Adam Ottavino blows late lead to cost Mets in brutal loss to Tigers

DETROIT — Adam Ottavino’s first appearance since returning from the paternity list wasn’t exactly an “Oh, baby!” moment for the Mets on Wednesday.

The dependable right-hander was entrusted an eighth-inning lead in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Tigers and got burned by a confluence of bad luck and one hittable pitch.

“I didn’t execute in the big moment there,” Ottavino said after Eric Haase’s two-run single sank the Mets in their 6-5 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. “I have got to be better. I will be better.”

Jimmy Yacabonis pitched three perfect innings in relief, getting the ball to Ottavino in the eighth with the Mets ahead 5-4. But Ottavino allowed a bloop single to Matt Vierling and drilled Javier Baez with a pitch before missing with a fastball with runners on second and third that Haase smashed for the go-ahead hit. Ottavino’s blown save was the third by the Mets’ bullpen in 12 chances this season.

Ottavino, who had been perfect in his previous three save opportunities this season, was pitching for the first time since last Wednesday — he was placed on the paternity list after that game. In three of his last four appearances he’s been scored upon.

Vierling’s single that started the winning rally landed just in front of sliding Starling Marte, who was playing deep in right field.

“I got a good jump on it — I thought I was running hard there,” Marte said through an interpreter. “But the ball was just too far and I couldn’t get there.”

Added Buck Showalter: “If [Marte] can’t catch it nobody will.”

Joey Lucchesi lasted only four innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits with one strikeout. The performance was the left-hander’s worst in three starts since his recall from Triple-A Syracuse. Showalter indicated he removed Lucchesi after only 46 pitches to keep open the possibility he can be used Sunday, when the Mets are without a scheduled starting pitcher.

Haase’s three-run homer in the first started the day in the wrong direction for Lucchesi, who allowed three hits in the inning. Baez homered leading off the third for the Tigers’ fourth run against Lucchesi.

“I feel like I calmed myself down,” Lucchesi said. “I made some bad pitches in the first, I mixed it up a little bit more [after that]. … That one bad pitch to Haase is what changed my whole outing.”

The Mets used the long ball to stay close before taking the lead: Tommy Pham homered leading off the second and Mark Canha’s blast later in the inning pulled the Mets within 3-2. Pham snapped an 0-for-17 slump with his homer.

Francisco Lindor’s two-run homer gave the Mets a 5-4 lead in the fifth against Joey Wentz. In the inning, Brett Baty and Tomas Nido each delivered a single and advanced bases on sloppy defense. Baty took second on his leadoff single after center fielder Riley Greene misplayed it. Nido followed with a single to left — on which Baty had stopped at third — but Andy Ibanez’s errant throw allowed the lesd runner to score with Nido advancing to second. With two outs, Lindor hit a shot into the left-field seats for his fifth homer.

The Mets went down quietly from that point, and Showalter indicated the team’s inability to add on was a factor.

“You could make a case for that, but I am proud of the way we were down 3-0 right out of the shoot and Lucchesi kind of locked it in there and gave us a chance other than the solo [homer] after that,” Showalter said. “Yacabonis did a great job and our guys fought back there. You would always like to [add on], but the other pitchers don’t always cooperate. They pitched pretty well after that.”