After an extra innings win in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader and seven innings of hitless baseball in the second, the Tigers appeared to be heading into Friday’s home opener on a high note.
But the Mets had different plans, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to walk things off 2-1, handing Detroit its first loss of the season.
Matt Manning, called up from Toledo to start the second game as the 27th man on the roster, threw 5.2 innings without allowing a hit. With 90 pitches and four walks, he was pulled with two outs in the 6th, which was finished off by Tyler Holton.
The combined no-hitter remained in-tact until Harrison Bader’s leadoff single off Holton in the 8th.
Detroit still took a 1-0 lead — powered by Javy Baez’s RBI-single way back in the 2nd — into the 9th, but that disappeared quickly with Pete Alonso solo shot.
After a Brett Baty walk and a sacrifice bunt, Tyrone Taylor drove in the winning run.
Tarik Skubal will take the mound Friday afternoon at Comerica Park against the Athletics as Detroit looks to improve on its best start since 2015.