MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joey Ortiz drove in three runs for Milwaukee and the New York Mets mustered just two hits as their playoff hopes sustained another blow with a 6-0 loss to the Brewers on Saturday night.
New York (87-72) lost its third straight and fell one game behind Atlanta (88-71) in the NL wild card race when the Braves beat Kansas City 2-1 on a ninth-inning, walk-off homer from former Met Travis d’Arnaud.
The Mets did get some help later Saturday night when Arizona lost 5-0 to San Diego. The Braves, Mets and Diamondbacks (88-73) are competing for the NL’s final two wild-card playoff berths.
“It’s a really short runway, but we do have three games, and three games are opportunities for us,” Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said. “In order for us to get where we need to go, we need to capitalize on opportunities.”
Both the Mets and Braves have head-to-head tiebreaker advantages over the Diamondbacks. The Mets and Braves would play a Monday doubleheader in Atlanta if their postseason fates haven’t been settled.
“Not winning the past couple of days is putting us in a difficult situation here,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’ve got to come back and we have to win a game tomorrow. That’s the bottom line. And then see where we’re at, at the end of the day tomorrow, and then go to Atlanta and see what we’ve got.”
Ortiz put the Brewers ahead 2-0 in the fourth by looping a full-count curveball from Jose Quintana (10-10) into left-center for a bases-loaded single.
Milwaukee broke open the game in the eighth inning by scoring four runs off Reed Garrett, the first runs he allowed since Aug. 18. The outburst included an RBI single by Willy Adames, a bases-loaded walk by Ortiz and a two-run single by Andruw Monasterio.
The NL Central champion Brewers improved to 12-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Mets, including 5-0 this season. The Brewers are 17 of 17 in stolen-base attempts against the Mets after swiping two more Saturday.
“We’ve had fight all season,” Ortiz said. “It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of the field or the position they’re in. We’re worried about ourselves and that day.”
Quintana and four relievers combined to strike out 18 — their most in a nine-inning game since a 20 against Pittsburgh on Sept. 18, 2022. But New York was shut out for the first time since Aug. 23 and was held to two hits or fewer for just the fifth time this year.
It marked the third time the Brewers had struck out at least 18 times in a nine-inning game, and the first time they won while doing so.
Jose Iglesias singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 19 games and Starling Marte hit a ground-rule double in the fifth. The only other time the Mets put a runner on base was when Iglesias drew a one-out walk in the ninth.
Quintana (10-10) entered with 22 2/3 consecutive shutout innings. He struck out nine while allowing two runs, five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
After Milwaukee’s Jared Koenig pitched a scoreless first inning as the opener, Tobias Myers (9-6) took over and struck out five while allowing one hit and no walks in four innings.
Joel Payamps, Aaron Ashby, Nick Mears and Devin Williams each pitched one inning of hitless relief.
“Sometimes days like these are going to happen,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s happening right now, but all you can do is, you just pick it up, you go shoot your shots the next day and you hope that it turns around. You put in your preparation and then you send it.”
After the Brewers pulled ahead in the fourth, Marte led off the fifth with a double and advanced to third when Luis Torrens grounded out. Marte got stranded at third after Myers retired Harrison Bader on a liner to third and Luisangel Acuña on a fly to right.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: C Francisco Alvarez was out of the lineup after back spasms caused him to leave the Mets’ 8-4 loss Friday. He struck out on a pinch-hitting attempt in the eighth inning. … SS Francisco Lindor didn’t play the field and was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts as a DH, one day after returning from a sore lower back that had sidelined him for nearly two weeks.
Brewers: Although an MRI revealed no structural damage, OF Sal Frelick bruised his hip when he crashed into the right-field wall attempting to make a diving catch of a foul ball Friday. The Brewers expect to start the playoffs without Frelick but haven’t ruled out a possible return at some point in the postseason.
UP NEXT
LHP David Peterson (9-3, 3.08) starts Sunday’s series finale for the Mets. RHP Colin Rea (12-5, 4.17) pitches for the Brewers.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
