Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ New York Mets

It’s hard to believe, but the Milwaukee Brewers are set for their final road trip of the first half of the season this week, as they’ll head east to take on the New York Mets and Miami Marlins. First up are the Mets, who they’ll battle for three games beginning on Tuesday after an off day on Monday.

New York has struggled since Friday, June 13. They’ve been swept by the Rays and Braves, lost two of three to the Phillies, split four games with the Braves, and were swept by the Pirates to end the month on a 3-13 stretch, putting them at 48-37 and 1.5 games back in the NL East. For the Brewers, they’ve been on the opposite trajectory, with a 16-9 record in June and wins in eight of their last nine.

Milwaukee’s injured list includes a few pitchers, with Brandon Woodruff, Nestor Cortes, and Robert Gasser all on their way back. Woodruff should be first, with a potential season debut in the weekend series against the Marlins, while Cortes could be back in mid-July, and Gasser is reportedly targeting a mid-August return. Outfielder Blake Perkins could be returning in the next couple of weeks, while the injury-riddled Garrett Mitchell is out until at least September with a shoulder injury.

The Mets are without Jesse Winker (hooray), Brooks Raley, Sean Manaea, Griffin Canning, Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill, Nick Madrigal, A.J. Minter, Drew Smith, Max Kranick, and Jose Siri, among others. Raley, Winker, Senga, Megill, and Manaea could all be back in July, while Canning, Madrigal, and Minter are out for the season. Kranick is targeting an August return, Smith could be back in September, and Siri is out until after the All-Star break.

Offensively, Christian Yelich leads the Crew with 16 homers, 60 RBIs, 41 runs, and 12 steals this season, hitting .262/.337/.457. Jackson Chourio has 13 homers, 50 RBIs, 54 runs, and 15 steals, while Rhys Hoskins has added 12 homers. William Contreras, Sal Frelick, and Brice Turang have also been regular contributors, with Joey Ortiz, Isaac Collins, and Caleb Durbin turning it on in recent weeks. As a team, the Crew is hitting .248/.323/.381 (.704 OPS ranks 20th) with 79 homers (tied for 23rd), 397 runs (ninth), and 99 steals (third).

Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor are the trio of offensive weapons for the Mets, with Soto leading the way with 20 homers, as he’s hitting .258/.394/.507 this season. Alonso has 18 homers with a .291/.380/.541 line, while Lindor adds 16 homers, 13 steals, and a .258/.327/.447 line. Brandon Nimmo, Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil, and Starling Marte are among other key contributors. As a team, the Mets are hitting .245/.323/.417 (.740 OPS ranks sixth) with 109 homers (sixth), 368 runs (13th), and 64 steals (tied for 13th).

Abner Uribe’s 40 appearances lead the Crew, as he has a 2.25 ERA and 53 strikeouts over 40 innings. Jared Koenig has made 39 appearances, followed by Grant Anderson (36 games), Nick Mears (36 games), and Trevor Megill (32 games). Megill is 18-for-21 in save opportunities after blowing a save on Sunday, while Mears leads the bullpen with a 2.10 ERA. Rob Zastryzny, Aaron Ashby, and DL Hall have also been solid. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.77 team ERA (12th), including a 3.45 starter ERA (seventh) and a 4.25 reliever ERA (21st). They’ve struck out 718 batters (ninth) over 747 1⁄3 innings.

For New York, Huascar Brazobán and Reed Garrett are tied for the team lead with 34 appearances, closely followed by Ryne Stanek (33 games), Edwin Díaz (32 games), and José Buttó (31 games). Díaz has 16 saves in 17 chances, though Brazobán, Garrett, Stanek, and Buttó have each added a save or two. Brandon Waddell, Colin Poche, and Dedniel Núñez also work out of New York’s bullpen. As a staff, the Mets have a 3.46 team ERA (third), including a 3.33 starter ERA (third) and a 3.70 reliever ERA (12th). They’ve struck out 738 batters (sixth) over 754 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Tuesday, July 1 @ 6:10 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.90 ERA, 3.92 FIP) vs. Clay Holmes (2.97 ERA, 4.19 FIP)

