Game Preview: Mets @ Brewers

The Mets can clinch a playoff berth tonight with a win in Milwaukee!

The Mets are coming fresh off of a four game sweep of the Pirates and barreling full speed towards locking in their first playoff berth since the 2016 season. Despite sweeping the Pirates this weekend, they did not gain any separation in the division standings as the Braves swept the Phillies. The Braves also helped out the Brewers. The Brewers are now only two games out of the last Wild Card spot, chasing the Phillies.

Max Scherzer will kick the series off for the Mets tonight. Over 20 starts and 127 2/3 innings this season, Scherzer has a 2.26 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 0.924 WHIP and a 173 ERA+. Scherzer’s last start was against the Nationals on September 3rd where he held the Nationals to one run from three hits and a walk over five innings of work. He was cruising through the game, throwing only 67 pitches so we all knew something was wrong when he didn’t comeback out in the 6th inning. It was related to the same injury that caused him to miss time earlier in the year, and the Mets did the cautious, correct thing with shutting him down for an IL stint to make sure he is good to go for the final push.

The Brewers have the following career numbers against Scherzer:

Andrew McCutchen 8-39, 3 2B, HR, 3 BB, 16 K
Christian Yelich 10-32, 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 2 BB, 9 K
Jace Peterson 5-25, 2 2B, 3 BB, 11 K
Kolten Wong 5-23, BB, 5 K
Willy Adames 0-5, 4 K
Rowdy Tellez 1-5, BB, K

The Mets start the series off facing last year’s Cy Young award winner, Corbin Burnes. Corbin has made 29 starts and pitched 179 innings this season with a 2.97 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 0.983 WHIP and a 134 ERA+. Since August 18th he has made six starts, tossing 36 innings allowing 24 runs, 21 earned from 36 hits include 6 homers (5.25 ERA, 4.16 FIP). He he faced the Mets earlier this season he allowed two runs from five hits (including a homer) over six innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him: