The Detroit Tigers' road trip turned into a nightmare, capped off by a painful 9-4 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday. It was the fifth defeat in six games away from home, and this time, the Mets—who had been struggling at the bottom of the NL—completed a sweep with a late-inning rally that left the Tigers shell-shocked.
Manager A.J. Hinch was ejected after a controversial out call, and the team's frustration was palpable. If this feels like a rerun of a horror movie, you're not alone. The Tigers have now lost 13 of their last 18 games, a brutal reversal after winning 10 of 13 earlier in the season. Their road record is now an abysmal 7-19, the worst in Major League Baseball—a mark that ranks among the franchise's worst 25-game stretches in history.
The Tigers actually started strong, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Colt Keith walked, Riley Greene singled, and Gage Workman crushed a three-run homer over the left-field fence. That early surge was no fluke: Detroit entered the game with the best first-inning on-base percentage in baseball (.383 OBP) and a top-five OPS (.830). But the momentum didn't last.
Mets starter Nolan McLean, an NL Rookie of the Year candidate, settled in after the rocky first. McLean came into the game with historic numbers—one of only three pitchers ever to strike out 114-plus batters while allowing 25 or fewer earned runs in his first 16 starts. "I'd be pretty mature, too, if I could throw 99 and pitch with any sequence," Hinch said before the game, tipping his cap to the rookie's talent.
In the fourth inning, Workman doubled, but the Tigers couldn't capitalize. Zach McKinstry hit a blooper to left field, and Workman got caught between second and third, snuffing out a potential rally. From there, the Mets took over, scoring late to seal the sweep.
For Tigers fans, this road trip was a trainwreck—and a clear sign that the team's early-season promise has given way to a harsh reality check. The bats have gone quiet on the road, and the pitching hasn't been able to hold leads. As the Tigers head home, they'll need to find answers fast before this horror flick becomes a season-long nightmare.