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Mets clinch playoff berth with 7-2 win

Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports

After a four-game sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates at home, the Mets hit the road and opened an important three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets entered Monday night’s game 93-55, a game against the Atlanta Braves in eastern Newfoundland and with a “magic number” of two to clinch a spot in the 2022 MLB playoffs.

All the Mets needed was a win in that three-game series to clinch their first trip to the playoffs since 2016.

And they did.

The Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2 on Monday night, using six perfect innings from Max Scherzer.

Scherzer, who had just come off the injured list, was about to score. He didn’t waste a single one of those pitches as he struck out all 18 batters he faced and struck out nine in six perfect innings pitched.

Scherzer and Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes looked strong through the first two innings, pulling their respective teams to open the first two innings of the game and the series. Scherzer had two strikeouts in the first and one strikeout in the second for three strikeouts in two innings.

The Mets were the first to put a baserunner in the third inning. Eduardo Escobar started the Mets with a single one-third to go. However, Tomas Nido got into a double play to end the set.

Scherzer continued to look solid and composed in the third, once again outing the Brewers in order and collecting his fourth strikeout of the night. He had thrown just 33 pitches in three innings of work.

The Mets found their sticks in fourth. After Brandon Nimmo put down to open the sleeve, Francois Lindor and Jeff McNeil hit consecutive singles to set two with one out for Pete Alonso. Alonso chained the two singles in clutch fashion, hitting an imposing three-run homer to left field that scored Lindor and McNeil to give the Mets a 3-0 lead over the Brewers in the fourth. This RBI marked seven consecutive games in which Alonso had played for at least one point, the longest streak of his career. It was also his 36th RBI of the season and his 118th RBI of his career.

Scherzer continued to cruise in the fourth. He struck out the Brewers again in order and struck out two to bring his strikeout tally to six strikeouts in four innings played.

Once again, Scherzer looked very calm in the fifth. He struck out two as he retired the Brewers and had faced the minimum in five innings.

The Mets continued to support their starter and swing hot bats in the sixth as they added two more insurance runs for Scherzer. Nimmo started the inning with a triple to deep center field to start the inning. He was followed by Lindor who also tripled, but deep into right field to score Nimmo and extend the Mets’ lead to 4-0 over the Brewers in the sixth non-out.

Three batters later, Vogelbach doubled to center field to score Lindor and extend the Mets’ lead over the Brewers to 5-0.

After a walk in Cahna, the Brewers fired Burnes and replaced him on the mound with Jacques Cousins. The Cousins ​​came in to take out the inning final on a strikeout of Tyler Naquin.

Last line from Corbin Burnes:

5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR

Scherzer came back for what was likely going to be his last working inning in the sixth knowing he was on a pitch count and he just continued to break through the Brewers lineup, once again drawing the Brewers out for another inning. perfect and collecting another strikeout, his ninth of the night.

The Mets held the offense in the seventh. Escobar started the inning with a double to left field. Two batters later, Nimmo walked to put in two for the Mets with one out. Cousins ​​retired the next two batters he faced, however, to avoid further damage.

As expected, the Mets headed to their bullpen in the seventh as Scherzer was on firm pitch count in his first appearance back from the injured list. The Mets brought Tylor Megill to replace Scherzer on the mound. Megill was also making his first start since coming off the injured list. Megill’s time on the disabled list was longer than Scherzer’s. Megill spent 60 days on the injured list with a shoulder injury.

Max Scherzer’s last line:

6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO, 68 slots. A perfect night.

When Scherzer came out and Megill came in, the perfect game was also gone as Megill immediately gave up a starting double for Christian Yelich on his first pitch in the seventh. Two batters later, Megill gave up a home hit with one out and two runs at Rowdy Tellez to put the Brewers on the board and make it a 5-2 game as Tellez led Yelich for the first two innings of the Brewers game.

After the home run, Megill retired the next two he had to face coming out of the inning.

The Brewers went to their bullpen again in the eighth. They brought Justin Topa to replace Cousins ​​on the mound. Topa was Milwaukee’s third pitcher of the night.

The last line from Jake Cousins:

1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 3.86 ERA

The Mets responded right away in the eighth Alonso started with a walk and then stole second. Three batters later, Naquin singled to center field to score Alonso and extend the Mets’ lead over the Brewers to 6-2. Naquin went second on a throwing error by Garrett Mitchell.

Topa intentionally walked Escobar to put two in with two outs. Nido then came on and spoiled the Brewers’ intentional walk with a simple line drive to center field that tagged Naquin and advanced Escobar to second as the Mets regained a five-point lead extending their lead to 7-2 over the Brewers.

After a visit to the two-out mound, Topa came out of the inning with a pitch from Nimmo. But the Mets responded and supported their pitching team. They were leading 7-2 before the start of the eighth.

The Mets also returned to their bullpen in the eighth. They brought Seth Lugo to replace Megill on the mound.

Megill released a first single to Andrew McCutchen to open the eighth, but set up and retired the next three he faced to keep the Mets lead intact as the game headed into the ninth inning.

The Brewers returned to their bullpen in the ninth and brought in their fourth pitcher of the night. They brought Pierre Strzelecki to replace Topa on the mound.

Topa’s last line:

1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.38 ERA

Strzelecki struck out three of the four he faced, striking out two and walking one to send the game down in the ninth.

The Mets’ final call to the bullpen in the ninth as they brought Adam Ottavino to replace Lugo on the mound.

Lugo’s last line:

1.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1SO, 0HR, 3.17 ERA

Ottavino gave up a quick brace to Yelich to give the Brewers hope, but he retired the next three he faced to close out the game and solidify the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Brewers.

With Monday’s win, Scherzer earned his 200th win and the New York Mets clinched a berth in the 2022 MLB postseason for the first time since 2006.

Game MMO Player

Our Metsmerized Player of the Game for Monday night’s game is, as expected, the perfect Max Scherzer, who has three perfect six innings, striking out the 18 he faced and struck out nine on just 68 pitches thrown (47 for strikes ) on the way to the 200th victory of his prestigious career.