Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off of a four-game sweep of 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 with a 93-55 record, one game over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, and with a “magic number” of two to clinch a spot in the 2022 MLB postseason.

All the Mets needed was one win in this three-game series in order to clinch their first trip to the postseason since 2016.

And they did it.

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

Scherzer, having just come off of the injured list, was on a pitch count. He did not waste a single one of those pitches as he retired all 18 batters he faced and struck out nine over the course of six perfect innings pitched.

Both Scherzer and Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes looked strong through the first two innings, retiring their respective sides in order to open the first two innings of the game and the series. Scherzer collected two strikeouts in the first and a strikeout in the second for three strikeouts through two innings.

The Mets were the first to put a baserunner on in the third inning. Eduardo Escobar got the Mets going with a one-out single to third to reach. However, Tomas Nido grounded into a double play to end the inning.

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

The Mets found their bats in the fourth. After Brandon Nimmo grounded out to open the inning, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil hit back-to-back singles to put two on with one out for Pete Alonso. Alonso followed up the two singles in clutch fashion, hitting a towering three-run home run to left field that scored Lindor and McNeil to give the Mets a 3-0 lead over the Brewers in the fourth. That RBI marked seven straight games in which Alonso had driven in at least one run, the longest streak of his career. That was also his 36th RBI of the season and his 118th RBI of his career.

Scherzer kept cruising in the fourth. He retired the Brewers in order once again and struck out two to bring his strikeout count to six strikeouts through four innings played.

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

The Mets continued to back up their starter and swing hot bats in the sixth as they added two more insurance runs for Scherzer. Nimmo led off the inning with a triple to deep center field to start the inning. He was followed by Lindor who also tripled, but deep to right field to score Nimmo and extend the Mets’ lead to 4-0 over the Brewers in the sixth with no outs.

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 to Cahna, the Brewers pulled Burnes and replaced him on the mound with Jake Cousins. Cousins came in to get the final out of the inning on a strikeout of Tyler Naquin.

Corbin Burnes’ final line:

5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR< 3.12 ERA

Scherzer came back out for what was likely going to be his final inning of work in the sixth knowing he was on a pitch count and he just kept punching through the Brewers lineup, once again retiring the Brewers in order yet another perfect inning and collecting another strikeout, his ninth of the night.

The Mets kept the offense going in the seventh. Escobar led-off the inning with a double to left field. Two batters later Nimmo walked to put two on for the Mets with one out. Cousins retired the next two batters he faced, however, to avoid further damage.

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

Max Scherzer’s final line:

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

As Scherzer exited and Megill entered, the perfect game also went away as Megill immediately gave up a lead-off double to Christian Yelich on his first pitch in the seventh. Two batters later, Megill gave up a one-out, two-run home to Rowdy Tellez to put the Brewers on the board and make it a 5-2 game as Tellez drove in Yelich for the Brewers’ first two runs of the game.

Following the home run, Megill retired the next two he faced getting out of the inning.

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

Jake Cousins’ final line:

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

The Mets answered right back in the eighth Alonso led off with a walk and later 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 advanced to second on a throwing error by Garrett Mitchell.

Topa intentionally walked Escobar to put two on with two outs. Nido then came up and spoiled the Brewers’ intentional walk with a line drive single to center field that scored Naquin and advanced Escobar to second as the Mets re-claimed a five-run lead extending their lead to 7-2 over the Brewers.

After a two-out mound visit, Topa got out of the inning with a ground out of Nimmo. But the Mets answered back and backed their pitching staff. They led it 7-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth.

The Mets went back to their bullpen in the eighth as well. They brought in Seth Lugo to replace Megill on the mound.

Megill gave up a lead-off single to Andrew McCutchen to open the eighth, but settled in and retired the next three he faced to keep the Mets’ lead well in tact as the game headed to the ninth inning.

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

Topa’s final line:

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

Strzelecki retired three of the four he faced, striking out two and walking one to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.

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

Lugo’s final line:

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

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

With Monday’s win, Scherzer collected his 200th win and the New York Mets clinched a spot in the 2022 MLB Post-Season for the first time since 2006.

MMO Player of the Game

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