When the New York Mets signed Justin Verlander, they had high expectations for the reigning Cy Young Award winner to bring joy to fans at Citi Field. However, his debut Tuesday was met with disappointment as the fans booed him. This was Verlander’s third outing since he recovered from a teres major strain that delayed his start to the season. In his five innings on the mound, he allowed six runs on eight hits, including two homers, with three strikeouts and two walks. This resulted in the Mets’ 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, leaving them at a season-worst three games under .500. Meanwhile, the Rays improved to 32-11.
Verlander expressed his understanding of the fans’ frustration, stating that he expected better from himself and the entire organization. He recognized that there was only one way to get out of their slump, and that was to continue working hard and putting in the effort to improve their performance.
Mets manager Buck Showalter acknowledged that the fans’ boos were in line with the current mood of the Mets’ clubhouse. He added that the fans came to see the Mets win and do well, and when they failed to deliver, the fans got frustrated. Showalter stressed that they needed to play better and control the game to prevent such reactions from the fans.
Verlander had appeared sharp in his first two outings with the Mets. However, Tuesday’s game was different, and he struggled to keep up. The right-hander allowed a couple of base-runners in the first and second innings but managed to get out unscathed. The Rays created pressure again in the third, and Verlander allowed his first homer of the night, making the score 3-0. The fourth inning saw Verlander allowing a one-out double to Christian Bethancourt that led to a two-out RBI single from Harold Ramirez, making the score 4-0. In the fifth inning, Verlander allowed a two-run homer to left field by Isaac Paredes on a 94 mph inside fastball, further adding to the Mets’ woes.
Verlander’s performance on Tuesday was his worst of the season, with his previous starts showing much better results. In his three starts this season, Verlander has allowed nine runs in 17 innings pitched, giving him an ERA of 4.76.
Verlander’s sentiments regarding his performance were clear as he expressed his disappointment with the result and candidly admitted that he felt he played poorly. He acknowledged that he needed to work on his mechanics and fix his issues quickly.
To make matters worse, the new scoreboard at Citi Field malfunctioned in the sixth inning, displaying an enormous Rays logo across the entire screen. This only added insult to injury on a night when the Mets struggled to show any optimism.
Although the Mets managed to score some runs off a solo homer from Brett Baty, a two-run shot from Pete Alonso, and a two-run, pinch-hit homer from Eduardo Escobar, it was not enough to save them from defeat. Verlander expressed his surprise at the Mets’ current position, three games below .500 halfway through May and sitting in fourth place in the National League East, ahead of just the Washington Nationals. He emphasized the need to make things happen and find their mojo sooner rather than later if they hoped to succeed.
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