MILWAUKEE — Mark Vientos hit a tiebreaking, two-run single during a five-run outburst in the fifth inning as the indefatigable New York Mets continued their thrilling week by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 in a National League Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday.
The Mets didn’t earn a playoff berth until they rallied late from a three-run deficit to win the opening game of a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday, one day after the regular season was supposed to end.
Now they’re a win from heading to Philadelphia for an NL Division Series.
Since Major League Baseball went to the current post-season format in 2022 that features four best-of-three Wild Card Series, the Game 1 winner has gone on to advance in each of the eight series. Only one of those eight series even made it to a winner-take-all third game.
Milwaukee has lost 10 of its last 11 playoff games, a stretch that began with its Game 7 home defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series.
Jesse Winker and pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez each drove in two runs for the Mets. Winker, who batted .199 with a .567 OPS for the Brewers last year before bouncing back this season, drew a chorus of boos each time he batted and appeared to exchange words with Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames after hitting a two-run triple in the second.
Brice Turang went 3-for-4, Jackson Chourio was 2-for-4 and William Contreras had two RBIs for the Brewers. According to MLB.com, the 20-year-old Chourio was the youngest player ever to have two hits in his playoff debut.
The Mets were playing in Milwaukee just 22 hours after that Monday doubleheader in Atlanta. They clinched their spot in the post-season by scoring all their runs in the final two innings of an 8-7 victory over the Braves.
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They showed a similar tenacity Tuesday.
After the Brewers took the early lead with two runs in the first inning, Mets answered by scoring three runs in the second. Once the Brewers pulled back ahead with two runs in the fourth, the Mets quickly responded again, this time with five runs in the fifth.
The Brewers had just taken a 4-3 lead heading into the fifth inning when manager Pat Murphy removed Freddy Peralta, who had overcome a shaky start to retire the last nine batters he faced, and turned to a relief corps that ranked second in the majors in bullpen ERA this season.
It didn’t go well.
Starling Marte greeted Joel Payamps by hitting a drive that a leaping Chourio caught at the left-field wall, preventing at least an extra-base hit. Tyrone Taylor then doubled to left on a fly ball Chourio misjudged, allowing it to go off his glove.
With two on and two outs, Jose Iglesias hit a hard grounder that first baseman Rhys Hoskins snared. But Iglesias dove headfirst and beat Payamps to the bag for an infield single, with Taylor racing all the way home from second to tie the game.
Aaron Ashby then took over for Payamps. He didn’t retire any of the five batters he faced.
After Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single, Vientos hit a two-run single to right. Ashby threw a wild pitch and intentionally walked Pete Alonso to load the bases before Martinez, batting for Winker, delivered a two-run single to right.
The Brewers went down quietly after that. Chourio hit an RBI single in the fourth, but Mets pitchers retired the next 17 batters to end the game.
Mets starter Luis Severino recovered nicely from a shaky start. He allowed eight hits and four runs — three earned — in six innings. Jose Butto threw two perfect innings and Ryne Stanek retired the side in order in the ninth.
UP NEXT
LHP Sean Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA) starts for the Mets in Game 2, five days after he allowed six runs (five earned) over 3 2/3 innings in an 8-4 loss at Milwaukee. Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.84) will pitch for Milwaukee.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB