Sean Manaea again struggles as Mets hang on for 10-8 win in Detroit
Left-hander’s third straight short outing increases bullpen workload, but he is expected to remain in the rotation
DETROIT — Sean Manaea called his season "very frustrating" after a short, uneven outing Monday that left the New York Mets relying on their offense and bullpen to secure a 10-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Manaea lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking one. The left-hander entered the game with a 5.60 ERA and has failed to complete five innings in each of his last three starts, a stretch that has increased strain on New York's relief corps.
"I have high expectations of myself and this organization," Manaea said after the game. "Everyone is pulling their weight, everyone is doing their thing and I’m not. It’s just very frustrating. I wish I had an answer for it, but I don’t. I will figure it out."
Manaea fell behind on the first pitch he threw, as Jahmai Jones led off the game with a home run. He surrendered additional long balls and damage in the early innings, leaving with the Mets trailing and the bullpen tasked with multiple innings in a close contest. New York's offense produced enough runs to overcome Detroit's scoring and preserve the win.
The outing continued a recent pattern of starting pitching struggles for the Mets. Kodai Senga, who had a poor start the day before, and David Peterson, who struggled in Saturday's outing against the Miami Marlins, have also failed to provide length. Those consecutive short turns have forced New York's relievers into heavier workloads during a critical stretch of the season.
Despite the uneven performances, the Mets are expected to keep Manaea in the rotation. Team officials and reporting indicated there was no immediate plan to remove him from his starting role, with the club appearing to prefer working through the rough patch rather than make a roster change.
Managerial comments after the game emphasized the need for better, more consistent outings from the rotation but did not signal an imminent change to the starting staff. For Manaea, the focus remains on finding adjustments that will allow him to eat more innings and reduce reliance on the bullpen as the regular season progresses.
The Mets head into their next start with the rotation's health and consistency under scrutiny. Manaea's willingness to acknowledge the problem publicly and his insistence that he will "figure it out" set the immediate narrative as the team balances short-term results with long-term rotation stability.