Mets Beat Brewers in NL Wild Card Series Opener

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

October 2, 2024

Mets 8, Brewers 4

The New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8–4, during the thrilling opener of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday night. All the runs were a call and response. The Brewers struck first in the bottom of the first, and the Mets took the lead in the top of the second. In the bottom of the fourth, the Brewers would regain the lead only for the Mets to score five runs in the top of the fifth to win the game. Neither team got a single hit after the top of the fifth inning.

Trouble Brewing

Luis Severino ran into some troubled waters, as he is credited for all of the Brewers’ offense. “I think just the pitches, the pitch count, I feel like I threw a lot of pitches. It was a tight game out there. After we score a couple more runs, I say, no, maybe I got a couple more innings out there,” Severino said about his outing.

At the top of the second, Jesse Winker hit a two-run triple to get the Mets on the board, and Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos scored. Starling Marte hit a sacrifice fly to center field to send Winker home and for the Mets to gain the lead. The Mets would then be shut down by back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.

The Mets had a two-out rally in the top of the fourth that secured the win. Jose Iglesias hit one of the craziest infield RBI singles. With Tyrone Taylor at second, and Francisco Lindor at first. Iglesias hit a grounder right to Rhys Hoskins with Joel Payamps covering first. Iglesias slid head-first into the bag to beat the throw. Taylor came in to score and tied the game. Brandon Nimmo loaded the bases on the single and then Iglesias and Lindor scored on a single from Vientos. The bases were loaded again after Alonso drew a walk and J.D. Martinez, who entered the game to pinch-hit for Winker, hit an RBI single. Marte came to the plate in for his second at-bat of the inning and was walked to load the bases for the third time in the inning. Taylor flied to center to end the five-run-two-out rally.

Mets relievers José Buttó and Ryan Stanek didl not allow a single base runner for the remainder of the game.

Brew Crew Falls Short

The Brewers got an early lead in the bottom of the first. Brice Turang led off with a double that bounced off the glove of Vientos. Rookie Jackson Chourio hit a single that also got past Vientos and runners were now at the corners. William Contreras hit a sharp grounder and passed Alonso to bring Turang home. Aaron Adames was then walked on four pitches and a run was forced in after Rhys Hoskins was hit by a pitch. It was now 2-0 Brewers to end the first.

In the bottom of the third, the Brewers attempted to tack on more runs. With runners at the corners and one out, Hoskins hit into a classic 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. But, in the bottom of the fourth, the Brewers would get their lick back. Chourio hit an RBI single to center to tie it up. With runners in scoring position, Contreras grounded to Lindor and Turang came in to score from third to take a 4–3 lead, but that would be all for Brewers offense.

During the top of the fifth, the Brewers would use three pitchers just to get through. After that top half, Brewers relief would not allow a single hit but did allow two walks.

Brewers in Review

The Brewers were very patient in their at-bats which resulted in them coming back from being behind in the counts and having multiple six and seven-pitch at-bats. Along with being patient, they were making contact to keep the at-bats alive by fouling off multiple pitches.

The Mets just got the best of the Brewers pitching staff. Milwaukee’s offense allowed for run support for their pitchers but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. There was plenty of hard contact that went deep into the outfield but not enough to carry and bring any runs in.

Chourio lost the ball a bit a line drive from Vientos in the top of the fifth. That would have been the second out and bases would have remained empty. “Payamps got the great play by Chourio, and it’s a tough left field out there at that time of day. So that second ball, although should have been caught, give the kid credit, it’s a tough line drive in that sun. That’s the one spot of the field that’s tough,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.

Mets in Review

The Mets provided plenty of run support for their pitcher. Something they struggle with from time and time again. Contact and patient at-bats was also key for the Mets. Like the Brewers, they were running up counts and keeping at-bats alive by fouling off. Severino locked in after he let in the four runs and Buttó and Stanek were perfect.

The Mets had a couple of missed fielding opportunities. It is Vientos’ first post-season appearance and after that first inning, he was comfortable.

Coming Up

Severino finished six innings by allowing eight hits, three runs, four earned runs a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Freddy Peralta got a no-decision for the Brewers after four innings, two hits, three runs a walk and five strikeouts. After pitching2/3 of an inning in the fifth, Payamps shouldered the loss allowing two hits, three runs and a walk.

The Mets and Brewers will play Game Two on Wednesday at 7:38 pm on ESPN. Wednesday’s game is a pitching duel between the Mets’ Sean Manaea and the Brewers’ Frankie Montas, one you won’t want to miss.