MILWAUKEE — The Mets’ clubhouse on Wednesday night was a tighter cauldron of frustration than one perhaps expected it to be, given the self-belief and cohesion that define this team. But there was apparently no way to react to this gut-punch loss, other than to feel and act like you were punched in the gut.
Well, there was one other way that the Mets needed to react: By getting to immediate work to set up their pitching for their biggest game of the year to date.
To that end, here is how I expect them to plan it:
— Jose Quintana, like any starting pitcher in an elimination game, will have little margin for struggle. That part of the script is obvious.
For what it’s worth, Quintana is a mature veteran who seems impossible to rattle or overwhelm. He recently told me that he is as confident pounding the strike zone and working aggressively as he has been all season; it’s a matter of mentality rather than mechanics, and lately, he has been on point. The numbers prove it — Quintana posted a 3.18 ERA in the second half of the season, and an 0.72 ERA in four September starts.
— If Quintana does not pitch well early, David Peterson should be the first reliever out of the bullpen. A hidden toll of Phil Maton blowing Game 2 was the potential loss of the Mets’ National League Division Series Game 1 starter if they advance. Peterson was lined up for that assignment, but now he might be needed on Thursday. That would probably leave Tylor Megill to start Saturday against the Phillies, should the Mets advance.
— If the Mets would rather follow the lefty reliever with a righty before going to Peterson, Game 1 winner Luis Severino should be able to give them an inning Thursday.
— Unfortunately, the Mets will need to be careful going to multi-inning standout Jose Butto on Thursday. Butto contributed two scoreless frames in Game 1. As a starting pitcher for most of his career, he does not recover as quickly as many relievers. To use him two days after a two-inning outing would be a stretch.
— The Mets will have to be similarly cautious going back to Maton on Thursday. Typically of their best leverage relievers, he looked diminished on Wednesday after pitching in four of the previous five games.
— The good news is that Edwin Diaz should be able to go two innings after resting for two days.
