Reed 'Em and Weep

Brewers 7 Mets 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 48-38

Mets streak: Lost 4

Last 10: 3-7

WP - Freddy Peralta (9-4)

LP - Reed Garrett (2-4)

Seat on the Korner: Isaac Collins

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

The Brewers switch-hitting rookie outfielder made an early bid to become the next Mets killer, going 4-4 with 2 singles, a double, a home run, a walk, 2 runs scored and 1 RBI, and earning himself a seat on the Korner. Collins' singles came while batting lefty, and both of his extra base hits came right-handed off of lefty reliever Brandon Waddell.

Need to Know

• The Mets have now lost 14 out of their last 17, their worst 17-game stretch since 2018.

• This game was the first of a double-header. This is the Mets 35th double-header since 2021, the most in baseball.

• Of those first 34 double-headers, they have swept 12, have been swept 4 times, and split 18. They'll be trying for a split in the nightcap.

• Juan Soto's 25 walks in June were the most by a Mets player in a single calendar month since Brandon Nimmo's 29 in September 2018.

• Clay Holmes was the first Mets starting pitcher to record an out in the 6th inning or later in the last 17 days.

Turning Point

The Mets carried a 2-1 lead into the 6th inning, when Clay Holmes walked the leadoff batter, Christian Yelich. Holmes was able to retire the next hitter, Jackson Chourio, on a fly out to Juan Soto. It was at this point that Holmes, who was at 90 pitches on the day, was removed for reliever Reed Garrett. As the Mets have indicated previously, Holmes, who is adapting to the workload of a starting pitcher, is on something of a pitch limit. Earlier in the season, it could be expected that Garrett would come in and shut things down sufficiently. Today, not so much.

Garrett gave up a run-scoring double by Brice Turang to tie the game, then gave up an Isaac Collins single, followed by a walk to Jake Bauers. Garrett then fell behind 3-0 on Joey Ortiz before eventually giving up a grand slam. The Brewers' 5-run 6th inning put them ahead 6-2, and they never looked back.

Three Keys

Walk Away

Continuing a frustrating recent trend, Mets pitchers walked 7 Brewers batters, 2 of which came around to score. It could have been more, as starting pitcher Clay Holmes walked three straight batters in the top of the 4th, and was able to escape the inning unscathed after eventual game hero Joey Ortiz grounded into an inning ending 5-4-3 double play. Mets pitches had only 3 strikeouts all game.

Where Are The Hits?

Mets batters were only able to get two singles off Brewers starting pitcher, Freddy Peralta, one by Luis Torrens and the other by Pete Alonso.

Torrens' single moved Jeff McNeil, who had been hit by a pitch, from first to third, where he would eventually score on a Brett Baty sacrifice fly.

Alonso's hit drove home Juan Soto who had walked and stolen a base.

Unfortunately for the blue & orange, they were unable to do just about anything more against Peralta and fared even worse against Milwaukee's relievers, Nick Mears and DL Hall.

Waddell Saves

It may not have been the most glamorous of appearances, but Mets reliever Brandon Waddell came up potentially big for the Mets second game of the double-header. While Holmes pitched 5.1 innings, Garrett was only able to pitch 2/3 of an inning. Waddell was able to give the Mets 3 innings in relief, limiting the Brewers to a single run in his outing. Not only did that give the Mets something of an opportunity to come back, had their bats obliged, it also gave the Mets bullpen an additional breather after 2 days off. Tonight's second game will be started by reliever Huascar Brazoban, and the Mets are anticipating using a few of their pitchers before the night is through.