The Milwaukee Brewers lost another lead in a playoff game and are now close to facing another early exit.
Milwaukee gave up five runs with two outs in the fifth inning and lost 8-4 to the New York Mets in the first game of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. The Brewers need to win two straight games to keep their season going and move on to the Division Series against Philadelphia.
“Like we’ve said all year, we’re undaunted,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “We’re going to come out tomorrow and give 100% out there on the field.”
The Brewers are in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, but they haven’t won a postseason series since 2018, when they were one win away from the World Series but lost at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series.
Since that loss, the Brewers have dropped 10 of their last 11 playoff games. Before this series, Adames and pitcher Freddy Peralta mentioned that this year’s team felt different and believed that could lead to a better postseason.
However, the Brewers started the playoffs with a performance that felt all too familiar. They have had leads in multiple runs in their last four postseason games, only to lose each one.
After giving up an early 2-0 lead on Tuesday, Milwaukee went ahead 4-3 by scoring twice in the fourth inning. That’s when everything changed.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy took Freddy Peralta out of the game after he had allowed three runs in the second but had retired the last nine batters. The Mets then scored five runs in the fifth inning against relievers Joel Payamps and Aaron Ashby.
“I don’t understand the reason I was taken out of the game, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” said Peralta, who threw 68 pitches. Murphy explained his decision during the postgame press conference.
“It had been an emotional (68) pitches,” Murphy said. “What’s he got, 20 left? He’s usually between 83 and 90 (pitches) when he kind of loses a little bit on his fastball. I didn’t want him to face those guys three times around.”
Milwaukee had the second-best bullpen ERA in the majors during the regular season at 3.11. Payamps had not allowed a run in his last 12 appearances since August 27.
Ashby had given up only three runs in 19 2/3 innings since being called up in late August. Payamps almost got out of the fifth inning without giving up a run.
The Mets were still behind 4-3 but had runners on first and second when Jose Iglesias hit a hard ground ball to first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Payamps was slow getting to first base, and Iglesias’ headfirst slide beat him to the bag, allowing Tyrone Taylor to come home from second and score the tying run.
“That’s a routine play that I failed to execute,” Payamps said through a translator. “Things kind of spiraled from there.”
Ashby came in to replace Payamps but didn’t get any of the five batters out he faced, as the Mets took a commanding 8-4 lead.
“He still had his good velo, but he didn’t have his good sink,” Murphy said. “He didn’t have his good movement on him.”
That was the end for the Brewers. After leaving six runners on base in the first four innings, they didn’t have anyone on base for the rest of the game.
“That big inning takes the wind out of your sails,” Murphy said, noting that neither team scored after that. “Really, it was emotional for both teams.”
Interestingly, the Brewers’ season ended last year when they may have left Peralta in a game too long.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead that night while Peralta held Arizona hitless until he gave up a home run to Alek Thomas with two outs in the fifth. Peralta then allowed a walk, a double, and a two-run single to start the sixth inning.
