After a pair of weather-related postponements, the New York Mets will resume their quest for a postseason berth against the host Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in the opener of the three-game series that could determine the National League wild-card race.
The Mets (87-70) enter Friday tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks (88-71) for the second wild-card spot, three games behind the San Diego Padres (91-68) and a game ahead of the Atlanta Braves (86-71). The Mets will play a makeup doubleheader Monday at Atlanta after the teams had contests postponed on Wednesday and Thursday.
“We’ve got to move on to the next series now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Facing another really good team in Milwaukee. We’ve got to go out there and not only win a series, but we’ve got to go out there and take care of business. That’s the only thing we can do.”
The Mets are expected to start left-hander Sean Manaea (12-5, 3.29 ERA) on Friday while the Brewers will send right-hander Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.85) to the mound. Milwaukee (91-68) clinched the NL Central title last week.
The Brewers wrapped up their final regular-season road trip with a 5-2 victory Thursday at Pittsburgh in the decider of the three-game series. Aaron Civale allowed three hits over six scoreless innings to beat the Pirates.
Milwaukee is locked into the No. 3 seed in the NL playoffs, meaning there is a chance that the Mets and Brewers could turn around and meet again in the wild-card round.
“These three games will be calculated, very calculated,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Thursday about the upcoming series. “Who pitches, how long they pitch, who will be ready when.”
The Mets are expected to have shortstop Francisco Lindor back in the lineup vs. Milwaukee. Lindor, sidelined since Sept. 15 due to lower back pain, was set to start Wednesday against the Braves before the rainout.
“He was feeling good today,” Mendoza said on Wednesday. “That’s why he was in the lineup. He’s going to work out, hit in the cages, move around, and we’ll see how he continues to progress. But we’re buying him an extra day or two here.”
Lindor is hitting. 271 with 31 homers and 86 RBIs.
Montas, acquired from Cincinnati in late July, is 3-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 10 starts with Milwaukee.
In his most recent outing, Montas was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) on six hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings, but he avoided the loss as the Brewers overcame an early 8-0 deficit for a 10-9 win against Arizona on Sunday.
“It shows you the type of team and bullpen that we have,” Montas said afterward. “We don’t give up the fight. We’re out there putting up a fight and we’re the type of team where you have to make 27 outs or we’re going to show you what we’re made of.”
Montas is 1-2 with a 5.75 ERA in four starts this month, having allowed six homers in 20 1/3 innings. He has a pair of no-decisions with a 5.40 ERA in two career appearances, including one start, against the Mets.
Manaea, in his first season with the Mets, has won four straight decisions covering eight starts dating back to mid-August. New York prevailed in all eight of those contests. He has faced the Brewers four times in his career (three starts), going 1-1 with a 4.19 ERA.
–Field Level Media
