The New York Mets finally put together a comprehensive victory on Tuesday.
All they have to do to get back into the National League playoff race is do it again and again and again.
The Mets will look to build a much-needed winning streak Wednesday night when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the third game of a four-game series. New York hasn’t won two in a row over the past two weeks.
Right-hander Kodai Senga (6-5, 3.52 ERA) is scheduled to start for New York against left-hander Wade Miley (5-2, 2.91).
Brandon Nimmo hit two of the Mets’ four homers Tuesday night in support of David Peterson, who tossed six scoreless innings in his first big-league start since May 15 and earned the victory in New York’s 7-2 win.
The result provided an increasingly rare glimpse at what was expected of the Mets after they won 101 games last season. New York is just 7-16 this month and owns the 12th-best record in the NL.
“Similar to losing — you have to kind of forget about today,” Nimmo said postgame. “The preparation for tomorrow starts now, and you’ve got a totally new pitcher and everybody starts 0-0. So just try and build off of this.”
Francisco Lindor and Daniel Vogelbach also homered on Tuesday for the Mets, who supported Peterson and a trio of relievers with several solid defensive plays. New York turned two double plays and catcher Omar Narvaez threw out Joey Wiemer trying to steal second to quell a potential rally in the seventh.
“Do the same thing (Wednesday) — rinse and repeat, right?” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “Situations you’re in don’t happen overnight, positively or negatively. So you go to sleep, get up tomorrow and try to figure out a way to do it again.
“The pitching’s not there? Score more runs, play defense and support them. That’s why this is the epitome of a team game.”
The Brewers missed an early chance to wobble Peterson, who entered with an 8.08 ERA, the highest of any pitcher to make at least eight starts this season. Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out in the first inning before Peterson got Owen Miller to hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
It was the second straight disappointing first inning for Milwaukee, which left the bases loaded against Justin Verlander on Monday, though the Brewers emerged with a 2-1 win in that contest.
“Two nights in a row, we had a big shot in the first inning and came up empty,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.
The Brewers threatened again in the fourth on Tuesday when Willy Adames drew a leadoff walk and Miller singled before Luis Urias hit into another 6-4-3 double play.
“Big rally, first and second, nobody out, double play,” Counsell said. “Bases loaded, one out, nothing. So those are big plays.”
Milwaukee had won three of four prior to Tuesday.
Senga took the loss on Friday, when he gave up four runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings as the Mets fell 5-1 at Philadelphia. The 30-year-old rookie has never faced the Brewers.
Miley earned a win on Friday after allowing three hits over six scoreless innings in the Brewers’ 7-1 victory over at Cleveland. He is 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets. Miley held New York scoreless for six innings on April 4 in Milwaukee, and he got a victory in his first start of the season the Brewers as prevailed 9-0.
–Field Level Media
