Series Preview: Mets Return Home to Face Brewers

After a disastrous weekend in Philadelphia, the New York Mets (35-42) are returning to the familiar confines of Citi Field to begin a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers (40-37).

The Mets lost two out of three games against the Phillies over the weekend that were characterized by mishaps in the field and on the mound. After having lost their third consecutive series, the trajectory of their season has been seriously threatened, as the Mets find themselves 15 games back of the powerhouse Atlanta Braves for the division lead. While some may say that it is too late for the Mets to salvage their fortunes this season, it is important that the team adopts an optimistic attitude during these upcoming games to remain competitive.

On the other hand, the Brewers were able to win two out of their three games against the Cleveland Guardians over the weekend, and they have established themselves in second place for their division. Trailing the first-place Cincinnati Reds by one-half of a game, the Brewers could use this series against the Mets to gain that coveted first-place title.

Monday, June 26, 2023: RHP Colin Rea (3-4, 4.88 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (2-4, 4.50 ERA)

Colin Rea will be opening this series for the Brewers on Monday. He returned to the major league level this season after missing a few years due to an elbow injury, and he has seen mixed results thus far. In his most recent start, he tossed 5 1/3 innings while allowing four earned runs and striking out two batters. While his only start against the Mets came in 2016, as a member of the San Diego Padres, Rea pitched a masterful eight innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts.

The Mets will be countering with Justin Verlander for Monday’s contest. Despite his stacked resume, he has also seen mixed results this season, much to the dismay of Mets fans. In his most recent start, he returned to his former home in Houston and pitched seven innings while allowing four earned runs with five strikeouts against the Astros. Verlander has three career appearances against the Brewers, and he has a career 1.90 ERA against the club.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023: RHP Julio Teheran (2-2, 1.53 ERA) vs. LHP David Peterson (1-6, 8.08 ERA)

Julio Teheran will pitch the second game of this series. Mets fans may recognize his name from his time with the Braves as their ace in the 2010s. However, his road to Milwaukee was not exactly linear, as he spent time with the local Staten Island Ferryhawks of the Atlantic League this past season. That said, he has made the most of his opportunity with the Brewers, as he has posted an excellent season thus far. In fact, he tossed five shutout innings with three strikeouts in his most recent outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has appeared an astounding 29 times against the Mets in his career, and he has an impressive 2.98 ERA in those games.

On the other side, David Peterson will be making his return from Triple-A to start for the Mets on Tuesday. In his last Triple-A outing, he pitched six innings while allowing three earned runs with seven strikeouts in a quality start. Despite his uninspiring 2023 campaign so far, this could be a good opportunity for the lefty to reclaim his spot in the major league rotation. However, the numbers are not on his side, as he has a 10.38 ERA against the Brewers in three career appearances that total 8 2/3 innings pitched.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023: LHP Wade Miley (5-2, 2.91 ERA) vs. Kodai Senga (6-5, 3.52 ERA)

Wade Miley will pitch on Wednesday for the Brewers. In his last two starts, he has not allowed a run over 11 innings pitched with seven strikeouts and only five hits allowed. Earlier this season, Miley pitched against the Mets and tossed six shutout innings with three strikeouts. One Mets batter to watch out for in this matchup is shortstop Francisco Lindor, as he is 5-for-16 in his career against him with three doubles.

For the Mets, Kodai Senga will take the ball on Wednesday. He has navigated his rookie campaign well so far, as he has responded to any growing pains with great poise and composure. In his last start against the Phillies, he was able to pitch 5 1/3 innings while allowing four runs (two of them earned), despite being let down by the Mets’ defense. While he is in a rotation with two future hall of fame pitchers, he has arguably been the most consistent starting pitcher for the Mets this year. This is a promising sign for Senga, as he tries to establish himself as a premier starting pitcher for the Mets going forward.

Thursday, June 29, 2023: RHP Freddy Peralta (5-7, 4.65 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (7-2, 3.95 ERA)

Freddy Peralta will close out the series for the Brewers on Thursday. He has seen a decrease in performance compared to his last two seasons, and that is mainly due to the 1.328 WHIP that he has accumulated so far this season. In his last start, he pitched five shutout innings while walking three batters and striking out five. While the walks did not result in any problems for him in that start, they have hurt him in other outings this season. If the Mets can convert opportunities with runners on base, they should have no problem against Peralta. Earlier this season, Peralta tossed six shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Mets.

Finally, Max Scherzer will take the hill on Thursday for the Mets. After two poor starts against the Braves and Yankees, Scherzer has seen a drastic improvement in his last two starts. In 14 innings pitched between the two outings, he has allowed only three earned runs with 16 strikeouts. These came against the potent lineups of the Astros and Phillies, which proves that Scherzer is still capable of pitching at a high level against good teams. He did struggle against the Brewers in April when he allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched.