Mets Get Pounded by Brewers, Braves Inch Closer
For most of the season the Mets have enjoyed the fruits of their labor. In first place in the NL East by a wide margin, and playing good, solid baseball…
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 15: David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets hands the ball to manager Buck Showalter as he is removed from the game during the fifth inning of the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field on June 15, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
For most of the season the Mets have enjoyed the fruits of their labor. In first place in the NL East by a wide margin, and playing good, solid baseball each and every night.
However, now things are starting to get a little more interesting in the NL East.
The Mets fell to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night 10-2. The combination of David Peterson and Jake Reed really struggled for the Mets on Wednesday night, as New York was victimized for seven Brewer runs in the fifth inning as Milwaukee took a 10-1 lead and never looked back.
Peterson took his first L of the season to drop to 3-1, surrendered four runs on six hits. His ERA leapfrogged to 3.60. Reed had nothing out of the bullpen as he struggled with his control from the moment he toed the rubber against Milwaukee. Reed gave up five runs on two hits, while walking two. He left with two out in the fifth inning. His ERA stands at 16.62.
On the flip side, Corbin Burnes looked every bit the Cy Young Award winner from 2021, holding the Mets to just two runs over six innings to improve his overall record to 4-4.
The lone bright spot for the Mets was Jeff McNeil, who went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double. Brandon Nimmo also had a pair of hits, including a triple and a run scored.
Meanwhile, the Mets lead over the Atlanta Braves has been shrunk down to four games. It wasn't that long ago the Mets lead Atlanta by 10.5 games in the standings. Atlanta has won 14 consecutive games while the Mets are 6-6 in its last 12 games -- granted all of those games have either come on the West Coast against the likes of the Dodgers and Padres, and these two games against a Brewers team that is in the thick of the NL Central race.
Still there is reason for concern. The Mets bullpen has been inconsistent at times, and whenever the spots typically occupied by either Max Scherzer or Jacob deGrom come up, there is no telling what kind of effort the Mets will get on the mound. New York would love to have either or both deGrom and Scherzer back in the rotation rather soon. Scherzer appears to be closer to returning right now. After this series ends, the Mets will have 11 games with Miami before the middle of July. The Mets next see the Braves in Atlanta the week of July 11.