Peralta is currently tied for the major league lead with 17 starts this season and tied for the NL lead with eight wins this year, compiling 2.3 bWAR, which outpaces both 2023 (2.0 in 30 starts) and 2024 (2.5 in 32 starts). While the walks continue to be an issue at times, he has a solid 2.90 ERA and 3.92 FIP with 98 strikeouts over 93 innings. He’s won each of his last three starts, allowing seven runs across 16 innings with 20 strikeouts against the Cardinals, Cubs, and Pirates. Peralta has made three career starts against the Mets, with a win in each outing, as he has a 2.60 ERA with 20 strikeouts across 17 1⁄3 innings.

Holmes, in his first season with the Mets after playing for the crosstown Yankees from 2021-2024, has transitioned into a full-time starter this year, making 16 appearances (and his first starts since his rookie year in 2018 with Pittsburgh). He has a solid 2.97 ERA but a slightly higher 4.19 FIP, with 75 strikeouts over 88 innings. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts dating back to mid-May. In 17 career appearances (one start) against Milwaukee, he’s 1-3 with a 6.64 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 20 1⁄3 innings.

Wednesday, July 2 @ 6:10 p.m.: Jacob Misiorowski (1.13 ERA, 2.84 FIP) vs. Blade Tidwell (10.13 ERA, 6.75 FIP)

Not much more needs to be said about Misiorowski. Through 16 innings over three starts thus far, he’s allowed just two runs on three hits and seven walks with 19 strikeouts, earning the win in each outing against the Cardinals, Twins, and Pirates, including a perfect game into the seventh against Minnesota and a duel with Paul Skenes on Wednesday. This is his first career appearance against the Mets.

Like Misiorowski, Blade Tidwell has made three appearances (though just two starts), spanning 10 2⁄3 innings. Unlike Miz, Tidwell has struggled, allowing 12 runs on 18 hits and eight walks with seven strikeouts. He allowed four runs over 3 1⁄3 innings against the Pirates on Friday night. This is his first career appearance against the Brewers.

Thursday, July 3 @ 6:10 p.m.: Jose Quintana (3.30 ERA, 4.42 FIP) vs. David Peterson (3.30 ERA, 3.36 FIP)

Quintana, 36, is on his eighth team, with a two-year tenure with the Mets in the near past, as he appeared in 44 games for them between 2023 and 2024 with a 3.70 ERA and 4.24 FIP. Through 11 starts with Milwaukee, he has a 3.30 ERA and 4.42 FIP, with 41 strikeouts over 60 innings. He’s earned the win in each of his last two starts, though they were very different outings. After working six scoreless frames against the Twins, he allowed four runs over 5 2⁄3 innings against the Rockies in a 10-6 victory on Friday. He’s made four career starts against the Mets (three with the Cubs and one with the White Sox), with a 4.07 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 24 1⁄3 innings, though eight of the 11 earned runs came in his last start against them back in 2019.

Peterson, 29, is in his sixth season with the Mets. He had a breakout 2024, with a 2.90 ERA and 3.67 FIP over 21 starts (121 innings). This season, he’s regressed very slightly, though his 3.30 ERA and 3.36 FIP are still very solid. He’s struck out 83 batters in 95 1⁄3 innings across 16 starts this year, though he’s lost each of the last two starts with 10 runs allowed over 8 2⁄3 innings against the Phillies and Pirates. In five career appearances (four starts) against the Brewers, he has a 4.15 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 21 2⁄3 innings, though he’s worked 13 scoreless innings in his last two appearances with 13 strikeouts. Additionally, he picked up the save against the Brewers in the decisive game three in last year’s NL Wild Card Series, striking out one in a scoreless ninth.

How to Watch

Tuesday, July 1: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network

Wednesday, July 2: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network

Monday, July 3: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network

Prediction

Despite the Mets’ recent struggles, this is still a great team that should make a playoff push. Given the opposite trajectories of these squads, though, I’ll take the Crew to win two of three.

Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ New York Mets

Tags: