Justin Verlander booed as Mets fall in his Citi Field debut - ESPN

NEW YORK — When the Mets signed Justin Verlander, they expected the reigning Cy Young Award winner would bring joy to fans at Citi Field.

But his first impression Tuesday brought down boos.

Verlander struggled in his debut in Queens, his third outing since recovering from a teres major strain that delayed his start to the season. He allowed six runs on eight hits, including two homers, with three strikeouts and two walks across five innings as the Mets dropped an 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. New York now sits at 20-23, a season-worst three games under .500, while Tampa Bay improved to 32-11.

«I understand the fans are frustrated; we're frustrated, too,» Verlander said. «We expect to be better. I expect to be better. I think this entire organization expects to be better, and there's only one thing left to do, and that's put your head down, work hard and find your way out of this slump.»

Mets manager Buck Showalter said the fans' boos aligned with the current vibe of the Mets' clubhouse.

«People come out here and want to see the Mets win, want to see us do well, and they get frustrated just like we do,» Showalter said. «I understand that, but we control it every night. They want us to do well. We control that. Play better and that won't happen. That's part of playing here when you're doing something that's very important to people.»

After looking sharp through his first two outings with the Mets, Verlander looked shaky Tuesday.

The right-hander allowed a pair of base runners in the first and second inning but got out unscathed. The Rays created pressure again in the third with a leadoff infield single from first baseman Harold Ramirez followed by a walk from shortstop Wander Franco. After a Brandon Lowe strikeout and a