The Mets got a quick jolt from Marcus Semien, but that was about as bright as the afternoon got in Milwaukee.
Semien launched a solo homer in the top of the second inning for his first long ball since coming off the injured list, giving the Mets an early lead against rookie Logan Henderson. It didn’t last long. Christian Scott handed that advantage right back in the bottom half, and the Brewers never fully surrendered control in a 4-3 win that sent the Mets to a series loss.
Scott’s second inning turned messy in a hurry. He opened the frame by allowing a walk and a single, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.
He nearly escaped when he got an infield pop-up and struck out Cooper Pratt, but Joey Ortiz followed with a deep drive to right. Brett Baty, stationed in right field, took an awkward route and couldn’t make the play, allowing two runs to score while Ortiz ended up at third with a triple.
Scott then made things worse by giving up a single to Christian Yelich, which brought Ortiz home and pushed Milwaukee ahead 3-1.
That was the extent of the damage Scott allowed, but the outing still ended the way too many of his starts have this season: early and inefficient. He was pulled in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and runners on first and second after his pitch count climbed. Cionel Pérez got the final out, and Scott’s final line read 3.2 innings, 4 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, 3 runs.
Baty did offer a little redemption in the fifth. After the defensive miscue, he came through with a one-out solo homer off Henderson to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Milwaukee had a chance to answer right away when Pérez returned and loaded the bases, helped in part by an infield single to third in which Bo Bichette’s throw trying to get the force at second was ruled late on replay review. The Mets escaped anyway, with Pérez striking out a hitter and Huascar Brazobán finishing the inning with a double play.
The Brewers, though, got the run they needed in the sixth. Ortiz doubled after the first two outs, knocking Brazobán out of the game and bringing in A.J.
Minter. Minter was asked to finish off Christian Yelich, but Yelich ripped a ball to center that bounced off the wall and let him reach third.
The runner from second scored, and Milwaukee’s lead grew to 4-2.
That extra run mattered because the Mets’ offense went quiet against the Brewers’ bullpen. Henderson lasted five innings, then Aaron Ashby worked two scoreless frames and Abner Uribe kept New York off the board as well.
The Mets did threaten in the eighth when Francisco Lindor and Carson Benge singled to put runners on first and second, but with two outs Jorge Polanco hit a grounder that looked like it might sneak through. Brice Turang got to it and made a strong throw to first to end the inning.
New York made one last push in the ninth against Trevor Megill. A leadoff walk got things started, Tyrone Taylor moved to second on a fielder’s choice, and Luis Torrens lined out to right after replacing Jared Young at first base.
Francisco Alvarez then singled through the hole to left to make it 4-3, putting the tying run on first and the go-ahead run at the plate. But Ewing followed with a hard grounder to third, and Ortiz finished off his big day with a diving stop and a throw to third to end it.
The Mets dropped the series in Milwaukee and now get a day off before opening a three-game set against the Dodgers this weekend.
In Other News...
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The timing adds another layer for a club that is expected to sell, because Robert only recently returned from an injury absence and still carries the kind of upside that can make teams pause even when the production has been uneven. New York does not have to decide anything immediately, but the fact that a player with Roberts profile is already in the mix gives the Mets a possible deadline chip they probably did not expect to have on the board this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Outfielder Suddenly Emerging In Deadline Buzz For A Contender
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Among the names being floated is Tyrone Taylor, whose profile gives Philadelphia a different kind of look than some of the other rental bats out there. Lane Thomas of the Royals is also in the mix, and the comparison matters because the Phillies are weighing affordability, fit and whether they want a player with more on-base value or more pop as they try to improve the roster without creating another problem elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]