Mets' mistakes, lack of offense result in 3-2 loss to Brewers

The Mets cruised through four innings before a mistake-filled fifth ultimately led to the team's eventual 3-2 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee on Friday night.

New York has lost five games in a row and nine of its past 10. 

Here are the takeaways…

-Hours after David Stearns gave the players and hitting coaches a vote of confidence, the bats woke up against Brewers hurler Brandon Woodruff. Juan Soto launched a sky-high homer over the right field wall in the first inning. Starling Marte answered in the second inning with a towering blast that went 418 feet over the left-field wall to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead.

However, that is all Woodruff allowed as the Mets just couldn't get to the right-hander. Woodruff tossed seven innings, allowing the two runs on just three hits and two walks while striking out eight batters.

–Kodai Senga was having his best start since returning from the IL, allowing just one hit through the first four innings, and it looked like the two runs would be enough for the win. But the right-hander imploded in the fifth. After Senga made a fielding error on a high chopper to lead off the inning, Brice Turang took Senga deep, 424 feet, to tie the game at 2-2. A one-out walk and a catcher's interference later, and the Brewers threatened for more. Senga walked William Contreras to load the bases and forced Carlos Mendoza to bring in Brooks Raley to face Isaac Collins. Raley was ahead 0-2 against Collins, but hit the switch-hitter in the backfoot to force across a run. Raley bounced back to strike out Christian Yelich and get Andrew Vaughn to ground out and end the inning.

The one inning ruined what would have been a great start for Senga. The right-hander tossed 79 pitches (45 strikes) across 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits, three walks, while striking out two batters. In that inning alone, Senga walked two and two batters reached on errors.

It's been 51 straight games without a starter not named David Peterson recording at least one start of six-plus innings.

-The Mets' bullpen was solid, keeping the Brewers to three runs; if not for a Raley HBP, it would be two runs. The combination of Raley, Ryne Stanek, Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers gave the Mets lineup a chance to tie or take the lead late.

Here's how the bullpen breakdown:

• Raley: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 HBP, 2 K

• Stanek: 0.2 IP, 1 K

• Soto: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K

• Rogers: 1.0 IP, 1 BB

-Against Brewers closer Trevor Megill in the ninth, Marte hit a two-out double, the team's first hit since Jeff McNeil's single in the third inning. McNeil followed with a bloop single to center but Blake Perkins — in for the injured Jackson Chourio — threw out Marte at home.

–Pete Alonso, looking to tie Darryl Strawberry's club record for home runs, went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. The top four batters (Lindor, Soto, Alonso, Nimmo) combined to go 1-for-14 with two walks and six strikeouts.

Game MVP: Blake Perkins

Sure, Woodruff was nails after allowing two solo shots but without Perkins' perfect throw, this game is going to extra innings.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Brewers continue their three-game series on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.

New York has not announced a starter but Frankie Montas will factor into the game. The Brewers will have Tobias Myers (1-1, 4.30 ERA) start the game.

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