Amazing Away Games: Milwaukee. The 2006 NL East Champs Win a Slugfest

May 13, 2006. New York Mets 9, Milwaukee Brewers 8

Before the 2006 Mets ran away with the National League East title, their relentless offense proved it could out-slug anyone anywhere. On May 13, that explosive lineup landed in Milwaukee, 20 years before Yelich, Contreras, Turang, and Chourio showed the baseball world you could win with small ball.

Leading early and weathering a late Brewers rally, the Mets leaned into their core superstar lineup - Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright, and Jose Reyes - to power a dramatic 9-8 victory. However, it wasn't any of these stars who delivered the big blows. It was a quintessential performance from Willie Randolph's squad: Persistent situational hitting, constant pressure on opposing bullpens, and closer Billy Wagner shutting the door just as momentum seemed to go against the Mets.

The Mets starting pitcher was not one of the familiar names in the rotation like Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. Nor was it steady veterans Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez or John Maine. It wasn't even Steve Trachsel. Remember shouting "THROW THE BALL!" as Trachsel stood motionless on the mound between pitches for what seemed like forever?

Today's starter was Geremi Gonzalez. He only started 3 games in 2006 for the team, throwing 14 innings to a horrific 7.71 ERA.

Gonzalez was quite well-traveled, pitching in 14 minor league seasons for 16 teams (not a typo). He made Octavio Dotel look like Cal Ripken.

He pitched for 5 major league teams, with a career record of 30-35. That might be worth $10,000,000 a year in today's baseball economy.

Sadly, Gonzalez was killed in 2008 by a lightning strike on the beach in his native Venezuela when he was only 33.

Pitching for Milwaukee was another well-traveled arm, Dana Eveland. He suited up for 10 major league teams in 11 years. Let's hope he rented apartments only. Eveland would spend some time with Mets, too. He relieved in 30 games in 2014, with a positive WAR and a 2.63 ERA.

Both pitchers got through the first two innings easily. Eveland committed the "cardinal sin" of walking the pitcher leading off the third inning. Reyes then singled to the infield and catcher Paul LoDuca popped to shortstop.

Brand-new Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran opened the scoring with a long homer over the leftfield wall for a 3-0 Mets lead.

After Beltran signed his big free agent contract in New York, his first year produced George Foster-like numbers 16-78-.266.

His second year showed Beltran was now comfortable at Shea Stadium. He tied the Mets club record with 41 homers (Todd Hundley in 1996). He drove in a career best 116 runs and finished 4th in MVP voting. He also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.

Just as a comparison for how ridiculous everyone's numbers were in 2006, Matt Holliday of the Rockies hit 34 - 114 - .326 and finished tied for 15th in MVP voting. Not one player in 2025 or 2026 eclipsed all of those numbers.

Gonzalez gave a run back immediately on a solo homer by second baseman Rickie Weeks. Prince Fielder got them even closer as he homered in the fourth inning.

Prince and his father Cecil each hit exactly 319 homers and they almost tied with RBI, too. Prince had 20 more at 1,028. (Even though I'm a math teacher, I'm not doing the math for you. Figure out Cecil's total by yourself. No calculators, please.)

Eveland and Gonzalez got through the 5th with the Mets still leading, 3-2.

The Mets broke through against Milwaukee in the 6th. Delgado and Wright opened with singles and moved up on a wild pitch. Xavier Nady flew out and Chris Woodward was walked intentionally to set up a double play. Woodward started at second base and regular second baseman Jose Valentin was given a rare start in left field in order to get as many right handed bats as possible in the lineup against lefty Eveland.

Valentin, who hit in the clutch all year (except in the last game of the season, but I digress), singled to plate two. After the pitcher struck out, Justin Lehr was brought in to face Reyes, who promptly singled to score the third run of the inning.

Since this was 2006, and not 2026, five innings for emergency starting pitchers wasn't good enough. Both pitchers took their lumps and were removed in the sixth. Bill Hall led off with a double and Aaron Heilman replaced Gonzalez.

Heilman was a first round pick in 2001 out of Notre Dame. He always wanted to be a starting pitcher and did so his first two years in the bigs. A combined 3-10 record with an over 6 ERA proved otherwise and he was moved to the pen where he had much success. From 2006-2008, "Perpetual Aaron" threw in 74, 81, and 78 games.

In my opinion, the ninth inning two run homer to Yadi Molina in the 2006 playoffs was much more damaging than anyone else who "might" have left a bat on his shoulder.

In our game, Heilman quickly gave up RBI hits to Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins to cut the Met lead to 6-4. Heilman, too little, too late, then struck out the side.

In the top of the 8th, Woodward doubled and scored on a two-run blast by Valentin to give the Mets a comfortable 8-4 lead. The Mets brought in Duaner Sanchez to pitch.

Sanchez was one of the most valuable pitchers on the team in early 2006. The Dodger castoff was a shutdown 8th inning guy before a taxicab accident ended his season. It also forced the Mets to look for relief help. They had to trade the solid Nady to Pittsburgh for veterans Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez. Even though Perez was excellent in 2006 and 2007, you have to wonder what a healthy Sanchez and Nady would have done for this 2006 Mets team.

Sanchez did not have it today. After Lee walked and Fielder singled, the Brewers hit back-to-back bombs off of Duaner. Corey Koskie and Damian Miller went deep and just like that, they were tied at 8-8 going into the 9th.

Miller was a replacement player during the 1994-1995 strike and was never allowed to join the union. His name does not appear on any commemorative merchandise from the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series Championship.

Miller's bunt in the last inning of Game 7 was botched by Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter at second base. His pinch-runner, Midre Cummings, scored the tying run before Arizona beat the Yankees in the World Series.

Milwaukee closer Derrick Turnbow started the ninth, but was greeted by a game-winning homer by LoDuca. It was one of only 9 homers he hit all year.

LoDuca was an underrated hitter. He usually hit second. In 2006, he hit .318 and scored 80 runs. He started the All-Star Game for the Mets. Also appearing in that year's All-Star game were Beltran, Wright, Turnbow, Lee, and Holliday. Glavine was chosen but did not pitch. Reyes was elected to start but was injured.

LoDuca's best year was in 2001 with the Dodgers, where he went 25 - 90 - .320.

Closer Wagner came in for the save. Lee singled and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. There was nothing else the Brewers could do against Wagner, as Jenkins, Fielder, and Koskie all struck out against the Hall of Famer.

The winning pitcher was Chad Bradford, who retired two batters in the 8th in relief of Sanchez. Bradford threw submarine style and was an important contributor to the pen. He pitched in 70 games to a 2.90 ERA.