The Detroit Tigers ran into a familiar buzzsaw on Tuesday night, and it wasn't just the New York Mets doing the damage—it was their own sloppy play. In a 10-2 blowout at Citi Field, the injury-plagued Tigers stumbled through their 11th loss in 16 games, serving up a painful reminder of why consistency remains elusive for this young squad.

From the first pitch, things unraveled. Walks piled up, defensive miscues multiplied, and the offense went silent when it mattered most. The Tigers went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, a stat that tells the whole story. But the defining moment came in the sixth inning: third baseman Gage Workman, just called up on Sunday, had a golden chance to escape a jam with a double play. Instead, his throw sailed into right field, opening the floodgates for two Mets runs—and the hole only grew from there.

The Mets, surprisingly, came into this game struggling themselves at 16-25, having lost three of their last four. But against the Tigers, they looked like a powerhouse, racking up 13 hits and six walks. It was the kind of night where even catcher Jake Rogers ended up on the mound—a sure sign things had gone completely off the rails.

For Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, the frustration was palpable. Before the game, he had joked with starter Jack Flaherty about needing to channel his last outing, when he struck out 10 Red Sox batters. That version of Flaherty never showed up. He managed just two strikeouts against three walks, was pulled with one out in the fourth, and allowed three earned runs. "It was a step in the right direction," Hinch had said of Flaherty's previous start. This one, unfortunately, was a step back.

The Tigers (19-23) will try to regroup Wednesday night, with Framber Valdez taking the mound fresh off a five-game suspension. If there's a silver lining, it's that baseball gives you a chance to reset the next day. But for a team that keeps tripping over its own feet, that reset can't come soon enough.