TOP PLAY (WPA): The first run of the game went to the Mets in the sixth inning. With Michael Blazek on the mound and Michael Cuddyer already at first base Wilmer Flores struck a sharp double to left field. Shane Peterson played it off a carom and hit the cutoff man (+.203 WPA).
In this instance, that cutoff man was Jean Segura, who turned quickly and tried to gun down Michael Cuddyer at home. Unfortunately, the throw sailed on him. Cuddyer was safe on the error, and Flores took third base as Lucroy was forced to scramble to recover the ball.
Flores would be stranded at third base as Blazek would bounce back to strike out Darrell Ceciliani on four pitches to end the inning. The Mets would later turn that 1-0 lead into a 2-0 lead. That was all they needed to cruise to victory, as the Brewers were unable to mount much of anything against Jacob deGrom.
BOTTOM PLAY (WPA): Hernan Perez grounded into a no-out double play in the eighth inning to wipe out a late comeback attempt (-.142 WPA).
Heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Brewers found themselves down by a pair of runs. A 2-0 deficit is not typically an insurmountable lead, but it felt that way with Jacob deGrom pitching. The right-hander carved up the Brewers all day. That’s why it was such a big deal when Scooter Gennett lead off the eighth inning with a ground-ball single to center.
Hernan Perez next stepped up to the plate. Earlier in the game, he laced a double to left field. He also struck a ball quite well in the sixth inning, only to have it find a glove in right field. He appeared to be locked in at the plate. However, his good fortune abandoned him at this key juncture. He grounded into a double play to erase Gennett’s effort, and the Brewers never again threatened to cut into the Mets’ lead.
KEY MOMENT
In the second inning, Taylor Jungmann ran into a bit of trouble. He had runners at first and second with one out. Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki drove the ball to deep center field, and the Mets third base coach opted to send the slow Michael Cuddyer so he could try and score from second base. Parra delivered a strong and accurate throw to home plate. Cuddyer attempted an awkward slide. Lucroy applied the tag. The umpire took a second to make sure Jonathan Lucroy had the ball in his glove before making the out call. It looked very close, though, and the Mets called for an official review.
Even after numerous replays of the tag and slide from multiple angles, it was difficult to determine if the tag was late or not. The umpire review crew must have felt the same because it took them 4 minutes and 19 seconds to decide to uphold the out call. It was the longest review involving the Brewers of the season. It was a crucial decision. Instead of having two runners on base with a run in and one out, the situation became two runners on, no runs, and two outs with the pitcher at the plate. Jungmann escaped with no damage.
This failed review would also pay dividends later in the game. In the fourth inning, Darrell Ceciliani attempted to steal second base. The Brewers perfectly anticipated this, as the dugout called for the pitch-out. Lucroy made a good throw and the umpire called the runner out. The television replay ultimately showed that the tag was late, but the Mets were unable to challenge because they had already lost their review. Mets manager Terry Collins would be thrown out arguing the call.
The Brewers wound up losing the game, but the play by Parra and Lucroy, along with the lost ability to review by the Mets, kept Milwaukee in the game much longer than they would have if Cuddyer had scored.
TREND TO WATCH
Taylor Jungmann continued his successful major-league campaign. He went five-scoreless innings, striking out five batters, walking a pair, and allowing four hits. He received significant help from his defense, though, (and not to mention the umpires). Jonathan Lucroy cut down two runners stealing, while Gerardo Parra threw out Cuddyer at home — as discussed above.
Jungmann threw 53 of his 91 pitches for strikes. That means 41.7 percent of pitches were outside the strike zone. His command has always been a problem, as J.P. Breen mentioned here. The Mets offense is pretty weak and his defense behind him won’t always be able to bail him out to the extent they did today. Facing a better offense, he might have allowed more walks and fell into more hitters counts.
COMING NEXT
On Friday, the Brewers start a three game weekend series against the Minnesota Twins. The Brewers will send Kyle Lohse to the mound in Game One, and the Twins will counter with right-hander Trevor May. Lohse faced the Twins earlier this month and allowed five runs (including a home run) in six innings. That’s pretty much par for the course for him this year. In fact, he’s only made two starts in which he didn’t allow a home run. On the surface, it’s strange because his K%-BB% is almost identical to last year. He’s just getting hit a lot (.282 BAA) and getting hit hard (1.79 HR/9).
Trevor May is in his first full season in the majors, but he did make nine starts for the Twins last year. He throws a fastball (90-94 mph) and pairs that with a slider, curveball, and changeup. His results (4.03 ERA) might belie his true talent, though. While he does have a rather high .279 BAA, his 21.0 percent strikeout rate and 4.8 percent walk rate are quite good. His 3.75 DRA (Deserved Run Average) is also lower than his ERA. However, if his minor league numbers are any indication, his walk rate should go up in the future.
On a side note, tomorrow is one of the “Free Shirt Friday” promotions the Brewers are holding. It’s the second of the season. This time, they’ll be handing out a Jonathan Lucroy themed T-shirt.