In a pivotal Game 1 of the National League Wild Card round, the New York Mets took down the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4, with starter Luis Severino playing a crucial role despite early struggles.
Severino’s perseverance on the mound helped keep the Mets ahead, a vital factor as the team faces major concerns with the state of their bullpen.
Severino faced immediate pressure in the first inning, allowing two runs as eight Brewers batters stepped to the plate before the Mets could record three outs.
However, Milwaukee only managed two more runs the rest of the game, thanks to Severino’s ability to settle in and grind through the outing.
It was (very) far from pretty, but the veteran delivered what was needed for the red-hot, yet tired club.
After the game, Severino admitted that his focus was not just on his own performance but on helping the Mets’ bullpen, knowing they would be tested in Edwin Díaz’s absence.
“I think, not even for me, but for the bullpen,” Severino said of the importance of his gritty effort. “They appreciate that. When they came to the dugout, they were really happy about me getting us through those six innings.
“Just going out there and trying to grind through the outing. I knew Díaz was not going to be available tonight, so anything I could do to help the bullpen, I was going to do it.”
The Mets provided Severino with some breathing room in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to secure the lead.
While Severino’s final stat line wasn’t glamorous—he allowed eight hits, four runs, walked two, and struck out three—the victory was all that mattered. In October, the name of the game is surviving and advancing.
Reflecting on his outing, Severino didn’t shy away from acknowledging the toll the game took on him physically.
“I was beat up, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “But the guys gave me a lot of time to rest that I needed there, and I was able to come back. It was a grind from the first inning. I feel like I made good pitches, but they were just hitting the ball to good spots.”
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and manager Carlos Mendoza both stood by their ace, recognizing his resilience.
Lindor pointed to the intensity of the postseason, saying, “I think the adrenaline is up there and the emotions are high. You’ve just got to find a way of staying the course.”
Mendoza echoed that sentiment, noting, “It’s a playoff game. Everybody is tired, but once you play ball, you’ve got to go.”
While some tortured Mets fans might be a tad hesitant to get too far ahead of themselves, there does seem to be something unique about this club.
The season has already exceeded expectations, but the Mets are in a position to get greedy and make 2024 truly special.
Do you think the Mets will take care of business tonight in Milwaukee? … Or will we have a do-or-die Game 3 on our hands?
In the bigger picture, does this team truly have what it takes to go on a World Series run???
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Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins believes Milwaukee can right the ship. “I think if we come out and play a game that we are accustomed to playing, we will find ourselves right in the game tomorrow,” Hoskins told reporters via Bally Sports Wisconsin.
“Obviously you want to win game one, put some pressure on the other team. But we’ve won two games in a row plenty of times this season. And yeah, we got knocked down enough this year but also gotten back up that I think we’re confident that we have the ability to do that 100 percent. We just have to believe that,” Hoskins continued, per Bally Sports.
Rhys Hoskins believes the Brewers can rally to beat the Mets
Sep 27, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins (12) hits a grand slam home run against the New York Mets in the first inning at American Family Field.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Brewers manager Pat Murphy pulled starter Freddy Peralta after four innings. He had allowed three runs on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk on 68 pitches. Milwaukee had a 4-3 lead when reliever Joel Payamps took the mound. The Mets knocked Payamps and Aaron Ashby around for five runs on five hits that would prove the difference in the game. Both pitchers made plays they regret. Payamps was late covering first on a grounder by Jose Iglesias that allowed him to reach on an infield single. Ashby threw a wild pitch in his outing.
“I think just a little uncharacteristic of us. Just not making plays that we normally make. Obviously it’s unfortunate it leads to five runs there. Those are just the types of things that can’t happen in playoff games… and they took advantage of it,” Hoskins said of the Mets’ five-run fifth inning rally.
The NL Central-winning Brewers have made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. However, with Tuesday’s loss to New York, Milwaukee is just 13-4 in their last five postseason series. They’ve now blown multi-run leads and lost in four straight playoff games.
The Brewers just beat the Mets 2-1 in a three-game series at the end of the regular season. However, no team has come back from a 0-1 hole to win a best of three Wild Card series since the format first started in 2022.