series recap: Mets at Tigers

The Tigers got pounded in the first two games of the three game set, before Justin Verlander restored some order.

On Tuesday night the Mets broke a grand slam drought that dates back to the 2009 season and lasted 339 games by hitting grand slams in consecutive innings. For good measure they added a bases loaded triple in the game. The result was a 14-3 rout. Rick Porcello gave up 7 runs on 11 hits in 3.2 innings of work. He fell to 6-6 on the season.

Daniel Schlereth gave up another 6 runs in 1.1 innings of work.

Austin Jackson hit a 2 run homer for Detroit. It was his 4th of the season. Andy Dirks also added his 4th.

Saturday was a slugfest, but the Mets topped 10 runs for the 4th straight game, and topped 14 in 3 of those as they outslugged Detroit 16-9.

Detroit hit 5 homers to the Mets 0. It was the first time since 2007 that a team outhomered its opponent by at least 5 but still lost.


Phil Coke gave up 8 runs, 7 earned, in 4 innings of work to drop to 1-8 on the season.

Every Tiger pitcher but one gave up at least one run, though Ryan Perry at least pitched 2.1 innings of 1 run ball. The one pitcher who didn't? Don Kelly, who got the final out of the 9th. He does everything else, why not pitch? It was the first appearance by a Detroit position player since 2007.

For Detroit Miguel Cabrera was 2-4 with home runs 16 and 17 on the year and 4 RBIs. Ryan Raburn was 2-3 with his 7th homer of the season, a double, and 2 RBIs. Jhonny Peralta was 2-4 with his 13th homer of the season. Andy Dirks hit a pinch hit homer, his 5th of the year and second in two games, and had 2 RBIs. In fact, 8 of Detroit's 10 hits were doubles or home runs. But just when it looked like Detroit might slug itself back into the game, the Mets added another big inning.

In the series finale, Justin Verlander finally cooled off the Met bats. He allowed 1 run in 7 innings, that on a solo home run. Brennan Boesch helped him out in the 7th as it looked like he was tiring at about 110 pitchers or so, by throwing out a runner at home trying to score on a sac fly. The inning quickly went from runner at 3rd and nobody out in a 5-1 game to none on two outs, and Verlander closed out the inning.

Joaquin Benoit gave up a solo homer in the 8th but handed things over to Jose Valverde in the 9th who finished for his 19th save. Verlander upped his record to 11-3 on the season, and tied CC Sabathia for the Major League lead in wins.

Andy Dirks was 2-3 with a homer for his third straight game. He now has 6. Ramon Santiago was 2-4 with an RBI. Austin Jackson and Alex Avila also drove in runs. Brennan Boesch was 2-5. Detroit won 5-2 to salvage a game from the series.