September 18, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field Pitching during the game. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images MILWAUKEE — It took an extra day to decide the opponent, but the National League Central champion Brewers will host the New York Mets on Tuesday in the first game of the National League Wild Card Series.
The Mets clinched the sixth seed by winning the first game of a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday. The Braves won Game 2 3-0 to earn the No. 5 seed and a spot in the other wild-card series against the host San Diego Padres.
Monday's results eliminated the Arizona Diamondbacks from playoff contention. The defending NFC champions need a team to sweep Monday's doubleheader, making up for two games postponed last week due to hurricanes.
New York won Monday's opener 8-7 on Francisco Lindor's two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. The Mets scored six runs in the eighth inning and Atlanta scored four in the bottom half to take a 7-6 lead.
“We've answered the bell and earned the right to be in the playoffs,” New York first baseman Pete Alonso said. “We have a great opportunity in front of us at this point.”
Freddy Peralta (11-9, 3.68 ERA) will pitch for the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, while right-hander Luis Severino (11-7, 3.91) Pitching for the Mets.
The Brewers clinched the NL Central title with 10 games remaining and have won five of their last seven. They won two of the three games in the final series against New York and defeated the Mets 5-1 on the season.
“This team hasn't worried all year about who their opponent is,” first-year Milwaukee head coach Pat Murphy said Monday before the first-round opponent was revealed.
“… It's not our mode of predicting and planning, it's just preparing to play well, and then play well, and then be kind to ourselves. That's our rhythm.”
The Brewers are in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons but have struggled of late.
Milwaukee is 1-8 in the postseason since losing to the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2018 National League Championship Series. The disappointment of last year's playoffs was a sweep of Arizona State in the wild-card round.
“We feel different,” Peralta said Monday. “I can say that. Even today, you can see it in everybody's faces, the vibe we have right now, we all know where we are, where we're going, and where we want to go.”
Peralta took over the No. 1 spot in the rotation when Corbin Burns was traded to Baltimore before the season, going 3-2 with an ERA in his past seven starts. is 2.48. He totaled 173 2/3 innings in 32 starts – both career highs – and finished with 200 strikeouts.
The 28-year-old is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in four postseason appearances, including two starts. In Game 2 last year, he allowed four runs in five innings in a 5-2 loss to Arizona State.
On March 29, Peralta made his only start of the season against the Mets, allowing one run on a solo home run in six innings in a 3–1 victory.
Severino went 2-1 with a 3.64 ERA in five starts in September. He allowed four runs in four innings in the Braves' 5-1 loss last Tuesday.
The 30-year-old went 1-4 with a 5.15 ERA in 11 postseason games, including 10 starts. On March 30, he allowed 6 runs (3 ERA) on 11 hits in 5 innings of a 7–6 loss to the Brewers.
Milwaukee outfielder Sal Frilick was responsible for running the bases and throwing fly balls Monday and said he's “doing fine,” but his status remains uncertain.
Frilick, who is batting .259 and stealing 18 bases in 145 games this season, suffered a bone contusion in his left hip Friday when he hit an unpadded area of the wall.
—Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media