New York @ Milwaukee preview
American Family Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2012 ) NY Mets 7, Milwaukee 3
After wasting a golden opportunity to get closer to a playoff spot, the Milwaukee Brewers try to exact revenge on Saturday when they take on the New York Mets in the middle contest of their three-game series at Miller Park. Milwaukee had a chance to both match a franchise record with its 10th consecutive home victory and climb within 2 1/2 games of the second wild-card spot in the National League. Neither goal was achieved, however, as the Mets posted a 7-3 win in the series opener as Jon Niese tossed six effective innings while going 2-for-3 at the plate.
The loss ended Milwaukee's nine-game home winning streak and kept it 3 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the wild-card race. New York erupted offensively after scoring a total of six runs over its previous four contests as it ended its six-game losing streak. All of the setbacks took place at home. The Mets, who have won seven of their last 10 on the road, sent the Brewers back to the .500 mark.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jenrry Mejia (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Shaun Marcum (5-4, 3.71)
Mejia will be making his fourth career start and first since Sept. 15, 2010, when he suffered a shoulder injury. The 22-year-old Dominican tore the medial collateral ligament in his elbow during a start for Triple-A Buffalo in April 2011 and required Tommy John surgery. This season, Mejia went 4-4 in 30 games - 14 starts - in the minors before allowing a run over two innings of a relief appearance Sept. 7 against Atlanta.
Marcum is 0-1 in four starts since coming off the disabled list, including a no-decision at St. Louis on Sunday in which he allowed four runs and eight hits over five innings. The 30-year-old has surrendered 15 runs over 19 2/3 frames in those outings. Marcum, who has not started at home since defeating San Diego on June 8, is 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Brewers allowed seven runs on Friday after yielding a total of six in the three-game sweep of Atlanta.
2. Niese was one of four players with two-hit performances for New York, joining Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda and David Wright, who extended his hitting streak to eight games.
3. Milwaukee 1B Corey Hart missed his fourth consecutive game with a left foot injury.