MLB: Mets Visit Brewers Hoping to Secure Playoff Berth (Sep 27)

The Mets head to Milwaukee for a three-game series vs the NL Central champion Brewers, hoping to clinch a Wild Card playoff berth.

Our pick for this MLB game is the Mets run line.

Betting Odds Are Unusually Even Given the Circumstances

Mets Seek Revenge After Being Swept by Brewers

The Mets have experienced a remarkable turnaround in 2024. On June 2, they were a season-worst 11 games below .500 and barely ahead of the last place Nationals. Their struggles didn’t start there, but rather in the first series of the year. They were swept at home by the Brewers to start the season.

Their series lowlights included a bench-clearing incident when Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil objected to Rhys Hoskins’ slide, but no punches were thrown.

The next day, Hoskins infuriated the Mets even further. He punctuated their reputation around the league as an easy to push around team, going 3 for 4 with a home run. New York pitcher Yohan Ramirez threw a pitch close to Hoskins to retaliate, but missed him.

The Brewers went on to dominate their division and are heading to the playoffs as the #3 seed. They will play the Wild Card winner with the worst record, which could very well be the Mets.

With the series essentially meaningless to Milwaukee, there is a question as to how hard they will push to win. The Mets can make their own lives easier by winning all three games. It would reduce the importance of their doubleheader against the Braves on Sept. 30, perhaps rendering it irrelevant.

Mets May Face Trouble Without Montas

The Mets will start Sean Manaea. The Brewers counter with Frankie Montas.

Manaea is New York’s most trustworthy starter with a 12-5 record, a 3.29 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 178 innings. He is vulnerable to the home run ball having surrendered 20 this season.

Against the Brewers, he has had the most trouble with Eric Haase. Haase has a .500 career batting average with 2 hits in 4 at-bats. Both were for extra bases, with one being a double and the other a home run. Mets nemesis Hoskins has one home run against Manaea. C Gary Sanchez is 3 for 6 with 2 doubles.

Montas was blasted by the Diamondbacks in his previous start. He surrendered 8 runs — including 3 homers — in 2.2 innings. For the Mets, Francisco Lindor is 4 for 11 in his career against Montas with 2 doubles. His playing status is still in question given a balky back. The only Met with a home run in his career against Montas is backup catcher Luis Torrens.

Mets vs. Brewers Prediction

The game is important to the Mets, not the Brewers. Objectively, Milwaukee matches up better against New York. If they’re thinking strategically about their playoff opponent, they’re better off with the Mets instead of the Braves. With that in mind, they might take their foot off the gas this series and make the Mets run line the pick.

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