The Mets remained winless after a 4-1 loss to the visiting Brewers.
The 3-0 start is the first for the Tigers since 2016, which was also the last time they finished with a winning record. Detroit entered this season with a record of 419-610 since 2017, second worst in the majors in that span ahead of only the Kansas City Royals.
But the Tigers displayed some resiliency in the sweep of the White Sox, which began with a 1-0 win Thursday. Detroit overcame a three-run deficit in a 7-6, 10-inning win Saturday. The Tigers squandered a seventh-inning lead Sunday before Gio Urshela singled with one out in the ninth and Zach McKinstry drew a two-out walk before Ibanez’s hit scored pinch runner Matt Vierling.
“We’ll play our 27 outs and we’ll play 30 if we have to,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We will play the whole game, and it looks like this team is pretty resolute to find a way. And that’s a good way to start the season.”
The season couldn’t have got off to a much worse start for the Mets, who went 75-87 last year before firing manager Buck Showalter. They hired David Stearns as president of baseball operations late in the 2023 campaign.
Now the Mets are off to their first 0-3 start since 2014. New York was one-hit in a 3-1 loss Friday and fell 7-6 Saturday, when it scored four runs in the final two innings.
Rookie manager Carlos Mendoza was suspended for the Sunday game as a result of Yohan Ramirez throwing behind Rhys Hoskins on Saturday. Ramirez was suspended three games but appealed the punishment.
Ramirez pitched three innings Sunday in relief of Tylor Megill, who gave up two runs (one earned) over four innings before leaving with what the Mets called a tender right shoulder. New York starters gave up nine runs (eight earned) over 13 2/3 innings against Milwaukee.
“It doesn’t feel good at all,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It was a tough weekend for sure. You want to open up the season winning, and right now we’re not in that column. Hopefully quick, we better get in that column.”
Olson, who made an Opening Day roster for the first time, has never opposed the Mets.
Manaea, who spent last season with the San Francisco Giants before signing a two-year, $28 million deal with New York in January, is 3-2 with a 3.98 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers.
–Field Level Media
