The Detroit Tigers let another golden opportunity slip through their fingers, wasting a gem from left-hander Framber Valdez in his return from a five-game suspension.

Making his first start since serving the suspension, Valdez was electric, holding the New York Mets to just one run over 6⅔ innings before departing with a 2-1 lead. The southpaw struck out seven and walked only two, looking every bit the ace the Tigers hoped they were getting.

But baseball is a cruel game, and the Tigers' bats went silent when it mattered most. Despite playing clean defense and getting solid contributions up and down the lineup, Detroit couldn't deliver the knockout blow. They went a frustrating 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving a small army of baserunners stranded.

The dagger came in the 10th inning, when Mets rookie Carson Benge lined a single up the middle to score fellow first-year player A.J. Ewing, sending the Citi Field crowd home happy and the Tigers to another heartbreaking loss.

It's a familiar story for Detroit, which has now dropped 12 of its last 17 games. The Tigers have the talent to compete, but their inability to come through in clutch situations continues to haunt them.

The series finale is set for Wednesday afternoon, with right-hander Keider Montero expected to take the mound for Detroit. Rain is in the forecast, but the Tigers will be hoping for clearer skies—both overhead and in their fortunes.