Mets blow Game 2 lead to Brewers to set up decisive wild card finale
MILWAUKEE — Just when the Mets were preparing to “Roll out the Barrel” for another postgame celebration, eighth-inning disaster struck.Phil Maton entered to protect a one-run lead, and by the time he departed following the third out, the Brewers had blasted two home runs and redirected the momentum in this NL Wild Card Series.There will be a decisive Game 3 on Thursday after the Mets squandered their opportunity for a two-game sweep in this series with a 5-3 loss in front of 40,350 at American Family Field.This wasn’t all on Maton — the Mets went the last seven innings without scoring.But the right-hander got jumped almost from the moment he entered the game, and then the Brewers went for the kill.Garrett Mitchell’s two-run homer with two outs was the crusher, after rookie Jackson Chourio’s blast (his second of the game) had erased the Mets’ 3-2 lead.It was a second straight shaky outing from Maton, who had to be replaced Monday in the eighth inning by Edwin Diaz in Atlanta.
On this night, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek each gave the Mets a scoreless inning in relief before Maton’s meltdown.Sean Manaea gave the Mets five innings in which he allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out four.The left-hander was removed after 86 pitches with the Mets ahead 3-2.Brandon Nimmo stroked an RBI single in the first to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor led off the game with a walk and Jose Iglesias avoided a double play with a sprint to first that just beat the relay throw before Mark Vientos reached on an infield hit and Nimmo delivered with a chopper through the first-base hole.But the Mets rally was curtailed with Pete Alonso stumbling on his bat as he ran to first base on a grounder that became an easy 6-4-3 double play.Chourio got the run back with a homer leading off the bottom of the inning.Manaea threw an 0-2 sinker that Chourio blasted over the right-field fence.The Mets jumped on Frankie Montas again in the second, scoring two unearn...