The Brewers are rolling into New York with momentum and a rotation lined up to keep it going.
After taking two of three from the Braves over the weekend, Milwaukee sits at 81-50 and holds a six-game lead over the Cubs in the National League Central. The Mets, meanwhile, are stuck in last place in the NL East at 59-72 as the teams prepare for a three-game series that opens Tuesday night on the road.
Milwaukee has already mapped out its starters for the set, and the matchups bring a mix of steady production and high-end punch. On Tuesday, the Brewers are set to send left-hander Quinn Harrison against Mets lefty Zac Thornton.
Harrison has been one of Milwaukee’s best additions this season after arriving from the Boston Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin deal. He’s made 20 starts, posted a 2.84 ERA and piled up 122 strikeouts against just 26 walks across 98 1/3 innings.
The command has been the story. A strikeout-to-walk gap that lopsided is exactly the kind of thing that gives a rotation real backbone.
Wednesday brings right-hander Aaron May, who is looking to bounce back after a rough outing on Aug. 19.
That night, he gave up seven runs in just two innings, a sharp departure from what he had done in his first two Brewers starts. Before that dud, May had thrown 13 innings and allowed only three runs in Milwaukee.
His season has followed that same pattern overall: mostly excellent, with a few blowups mixed in. The Brewers will be banking on the better version showing up in New York.
The Mets are expected to counter with right-hander Robert Stock.
The series wraps with right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, and that’s the one that jumps off the page. Misiorowski owns a league-leading 1.68 ERA and a league-leading 216 strikeouts in 145 innings.
At this point, every time he takes the mound, the other dugout has plenty to worry about. He is well on his way to his first Cy Young Award unless something major changes late in the year.
Sean Manaea is scheduled to start the finale for the Mets.
In Other News...
Mets Game Turned Into A Brewers Message To Cooper Pratt
A midgame benching is never subtle, and Brewers manager Pat Murphy made the point loud and clear with rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt. The issue was effort and execution on a play, plus a missed bunt attempt after a sign was on, and Murphy used the moment to reinforce how Milwaukee expects its young players to handle the details that often decide whether they stay on the field.
Pratt did not dodge responsibility, acknowledging the mistakes and saying he needs to improve both his hustle and his attention to what the Brewers are asking for. Murphy, for his part, said he believes in Pratts character and treated the whole episode as a teaching moment, which is usually how teams prefer these lessons to land even when the message is delivered the hard way. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Have Missed Something Big With David Peterson
Freddy Peralta has had a rough introduction to Tampa Bay, and David Peterson has looked more settled since moving on from the Mets. While Peralta has stumbled to a 7.17 ERA in four starts with the Rays, Peterson has posted a 3.93 ERA over 50.1 innings with the Cubs, a stretch that has come with the benefit of sharper defense behind him. For the Mets, it is the kind of comparison that naturally invites a little second-guessing, especially when a pitcher seems to find cleaner results shortly after leaving Queens.
Petersons turnaround does not prove the Mets got everything wrong, but it does keep the conversation alive about whether context helped shape his uneven run in New York. The larger question is whether the teams handling of these pitchers, and the support around them, played a part in those inconsistent performances. For a club always trying to balance development with immediate results, that is the sort of thread that can linger long after a trade is made. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Benge Has Put The Mets In A Surprising Award Race
Carson Benge has gone from a quiet part of the Mets future to one of the more intriguing names in the National League rookie conversation, and the timing has only sharpened the focus. Since May 1, he has taken a clear step forward at the plate and in the field, giving the Mets a boost that has shown up in their recent winning streak and making him look less like a long-term project than a player already influencing games.
The Rookie of the Year picture is starting to get crowded, with Benge now in the mix alongside teammate Nolan McLean and other rising names such as Cincinnatis Sal Stewart and St. Louiss JJ Weatherholt. Interim manager Andy Green said both Benge and McLean have legitimate cases, and there is even a little extra incentive attached for the Mets if one of them finishes the job, since an award win would bring the club an additional draft pick. [Read more 🡒]