Daisuke Matsuzaka Loses Debut for Mets

After two innings, it appeared this Daisuke Matsuzaka experiment might not last very long. The Tigers pummeled him early in his first start for the Mets Friday night, but then he settled down. Still, he got the Mets in a hole that the meager offense just could not overcome as Detroit went on to beat the Mets.

Torri Hunter hit a long home run to left in the first inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Mets got the run right back in the bottom of the inning. Eric Young led off with a single and stole second. He got caught off base on a Daniel Murphy grounder. Young was tagged out and Murphy hustled to second. Marlon Byrd then singled to tie the score.

The Tigers got back to work against Dice-K in the second. Omar Infante singled and was sacrificed to second. Austin Jackson walked. Hunter then hit a drive to deep center over the head of Juan Lagares. It went for a ground rule double that scored Infante to break the tie. The unstoppable Miguel Cabrera then hit a monster shot into the seats in left for a three-run homer that gave the Tigers a 5-1 lead. Cabrera has 41 home runs and 126 RBIs to go along with his .356 average. In contrast, the Mets leader in home runs and RBIs is Marlon Byrd, with 21 and 71, respectively.

After those first terrible two innings, Daisuke Matsuzaka went on to retire the Tigers in order for the next three innings. He was removed after five innings and 86 pitches. He allowed five runs on six hits, with four strikeouts and a walk. He probably earned himself another start based on his last three innings.

Jackson homered off of Carlos Torres in the seventh to make it 6-1.

The Mets had their chances to score but they squandered them. They actually out hit the Tigers 10-to-eight, but they left two runners on base in four innings.

Mets lose 6-1.