Mets Lose in Heartbreaking Fashion to Brewers

It seems every game during the Mets’ rough stretch has been scripted. It’s been the same game more or less the last two weeks.

The Mets struck an opposing pitching staff for a couple runs, the starter was ineffective and the Mets’ super bullpen couldn’t be utilized due to being behind.

It’s been a frustrating effort across the board, and in this specific game, it was matched with a bang-bang, awful ending for the Mets.

In the ninth, after a night filled with offensive woes and lack of depth from the starter, the Mets were set up to tie the game down 3-2. Starling Marte clubbed a double with two outs, bringing up Jeff McNeil to tie the game against one of the more elite closers in the game in Trevor Megill.

In a 1-1 count, McNeil lined a single to center field, giving many hope and anticipation of the speedy Marte scoring to give the Mets a second chance and redemption. But Milwaukee — one of the best defensive teams in the majors — matched the moment, getting a bullet of a throw from Blake Perkins to nail Marte at the plate, sealing the Mets’ ninth loss in their last 10 games.

It was a night that was filled with shortcomings for the Mets, and ended in perfect fashion for the Brewers. The Mets had slept-walked through nine innings, tried for a late comeback and couldn’t get the job done in the end. It’s been the same for the last three Game One’s in the club’s last three series.

Yet, the story doesn’t start with Marte failing to score: it started with Kodai Senga failing to give the Mets length.

Like Clay Holmes against the Cleveland Guardians on August 5, Senga looked untouchable throughout the early goings of the game. He had allowed only one double and walk across four innings, holding a pesky Brewers lineup to weak contact. But an absolute collapse in the fifth inning led to his departure and an early entrance for Brooks Raley.

It started with a tough grounder back to Senga, but was followed by a titanic no-doubt homer by Brice Turang to tie the game at two. Then, after tying the game, the Brewers loaded the bases via a Joey Ortiz walk, catcher’s interference by Francisco Alvarez with Sal Frelick at the plate, and a second walk to William Contreras. It was a disastrous inning, one that led to Senga being pulled with only one out in the fifth.

Meanwhile, the cleanup was left to Raley. The lefty came in to face Isaac Collins and promptly hit him with a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run and give the Crew a 3-2 lead. Raley did boar down and retire Christian Yelich and Andrew Vaughn to end the inning, but the one run eventually proved too large for the Mets’ offense.

Like the pitching, the bats had their usual night. Juan Soto and Marte provided thump with early solo homers, but it was all the Mets could muster. Brandon Woodruff was masterful, and the only other hit the Mets could provide was a McNeil single in the fourth.

It’s been stale all across the board. Three walks were sprinkled in between, but by far not enough for a team built upon a stacked offense on paper. They’ve scored only two runs in five of their last nine games, and have gone 1-9 in their last 10 games.

While the Mets’ offense struggled again Friday night, that’s not taking Woodruff and his 2025 comeback campaign lightly. The starter has been brilliant, going at least six innings in five of his six outings this season, and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in all of them. He’s a two time All-Star, and one of the best starters in the majors when healthy.

But still, this is a team that rosters the likes of Soto, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso all in one lineup, and the other guys surrounding them are nothing to take lightly either. One would figure that the results would be better, but on August 8, they haven’t turned it around.

The loss also dropped the Mets to 3 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first in the National League East. The Mets still have time to turn it around, and seven games against Philadelphia to make up ground, but with this nosedive, the Mets might be sealing the letter of congratulations to their rivals early in August.

Player of the Game

Marte was the Metsmerized player of the game. He homered off Woodruff to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the second inning, and then set up the Mets with a double in the ninth with a chance to tie the game against Megill.

On Deck

The Mets will face the Brewers Saturday at 7:10 PM. The Mets haven’t announced a starter, but they will face Tobias Myers (1-1, 4.30 ERA), an opener for the Crew. The game will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880.

 

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