Tigers' Matt Manning shows why he deserved to be in the 2024 rotation

Detroit Tigers right-hander Matt Manning was optioned to Triple-A Toledo right before the start of the 2024 MLB season. After a pair of games against the Mets were rained out, resulting in him being added to the Tigers' roster as the 27th man, he had the opportunity to show why deserved to be on the big league roster instead.

And did he ever!

In the second game of a double header, Manning threw 5-2/3 hitless innings against New York. Unfortunately, the Mets managed to rally after that for a 2-1 walk-off win.

Tigers RHP Matt Manning gave up no hits vs Mets in 2024 debut

Manning struck out three batters and walked another four, being pulled after 90 pitches.

The Tiger carried the no-hitter into the eighth inning before it was broken up by Harrison Bader. Tyler Holton had been steller up until that moment. The Tigers' pitching staff on the whole had, really, keeping the Mets hitless for 14 innings dating back to the first game.

Manning had a little bit of everything working, getting seven whiffs on 38 swings (18 percent), including three of 15 on his sweeper (per Baseball Savant).

Manning's 4-seamer hit 95.8 mph with an average of 93.2 mph.

Mets rally in the ninth to beat Tigers

Tigers reliever Alex Faedo took the loss after giving up a game-tying home run in the ninth inning to Pete Alonso and then a walk-off hit to Tyrone Taylor. Despite the way the final inning went, you have to feel pretty good about a 5-1 road trip to open the season, especially when the last time the Tigers started so well on the road came all the way back in 2006. As we know, something good happened that year.

The Tigers' lone run in the contest came on an RBI-single off the bat of Javy Baez, scoring Colt Keith.

The Tigers came back to win the earlier game of the day, 6-3 in 11 innings.

The Tigers (5-1) now head home to Detroit for their Comerica Park opener against the Oakland Athletics on Friday. The game is set for 1:10 p.m. ET.

Contrary to the mostly wet weather in New York, there's no rain in the forcast though temperatures will be in the low-to-mid 40s during the game.