It’s at least a simple concept for the New York Mets. Win their remaining three games, and they’ll gain a wild-card berth in the National League.
But the Mets have dropped three straight, and standing in their way Sunday afternoon will be the Milwaukee Brewers, who have won the first two games of their home series against New York.
Six Milwaukee pitchers combined on a two-hitter Saturday night for a 6-0 victory. Joey Ortiz drove in three runs for the NL Central champion Brewers (93-68), who have clinched the No. 3 seed and will host a wild-card series beginning Tuesday. Milwaukee won Saturday despite striking out 18 times.
The loss dropped the Mets (87-72) a game behind the Atlanta Braves for the second NL wild-card spot and into a tie with Arizona (88-73) for the final spot. The Braves (88-71) defeated the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night, while Arizona lost to the San Diego Padres.
After finishing the series at Milwaukee on Sunday, the Mets will play a make-up doubleheader on Monday at Atlanta. The Mets hold the tiebreaker vs. Arizona.
“Not winning the past couple of days is putting us in a difficult situation,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday night. “But we have to come back tomorrow, and we have to win the game tomorrow. That’s the bottom line. And then see where we are at the end of the day tomorrow and then go to Atlanta and see what we’ve got.”
The Mets on Sunday will start left-hander David Peterson (9-3, 3.08 ERA), who will oppose right-hander Colin Rea (12-5, 4.17).
Peterson is 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA over his past seven starts. After going 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA in six starts in August, he is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts this month.
Peterson last started Sept. 20, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 12-2 loss to the Phillies.
He is 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA in four career games vs. Milwaukee, including three starts.
Milwaukee is expected to be without starting right fielder Sal Frelick, who left Friday’s game with a hip injury when he crashed into the wall along the right-field line. The Brewers hope he might be ready for Tuesday’s wild-card opener.
“Nobody has ruled (Frelick) out,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Saturday. “The fact that he can’t walk on his own makes it less likely. Daunting. Less likely to be anytime soon. We’re going to slow-play it and not make a decision on the roster until we absolutely have to.”
Rea, one of the Brewers’ most consistent starters most of the season, has struggled down the stretch. He is 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in five appearances this month, including three starts. Much of that was allowing 10 runs in four innings in a 13-2 loss at San Francisco on Sept. 11.
He has not allowed a run in four innings in his two relief appearances this month.
Rea is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three career starts against New York, including a win this season when he allowed one run in five innings in a 4-1 victory on March 31.
Milwaukee has won seven straight games vs. the Mets, including going 5-0 this season, and 12 of the past 13 meetings.
