Brewers 6-0 Mets (September 28, 2024) Game Recap

MILWAUKEE – Joey Ortiz drove in three runs for Milwaukee and the New York Mets scored just two as their playoff hopes suffered another setback with a 6-0 loss to the Brewers on Saturday night.

New York (87-72) lost its third straight game and fell one game behind Atlanta (88-71) in the NL wild-card race when the Braves beat Kansas City with a ninth-inning walk-off home run from former Met defeated Travis d’Arnaud 2-1.

The Mets got some help later Saturday night when Arizona lost 5-0 to San Diego. The Braves, Mets and Diamondbacks (88-73) are competing for the NL’s final two wild-card playoff spots.

“It’s a really short stretch, but we have three games, and three games are opportunities for us,” Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said. “To get where we need to go, we have to take advantage of opportunities.”

Both the Mets and Braves have an advantage over the Diamondbacks in the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Mets and Braves would play a doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday if their postseason fate was not resolved.

“Not winning in the last few days puts us in a difficult situation here,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We have to come back and win a game tomorrow. This is the end result. And then tomorrow at the end of the day, see where we are and then go to Atlanta and see what we have.”

Ortiz gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the fourth by sending a full-count curveball from Jose Quintana (10-10) to left center for a bases-loaded single.

Milwaukee opened the game in the eighth inning by scoring four runs against Reed Garrett, the first runs he allowed since August 18. The breakout included an RBI single by Willy Adames, a bases-loaded walk by Ortiz and a two-run single by Andruw Monasterio.

The NL Central champion Brewers improved to 12-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Mets, including 5-0 this season. The Brewers are 17 of 17 in stolen base attempts against the Mets after stealing two more on Saturday.

“We battled all season,” Ortiz said. “It doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the field or what position they are in. We worry about ourselves and this day.”

Quintana and four relievers combined for 18 strikeouts – the most in a nine-inning game since a 20 against Pittsburgh on Sept. 18, 2022. But New York was shut out for the first time since Aug. 23 and was only able to manage two hits or fewer , for the fifth time this year.

It was the third time the Brewers had at least 18 hits in a nine-inning game and the first time they won doing so.

Jose Iglesias singled in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 19 games, and Starling Marte hit a ground-rule double in the fifth inning. The only other time the Mets put a runner on base was when Iglesias drew a one-out walk in the ninth.

Quintana (10-10) came into the game with 22 2/3 consecutive shutout innings. He struck out nine while allowing two runs, five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.

After Milwaukee’s Jared Koenig pitched a scoreless first inning as the opener, Tobias Myers (9-6) took the lead, striking out five while allowing one hit and no walks in four innings.

Joel Payamps, Aaron Ashby, Nick Mears and Devin Williams each pitched a hitless inning.

“Sometimes days like this happen,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s happening right now, but all you can do is just pick it up, take your shots the next day and hope it changes. You enter your preparation and then submit it.”

After the Brewers took the lead in the fourth, Marte led off the fifth with a double and advanced to the third when Luis Torrens retired. Marte got stuck at third after Myers retired Harrison Bader with a liner to third and Luisangel Acuña with a fly to right.

TRAINER ROOM

Mets: C Francisco Alvarez was not on the roster after back spasms caused him to leave Friday’s 8-4 loss for the Mets. He failed a pinch-hitting attempt in the eighth inning. … SS Francisco Lindor did not play in the field and was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts as DH, a day after returning from a sore lower back that sidelined him for nearly two weeks.

Brewers: Although an MRI revealed no structural damage, OF Sal Frelick injured his hip Friday when he hit the right field wall while trying to catch a diving foul ball. The Brewers expect to start the playoffs without Frelick, but have not ruled out a possible return at some point in the postseason.

NEXT

LHP David Peterson (9-3, 3.08) will start the Mets’ series finale on Sunday. RHP Colin Rea (12-5, 4.17) pitches for the Brewers.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB